Complete list of press releases

(WASHINGTON, DC –  June 11, 2024) As summer heats up and Americans turn to grilling their fish fillets and gathering for clam bakes, a new poll released by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) reveals voters are open to growing more seafood in U.S. waters if it adheres to strong consumer and environmental standards. 

According to the poll, 76% of U.S. voters support researching the expansion of open ocean aquaculture, which is included in the Science-based Equitable Aquaculture Food (SEAfood) Act and favor expanding farmed seafood, also known as aquaculture, into the open ocean off the U.S. coast.  

Recognizing that the vast majority of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported, and half of that is farmed, voters surveyed expressed the desire to ensure that the seafood they consume is safe and healthy and that the economic benefits from farming seafood can be realized at home. Eighty-two percent of voters said that research can help ensure the safety of the seafood we consume. 

A memo of the results is available online. 

The poll builds on a previous EDF poll from 2021 that revealed voters are open to consuming more farmed seafood if it is produced in the U.S. and is subject to strong environmental and consumer standards.  

“The findings give us greater clarity on the concerns and information voters need about aquaculture before they feel comfortable showing support for it.” said Kate Bonzon, Vice President of Climate Resilient Fisheries and Oceans at EDF. “The U.S. should follow the science and invest in the research necessary to ensure open ocean aquaculture is done right from the start.” 

Most voters place the economy at the top of their concerns with 62% saying that they are “very concerned” with the economy and 76% being “very concerned” about their own cost of living.  Voters see the potential for aquaculture to mitigate economic issues, and largely agree that doing the research to understand how to do aquaculture sustainably in U.S. open ocean waters will expand economic opportunity.  

The poll also shows voters prefer a candidate who supports research into the benefits and risks of aquaculture over one who doesn't by a 2-to-1 margin, regardless of party affiliation. 

“The U.S. could set a high bar for aquaculture sustainability standards, much like they have done for fisheries management, and it is clear that voters want to see research as the foundation for these standards,” said Bonzon. “Leading with science puts the U.S. in a better position to meet consumer demand, support local economies and livelihoods, complement our fisheries, and produce low-carbon food.” 

EDF supports efforts to research the sustainable development of open ocean aquaculture and has endorsed the SEAfood Act. The bill charts a responsible, science-based path forward for growing healthy, sustainable seafood in open ocean waters in the U.S. by: 

• Charging the Government Accountability Office with producing a report that details permitting, monitoring, and regulatory options for governing open ocean aquaculture in the U.S.;  
• Directing the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to complete a study on the scientific basis for efficient and effective regulation of open ocean aquaculture;  
• Authorizing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create an open ocean aquaculture assessment program that prioritizes research and transparency using on-the-water projects that are operated in partnership with land and sea grant institutions; and  
• Creating a grant program, under NOAA, for minority-serving educational institutions to establish aquaculture centers of excellence that meet the needs of a growing domestic and sustainable aquaculture industry, including developing or enhancing undergraduate and graduate aquaculture curriculum, career development, and extension programs. 

Global Strategy Group conducted the survey and polled 800 registered voters in New York (statewide), Florida (statewide), coastal California ZIP Codes, coastal Texas ZIP Codes, ME-01, SC-01, WA-01, WA-06, and LA-06 between Jan. 25 and Jan. 29, 2024. The survey has a margin of error of +/-3.5%.  

(Washington, D.C. – June 7, 2024) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced updated and more protective fuel economy standards for the nation’s new cars and passenger trucks. 

The strengthened Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards will save American families money on gas and strengthen U.S. energy security while helping to reduce harmful pollution. 

“The CAFE standards announced today will save people hundreds of dollars of hard-earned money at the gas pump and will help make our nation less reliant on foreign oil, all while reducing air pollution and helping us address the climate crisis,” said Alice Henderson, Director of Transportation and Clean Air Policy for Environmental Defense Fund. “Together with other actions like EPA’s recent clean cars and clean trucks standards, the CAFE standards keep us moving down the road to a safer, healthier, and more affordable clean transportation future.”

NHTSA today announced finalized standards for new passenger cars and light trucks for model years 2027 to 2031 (and projected standards for model year 2032), and for new heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans for model years 2030-2035.

The CAFE standards were issued under the 1973 Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which was enacted in response to the 1973 energy crisis. The law requires NHTSA to set standards for the “maximum feasible” average fuel economy levels that car and truck manufacturers can achieve in their fleets in a given model year, prioritizing energy conservation. Today’s standards, together with other important measures the Biden Administration has rolled out including the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent pollution protections for cars and passenger trucks and heavy-duty trucks and buses, will advance American leadership on transportation sector policy.

Today’s updated CAFE standards will increase fuel economy by 2% each year for new cars in model years 2027 to 2031 and for new passenger trucks in model years 2029 to 2031. The standards will increase fuel efficiency standards for new heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans by 10% each year from 2030 to 2032 and by 8% each year from 2033 to 2035.

The standards will:

• Result in an average of 50.4 miles per gallon for new cars and passenger trucks sold in 2031
• Result in an average of 35 miles per gallon for new heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans sold in 2035
• Save car and passenger truck owners an average of $600 on fuel costs over the life of their vehicle, and save heavy-duty pickup truck and van owners an average of $700 of fuel costs over the life of their vehicle 
• Save more than 70 billion gallons of gasoline through 2050 
• Keep more than 710 million metric tons of climate pollution out of our air – the equivalent of taking more than 230 million vehicles off our roads through 2050

(NEW YORK – June 5, 2024) New York Gov. Kathy Hochul today announced she has “indefinitely paused” the implementation of the city’s groundbreaking congestion pricing program mere weeks from its planned start date. The program, which was signed into law in 2019, was set to reduce traffic congestion and minimize health-harming pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, all while raising $1 billion per year for long-promised public transportation upgrades, expansions and accessibility improvements.  

“Gov. Hochul’s action has blocked billions for desperately needed subway repairs and cleaner air for our kids with asthma. This last minute reversal on congestion pricing has shocked and disappointed millions of New Yorkers. Creating a cleaner, more sustainable future for everyone requires a strong resolve when challenges arise. After once championing “Less Traffic, Better Transit, Cleaner Air,” as the benefits of the program, Gov. Hochul is now jeopardizing the future of New York’s public transportation system and directly undermining some of her own climate and sustainability commitments set by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.  

“Environmental Defense Fund remains committed to the goals of congestion pricing: public transportation that is sustainable and accessible for all, cleaner air and streets that are safer for pedestrians, bikers and drivers alike. We stand ready to work with our elected leaders to ensure these goals continue to be a priority. New Yorkers throughout the state shouldn’t have to wait any longer for the modern, healthy and sustainable communities they deserve.” 

• Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund  

(Washington, D.C. – June 4, 2024) A broad coalition of health and environmental groups, including Environmental Defense Fund, will help defend EPA’s updated and strengthened Mercury and Air Toxics Standards against a court challenge.

The groups filed a motion to intervene with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit late yesterday.

“The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards protect Americans against some of the most dangerous kinds of air pollution – pollution that can harm brain development in babies and cause a slew of serious diseases, including cancer, in adults,” said EDF senior attorney Surbhi Sarang. “In the last decade the successful and cost-effective Mercury and Air Toxics Standards have saved tens of thousands of lives, and the improvements that EPA just finalized will help save even more. We plan to vigorously defend the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards against this mercenary court challenge.”

EPA strengthened the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards at the end of April as part of a suite of actions to reduce pollution from U.S. fossil fuel power plants.

Coal-fired power plants emit mercury, which is linked to brain damage in children and heart disease in adults, as well as other toxic pollutants including cancer-causing arsenic, chromium and nickel. Since the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards were first adopted more than a decade ago they have saved more than 160,000 lives.

EPA has a duty under the Clean Air Act to regularly update the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. The most recent update improves the standards to keep more mercury and toxic pollution out of our air by closing a dangerous loophole that allowed lignite-burning coal plants to emit more than three times the amount of mercury as other plants. The update also strengthens the standards for monitoring other toxic pollutants and improves monitoring requirements to bolster accountability.

A group of states led by North Dakota and West Virginia sued to overturn the updated protections.

Yesterday EDF, along with Air Alliance Houston, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Lung Association, American Public Health Association, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, Clean Air Council, Clean Wisconsin, Downwinders at Risk, Environmental Integrity Project, Montana Environmental Information Center, Natural Resources Council of Maine, Natural Resources Defense Council, the Ohio Environmental Council, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and Sierra Club, formally filed a motion to intervene with the D.C. Circuit to join the case in defense of the updated Mercury and Air Toxics standards.

(WASHINGTON, DC) “U.S. dairy farmers will soon be able to reduce the amount of methane their cows produce thanks to a new decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that clears the way for a product called Bovaer to come to market. When added to animal feed, Bovaer cuts the amount of methane animals produce by up to 30%. This type of innovation is essential for slowing climate change.

“Livestock are a major source of methane, one of the biggest drivers of climate change today. Lowering these emissions is essential for a safer climate, but until now, enteric methane solutions haven’t been available for U.S. livestock farmers to use.

“FDA’s decision changes that. The agency followed a rigorous and comprehensive review process that protects human and animal health. This strong, science-backed approach ensures the safety of our food supply and should be a model for future reviews of enteric methane solutions.

“Elanco Animal Health, Inc supported a strong safety review process for its product, Bovaer, and their actions set the bar for effective review of these products. Other companies developing enteric methane-reducing products must follow suit to ensure that farmers, ranchers and consumers benefit from a robust, well-tested set of methane solutions.

“Bovaer is the first product of its kind, but it can’t be the last. We need a full suite of options available to dairy farmers and cattle ranchers to choose from for their operations. FDA’s rigorous review here is foundational for making this happen, and we encourage Congress to codify a rigorous and efficient approach that encourages further innovation going forward.”

• John Tauzel, senior director, global agriculture methane

Read EDF’s blog post about enteric methane products and research for additional context about innovations to lower livestock methane emissions.

(TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – May 30, 2024) - Yesterday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed bill (HB 1049) into law, requiring sellers to disclosure significant details about their property’s flood risks during the homebuying process. This includes providing buyers with filed insurance claims related to flood damage and disclosing whether federal assistance was given due to flooding. Though it does not require the seller to disclose information of a home’s past flood damage, this is a first step in ensuring greater transparency when buying what is often the largest purchase in an individual’s life. 

The new legislation will take effect on October 1, 2024. This comes at a time when storms are becoming more frequent and intense, with at least one third of state properties predicted to face a severe risk of flooding in the next 30 years. 

“Thanks to passage of this important legislation, Florida has demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering informed decision making by enabling homebuyers to access critical information about their flood risks. This transparency will help Florida homebuyers make choices that can better protect themselves, their families and their property. 

“On behalf of Environmental Defense Fund, I thank lawmakers for taking this important step forward and encouraging more resilient development practices. We look forward to continuing collaboration with government officials and stakeholders to further build resilience for our state.” 

-Rachel Rhode, Manager, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds - Florida, Environmental Defense Fund 

“Farmers, ranchers, foresters and rural communities across the country need Congress to come together and pass a bipartisan farm bill this year. In this important moment, we’re especially thankful for Rep. Vasquez’s commitment to helping America’s agricultural producers adapt and thrive in the face of increasingly challenging growing conditions. Climate-smart agriculture programs are vastly oversubscribed and underfunded, and we’re looking forward to a bipartisan agreement that protects this specific conservation funding. We are committed to working with both chambers to pass a bill that preserves needed climate-specific conservation funding so farmers and communities can build resilience and thrive for generations to come.”

(WASHINGTON – May 29, 2024) The Biden-Harris administration launched the Federal-State Modern Grid Deployment Initiative, with commitments from 21 states to deploy modern grid solutions that expand affordable, reliable and clean power.

“This new federal-state collaboration will help lower ratepayers’ energy bills, unlock more clean power that curbs pollution and create good-paying jobs building out a modern power grid,” said Ted Kelly, Senior Attorney for Energy Markets & Regulation at EDF.

“The challenges facing our grid – extreme weather events, increasing electricity demand and aging infrastructure – are not limited to any one state or single region. These challenges impact the entire country, and strong collaboration between federal and state leaders is crucial to building a reliable grid.”

Deploying innovative grid technologies, like high-performance conductors and sensors that monitor real-time conditions, can bolster the capacity of our power grid and more effectively meet demand from homes and businesses without requiring new transmission lines. Alongside this announcement, the Department of Energy and the U.S. Climate Alliance are providing a host of policy, technical and analytical assistance to help participating states and stakeholders carry out these commitments. 

“This initiative will help us harness innovative grid solutions available right now that can deliver affordable, reliable and clean power to communities across the country,” continued Kelly. “It builds on a series of recent actions by the Biden administration and FERC that will strengthen and prepare our power grid for the 21st century.”

Today the Biden administration released a Joint Policy Statement and Principles for Responsible Participation in Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs) that codify the U.S. government’s approach to advance high-integrity VCMs. The Statement and Principles, signed by United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Thomas Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm and Senior Advisor for International Climate Policy John Podesta, among others, represent the U.S. government’s commitment to advancing the responsible development of VCMs, with clear incentives and guardrails in place to ensure that this market drives ambitious and credible climate action from the private sector, and generates economic opportunity. 

The following are statements from Environmental Defense Fund’s Amanda Leland and Angela Churie Kallhauge, both of whom participated in the event today in Washington officially announcing the Statement and Principles. 

Amanda Leland, EDF’s Executive Director, said: 

“By establishing a consistent and supportive policy framework for high integrity voluntary carbon markets, the U.S. is sending an important signal for private sector leadership that will complement other big steps taken by the Biden-Harris administration to dramatically reduce climate pollution using a variety of tools. When done right, carbon markets offer a powerful means to finance much-needed climate solutions now, while promoting transparent, inclusive and equitable economic development.” 

Angela Churie Kallhauge, EDF’s Executive Vice President of Impact, said:  

“We must build carbon markets that are transparent, equitable and effective, ensuring that every dollar invested translates into real climate action and benefits for communities worldwide. Today’s announcement is a real milestone as it signals the U.S. government’s determination to scale high integrity voluntary carbon markets. It also comes amid a general convergence around principles of quality and integrity we have been seeing.”  

Today the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) filed testimony with the NC Utilities Commission (NCUC) regarding Duke Energy’s Carbon Plan/Integrated Resource Plan. Drawing from expert analysis provided by William McAleb, the testimony filed today points to specific assumptions and information gaps that Duke Energy must address in order for the NCUC to properly consider Duke’s proposal. The NCUC will hold hearings this summer and issue an order by the end of the year. The full testimony can be found on the NCUC website.

EDF Director of Southeast Climate and Clean Energy, Will Scott, shared the following statement with regard to the filing:

"We are facing a huge decision point in the state’s energy future over the next few months. It’s up to the NCUC to carefully review Duke Energy’s plan and protect North Carolinians from overpriced, risky and unnecessary investments in new fossil fuel power plants. In particular, the Commission must scrutinize Duke’s unsupported assertion that building ten new gas plants under the assumption that they can all be converted to burn hydrogen is the least-cost and least-risk path for electricity customers across the state.

Blending hydrogen into existing pipeline networks, as Duke initially proposes, increases the chances of pipeline “embrittlement” and leaks as a result. Also, because hydrogen requires three times as much volume to supply the same amount of energy as methane, current pipelines simply do not have the capacity to deliver sufficient fuel, and no concrete proposal exists in the Southeast for a dedicated hydrogen pipeline network. If Duke Energy insists on pinning the energy future of the state to a hydrogen fuel market which does not currently exist, the company should, at the least, be more specific and transparent about their plan and its price tag before asking North Carolina ratepayers to foot the bill."

The expert testimony filed today recommends that the NC Utilities commission decline to approve Duke's proposed gas-heavy plan as reasonable and prudent unless the company provides concrete information to support its assumptions on the cost and feasibility of hydrogen fuel switching. Specifically, on behalf of NC electricity customers, the NCUC should:

• Require Duke Energy to share costs for its facilities to achieve 100% hydrogen-capable status, and costs for sourcing and storage of hydrogen to operate those facilities.
• Conduct a study, outlining in detail how Duke Energy can guarantee the availability of hydrogen relied upon in its currently-proposed plan and how it plans to address safety and feasibility concerns.
• Require Duke Energy to explain its backup plan for meeting House Bill 951’s 2050 net-zero carbon pollution requirements if the company is unable to source sufficient clean hydrogen at a competitive price to fuel its ten proposed gas units.

(Sacramento, CA - May 28, 2024) – As the American West faces intensifying water challenges, water managers, landowners, and water users are increasingly turning to the Groundwater Accounting Platform as a data-driven tool that enables them to track water availability and usage with user-friendly dashboards and workflows. This critical tool is now available throughout California to support sustainable groundwater management practices. 

Unsustainable groundwater pumping across much of the West has endangered long-term water supplies and lead to millions of dollars of infrastructure damage from sinking land. The Groundwater Accounting Platform empowers users to manage long-term, and helps communities avoid undesirable outcomes and maintain clean water supplies at lower costs. Additionally, this critical functionality supports Groundwater Sustainability Agencies as they manage resources in priority basins under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. 
 
“It is more important than ever that water managers and agricultural water users have access to the best possible data to guide their decisions and balance supply and demand for groundwater,” said Dr. Noa Bruhis, senior analyst at the Environmental Defense Fund. “The open-source Groundwater Accounting Platform was developed to provide them with an easy to use, cost-effective option that helps secure their communities’ water future.”  

The platform can integrate data from various sources, including satellite imagery, flow meters, and sensor networks. This consolidation of water supply and usage information allows for precise tracking of water budgets at the parcel level. Additionally, the platform provides a comprehensive water manager dashboard to account for water distribution across districts and regions, informing crucial management decisions such as billing and allocation planning. Utilizing open-source code, the platform offers flexibility for water districts to develop and customize their unique software solutions.  

A notable feature of the Groundwater Accounting Platform is its utilization of open-source technology. This means the technology is available to anybody who wants to work with the source code, empowering water agencies everywhere to harness the platform's robust technology to create their own unique, cost-effective groundwater accounting platforms. This approach aims to foster collaboration and innovation among water management professionals. 

For the past several years, the Groundwater Accounting Platform has been in development with pilot partners Rosedale Rio-Bravo Water Storage District, Yolo County Flood Control & Irrigation District, Merced Irrigation-Urban GSA, Pajaro Valley Water, and Merced County Subbasin. The Platform is now ready for adoption and use by Groundwater Sustainability Agencies throughout California. East Turlock Groundwater Sustainability Agency is helping to lead the way and has recently selected the platform as their formal accounting tool. 

Developed through collaboration between the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), California Water Data Consortium, Environmental Science Associates (ESA), and Olsson, the Groundwater Accounting Platform provides a new tool for effectively balancing water supply and demand.

To access the platform, visit groundwateraccounting.org

Points of contact: 

• Request a Platform Demo: John Burns, jburns@esassoc.com
• US Platform Coordination and Outreach: Noa Bruhis – nbruhis@edf.org
• California Platform Coordination and Outreach: Hannah Ake – hake@cawaterdata.org
• Modeling, Scenario Planning, and Groundwater Evaluation Toolbox: Jim Schneider – jschneider@olsson.com 

Learn more about the platform in this new conversation with the waterloop podcast:

(Washington, D.C. – May 20, 2024) Ten of the nation’s leading health and environmental groups, including Environmental Defense Fund, plan to go to court to defend EPA’s pollution standards for new heavy-duty vehicles like freight trucks and buses.

A group of Republican Attorneys General and Arizona state legislators together with the Arizona Trucking Association filed lawsuits against the protective standards in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit last week. Today, the health and environmental groups filed a motion to intervene in those cases.

“EPA’s Clean Truck Standards are critically important for protecting public health and our climate,” said Alice Henderson, EDF’s Director and Lead Counsel for Transportation and Clean Air. “They are also attainable, cost-effective, and legally sound. We look forward to providing a robust defense against the legal challenges to these important safeguards.”

Along with EDF, the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Lung Association, American Public Health Association, Appalachian Mountain Club, Clean Air Council (represented by Clean Air Task Force), Environmental Law & Policy Center, Natural Resources Defense Council, Public Citizen, and Sierra Club joined today’s motion to intervene.

EPA’s Clean Truck Standards will slash climate pollution from new heavy-duty vehicles including freight trucks, garbage trucks, and school buses in model years 2027 through 2032. They’ll cut one billion metric tons of climate pollution by 2055, save fleets $3.5 billion in average annual savings, and provide substantial health benefits, especially to frontline communities.

EPA’s standards are performance based and technology neutral – so manufacturers can use a variety of technologies to comply, including internal combustion engine vehicle emission controls, and electrification technologies.

Sales and investments in electric heavy-duty trucks and buses are already growing fast and are expected to remain popular because they are cost-effective for manufacturers, fleets, and drivers. Almost $14 billion in specific private investment in heavy-duty electric vehicle manufacturing, and an associated 24,000 jobs, have already been announced in the U.S. ACT research projects that more than 30% of all new heavy-duty trucks sold in the U.S. and Canada will be electric by early next decade.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Environmental Defense Fund strongly opposes the House Agriculture Committee majority's draft farm bill proposal, which removes the climate guardrails from the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) investments in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs and diverts critical funding away from popular programs that are heavily oversubscribed and underfunded. House Republicans’ proposal jeopardizes not only the progress made toward sustainable agriculture, but also the future of American farming and rural communities that feel the most immediate impacts of a changing climate. 

"The removal of climate-focused funding in these programs is a step backward at a time when we need to be moving forward with greater urgency," said Andrew Lentz, EDF’s Director of Federal Affairs for Agriculture Policy. “Stripping these resources away will undermine farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to adapt and thrive in the face of increasingly challenging growing conditions. We must prioritize climate resilience in our agriculture policies to ensure long-term sustainability and food security. If the Inflation Reduction Act’s climate-smart investments are added to the farm bill’s permanent baseline for conservation, they must maintain the critical climate guardrails currently in place." 

The Inflation Reduction Act’s historic investments allocated significant new resources to climate-specific farming practices, recognizing the vital role agricultural producers play in the fight against climate change. These funds are already bolstering farmers' and ranchers' ability to remain productive and profitable on their lands while also reducing emissions, and protecting this critical climate funding will ensure that farmers continue to have access to these important tools in perpetuity. Removing the climate guardrails and repurposing those conservation funds would make farmers and ranchers more vulnerable to climate change and undermine efforts to maintain productive soils, clean water and healthy ecosystems. The benefits of climate-smart agriculture extend beyond environmental gains; they also offer economic benefits by improving yields, reducing input costs and making agricultural operations more resilient to extreme weather. Removing funding for these conservation programs could also lead to higher long-term costs for farmers and increased volatility in agricultural production. 

As farm bill discussions continue, EDF urges the House Agriculture Committee to work together on a bipartisan bill that preserves the Inflation Reduction Act’s climate guardrails on new funding for critical conservation programs.

(RICHMOND, VIRGINIA) - This week, Virginia lawmakers are preparing to vote on a newly released budget agreement with Governor Youngkin that includes some notable wins for climate and flood resilience.

Within the budget, lawmakers allocated $100 million toward Virginia’s Community Flood Preparedness Fund, aimed at building local governments’ capacity to plan and implement natural infrastructure and flood mitigation solutions. This marks the first time the General Assembly has appropriated general funds for the program, supporting the Commonwealth’s long-term resilience funding needs.  

The budget also included $1 million over the biennium to support statewide resilience coordination and capacity building within the Office of Commonwealth Resilience, which will ensure a coordinated approach across Virginia’s agencies and provide technical assistance for localities jumpstarting climate adaptation efforts across the Commonwealth.   

However, the budget did not include language which would have required Virginia to immediately rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a proven emissions reduction program that has generated over $800M in funding for the Community Flood Preparedness Fund and energy efficiency programs in the Commonwealth.  

“We thank lawmakers for investing in Virginia’s Community Flood Preparedness Fund and supporting the essential role of the Chief Resilience Officer, which will support local governments and communities across the Commonwealth to build necessary capacity and implement flood resilience projects. Without this critical funding, many localities would not be able to implement important resilience initiatives to combat increasing flood risks. 

“However, we are disappointed that the budget did not include provisions ensuring Virginia’s immediate participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which reduced Virginia’s carbon pollution by 22% in two years of participation in the program. That said, we stand ready to work with lawmakers to address these concerns and meet the Commonwealth’s resilience needs and goals moving forward.” 

-Emily Steinhilber, Director, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, Virginia, Environmental Defense Fund  

(WASHINGTON – May 13, 2024) The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued two rules that aim to speed and strengthen the buildout of a modern and reliable electric transmission system across the country.

“These are commonsense steps because better electric transmission means real savings to ratepayers, cleaner air for communities, and more resilient and consistent power during storms and extreme heat.”

“A 21^st century electric grid can deliver affordable, reliable and clean power – from areas where it is plentiful to communities where it is needed – and create new good-paying jobs across the country building a modern electricity superhighway. Well-planned transmission is key to reducing harmful climate pollution and providing healthier air for our children by bringing more affordable clean energy and battery storage onto our grid.

“Today’s actions will make transmission planning more efficient, forward-looking and better coordinated across states and power companies while ensuring meaningful engagement with communities. 

“Right now, hundreds of clean energy projects spurred by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act are underway around the country. Modernizing our electricity grid will help unlock the full potential of these historic investments – good-paying jobs, lower energy costs, healthier air for our children, and a safer climate for our communities. The recently constructed Ten West Link transmission line, which will connect communities in Arizona and California with new solar and wind power projects, has shown us what’s possible.

“Today’s progress, along with a suite of key steps by the Biden administration to strengthen and modernize the grid, are building the critical foundation for everyone to have access to clean, affordable and reliable energy.”

• Amanda Leland, Executive Director of Environmental Defense Fund

Key Background: 

• Currently, transmission constraints impose significant rising costs to customers, with transmission congestion increasing ratepayer bills by more than $20 billion dollars in 2022 – nearly double the five-year average
• The lack of sufficient transmission has contributed to blackouts and increased costs during extreme weather events, including Winter Storm Uri, Winter Storm Elliot, and summer heat waves
• The Department of Energy’s National Transmission Needs Study found a pressing need for additional transmission infrastructure throughout the country to support new clean energy sources as well as growing transportation and building electrification -- while remaining resilient in the face of extreme weather exacerbated by climate change.
• However, the rate of new transmission development in recent years equals annual growth of only 1% of the existing system.
• FERC’s Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation Rule will update the regional planning process by making it more forward-looking, identifying and selecting portfolios of transmission projects that create cost savings, reliability, and clean air benefits. It will require transmission planning regions to use a 20-year planning horizon with consideration of the changing electric system over that period, including retirements of existing generators and development of new generators and storage resources, demand driven by electrification of vehicles and buildings, and changing weather patterns.
• FERC’s Interstate Transmission Siting Rule will create a process to ensure that interstate transmission projects with broad benefits are not delayed or blocked by states. The rule will implement the reforms to its “backstop” siting authority enacted in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, meaning FERC can step in where a state or local siting authority fails to act on or denies a permit to a transmission line within a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor designated by the Department of Energy.