Manchin backs Biden's climate bill
Newsom calls for more aggressive climate actions
White House set to announce more climate action
This article outlines pertinent legal and policy climate change developments in the United States during the past week.(1)
Manchin backs Biden's climate bill
On 27 July 2022, after previous budget reconciliation negotiations fell through, Senator Joe Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that a deal had been struck. The newly revived reconciliation package, titled the "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022", contains $396 billion in climate and energy policies. More specifically, the package provides funding for electric vehicle batteries and sustainable agriculture and makes policy changes in gas, oil, hydrogen, solar, wind and carbon capture.
Newsom calls for more aggressive climate actions
On 22 July 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom called on the chair of the California Air Resources Board to ensure that the 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan outlines a path to achieve the state's 2030 and 2045 climate goals. Newsom also requested that the plan encourage advances in "offshore wind, clean fuels, climate-friendly homes, carbon removal and addressing methane leaks". According to Newsom:
The state's draft carbon neutrality road map doesn't go far enough or fast enough. That's why I'm pushing state agencies to adopt more aggressive actions, from offshore wind to climate-friendly homes, and to make sure we never build another fossil fuel power plant in California again.(2)
White House set to announce more climate action
The Biden administration is set to announce new polices, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, relating to mitigating "wildfire risks" and protecting "communities from extreme heat".
For further information on this topic please contact Kenneth Markowitz, Stacey H Mitchell or Christopher A Treanor at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP by telephone (+1 202 887 4000) or email ([email protected], [email protected] or ctreanor[email protected]). The Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP website can be accessed at www.akingump.com.
Leila Fleming, public policy specialist, assisted with the preparation of this article.
Endnotes
(1) For further updates, including upcoming congressional hearings, federal agency climate news and events, see "Climate Policy Update". For the previous week's update, see "Climate change policy update".
(2) "Governor Newsom Calls for Bold Actions to Move Faster Toward Climate Goals", press release, 22 July 2022.