Progressive Organizations Call For Clean Energy Standard Without "False Solutions"

Posted by Brad Johnson Fri, 14 May 2021 12:16:00 GMT

A broad coalition is asking the U.S. Congress to ensure any clean electricity standard (CES) passed into law be a renewable standard, which includes only renewable resources, particularly solar and wind energy, and excludes natural gas, biomass, and new nuclear plants.

Major signatories to the letter to Democratic congressional leaders include 350.org, Indigenous Environmental Network, the NAACP, Public Citizen, Friends of the Earth, the Center for Biological Diversity, Food & Water Watch, Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, National Family Farm Coalition, Mothers Out Front, GreenLatinos, Greenpeace, Labor Network for Sustainability, Stand.Earth, California Environmental Justice Alliance, Oil Change International and The Democracy Collaborative.

The letter addresses provisions in the text of the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s (CLEAN) Future Act (H.R. 1512), which admits gas and carbon capture and storage as qualifying energies. The letter cites an analysis of the CLEAN Future Act’s CES credit-trading system, which finds that the bill offers “little incentive for operators with a full mix of generation to replace gas with renewable energy until 2035, since they get a much better benefit from retiring coal.”

The signatories write:
The definition [of clean energy] must exclude all fossil fuels and false solutions, including but not limited to: gas with and without carbon capture and storage and other fossil-based technologies; waste incineration and other combustion-based technologies; bioenergy including biomass, biofuels, factory farm gas, landfill gas, and wood pellets; new nuclear; and new, large-scale and ecosystem-altering hydropower, and all market-based accounting systems like offsets. Energy efficiency and demand-side management technologies must also be paired with renewable energies to vastly reduce energy consumption.

Writing for Politico, Michael Grunwald criticized the signatories as a “circular firing squad” of “utopian” “eco-purists” engaging in “political lunacy.” The only named critic of the letter he quoted was Data For Progress’s Julian Brave Noisecat (“There’s just no reason to take positions that aren’t politically defensible in Congress, and probably aren’t even technically defensible”).

Politico not only accepts advertising and sponsorship from corporate polluters but also collaborates with them on lobbying events.

Robinson Meyer, a journalist at the Atlantic, was similarly dismissive. Like Politico, the Atlantic collaborates with the fossil-fuel industry on lobbying and propaganda.

Text of the letter:

RE: CONGRESS SHOULD ENACT A FEDERAL RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY STANDARD AND REJECT GAS AND FALSE SOLUTIONS

Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Manchin, and Chairman Pallone,

On behalf of our millions of members and activists nationwide, we, the undersigned 697 organizations—including climate, environmental and energy justice, democracy, faith, Indigenous, and racial justice groups—urge you to pass a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) in the infrastructure package and reject gas and other false climate solutions to address the climate emergency.

As Congress prepares to pass a historic infrastructure package and President Biden has globally pledged to slash carbon emissions by 50% below 2005 levels by 2030, we should look to the 28 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico that have passed Renewable Electricity Standards (also known as renewable portfolio standards), as opposed to only seven states with Clean Electricity Standards (CES). The bold leadership demonstrated in RES-leading states like Hawaii, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. provide a roadmap to building a new renewable energy future. Funding this transition must start with shifting all fossil fuel subsidies to mass renewable energy deployment.

Renewable energy sources are sources that naturally replenish and are most often defined as solar, wind, and geothermal power. In contrast, so-called “clean” energy standards generally encompass these renewable sources but also include other technologies, like gas with or without carbon capture and sequestration, biomass, and nuclear, which are significant sources of pollution and carry a host of health and safety risks. In order to avoid perpetuating the deep racial, social, and ecological injustices of our current fossil-fueled energy system, Congress should ensure that any federal energy standard does not include these dirty energy sources.

Specifically, we write to express our concern that recent Clean Electricity Standard (CES) legislation, including the CLEAN Future Act (H.R. 1512), embed these injustices because they include gas and false solutions. The inclusion of gas and carbon capture and storage as qualifying energies in any CES undermines efforts to end the fossil fuel era and halt the devastating pollution disproportionately experienced by Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other communities of color in this country. Even a partial credit for fossil fuel resources that attempts to factor in lifecycle emissions runs the risk of subsidizing environmental harm for years to come. Allowing dirty energy to be bundled with clean energy under a federal energy standard would prolong the existence of sacrifice zones around dirty energy investments and delay the transition to a system of 100 percent truly clean, renewable energy.

Instead, we urge Congress to enact a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) that champions a just energy future and squarely rejects fossil fuels and other false solutions embodied in a CES. Specifically:

  • The RES should achieve a 100% renewable energy portfolio by 2030 for the U.S. electrical grid, consistent with climate science and global equity, with at least a 25% carve-out for distributed renewable energy resources and storage. Shifting the U.S. grid to zero emissions by 2030 is supported by leading climate scientists and consistent with the domestic carbon reductions to meet the U.S.’s historical climate debt and equitable fair share to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, without carbon market mechanisms. Requiring an ambitious carve-out for rooftop and community solar and storage, and other distributed energy resources as part of the RES brings substantial benefits for energy democracy, electricity affordability, climate resilience, and local economic recovery—and should be deployed first in communities that have disproportionately experienced the energy violence of a fossil-fueled, centralized utility system.
  • The RES’s definition of qualifying energy should include proven renewable energy technologies like solar and wind and exclude gas, carbon capture and storage, biomass, nuclear, and other false solutions. The RES should include proven renewable technologies including, but not limited to ecologically-sound solar, wind, and geothermal. The definition must exclude all fossil fuels and false solutions, including but not limited to: gas with and without carbon capture and storage and other fossil-based technologies; waste incineration and other combustion-based technologies; bioenergy including biomass, biofuels, factory farm gas, landfill gas, and wood pellets; new nuclear; and new, large-scale and ecosystem-altering hydropower, and all market-based accounting systems like offsets. Energy efficiency and demand-side management technologies must also be paired with renewable energies to vastly reduce energy consumption.
  • The RES must be paired with strong regulations and programs that advance environmental, social, racial, and ecological justice and guarantee 50% of investments in environmental justice communities and support for impacted worker communities. These include, but are not limited to: (1) programs and incentives to prioritize distributed energy resources and energy efficiency in low-wealth communities and disaster-prone areas first, supporting community-owned energy programs; (2) programs that halt energy burden disparities; (3) aggressive regulations that require reductions of local air pollution emissions; (4) programs that ensure local job creation and high road labor standards throughout the renewable energy supply chain; (5) assurance that environmental and democratic assessment processes, including the National Environmental Policy Act, are implemented and not weakened; and (6) regulations ensuring that any industrial-scale renewable energy projects must be properly sited, building first on degraded lands and avoiding and mitigating all wildlife impacts. We respectfully urge you to enact a RES to guarantee that monumental investments in our energy system are built on a solid and just foundation. As we look to combat the climate emergency, it is crucial that we invest in solutions that support a just energy future.

    • Leaders to Leaders Summit on Climate: Day 2

    Posted by Brad Johnson Fri, 23 Apr 2021 12:00:00 GMT

    President Biden invited 40 world leaders to the Leaders Summit on Climate he will host on April 22 and 23. The virtual Leaders Summit will be live streamed for public viewing.

    Day 2 Schedule

    8:00 a.m.–Session 4

    Unleashing Climate Innovation

    This session will highlight the critical role of technological innovation in achieving a net-zero, climate-resilient economy; the importance of accelerating public and private investment in climate innovation; and the enormous economic opportunities in building the industries of the future.

    U.S. Participants:
    • Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm
    • Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo
    • Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry
    Leaders:
    • Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Denmark
    • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel
    • President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya
    • Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Norway
    • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore
    • Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, United Arab Emirates
    Speakers:
    • Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency
    • Anna Borg, President and CEO, Vattenfall
    • Shirley Ann Jackson, President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
    • Danielle Merfeld, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, GE Renewable Energy
    • Audrey Zibelman, Vice President, X

    9:15 a.m.–Session 5

    The Economic Opportunities of Climate Action

    This session will highlight the broad economic benefits of climate action, with a strong focus on job creation. It will explore the economic benefits of green recovery and long-term decarbonization and the importance of ensuring that all communities and workers benefit from the clean-energy transition.

    U.S. Participants:
    • Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
    • United States Trade Representative Katherine C. Tai
    • National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy
    Leaders:
    • President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria
    • President Andrzej Duda, Poland
    • Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Spain
    • President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Vietnam
    Speakers:
    • Jack Allen, CEO, Proterra
    • Roxanne Brown, International Vice President at Large, United Steelworkers
    • Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union
    • Brett Isaac, CEO, Navajo Power
    • Erica Mackie, CEO, Grid Alternatives
    • Nthabiseng Mosia, Co-Founder and CCO, Easy Solar
    • George Oliver, Chairman and CEO, Johnson Controls International; Chair, Business Roundtable Energy and Environment Committee
    • Lonnie R. Stephenson, President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
    Day 2 Featured Speakers:
    • Michael Bloomberg, U.N. Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions
    • Bill Gates, Founder, Breakthrough Energy
    • Brenda Mallory, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality
    • Peggy Shepard, Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice; Co-Chair, White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council

    Leaders to Leaders Summit on Climate: Day 1

    Posted by Brad Johnson Thu, 22 Apr 2021 12:00:00 GMT

    President Biden invited 40 world leaders to the Leaders Summit on Climate he will host on April 22 and April 23. The virtual Leaders Summit will be live streamed for public viewing.

    The Leaders Summit on Climate will underscore the urgency – and the economic benefits – of stronger climate action. It will be a key milestone on the road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in Glasgow.

    In recent years, scientists have underscored the need to limit planetary warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in order to stave off the worst impacts of climate change. A key goal of both the Leaders Summit and COP26 will be to catalyze efforts that keep that 1.5-degree goal within reach. The Summit will also highlight examples of how enhanced climate ambition will create good paying jobs, advance innovative technologies, and help vulnerable countries adapt to climate impacts.

    By the time of the Summit, the United States will announce an ambitious 2030 emissions target as its new Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement. In his invitation, the President urged leaders to use the Summit as an opportunity to outline how their countries also will contribute to stronger climate ambition.

    The Summit will reconvene the U.S.-led Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, which brings together 17 countries responsible for approximately 80 percent of global emissions and global GDP. The President also invited the heads of other countries that are demonstrating strong climate leadership, are especially vulnerable to climate impacts, or are charting innovative pathways to a net-zero economy. A small number of business and civil society leaders will also participate in the Summit.

    Key themes of the Summit will include:

    • Galvanizing efforts by the world’s major economies to reduce emissions during this critical decade to keep a limit to warming of 1.5 degree Celsius within reach. Mobilizing public and private sector finance to drive the net-zero transition and to help vulnerable countries cope with climate impacts.
    • The economic benefits of climate action, with a strong emphasis on job creation, and the importance of ensuring all communities and workers benefit from the transition to a new clean energy economy.
    • Spurring transformational technologies that can help reduce emissions and adapt to climate change, while also creating enormous new economic opportunities and building the industries of the future.
    • Showcasing subnational and non-state actors that are committed to green recovery and an equitable vision for limiting warming to 1.5 degree Celsius, and are working closely with national governments to advance ambition and resilience.
    • Discussing opportunities to strengthen capacity to protect lives and livelihoods from the impacts of climate change, address the global security challenges posed by climate change and the impact on readiness, and address the role of nature-based solutions in achieving net zero by 2050 goals.
    • Further details on the Summit agenda, additional participants, media access, and public viewing will be provided in the coming weeks.

    The President invited the following leaders to participate in the Summit:

    • Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Antigua and Barbuda
    • President Alberto Fernandez, Argentina
    • Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Australia
    • Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh
    • Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, Bhutan
    • President Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil
    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada
    • President Sebastián Piñera, Chile
    • President Xi Jinping, People’s Republic of China
    • President Iván Duque Márquez, Colombia
    • President Félix Tshisekedi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Denmark
    • President Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission
    • President Charles Michel, European Council
    • President Emmanuel Macron, France
    • President Ali Bongo Ondimba, Gabon
    • Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany
    • Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India
    • President Joko Widodo, Indonesia
    • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel
    • Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Italy
    • Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Jamaica
    • Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Japan
    • President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya
    • President David Kabua, Republic of the Marshall Islands
    • President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico
    • Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand
    • President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria
    • Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Norway
    • President Andrzej Duda, Poland
    • President Moon Jae-in, Republic of Korea
    • President Vladimir Putin, The Russian Federation
    • King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
    • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore
    • President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa
    • Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Spain
    • President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey
    • President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates
    • Prime Minister Boris Johnson, United Kingdom
    • President Nguyễn Phú Trọng, Vietnam

    Day 1 Schedule:

    8:00 a.m.–Session 1

    Raising Our Climate Ambition

    President Biden and Vice President Harris will open the inaugural session of the Summit. This session will underscore the urgent need for the world’s major economies to strengthen their climate ambition by the time of COP 26 to keep the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach. It will provide an opportunity for leaders to highlight the climate-related challenges their countries face and the efforts they are undertaking, and to announce new steps to strengthen climate ambition.

    U.S. Participants:
    • Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken
    • Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry Leaders:
    • United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
    • Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Antigua and Barbuda
    • President Alberto Fernandez, Argentina
    • Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Australia
    • Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh
    • Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, Bhutan
    • President Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil
    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada
    • President Sebastián Piñera, Chile
    • President Xi Jinping, People’s Republic of China
    • President Iván Duque Márquez, Colombia
    • President Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission
    • President Emmanuel Macron, France
    • President Ali Bongo Ondimba, Gabon
    • Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany
    • Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India
    • President Joko Widodo, Indonesia
    • Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Italy
    • Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Japan
    • President David Kabua, Republic of the Marshall Islands
    • President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico
    • President Moon Jae-in, Republic of Korea
    • President Vladimir Putin, The Russian Federation
    • King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
    • President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa
    • President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey
    • Prime Minister Boris Johnson, United Kingdom

    11:45 a.m.–Session 2

    Investing in Climate Solutions

    This session will highlight the urgent need to scale up climate finance; efforts to increase public finance for mitigation and adaptation in developing countries; and efforts to shift trillions of dollars of private investment to finance the transition to net zero by 2050.

    U.S. Participants:
    • Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen
    • Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry
    • National Economic Council Director Brian Deese
    Leaders:
    • President Félix Tshisekedi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • President Charles Michel, European Council
    • Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Jamaica
    • Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand
    Speakers:
    • Akinwumi A. Adesina, President, African Development Bank
    • Oliver Bäte, CEO, Allianz
    • Jane Fraser, CEO, Citigroup
    • Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
    • Marcie Frost, CEO, CalPERS
    • David Malpass, Group President, World Bank Group
    • Brian Moynihan, Chairman and CEO, Bank of America; Chair, International Business Council; Co-Chair, Sustainable Markets Initiative
    Day 1 Featured Speakers:
    • Pope Francis
    • Carolina Schmidt, Environment Minister, Chile; President, 25th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 25)
    • Alok Sharma MP, United Kingdom; President, 26th United Nations United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26)
    • Xiye Bastida, Fridays for Future

    12:45 p.m.–Session 3

    (Breakout Sessions, Round 1)

    Adaptation and Resilience

    This session will highlight the climate adaptation and resilience challenges faced by all countries, especially those most vulnerable to climate impacts, and cutting-edge approaches to strengthening resilience in the face of climate change and climate variability.

    U.S. Participants:
    • Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
    • Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas
    Speakers:
    • Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Attorney-General and Minister for Economy, Public Enterprises, Civil Service, Communications, Fiji
    • Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport, Ireland
    • Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Energy, Mines and Environment, Morocco
    • Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Netherlands
    • Malik Amin Aslam, Federal Minister of Climate Change, Pakistan
    • João Pedro Matos Fernandes, Minister for the Environment and Climate Action, Portugal
    • Abdullah Subai, Minister of Municipality and Environment, Qatar
    • Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, Minister of Environment, Rwanda
    • Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand

    Climate Action at All Levels

    This session will highlight the critical efforts of subnational and non-state actors (cities, states/regions, and indigenous groups) that are contributing to green recovery and working closely with national governments to advance climate ambition and resilience on the ground.

    U.S. Participants:
    • Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan
    Speakers:
    • Sinéia B. do Vale, Member, Indigenous Council of Roraima, Brazil
    • Mayor LaToya Cantrell, New Orleans
    • Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Paris, France
    • Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad
    • Governor Yuriko Koike, Tokyo, Japan
    • Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico
    • Fawn Sharp, President, National Congress of American Indians
    • Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico City, Mexico

    2:00 p.m.–Session 3

    (Breakout Sessions, Round 2)

    Climate Security

    This session will highlight the global security challenges posed by climate change, the impact on the military and readiness, and efforts underway to address the threat multipliers to energy, economic, and national security.

    U.S. Participants:
    • Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III
    • Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines
    • Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Representative to the United Nations
    Speakers:
    • Ben Wallace MP, Secretary of State for Defense, United Kingdom
    • Kishi Nobuo, Minister of Defense, Japan
    • Monica Juma, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Defense, Kenya
    • Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General, NATO
    • Carlos G. Dominguez III, Secretary of Finance, The Philippines
    • Jumaah Enad, Minister of Defense, Iraq
    • Margarita Robles Fernández, Minister of Defense, Spain

    Nature-based Solutions

    This session will highlight the critical role of nature-based solutions in reducing emissions and strengthening climate resilience, including efforts to reduce deforestation and the loss of wetlands, restore marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

    U.S. Participants:
    • Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland Speakers:
    • Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Canada
    • Andrea Meza, Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica
    • Lee White, Minister of Water, Forests, the Seas, and Environment, Gabon
    • Luhut B. Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Indonesia
    • Gabriel Quijandría, Minister of the Environment, Peru
    • Flavien P. Joubert, Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Seychelles
    • Tuntiak Katan, General Coordinator, Global Alliance of Territorial Communities
    • Archana Soreng, Member, Youth Advisory Group on Climate to the U.N. Secretary General; Kharia Tribe, Sundergarh, India

    The summit continues on April 23.

    Youth Speaks: Our Message to World Leaders on Earth Day 2021

    Posted by Brad Johnson Tue, 20 Apr 2021 18:30:00 GMT

    Earth Uprising’s summit “Youth Speaks: Our Message to World Leaders on Earth Day 2021” will be divided into an opening and closing session, and six short sessions that are based around specific issues. These sessions will inform updates to the opening demands, which will then be presented to President Biden’s World Leaders Summit.

    Session 1: Opening
    • Moderator: Lucia Urreta
    • Speakers: Greta Thunberg, Licypriya Kangujam, Vanessa Nakate, and Xiye Bastida.

    The speakers will open the summit with short speeches.

    Session 2: Freedom to Peaceful Protest and Protect Democracy
    • Moderator: Maria Juliana Duque
    • Speakers: Arshak Makichan, Mitzi Jonelle, Khadija Khokhar, and Sonya Epifantseva

    The past year has seen many infringements on global youths’ right to organize, peacefully assemble, and protest. This session of “Youth Speaks” asks what kind of action we want from our world leaders to protect our right to protest, our democracies, and address the disproportionate effect on people of color.

    Session 3: Climate Education and Climate Literacy
    • Moderator: Mohammad Ahmadi
    • Speakers: Anisa Nanavati, Farah Mahmoud, Sari Hellara, Nour Al-Kaaby, and Sumayyah Ajani Adetomiwa.

    For youth, it is important for us to be taught that climate change is real, and that it is possible to mitigate and adapt. Climate education is needed for a fast, green transition because it will prepare us for green jobs and lifestyles. This education needs to be accessible to everyone, regardless of who they are and where they come from.

    Session 4: Climate Migration, Borders and Human Rights
    • Moderator: Mohaddeseh Barghamadi
    • Speakers: Jesus Villalba, Ayisha Siddiqa, Mohab Sherif, and Nadiya Khalif.

    Because of climate change, youth are on the frontlines of the growing crisis at the US border, while small island nations in the South Pacific are going underwater threatening their lives and futures. This session discusses why climate migration is a youth issue and asks what kind of action we want from our world leaders.

    Session 5: Zero Emissions Timeline and Transition to Renewable Energy
    • Moderator: Brooke Nelson Muzzatti
    • Speakers: Jana Jandal Alrifai, Muska Sadat, and Ayesha Imtiaz.

    A rapid decrease in fossil fuel extraction and emission, along with a high speed transition to renewable energy is the key to a habitable planet and livable future for youth. At the core of this transition is climate justice, ensuring that those most impacted by the climate crisis are supported and protected. This session concentrates on obstacles to a just transition and how we can push through them.

    Session 6: Preparing the Youth Movement for COP 26 and 2022
    • Moderator: Kevin Mtai
    • Speakers: Kaluki Paul Mutuku, Wendy Gao, Maria Fernanda Duràn, Alisa Salıcı, and Maria Serra Olivella

    The youth movement needs to work together to fight for ambitious and productive climate action that acts with the urgency required of this crisis, without empty promises. This session will emphasize how COP26 must be an inclusive space for young people, especially Indigenous and disabled youth climate activists and those from the most affected areas. Past COPs have been funded by the fossil fuels industry, and it is high time that these polluters no longer have influence and presence within these discussions.

    Session 7: The Youth Perspective on Adaptation
    • Moderator: Ananya Guruprasad
    • Speakers: Razan Ahmed, Hania Imran, Afrah Qaisar, Daphne Frias, and Aman Sharma

    This session will focus on areas of adaptation within policy including disaster management and recovery, and youth climate anxiety and eco grief.

    Session 8: Closing
    • Moderator: Christine Leung
    • Speakers: Jerome Foster, Jamie Margolin, Leah Namugerwa, and Catarina Lorenzo.

    The moderator and speakers will review the updated youth demands.

    Workshop Regarding the Creation of the Office of Public Participation

    Posted by Brad Johnson Fri, 16 Apr 2021 13:00:00 GMT

    A February 22, 2021 notice announced a Commissioner-led workshop to be held on April 16, 2021, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The workshop will follow a series of listening sessions with stakeholder groups.

    The workshop will provide interested parties with the opportunity to provide input to the Commission on the creation of the Office of Public Participation. The Commission intends to establish and operate the Office of Public Participation to “coordinate assistance to the public with respect to authorities exercised by the Commission,” including assistance to those seeking to intervene in Commission proceedings, pursuant to section 319 of the Federal Power Act (FPA). 16 U.S.C. § 825q–1. Congress directed the Commission to provide, by June 25, 2021, to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a report on the Commission’s progress towards establishing the Office of Public Participation, including an organizational structure and budget for the office, beginning in fiscal year 2022.

    The Commission plans to hear input on the following considerations in forming the Office of Public Participation, including:
    • the office’s function and scope as authorized by section 319 of the FPA;
    • the office’s organizational structure and approach, including the use of equity assessment tools;
    • participation by tribes, environmental justice communities, and other affected individuals and communities, including those who have not historically participated before the Commission; and
    • intervenor compensation.

    The Commission seeks nominations for stakeholder panelists to provide input about each of these areas of consideration at the workshop by March 10, 2020. Each nomination should indicate name, contact information, organizational affiliation, what issue area the proposed panelist would speak on, and suggested workshop topics to [email protected].

    For questions, please contact Stacey Steep of the Office of General Counsel at (202) 502-8148, or send an email to [email protected], and Sarah McKinley, (202) 502-8368, [email protected], for logistical issues.

    What the Winter Storm in Texas Tells Us About Rural Climate Justice

    Posted by Brad Johnson Tue, 30 Mar 2021 19:00:00 GMT

    Register now to join our panelists and submit your own questions as they discuss what the winter storm in Texas and the southeastern United States revealed about public health, housing, energy, and economic and climate justice.

    Roundtable participants include:
    • Amal Ahmed, journalist with Texas Observer and author of this piece on Texas climate change for Southerly. Ahmed will moderate the discussion.
    • John Cooper, Assistant Vice President for Public Partnership & Outreach and the Director of Texas Target Communities at Texas A&M University
    • Tim Callaghan, evaluation director for the Southwest Rural Health Research Center, Texas A&M University
    • Lyndsey Gilpin, founder and editor of Southerly Magazine
    • Mary Annette Pember, independent journalist focusing on Native American issues, including environmental issues on Native lands.

    White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Virtual Public Meeting

    Posted by Brad Johnson Tue, 30 Mar 2021 18:00:00 GMT

    The WHEJAC’s first meeting will be held on March 30, 2021.

    Register for the March 30, 2021 Public Meeting

    If you would like to submit your public comment in writing please complete the public comment form and email any additional materials to [email protected] with the subject line “WHEJAC March 2021 Meeting Public Comments.”

    White House Names Environmental Justice Advisory Council Members, First Meeting Tomorrow

    Posted by Brad Johnson Mon, 29 Mar 2021 18:20:00 GMT

    Today, the White House announced the members of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC). The advisory council will provide advice and recommendations to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (soon to be Brenda Mallory) and the White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council on how to address current and historic environmental injustices.

    The first meeting of the WHEJAC will be held virtually tomorrow, March 30, and will be open to the public.

    The White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) was established by President Biden’s executive order, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Biden’s order also established the White House EJ Interagency Council as the successor to the Environmental Justice Interagency Working Group, which was established in 1994 by Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations.

    The Environmental Protection Agency will fund and provide administrative support for the WHEJAC.

    The council will advise on how to increase the government’s efforts to address current and historic environmental injustice through strengthening environmental justice monitoring and enforcement. The duties of the WHEJAC are to provide advice and recommendations on issues including, but not limited, to environmental justice in the following areas:
    • Climate change mitigation, resilience, and disaster management
    • Toxics, pesticides, and pollution reduction in overburdened communities
    • Equitable conservation and public lands use
    • Tribal and Indigenous issues
    • Clean energy transition
    • Sustainable infrastructure, including clean water, transportation, and the built environment
    • NEPA, enforcement and civil rights
    • Increasing the federal government’s efforts to address current and historic environmental injustice

    The WHEJAC will complement the ongoing work of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, a federal advisory committee established in 1993 to provide advice and recommendations on EJ issues to the Administrator of the EPA.

    For updates, subscribe to the EPA-EJ listserv.

    Office of Public Participation Listening Sessions: Energy Consumers and Consumer Advocates

    Posted by Brad Johnson Thu, 25 Mar 2021 17:00:00 GMT

    Commission staff will host a series of listening sessions to give members of the public an opportunity to provide their thoughts and ideas about the creation of the Office of Public Participation (OPP).

    Pre-registration for speakers is highly recommended. Speaking priority will be provided to members of the public or representatives of Tribal governments who pre-register for a listening session. Following a brief introduction from Commission staff, each session will be open to the public for 3-5 minutes of comment per participant. Participants who have not pre-registered will be invited to speak after pre-registered participants, time permitting. Participants on the call have the option to listen only and can submit though eComment.

    Dial-in information to come

    In advance of the listening sessions, participants may wish to consider the issues listed below:

    • Section 319 of the FPA states that the OPP will be administered by a Director. (16 U.S.C. § 825q–1(a)(2)(A)). In addition to the Director, how should the office be structured?
    • Should the Commission consider creating an advisory board for OPP? If so, what role would the board serve and who should be on the board?
    • How should the OPP coordinate assistance to persons intervening or participating, or seeking to intervene or participate, in a Commission proceeding?
    • To what extent do you, or the organization you represent, currently interact with the Commission? What has hindered or helped your ability to participate in Commission proceedings?
    • Have you engaged with other governmental entities—such as local, state, and other federal agencies—on matters involving your interests? If so, how did those agencies engage in outreach, and what practices improved your ability to participate in their processes?
    • How should the OPP engage with Tribal Governments, environmental justice communities, energy consumers, landowners, and other members of the public affected by Commission proceedings?
    • Section 319 of the FPA allows the Commission to promulgate rules to offer compensation for attorney fees and other expenses to intervenors and participants who substantially contribute to a significant Commission proceeding if participation otherwise would result in significant financial hardship. (16 U.S.C. § 825q–1(b)(2)). How should the Commission approach the issue of intervenor compensation? What should the OPP’s role be with respect to intervenor compensation? How should the Commission establish a budget for and fund intervenor compensation? What lessons can the Commission learn from the administration of similar state intervenor compensation programs?

    The sessions will be open for the public to attend, and there is no fee for attendance. Listening sessions will be audio-only. Call-in information details, including preregistration, can be found on the OPP website. Information will also be posted on the Calendar of Events on the Commission’s website, www.ferc.gov, prior to the event. The listening sessions will be transcribed and placed into the record approximately one week after the session date.

    The listening sessions will be accessible under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For accessibility accommodations, please send an email to [email protected] or call toll free 1-866-208-3372 (voice) or 202-502-8659 (TTY), or send a FAX to 202-208-2106 with the required accommodations.

    The public may also submit written comments on these topics to the record in Docket No. AD21-9-000 by Friday, April 23, 2021. Please file comments using the Commission’s eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at [email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).

    Office of Public Participation Listening Sessions: Tribal Governments (Session 2)

    Posted by Brad Johnson Wed, 24 Mar 2021 17:00:00 GMT

    Commission staff will host a series of listening sessions to give members of the public an opportunity to provide their thoughts and ideas about the creation of the Office of Public Participation (OPP).

    Because of the unique relationship between the federal government and Indian Tribes, separate listening sessions will be held for representatives of Tribal governments, so that the Commission can assure that tribal interests and issues are considered in the development of OPP. Please note, while this session is open to the public, only representatives of federally recognized Tribal governments will be recognized to speak. Members of the public wishing to provide comments regarding tribal issues and interests are encouraged to attend the Environmental Justice and Tribal Interest Listening Session on March 22, 2021.

    Pre-registration for speakers is highly recommended. Speaking priority will be provided to members of the public or representatives of Tribal governments who pre-register for a listening session. Following a brief introduction from Commission staff, each session will be open to the public for 3-5 minutes of comment per participant. Participants who have not pre-registered will be invited to speak after pre-registered participants, time permitting. Participants on the call have the option to listen only and can submit though eComment.

    Dial-in information to come

    In advance of the listening sessions, participants may wish to consider the issues listed below:

    • Section 319 of the FPA states that the OPP will be administered by a Director. (16 U.S.C. § 825q–1(a)(2)(A)). In addition to the Director, how should the office be structured?
    • Should the Commission consider creating an advisory board for OPP? If so, what role would the board serve and who should be on the board?
    • How should the OPP coordinate assistance to persons intervening or participating, or seeking to intervene or participate, in a Commission proceeding?
    • To what extent do you, or the organization you represent, currently interact with the Commission? What has hindered or helped your ability to participate in Commission proceedings?
    • Have you engaged with other governmental entities—such as local, state, and other federal agencies—on matters involving your interests? If so, how did those agencies engage in outreach, and what practices improved your ability to participate in their processes?
    • How should the OPP engage with Tribal Governments, environmental justice communities, energy consumers, landowners, and other members of the public affected by Commission proceedings?
    • Section 319 of the FPA allows the Commission to promulgate rules to offer compensation for attorney fees and other expenses to intervenors and participants who substantially contribute to a significant Commission proceeding if participation otherwise would result in significant financial hardship. (16 U.S.C. § 825q–1(b)(2)). How should the Commission approach the issue of intervenor compensation? What should the OPP’s role be with respect to intervenor compensation? How should the Commission establish a budget for and fund intervenor compensation? What lessons can the Commission learn from the administration of similar state intervenor compensation programs?

    The sessions will be open for the public to attend, and there is no fee for attendance. Listening sessions will be audio-only. Call-in information details, including preregistration, can be found on the OPP website. Information will also be posted on the Calendar of Events on the Commission’s website, www.ferc.gov, prior to the event. The listening sessions will be transcribed and placed into the record approximately one week after the session date.

    The listening sessions will be accessible under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For accessibility accommodations, please send an email to [email protected] or call toll free 1-866-208-3372 (voice) or 202-502-8659 (TTY), or send a FAX to 202-208-2106 with the required accommodations.

    The public may also submit written comments on these topics to the record in Docket No. AD21-9-000 by Friday, April 23, 2021. Please file comments using the Commission’s eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at [email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).

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