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BCSE Quarterly Connection: Summer 2021
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The President's View:
Infrastructure Summer Delivers for Clean Energy
There is an annual call in Washington D.C. each summer for a national “infrastructure week." As years have gone by without significant action, the phrase has started carrying a sarcastic double-meaning. That changed this summer, when we saw real, bipartisan progress towards fundamental infrastructure policy that will help America rebound from the pandemic and make significant progress on the U.S. clean energy transition in the 2020s.
The infrastructure package includes significant policy and funding for America’s clean energy transformation. It makes these investments because clean energy and energy efficient infrastructure will create jobs and protect America’s economic competitiveness in the face of evolving international markets and the increasing threats of climate change.
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The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is an important first step towards the energy system of the future, but we cannot stop there. The climate science is unequivocal: emissions must decline as soon as possible to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
The IPCC Physical Science Basis report, published in early August, reinforced that extreme weather, and associated health and economic impacts, is intensifying due to climate change. The cost of recovery and adaptation associated with these climate disasters is already high, and will increase.
We have no time to waste in deploying available technologies to manage a reliable, safe, affordable and sustainable energy system. The BCSE has collected member stories to demonstrate the breadth of available solutions at bcse.org/infrastructure. We ask for everyone’s help in spreading the understanding that clean energy and efficiency solutions are ready, they create jobs, and they secure our future. The true challenges to a clean energy future are not technical or economic - they are political and regulatory.
It is a privilege to be working on solutions to these challenges with a diverse and dedicated (and growing!) coalition of clean energy companies. Consistent education and advocacy for climate solutions has led to the political moment that we find ourselves in today: where bipartisan legislation includes tens of billions of dollars for clean energy development and deployment, where a new conservative caucus is focused on climate change, and where there is potential for even more transformative policy.
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Lisa Jacobson
President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy
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Read on for updates on BCSE's summer work, covering
Environmental Justice
Federal Policy
International Climate Action
and more!
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Powering Forward: Environmental Justice and the Clean Energy Economy
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BCSE partnered with Grove Climate Group and the Clean Energy Business Network in June to host a webinar on environmental justice and the clean energy economy.
Paula Glover, President of the Alliance to Save Energy, started the discussion with the framing that everyone wants to do the right thing - but they don't know what it that looks like. She shared the EPA definition of environmental justice, and pointed out that "disinvested communities," with higher pollution levels, are predominantly low-income communities of color and are not monolithic. They are not only looking for a cleaner environment, but safer housing, lower energy costs, and better jobs.
Brenda Mallory, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) with the Executive Office of the President, gave keynote remarks on the administration's approach to environmental justice issues.
Clinton Britt, President, Grove Climate Group, spoke with Michael DiRamio, Assistant Director, Energy Affordability and Equity, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Julius M. Redd, Principal, Beveridge & Diamond about how environmental justice is practiced at NYSERDA and beyond.
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Join upcoming sustainable energy events
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Clean Energy Business Network Ramps up Cleantech Innovation Support through DOE’s American-Made Network
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The CEBN has served as a Power Connector for the Department of Energy’s American-Made Challenges for the better part of the past year.
In that time, our staff has worked to amplify prize competitions administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory designed to spur domestic manufacturing and innovation of clean energy technologies—including opportunities in solar power, solar desalination, and hydropower.
CEBN is currently focusing on efforts to recruit and support diverse applicants to an upcoming solar prize competition, as well as showcase energy innovators previously funded by the DOE. There are opportunities for everyone to get engaged:
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Investors – Join us September 9 from 2:00-4:30 pm ET for a SETO Technology Showcase featuring pitches from DOE-funded solar technology and software companies
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Innovators – Apply by October 5 for the American-Made Solar Prize Round 5, a $4.6M prize competition to help entrepreneurs rapidly develop new solar technology and software solutions
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All – Join us September 17 for our next Powering Forward installment, Building a Diverse Clean Energy Economy from the Ground Up, which will explore strategies to strengthen diversity and inclusivity in the clean energy economy
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BCSE presses Biden administration and Congress on key priorities
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BCSE's education and advocacy on clean energy issues takes many forms. Below, see letters that BCSE sent this summer to legislators and the Secretary of Energy, sharing our members' priorities for the best policies and legislation to support the clean energy sectors of the economy. See more in the committee updates at the end of this newsletter.
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Senator Joe Manchin:
July 8, 2021
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BCSE thanked Senator Manchin for his work to ensure a broad portfolio of clean energy technologies were supported in his legislation, which was incorporated into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The letter also called out additional policies, such as energy efficiency and resilience investments for schools and federal buildings.
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Secretary Jennifer Granholm:
July 7, 2021
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BCSE raised several important considerations in response to the DOE's request for information on the design of the hydrogen earthshot:
- Supporting a holistic approach to the use of hydrogen across multiple sectors and applications
- Utilizing and including a wide range of hydrogen-based technologies
- Addressing issues related to scaling of hydrogen technologies
- Expanding engagement with clean energy industry leaders
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Senators Ron Wyden and Mike Crapo and Representatives Richard Neal and Kevin Brady:
May 25, 2021
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In this letter to the chairs and ranking members of the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees, BCSE shared key tax measures to grow the American clean energy economy.
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Tell Congress and the President:
Enact transformative clean energy and energy efficiency policy.
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The Federal Policy Committee has been engaged in extensive outreach to House and Senate energy and tax writing committees to ensure action on clean energy infrastructure and tax measures in both the infrastructure and reconciliation measures pending before Congress. We have been meeting with congressional staff in outreach meetings and as part of our weekly Federal Policy Committee meetings throughout the summer months to encourage action on BCSE priorities. BCSE has also continued to address funding for clean energy programs as part of our outreach on the regular FY2022 appropriations bills.
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The International Policy Committee coordinates the coalition’s engagement at international forums and on key policy issues. With renewed call to action by the recent IPCC Report and potential movement of domestic policy on climate, the BCSE is revving up its plans to showcase internationally the leadership of U.S. private sector to take action on climate. The BCSE will be hosting virtual events at the 2021 Climate Week NYC the week of September 20, on the road and at COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland in November (still scheduled to be in-person). Reserve your virtual seats now on 9/20 at 4:00 pm ET for Check. We Have the Technologies and Tools. It is Time to Raise Climate Ambition and 9/23 at 1:00 pm ET for Investing in Mitigation & Resilience Together. These webinars will feature the corporate view on ambition, resilience, technology development and deployment, infrastructure and more.
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The State and Regional Policy Committee heard from the chair of the National Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Electricity Committee, Ann Rendahl, Washington UTC, at our quarterly meeting in June. Commissioner Rendahl stressed the need for stakeholders to present utility commissioners with data to support their requests, and the BCSE-BNEF Sustainable Energy in America Factbook was highlighted as an example of data that is useful to utility commissioners. The State and Regional Policy Committee will meet with staff from the NARUC Center for Partnerships and Innovation at our September meeting and the Committee continues to partner with the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), including joint efforts to focus federal efforts on resilience in communities across the country.
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The Clean Air and Climate Change Policy Committee works to review climate change policy and legislative proposals from the Biden Administration and Congress and to offer industry expertise and reactions. This spring, the Committee met with senior EPA officials to discuss climate change-related regulatory priorities and timelines impacting the power and transportation sectors. BCSE submitted comments to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sharing the coalition’s views on how the SEC should design rules for Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) and climate change disclosure. It also made a submission during the third comment period on Green-e's Renewable Fuels Standard. Moving into the fall, the committee will share its recommendations with Congress and the Biden Administration on climate change-related provisions under consideration in the reconciliation legislation, like the Clean Electricity Payment Program proposal, among others.
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