The President's View: "We are making strides towards our goals of a cleaner, more resilient energy future"

Since we last connected, we have witnessed tremendous progress on the Business Council for Sustainable Energy's clean energy and climate change policy priorities in the federal and international arenas.

When Congress and President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) into law in early November, they made a significant down payment on improving America's energy infrastructure. This bill included investments in innovation and research, development and deployment programs, clean energy integration, clean transportation and resilient infrastructure.

Congress and President Biden are already working on the next level of clean energy investment and climate ambition in the United States: the Build Back Better Act. Together, these two pieces of legislation are notable in terms of the scale and durability of the policies, as well as breadth and scope of the technologies covered. The Build Back Better Act uses the tax code to drive clean energy and energy efficiency growth and leverage private dollars. The direct pay provisions in the tax policies provide flexibility and efficiency to maximize their impact. These are policy design recommendations BCSE has supported. Learn how you can support the BCSE advocacy later on in this newsletter.

In early November, BCSE witnessed the United States’ return as a clean energy and climate leader in international negotiations at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 26), in Glasgow, Scotland. Large Congressional delegations and members of President Biden’s Cabinet were on stages and in the halls throughout COP 26, advocating for fair and transparent rules to implement the Paris Agreement and for greater international ambition to accelerate climate action. Read on to learn more about BCSE's engagement at COP 26 below.

The BCSE looks forward to continuing to work with Congress and the Biden Administration to shape and implement the programs and policies that will support the U.S. energy transition in an inclusive, affordable and efficient manner, and will strengthen the growth and resilience of the American economy.

Sincerely,

on Twitter and LinkedIn

Over 3,000 people signed a BCSE petition to Congress in support of the bipartisan infrastructure legislation passed in early November.

The Build Back Better Act is another opportunity to invest in clean energy and resilience projects around the country.

In November, the BCSE led its largest delegation to the annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow, Scotland, and held a series of events that can be watched on demand at bcse.org/cop26.

The conference had notable achievements in international diplomacy: producing the Glasgow Climate Pact; completing the Paris Rulebook; and securing pledges from major economies to increase climate ambition. These achievements keep the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by mid-century on the table.

For the BCSE, the most notable trend of the two-week global conference was its focus on implementation and the “how” of climate action. COP 26 witnessed a surge of momentum from the private sector, with new cross-sectoral pledges in corporate procurement and finance, the hosting of numerous business pavilions, and a doubling down in the Glasgow Climate Pact for countries to rapidly scale up the “deployment of clean power generation and energy efficiency measures.”

Please see BCSE’s concluding COP 26 press statement, which underscores the coalition’s main message to both COP 26 and governments around the world – that they “can continue to raise their ambition on climate because we have in hand clean energy technologies that are cost-effective and readily deployable.”

The Clean Energy Business Network and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy launched an interactive suite of infographics documenting the clean energy economies across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This data provides a snapshot of clean energy deployment, jobs, power sector carbon emissions, energy efficiency, and local impacts of federal investments in energy R&D. Click here to access each state's infographic.

Open as of November 2021, MOSAC’s mission is to serve as a dynamic regional hub that engages and inspires people of all ages to explore the wonders, possibilities, and responsibilities of science.

BCSE congratulates the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) for their support of this exciting museum, housed in a historic electrical power station. Learn more.

In November, the CEBN celebrated its one-year anniversary serving as a Power Connector for the U.S. Department of Energy’s American-Made Challenges.

Over the past year, our staff has worked to amplify various funding opportunities administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, bringing innovative technologies into the clean energy economy. These prizes are designed to spur domestic manufacturing and innovation across a broad range of clean energy technologies, from solar desalination to hydropower.

CEBN is currently focusing on efforts to recruit and support diverse applicants to the Small Business Innovation Research/Scientific Technology Transfer Research (SBIR/STTR) and the DOE Inclusive Energy Prize. There are opportunities for everyone to get engaged:

The Federal Policy Committee (FPC) was engaged in congressional outreach in support of BCSE priorities in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (PL 117-58) signed by President Biden on November 15. The Council is now compiling information about provisions of interest that will be used in BCSE outreach to federal agencies during implementation of the new law. The BCSE is also engaging with states and with local partners to identify areas of collaboration to ensure success during the implementation phase.

The FPC has also been working to express support of the clean energy provisions in the Democrats’ Build Back Better reconciliation proposal, which is pending in the Senate after passing the House on November 19. The BCSE has been meeting with Senate offices to share feedback on the Build Back Better proposal and to learn more about the Senate process for consideration of the legislation.

The International Policy Committee hosted four virtual events on the road to COP 26 in September and October. BCSE President Lisa Jacobson also sat down sat down for one-on-one virtual interviews corporate executives on why their company/organization is committed to climate action. This “Raise the Ambition” series of interviews, which featured leaders from FREYR Battery, Johnson Controls, Oatly, PG&E Corporation, Plant Based Products Council, Schneider Electric, Trane Technologies and U.S. Green Building Council, are available to watch at bcse.org/cop26.

The Clean Air and Climate Change Policy Committee (CACC) works to review climate change policy and legislative proposals from the Biden Administration and Congress and to offer industry expertise and reactions.

Tomás Carbonell, EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Stationary Sources, Office of Air and Radiation, met with BCSE members during the Council’s fall 2021 Membership Meeting and requested BCSE engagement on a number of important rule-makings and initiatives underway at EPA. EPA continues to consider its next phase stationary source greenhouse gas rule. BCSE members are also tracking EPA's action on methane and transportation-related rules. EPA is also looking to support its voluntary climate partnership programs. Related to this, BCSE members are working to provide suggestions to EPA on how it can support renewable natural gas (RNG) and hydrogen deployment to assist with decarbonization efforts. 2022 is expected to be an active year at EPA and other federal agencies, as they work to implement the whole governmental approach to addressing climate change.

The State and Regional Policy Committee (SPC) continues its outreach to state utility commissions to exchange information about best practices and to discuss clean energy deployment issues at the state level. The SPC will hear from Commissioner Julie Fedorchak of the North Dakota Public Utilities Commission, a member of the Midcontinent System Operating States (MISO), during a December 16 meeting. The SPC also continues to partner with the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) to focus federal programs on strengthening resilience in communities across the country.