Biden’s ambitious energy plan faces headwinds, but can move the US forward

Biden’s ambitious energy plan faces headwinds, but can move the US forward

It would be wrong to underestimate either Biden's experience or the difficulties he faces—but harnessing increasing public support for climate action could help him advance his energy goals.

President-elect Joe Biden calls climate change an existential threat to America's environment, health, national security and economy, and has promised a clean energy revolution to counter it.


Biden has pledged that on his first day in office he will bring the U.S. back into the Paris Climate Agreement. He also is expected to restore numerous environmental protections that the Trump Administration has weakened or revoked, and to cancel oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Beyond damage repair, Biden has big plans for American energy. In my view, not all of them are realistic. Yet their actual purpose may be as starting points for negotiation. Based on my experience analyzing the U.S. energy industry, I see three factors that will influence what his administration can achieve.

First, the election did not produce a "green wave" of support, so Biden does not have a clear mandate for sweeping change in this sector. Second, Biden is no progressive firebrand, and it is unclear how hard he will fight for all his energy policy goals. Third, depending on the outcome of the Georgia Senate runoffs in January, Democrats may not control the Senate. But it is important to note that a Republican Senate would not necessarily spell doom for progress on energy.

Policies and politics

The centerpiece of Biden's energy and climate proposals is a call for investing $1.7 trillion over 10 years to promote a portfolio of clean energy technologies. It would support advancing electric vehicles, building a national vehicle charging network, accelerating the smart grid and battery storage, scaling up tax credits for renewable technologies and nurturing next-generation energy sources like hydrogen and advanced nuclear power plants.

Other key plans involve upgrading millions of public and commercial buildings to make them more energy efficient; providing public transport options for every American city with 100,000 or more residents; and hiring up to 250,000 workers to locate, plug and reclaim tens of thousands of abandoned oil, gas, coal and hard rock mines in dozens of states.

This partial list shows how broad and diverse Biden's agenda is. While Biden insists it is not based on the Green New Deal, it embraces some clear progressive elements, such as achieving zero-carbon power generation in 15 years and installing 500 million solar panels by 2025.

How will Congress respond? As one indicator, the Senate is currently considering a large energy bill that focuses on efficiency and energy research and development, including renewables and nuclear power. Sponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., S.2657 involves less investment and a smaller government role than Biden favors, but has received a muted reception.

Even a bill to make the national electric grid more secure and reliable, which would seem like a win for both parties, is likely to be a battleground. Experience since the early 2010s shows that the GOP will resist any infrastructure legislation with provisions for dealing with climate change, which includes grid modernization.

Other opposition could come from a number of the 31 Republican-controlled state legislatures, which have significant influence over infrastructure projects within their borders. Biden also could face challenges from progressive Democrats who don't want to compromise with Republicans.

If this agenda were divided into a number of smaller bills, parts of it might find traction with the GOP. Continued tax credits for solar and wind installations, and possibly for purchases of electric vehicles, could draw support from legislators representing states like Texas, Iowa and Nevada where these industries are big employers. Energy research and development partnerships with private firms would also stand a reasonable chance.

Yet such measures will not achieve the big goals Biden has in mind. Major progress may require winning the Senate in 2022 and retaining Democratic control of the House of Representatives, as well as bridging divisions among Democrats.

What Biden can do without Congress

Biden also can do a lot with executive orders. To begin with, he can rescind Trump's orders promoting fossil fuels; tighten limits on fugitive methane emissions from oil and gas wells, refineries and other sources; and raise fuel economy standards for motor vehicles.

Other potential targets include new energy efficiency standards for consumer goods and industrial equipment; new electric vehicle purchase requirements for government fleets; and directives for federal agencies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and promote electricity from non-carbon sources. Biden has made clear that he will also require federal agencies to address environmental and energy justice matters, such as increased pollution burdens and higher energy costs in areas where poorer families and people of color live.

Biden served for 36 years in the Senate, and has said that he expects to compromise on his goals and hopes that respect from GOP colleagues will allow for give on the other side. He also knows that energy is a key national security issue and that exports of oil and natural gas give the U.S. an important degree of geopolitical sway.

I expect that, given his pragmatism, Biden will be reluctant to join progressives in demonizing the oil industry, which supplies nearly all fuel for the U.S. military. Nor does he likely believe, as he shouldn't, that more than 50 percent of the country's power generation can be switched from natural gas (39 percent) and coal (20 percent) to non-carbon sources in 15 years. This type of timeline is useful to show what's needed to avoid the worst climate impacts. But as a realist and seasoned negotiator, Biden likely views such a schedule as a starting point.

All things considered, the Biden Administration should be able to make progress on lowering greenhouse gas emissions and advancing non-carbon energy. Movement is likely to be incremental at first, but with gathering momentum. This will please some and enrage others.

It would be wrong to underestimate either Biden's experience or the difficulties he faces. One point in his favor is that the pandemic has made the public more receptive to government spending at high levels. Another is that Americans—including a majority of Republicans—increasingly support government action on climate change. Harnessing this consensus could help Biden advance his energy goals.

Scott L. Montgomery is a lecturer at the Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Banner photo: Electric vehicle charging in Sunnyvale, California. (Credit: Travis Wise/flickr)

Regenerative agriculture drought resilience
Credit: HalfPoint/BigStock Photo ID: 451757997

As regenerative agriculture gains momentum, report warns of “greenwashing”

“It is scientifically and ethically disingenuous to claim to be regenerating soil while you are using synthetic chemicals."

Editor's note: This story was originally published in The New Lede, a journalism project of the Environmental Working Group, and is republished here with permission.

Billed as a type of food system that works in harmony with nature, “regenerative” agriculture is gaining popularity in US farm country, garnering praise in books and films and noted as one of the goals of the Make America Healthy Again movement associated with new Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Keep reading...Show less
Sunrise in the woods

Get our Good News newsletter

Get the best positive, solutions-oriented stories we've seen on the intersection of our health and environment, FREE every Tuesday in your inbox. Subscribe here today. Keep the change tomorrow.

Planet Earth as seen from space with continents shrouded in clouds.
Credit: Stephane106/ BigStock Photo ID: 1618683

Trump administration halts work on national climate report, dismissing hundreds of volunteer scientists

In a move that could derail the nation’s top climate science report, the Trump administration abruptly dismissed over 400 volunteer experts working on the next National Climate Assessment.

Dinah Voyles Pulver reports for USA Today.

Keep reading...Show less
Lady justice statue holding scales.

States ramp up climate efforts as Trump administration faces legal hurdles

As President Trump moves to weaken environmental protections, states are expanding independent climate initiatives and winning key legal battles to defend their authority.

Matt Simon reports for Grist.

Keep reading...Show less
A deforested section of a forest with fog in the background.

Brazil’s top court says government must seize lands illegally cleared or burned

A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has ordered the federal government to confiscate lands illegally deforested or intentionally burned, blocking their legalization and requiring compensation from violators.

Fabiano Maisonnave reports for The Associated Press.

Keep reading...Show less
Aerial view photography of an island.

Pacific island nations demand faster climate action from wealthy countries ahead of Cop30

Pacific island states are urging wealthy nations to deliver ambitious, detailed climate plans before September to prevent global temperatures from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Fiona Harvey reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
Red and black pump jack in a field with dark clouds in the background.
Credit: Jeff W/Unsplash

Interior secretary tilts energy policy toward fossil fuels, sidelining renewables

A push for fossil fuel dominance is reshaping U.S. energy policy under Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, leaving wind, solar, and carbon capture outside fast-tracked development plans.

Ian M. Stevenson and Carlos Anchondo report for E&E News.

Keep reading...Show less
Island with low green hills with water in the distance.

Alaska’s St. Paul Island struggles to survive as warming seas erase ice and upend life

On St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea, rising temperatures and disappearing sea ice have shattered the local economy, unraveled the community, and left residents fighting to preserve their way of life.

Joshua Partlow and Carolyn Van Houten report for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.