Can clean tech save the planet?

Presented by Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future: Your guide to the political forces shaping the energy transformation

Jan 04, 2023 View in browser   By Arianna Skibell Presented by Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future The Mistral supercomputer is shown at the Climate Computing Center in Hamburg, Germany. | Morris MacMatzen/Getty Images Chaos is raining down in Washington as the House struggles to elect a speaker. But off the Hill, another big transition is taking place. The U.S. economy is in the early stages of what could be a major technological transformation. Driven in part by the billions of dollars in the Inflation Reduction Act, huge sums of money are flowing into developing clean energy to transition the nation away from burning fossil fuels, the primary driver of the climate crisis. And companies across multiple industries are angling for their piece of the pie. Wind and solar developers continue to proliferate, companies new and old are pouring billions into making and charging electric vehicles, efforts to capture carbon pollution from power plants and the atmosphere are attracting renewed interest, and even oil and gas companies are exploring offshore wind investments and geothermal energy. And while the viability of nuclear fusion energy is decades away at best, a recent scientific breakthrough has brought the world a tiny step closer to potentially cheap, carbon-free electricity. The energy and tech sectors are becoming so entwined that Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, who presided over last month's fusion announcement, will speak Friday at the the Consumer Technology Association's CES conference in Las Vegas. But the cornucopia of clean energy technology is not without challenges and risks. This year's CES summit will also focus on cybersecurity threats, as one example. The discussion is timely given the alarming uptick in physical and cyber attacks on the power grid. Zooming out, there is also a line of critique that economic growth fueled by the development of new technology might serve as a mere Band-Aid for planetary degradation. Carbon-free power may obviate the need for burning fossil fuels, but it doesn't do a thing to steer major economies away from consuming more and more of everything. For example, public transportation advocates were frustrated that the Inflation Reduction Act and 2021's bipartisan infrastructure law directed so much more money toward electric vehicles. For one, EVs require a huge amount of critical minerals mining. But it also means ignoring the downside: Maintaining U.S. car culture is a resource-intensive vision of the future. Regardless of your take, money is flowing into these technologies. The fight over what kind of carbon-free energy drives major sectors of the economy is here, and it's just getting started.   It's Wednesday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Arianna Skibell. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to askibell@eenews.net. Listen to today's POLITICO Energy podcast Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Annie Snider breaks down how the Supreme Court's decision in an upcoming case could complicate a Clean Water Act rule from the Biden administration. Fact check Rep.-elect George Santos (R-N.Y.) arrives at his office on Capitol Hill on Jan. 4. | Francis Chung/POLITICO Rep.-elect George Santos has admitted to misleading his constituents about working at Citigroup Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and to lying about his educational credentials. The New York Republican also falsely claimed that the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, claimed his mother's life. Then, there are his climate falsehoods, writes Scott Waldman. Before he was elected in the November midterms, Santos claimed that he had helped develop carbon capture technology, that he played a major role in oil and gas development and that he admonished officials with Goldman Sachs who supported renewable energy.   A message from Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future: As the demand for low-carbon energy grows, U.S. natural gas, partnered with renewable energy, will help reach global climate goals faster, without sacrificing reliability or affordability. Learn how natural gas is accelerating our clean energy future at www.naturalalliesforcleanenergy.org.   Power Centers EPA Administrator Michael Regan stands near the Marathon Petroleum Refinery in Reserve, La. | Gerald Herbert/AP Photo Climate crunch time Tasked with proposed clean air rules and climate mandates, EPA is behind schedule at the outset of 2023, writes Jean Chemnick. If the agency doesn't pick up the pace, advocates warn it could jeopardize the administration's chances of defending its rules in court, or it could open the door for a Republican president and Congress to easily reverse them in 2025. Speaking of the courts From pipeline permitting to agency rulemaking, federal courts are poised to decide a suite of legal challenges in 2023 that could set the pace of the nation's transition away from fossil fuels, writes Niina H. Farah. The rulings could also tee up a clash between Congress and the courts. Greening France French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire announced a new bill that would encourage "green" industries to bring production plants back to France, writes Clea Caulcutt. Le Maire said the measure would complement France and Germany's push to get EU partners to adopt "a European Inflation Reduction Act." in other news Impacts: Climate change is putting more women at risk for domestic violence. Power o'clock: Wind and solar developers are concocting elaborate plans to provide round-the-clock renewable power, the industry's holy grail.   A message from Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future:   Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. An Air Products and Chemicals Inc. hydrogen production facility in Geismar, La. | Image courtesy of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. A federal court has slapped down a Louisiana ordinance that jeopardized a $4.5 billion hydrogen and carbon storage project. The Biden administration has tapped Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner Willie Phillips to serve as acting chair until the president nominates and wins Senate confirmation of a permanent chair. The New York Department of Financial Services released draft guidance for financial lenders with sweeping guidelines about how they should prepare for climate change. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.   A message from Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future: Lowering emissions is a promise that we must keep – for the next generation and beyond. Natural gas, partnered with renewable energy, will help reach global climate goals faster, without sacrificing reliability or affordability. As demand for clean energy grows, expanding the country's natural gas infrastructure will help meet today's needs, while laying the groundwork to transport zero-carbon fuels, like hydrogen, tomorrow. Learn how natural gas is accelerating our clean energy future at www.naturalalliesforcleanenergy.org.     Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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