How Texas could mess with Biden's climate policies

Presented by NRDC: Your guide to the political forces shaping the energy transformation

Jun 20, 2023 View in browser   By Arianna Skibell Presented by NRDC POLITICO illustration/Photos by iStock Three Texas regulators with financial ties to the oil and gas industry could determine whether the country meets one of President Joe Biden’s climate goals, writes Ben Lefebvre. The Texas Railroad Commission oversees fossil fuel companies that are responsible for a substantial chunk of the United States’ greenhouse gas pollution, including methane. And its three commissioners — all Republicans — have joined the industry in opposing Biden administration efforts to limit the planet-warming gas. (Contrary to its name, the agency no longer regulates railroads). The commissioners have each received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from people and companies tied to Texas’ fossil fuel industry, according to Ben’s analysis of state disclosure records. They also own stock in oil- and gas-related companies, among other business and personal ties to the industry, Ben writes. All three commissioners issued statements defending their oversight of the industry and saying they comply with Texas’ ethics rules. “I base my decisions on what I believe is best for the state and our citizens. Period,” said one commissioner, James Wright. Why methane matters Methane emissions are far more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to planetary warming. And the commission plays a crucial role by approving companies’ decisions on how to handle their excess natural gas. So Biden’s ability to work with or circumvent the agency could determine whether the country achieves his goal of cutting methane releases in half by 2030. Scientists blame methane for one-third of the Earth’s temperature rise since the start of the Industrial Revolution. But compared with CO2, which can linger in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, methane dissipates rather quickly — making it a prime target for swiftly slowing global warming. The administration has proposed a fee on methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. It’s also weighing a rule to require oil companies to measure how much methane leaks from their operations, instead of relying on formulas that critics say underestimate the amount. Commission Chair Christi Craddick has criticized the administration’s efforts as an “attack on the industry that provides so much to our state.” The commission is also continuing to approve companies’ requests to burn methane at a rate that critics call a major climate liability. Last year, the commission said, it granted 95 percent of companies’ requests to burn their excess gas, a process known as flaring. Critics of the practice say companies should either store the gas or send it to market.   It's Tuesday — 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.   A message from NRDC: Strong EPA and DOT protections—like stronger vehicle pollution and efficiency standards and rules to cut power plant pollution—can help us reach our climate goals. Read how these safeguards can make President Biden’s climate commitments a reality.   Listen to today’s POLITICO Energy podcast Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: Kelsey Tamborrino breaks down the debate over how the Treasury Department should implement the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean hydrogen tax credit.   LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today.     Power Centers Emigrant Peak towers over the Paradise Valley in Montana north of Yellowstone National Park. | Matthew Brown/AP Photo Montana pushes back A climate change case against Montana resumed Monday with state employees pushing back against young people’s allegations that the government is violating the state constitution by embracing fossil fuel projects, writes Lesley Clark. The director of Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality and the agency’s air, energy and mining division administrator said the department is following state law, including adhering to a provision that bars them from considering the effects of climate change on projects. Speeding up energy projects The federal government is weighing a makeover to environmental reviews that could significantly change how quickly energy projects are analyzed and approved, writes Niina H. Farah. Biden signed the debt ceiling deal into law earlier this month, and in the process approved $500,000 in funding to explore a unified online portal to track environmental reviews, streamlining the internal process for agency analyses of major projects like pipelines and highways. In Other News Consequences: A federal buyout program is reducing flood risk, but it's also threatening to deepen segregation. Impacts: A heat wave is fueling deadly storms and power outages across the southern U.S.   A message from NRDC:   Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. A Union Pacific train travels through Union, Neb., on July 31, 2018. | Nati Harnik/AP Photo The railroad industry is trying to stop California from phasing out diesel-powered trains, filing a lawsuit that says the rule would force the premature retirement of 25,000 train engines. A federal court struck down an EPA rule banning the use of disposable containers for transporting hydrofluorocarbons, the potent greenhouse gas used as a refrigerant. A Minnesota wildfire near the Canadian border has prompted closures of lakes, portages and campsites in the country’s most visited wilderness area. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.   STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.       A message from NRDC: Fighting the climate crisis can’t wait—and transportation and power plants are two of our country’s largest sources of climate pollution. The EPA and DOT can implement new, critical standards for vehicles and power plants to protect our health and climate. Learn more about how these protections can help us clean up our air and reach our climate goals.     Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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