Ian upended this middle-class beach town

Your guide to the political forces shaping the energy transformation

Jul 17, 2023 View in browser   By Kelsey Brugger The remains of homes demolished after sustaining heavy damage in Hurricane Ian are seen in the Tropicana Sands mobile home park in Fort Myers, Fla., on May 10. | Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo Affordable coastal living in much of Florida is becoming a thing of the past — thanks to climate change. After Hurricane Ian battered middle-class communities last fall in Fort Myers Beach and Cape Coral, along the southern Gulf Coast, many people of modest means have been unable to rebuild their houses to modern building codes — even if they had insurance, Zack Colman reports. That’s driving out people from neighborhoods where, just decades ago, residents such as teachers and firefighters could afford homes blocks from the beach. Those moving in include wealthy people who are still willing to pay — in cash — for waterfront real estate in a disaster-prone area. “The whole beach is going to change completely,” said former Fort Myers Beach resident Katherine Light. In May, she sold her parcel — which once held a powder-blue cottage on white stilts — for nearly four times what she had paid for it in the ‘90s. But even that price — $525,000 from a developer — isn’t on the high end. Some tracts are going for more than $1 million. And, Zack reported, at least one Redfin listing credited last year’s hurricane for creating a “big opportunity” for buyers seeking “choice building sites.” In an interview with Power Switch, Zack said one of his biggest takeaways from his reporting was that well-intentioned policies have serious social consequences. “Flood insurance in risky places should be pricey,” he said. “Older homes should be updated with more resilient current codes.” But government regulations and insurance plans aren’t stopping people from living in dangerous areas, he said. They’re just creating an environment where wealthy people or investors can self-insure or transform what had been residential single-family homes into vacation rentals. That may save taxpayer dollars, but it also alters the social fabric of these communities. The average payout for Hurricane Ian victims, as of July 7, was $92,000, Zack said. Even the national flood insurance payment max of $250,000 is too low to rebuild in southwest Florida, he said, especially given newer building codes that reflect the stringent requirements. “It's difficult to see how anyone whose home was substantially damaged could rebuild,” Zack said. “And I suppose that's why many sell, or debate whether they can stick it out in dinged-up or mold-infested homes until their insurance saga settles.”   It's Monday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Kelsey Brugger. Arianna will be back soon! 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: Zia Weise breaks down why insuring the world against climate change is controversial. Power Centers Michael Shores, 60, lives in one of Phoenix’s largest encampments for unsheltered people, called “the Zone,” where extreme heat and forced evacuations have made conditions in the camp difficult. | Daniel Cusick/POLITICO's E&E News No end in sight Millions of Arizonans were forced to draw their curtains and crank up the AC over the weekend as temperatures reached nearly 120 degrees Fahrenheit, writes Daniel Cusick. Hiking trails, golf courses and parks became hazards. And it's not over yet: David Hondula, Phoenix's director of heat response and mitigation, urged “maximum community vigilance” as the National Weather Service extended an “excessive heat warning” for south central Arizona through Wednesday night. The EV rush The Biden administration is looking to African countries for the minerals needed to build out electric vehicles, writes Hannah Northey. White House officials hope to advance projects that help shore up supply chains in the U.S., while also demonstrating support for a continent that holds a third of the world's largest critical minerals and has long received Chinese dollars. Dead whales The claim that offshore wind projects cause whale deaths is gaining momentum, even as scientists dismiss the idea. Now, anti-wind activists have succeeded in galvanizing political opposition against a central part of President Joe Biden's climate agenda, writes Benjamin Storrow.   HITTING YOUR INBOX AUGUST 14—CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes.     In Other News Talks underway: Talks between U.S. climate envoy John Kerry and his Chinese counterparts are off to a productive start, but the geopolitical tension between the superpowers remains. Extreme heat: Record-smashing temperatures are creating a “second disaster” for Hurricane Ian victims in Florida. Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) during a press conference at the Capitol last week. | Mariam Zuhaib/AP Photo The Senate this week takes up the National Defense Authorization Act, a must-pass bill lawmakers are looking to load with climate and energy amendments. The Interior Department might cut the number of wind turbines for a massive offshore wind project near Rhode Island to protect fish habitat or the view from a tourist spot on Martha’s Vineyard. The long-running drought in the western U.S. has driven up fossil fuel generation by up to 65 percent when hydropower production falls. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.   JOIN 7/26 FOR A TALK ON THE NEW ENERGY ECONOMY: Join POLITICO's lively discussion, "Powering a Clean Energy Economy," on July 26 at 5:15 PM ET. We'll explore the effectiveness of consumer-targeted policies to boost sustainability and create clean energy jobs. How are the Inflation Reduction Act's provisions faring? Which strategies truly sway consumer behavior? How are advances in technology shaking things up? And, what's the future for energy consumption reduction? Hear from featured speaker, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), among other experts. Don't miss this insightful event — register today and be part of the conversation driving America's clean energy future! REGISTER NOW.       Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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