Complete list of press releases

(SANTA FE, NM) The New Mexico Environment Department today released its proposed final ozone precursor regulations for oil production sources and natural gas production, processing, storage and transmission sources including rules that address equipment leaks and malfunctions that account for 70% of the industry’s methane emissions problem.

“The New Mexico Environment Department has put forward a significantly improved proposal that will help protect our air and climate and New Mexico’s families from oil and gas pollution,” said Jon Goldstein, Director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs at EDF. “Gov. Lujan Grisham and Secretary Jim Kenney deserve credit for the hard work that went into responding to the concerns of people across the state about exemptions in the original proposal. We look forward to reviewing the details of this proposal and working with NMED to ensure that the final rule protects New Mexico’s families and communities.” 

New Mexico is home to some of the worst methane pollution in the county. Oil and gas operators release 1.1 million metric tons of methane through venting, flaring and leaks.

An earlier draft of NMED’s air pollution rules, released in July 2020, included exemptions for wells based on production and pollution thresholds that would have left the vast majority of New Mexico’s oil and gas wells and their pollution exempt from oversight. While the proposed final rule has just been released and will require a thorough review including ensuring provisions are included to protect frontline communities and that pollution created during well completions is addressed, it is significant to note that it does eliminate the blanket exemptions.

Reducing methane waste and pollution is a key step in Gov. Lujan Grisham’s strategy in addressing air pollution and climate impacts caused by oil and gas facilities, and the governor has committed to enacting nation-leading methane emissions rules. The proposed NMED rule will complement rules finalized by the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission in March that ban the practice of routine venting and flaring at new and existing wells across the state.

The Environmental Improvement Board will hold a hearing to finalize the rule later this year after a public comment period.

(May 4, 2021) California could save more than 7,000 lives by 2050, significantly reduce smog and climate pollution, and save new car buyers thousands of dollars if the state adopts Advanced Clean Car II standards that ensure all new cars, trucks and SUVs sold are zero-emitting vehicles by 2035, according to a new report by Environmental Defense Fund.

EDF’s report comes ahead of the California Air Resources Board’s public workshop this week on the next generation of the state’s Advanced Clean Cars standards.

“Zero-emission vehicle standards will save lives, reduce dangerous pollution, deliver jobs and save Californians’ hard-earned money,” said EDF senior attorney Alice Henderson. “Our analysis found extensive health, economic and environmental benefits for Californians from protective clean car standards, including substantial reductions in pollution that disproportionately burdens low-income communities and communities of color.”

The California Air Resources Board is now developing the state’s Advanced Clean Cars II program, which will build from the state’s long history of advancing vehicle pollution reductions under Clean Air Act authority. The Advanced Clean Cars II program should reflect Governor Newsom’s September 2020 executive order establishing a state target that all new passenger vehicles sold in California be zero-emission by 2035. The Air Resources Board will hold its public workshop on Thursday, May 6.

The transportation sector is responsible for more than half of all of California’s climate pollution, 80 percent of its smog-forming pollution and 95 percent of its toxic diesel emissions.

According to EDF’s analysis, if all new cars, SUVs and passenger trucks sold in California are zero-emission starting by 2035, it could:

• Prevent up to 7,406 premature deaths in total by 2050
• Eliminate more than 1.2 billion tons of climate pollution by 2050
• Significantly reduce the smog-forming and particulate pollution that is linked to asthma attacks, bronchitis and heart attacks
• Save Californians who buy a new zero-emission car or SUV in 2035 more than $13,000 over the life of the vehicle, compared to a gas-powered car or SUV
• Save the state of California $194 billion, cumulatively, by 2050 in health and economic benefits.

California’s clean car standards are already among the country’s most effective policies for reducing harmful motor vehicle air and climate pollution. Shifting to zero-emission vehicles will help further reduce pollution and save lives across the state.

Despite making substantial progress, many communities in California still have unhealthy air quality levels. The San Joaquin Valley, for instance, has the highest levels of fine particulate pollution in the nation, and another recent EDF study found that in the Bay Area alone more than 2,500 lives are lost and 5,200 children develop asthma every year because of traffic-related air pollution exposure.

Communities of color and low-income communities suffer disproportionately from motor vehicle pollution. According to the American Lung Association’s 2021 State of the Air report, people of color are more than three times more likely to breathe the most polluted air than white people.

Switching to zero-emission vehicles can also create jobs for Californians. The U.S. already has more than 273,000 jobs linked to clean vehicles and hybrids, including more than 40,000 jobs in California. Jobs in the electric vehicle industry alone grew more than six percent in 2020.

You can read more in EDF’s full report.

(NEW YORK – May 3, 2021) As the New York debate over natural gas builds, experts from Environmental Defense Fund today filed comments in a state proceeding aimed at overhauling gas utility planning in an effort to help the state shift away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner energy sources. EDF’s filing includes a first-of-its-kind greenhouse gas emissions lifecycle tool developed with MJ Bradley & Associates, an ERM Group Company, that gives the New York Public Service Commission, or PSC, and utilities the data they need to align business plans with the state’s climate goals.

“Every dollar spent by gas utilities either moves us closer to or further from our climate goals,” said Erin Murphy, Senior Attorney, Energy Markets & Utility Regulation at EDF. “New York needs a gas utility planning process that considers the true climate costs of our choices, so we can make better decisions for the future of our state and communities.”

Until now, it has been difficult for utilities and the public to easily compare investment in energy efficiency, biomethane or other fossil fuel alternatives in a way that reduces costs and complies with New York’s requirement of an 85% reduction in statewide emissions by 2050. A comprehensive approach to long-term planning is critical to ensuring that today’s spend on future gas infrastructure will lead to a fair and equitable transition.

“Achieving climate goals will require employing a variety of strategies to decarbonize energy supply and reduce total energy demand,” said Brian Jones, Senior Vice President at M.J. Bradley & Associates. “By providing a rigorous, consistent and transparent approach to quantifying emissions, this framework and tool will allow gas utilities and stakeholders to compare different supply- and demand-side approaches and assess the impacts of specific gas utility plans.”

“Given the short window in which we must address climate change, investing in further gas infrastructure presents clear stranded asset risk, especially as alternatives like electrification become increasingly competitive,” said Lila Holzman, Senior Energy Program Manager at As You Sow.

She added, “Transparent disclosure from gas-reliant utilities on their supply chain emissions has been severely lacking. This new tool will be immensely useful to investors seeking to understand the full climate impacts of utility gas use and whether disclosed investment plans are truly aligned with environmental goals.”

The Gas Company Climate Planning Tool is a free, unbiased and data-driven model for state regulators, utilities and the public to evaluate the long-term climate impacts of various energy scenarios. Pre-populated with publicly reported natural gas data from all 50 states, it can be used to evaluate energy scenarios anywhere in the country to help reduce the pollution and costs associated with new gas utility infrastructure investments.

For more details, see the Gas Company Climate Planning Tool’s accompanying report, A Framework for Gas Company Climate Planning in New York, and our expert blog post on this topic.

“We strongly support Senator Carper’s call for EPA to eliminate tailpipe pollution from new cars by 2035. Zero emissions electric vehicles are already gaining momentum, with leading auto companies making the jump to affordable, high-performing emissions-free cars. But if we’re going to compete with Europe and China, we’ll need bold action from policy makers. We need rigorous emission standards that eliminate harmful climate and air pollution, and investments that ensure the manufacturing and infrastructure jobs for zero-emitting vehicles are here in America.

“By setting rigorous emission standards for clean vehicles we can protect our health, reduce pollution in our communities, and save families money at the gas pump. We’ll also be cleaning up one of the largest sources of climate and air pollution. We’re grateful to Chairman Carper for his leadership, and look forward to working with EPA on establishing standards to ensure healthier communities and economic opportunity for all Americans.”

- Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President for Political Affairs, Environmental Defense Fund

(WASHINGTON, DC — April 30, 2021) The Biden administration has taken a “whole of government” approach to develop bold climate solutions that create good jobs and thriving communities. As part of that, the U.S. Department of Agriculture sought public input on its climate-smart agriculture and forestry strategy.

“USDA must act quickly to harness the power of farms and forests to slow climate change and build climate resilience. Time is of the essence — both for rural economies that depend on agricultural productivity and all Americans who depend on climate stability.

“Good science, good data and good measurement will be essential for ensuring that climate solutions work well for farmers, foresters, rural communities and the planet. USDA’s scientists and economists have a starring role to play here, especially in bringing much-needed clarity and consistency to agricultural and forestry carbon markets.

“USDA must also listen to and incorporate feedback from the people most affected by climate change — frontline communities and producers, particularly Black, Indigenous and other farmers, ranchers and foresters of color. Doing so will help ensure policies are developed and administered in a way that prioritizes equity, delivers environmental justice and supports producers in adopting climate-smart practices.

“Environmental Defense Fund commends USDA’s focus on climate solutions and looks forward to supporting the agency’s efforts to transform U.S. agriculture and forestry into more equitable, prosperous and resilient industries.”

— Callie Eideberg, EDF’s director of agricultural policy

Click here for EDF’s top five priorities for USDA and here to access EDF’s full comments.

Today a coalition of states led by West Virginia asked the Supreme Court to review a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that overturned the Trump administration’s attempt to repeal the Clean Power Plan and replace it with the harmful ACE Rule. The states made the request even though currently neither the Clean Power Plan nor ACE – nor any other standards – are in place.

“There is no basis for Supreme Court review. There are no standards in effect right now, and the Biden administration has been clear that any future standards will start from a clean slate. These state Attorneys General seem to be wasting taxpayer money just to attack our nation’s clean air laws. Instead, our lawmakers should work together to provide all Americans with cleaner, healthier air, and to reduce the climate pollution that puts us all at risk.”

- Vickie Patton, General Counsel for Environmental Defense Fund

As the Navajo Nation works to enact new requirements to protect air quality and limit methane waste and pollution on Navajo lands, an updated analysis shows this is a growing problem with oil and gas companies wasting disproportionately more energy than in other areas, according to a report released today by the Environmental Defense Fund, Diné C.A.R.E., NAVA EP, Grand Canyon Trust and Western Leaders Network.

The report indicates companies waste roughly 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas a year from operations on Navajo lands, approximately $4.8 million worth of natural gas. This deprives the Navajo Nation and allottees of as much as $1.2 million in royalties every year while producing 21,700 metric tons of methane emissions that pollute the air and threaten the health of Navajo communities. This volume of wasted gas is more than enough to meet the usage needs of every home on the Navajo Nation for five months.

“Impacts such as air pollution are no longer just in one area of Navajo lands, it is everywhere,” said Samuel Sage, Vice-President Diné C.A.R.E. “The companies that come onto Navajo lands know how they can make short-cuts with very little oversight. There has to be a way for our leadership to listen and understand the impacts of allowing extractive companies to come onto Navajo lands to extract minerals. They need to be involved and look out for their relatives and people.”

The analysis shows the methane emissions rate on Navajo lands is more than double the national average. It shows that control requirements such as those the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection agency is considering can help significantly limit this waste and pollution and it suggests that with further improvements this methane venting, flaring and leaks could be limited even further in order to protect the health of local communities.

“This analysis shows that methane waste and other forms of oil and gas pollution are hitting Navajo communities particularly hard,” said Jon Goldstein, director of legislative and regulatory affairs at Environmental Defense Fund. “This problem underlines the wisdom of the Navajo EPA’s efforts under President Nez to establish strong rules that increase tribal sovereignty and protect the resources and wellbeing of the Navajo Nation.”

Oil and gas has been produced on Navajo lands since the 1920s and continues to be an important source of revenue to the Navajo Nation. Unfortunately, spills, leaks and other burdens associated with this activity have created health impacts for Navajo communities and raised environmental justice concerns.

“Being good stewards of the land is central to Navajo people,” said Herman Farley, Red Mesa Chapter President. “It makes no sense to waste resources like natural gas – it’s bad for our communities because we lose revenue and suffer the effects of increasing methane and air pollution. The Navajo Nation is making important progress to apply strong rules to oil and gas operators on our lands.”

Largely avoidable methane emissions can also lead to forms of pollution with serious health problems for tribal communities, and action to cut these methane emissions will lessen the burden from these other forms of pollution as well. Emissions from oil and gas production also contain toxic, even deadly, gases like hydrogen sulfide, toluene, xylene and benzene. These Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) total 214 tons per year on the Navajo Nation. Methane leaks also allow volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to be released. These VOCs are one of the main building blocks of ozone pollution, which can harm the respiratory system, trigger asthma attacks and worsen emphysema. Ozone levels in New Mexico’s San Juan County are close to surpassing federal health standards—putting communities there at risk. The methane wasted every year by oil and gas operations on Navajo lands are largely avoidable and equal to the pollution caused by 400,000 automobiles per year.

The Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency has the opportunity to increase tribal sovereignty and revenue through enacting comprehensive requirements to reduce methane pollution and waste levels. The agency has proposed a good set of requirements that could be strengthened further with targeted improvements that build upon what other leading jurisdictions have successfully implemented. Limiting natural gas waste represents a natural continuation of the Navajo Nation’s strong record of responsible resource management. The Navajo Nation has the opportunity to exercise its sovereignty and its commitment to preserving the health of its people, while protecting its resources and curtailing a potent source of greenhouse gases.

The report follows a successful bipartisan vote in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday to restore federal rules to cut methane and air pollution from oil and gas operations. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez supported the methane Congressional Review Act resolution, S.J.Res.14, writing, “And while the Navajo EPA is developing our own regulations to limit harmful pollution from these sources, federal new and existing source standards are also of vital importance since our air knows no boundaries and pollution from neighboring areas can still have a negative impact on tribal communities.”

“Presidential leadership means facing hard problems – sometimes all at once – and doing what’s necessary to make things better. President Biden understands we are in a climate crisis, and that the bold action we need to confront it can also help American families and the U.S. economy recover from COVID. It is gratifying to have a President who sees the danger, levels with the American people, and offers a strong plan of action.

“President Biden’s plan to create millions of jobs by rebuilding a cleaner economy is exactly the right path. By investing in clean energy and clean transportation he will improve the health of our kids, promote equity and environmental justice, and strengthen our economy.

“Joe Biden is a President who understands the challenges that American families face and takes them on as his own, offering practical plans to make things better. His focus on jobs, education, health care, equity and the environment reflect the priorities of communities and families across the country. EDF looks forward to working to achieve these important goals.”

- Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

(WASHINGTON) With bipartisan support from all Democrats and three Republicans, the U.S. Senate today approved a measure (S.J.Res.14) to restore EPA rules that limit oil and gas methane pollution from new wells, processing plants and other facilities. The vote follows President Biden’s Leaders Summit on Climate, where methane was a focus of international discussion.

“Strong methane policy is a necessary action for our nation to meet its climate goals and to protect the health of our communities. Acting quickly to reduce methane pollution could slow the speed of global warming by as much as 30%. It’s an opportunity we can’t afford to miss. In fact, this solution is so sensible that many U.S. oil and gas companies support federal methane rules.”

• Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund

New study led by EDF scientist Ilissa Ocko says that swift adoption of comprehensive measures to reduce methane from oil and gas, landfills and large-scale agriculture can dramatically slow the rate of warming in the near term, and also lower the amount of warming over the long term.

Following the Senate vote, the House will take up the measure for committee consideration and a floor vote by mid-May. Passage in the House and signature by the President immediately would restore critical climate and health protections while clearing the way for the development of sensible new safeguards to limit methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.

The original EPA regulations were adopted in 2016. In its waning days, the Trump administration rushed to repeal the policy – despite opposition from industry itself – in a move that failed to consider the impact on human health and the environment. An extensive analysis by EDF estimates the U.S. oil and gas industry emitted over 16 million metric tons of methane in 2019, with a near-term climate impact greater than all the nation’s coal-fired power plants combined.

Support for the resolution ranges from environmental groups to industry, including Pioneer Natural Resources, Occidental Petroleum and the Edison Electric Institute (the trade association for the nation’s investor-owned electric utilities), to name a few.

(WASHINGTON) A newly published paper in the journal Environmental Research Letters shows that a rapid, full-scale effort to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas industry, large-scale agriculture and other human sources could slow the worldwide rate of warming by as much as 30%.

The lead author of the paper is Dr. Ilissa B. Ocko, senior climate scientist and Barbra Streisand Chair of Environmental Studies at Environmental Defense Fund.

The results highlight the critical role of methane in any climate strategy, even as we decarbonize our energy systems. By reducing emissions of methane — which has more than 80 times the warming power of CO2 for the first 20 years it’s in the atmosphere — we can hit the brakes on the increasingly rapid warming responsible for stronger storms, hotter fire seasons and rapidly melting Arctic sea ice.

“Acting now and moving quickly to cut methane emissions is essential. Even modest delay would mean missing out on significant climate benefits. That’s an opportunity we won’t get back,” said Ocko. “To realize these climate benefits, decision makers need to address methane directly and not assume the problem will resolve itself as a result of policies to reduce CO2.”

Earlier this month, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that current methane levels in the atmosphere are the highest on record. The paper estimates that fully deploying known solutions in the six sectors responsible for the lion’s share of emissions could cut the amount of methane from human sources in half by 2030, avoiding a 0.25 degree Celsius (0.5 degree Fahrenheit) of additional global-mean warming by midcentury, and more than 0.5 C (1 F) by 2100.

A half-degree C would make a critical difference in a world trying to keep warming below 2 C. It could mean 10 million fewer people at risk from sea level rise; half the number of people stressed for water and half the number of plant and animal species losing crucial habitat.

Cheapest emission cuts are in oil and gas

The new paper encompasses a broad suite of solutions which exist today that, if implemented over the next decade, could cut projected 2030 methane emissions in half, with half of that reduction achievable at no net cost. Around 80% of no-cost actions come from the oil and gas industry. In each of the scenarios analyzed; nearly a third of that would come from top oil and gas producers meeting their agreed upon targets to reduce upstream leakage.

Compared with the fast-action scenario, a go-slow approach that starts now but stretches out full adoption from 2030 to 2050 would mean a 5% increase in the average worldwide warming rate and an extra 0.1 C by 2050. Likewise, a delayed-start strategy that squeezes reductions into a 10-year window starting in 2040 — perhaps in a rush to achieve midcentury net-zero emission goals — would result in a 20% faster warming rate and an additional 0.2 C by 2050 compared with a fast-action plan that starts now.

Without action, methane emissions from human activities are expected to keep rising for the rest of the century, increasing 70% or more by 2100, for a worldwide total exceeding 600 million metric tonnes per year. Three-quarters of those emissions are projected to come from livestock, oil and gas, and landfills, each in roughly equal measure.

Policy math masks role of methane

Despite growing concern, important scientific and policy conversations still tend to deemphasize the role of methane in driving warming. That’s because metrics used by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and others are tied to the 100-year warming potential of greenhouse gases.

“The amount of warming over the long term is important, but so is the speed of warming,” Ocko said. “By overlooking the near-term warming from methane, we’re missing an opportunity to make a real difference right now, in our lifetime. This truly is the methane moment.”

Authors of the new paper say public policy and industry measures aimed specifically at methane will be faster and more effective than counting on reductions to occur as a secondary effect of reduced fossil fuel use. They note that under leading decarbonization scenarios, methane emissions will not be significantly reduced before midcentury.

Monitoring and measurement

Growing focus on reducing emissions comes at the same time as a revolution in methane sensing and measurement technologies. These solutions range from handheld detectors to sensors carried on aircraft and unmanned drones. Increasingly, researchers and policymakers are looking to satellite detection to identify and measure emissions.

Among these is MethaneSAT, developed by an EDF subsidiary. The satellite will continuously detect, map and quantify emissions worldwide, measuring changes in concentrations as low as 2 parts per billion, giving it the ability to track changes in emission rates against commitments by countries as well as companies. Now in advanced manufacturing stages, MethaneSAT is on track for launch readiness in the fall of 2022.

(Washington, D.C. – April 26, 2021) The Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it will reconsider the Trump Administration’s unlawful decision to revoke states’ clean car authority.

EPA’s proposal follows on the heels of a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposal to rescind the Trump administration’s rule that wrongly declared California’s state greenhouse gas and zero emission vehicle standards to be preempted by federal law.

“This is an important step toward restoring states’ long-standing authority to address pollution, including climate pollution, from cars and SUVs,” said EDF senior attorney Alice Henderson. “States are doing vital work to protect people from unhealthy motor vehicle pollution. We urge the Biden administration to swiftly finalize its actions to make sure the states can continue that work, reduce dangerous pollution, and create more good American jobs.”

The notice that EPA released today proposes to reinstate the Clean Air Act waiver for California’s Advanced Clean Car program. EPA issued that waiver in 2013. Then, under a flawed legal theory, the Trump administration revoked the waiver for the greenhouse gas and zero emission vehicle (ZEV) standards that are part of California’s program.

The Trump administration attack on state authority was vigorously challenged in federal court by 23 states, U.S. cities and local governments, major power and transportation sector businesses, and public health and environmental organizations including EDF.

Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have adopted California’s greenhouse gas and ZEV standards to reduce pollution, improve air quality, and reap the economic and jobs benefits of cleaning up the transportation sector. Several other states – including Minnesota, New Mexico, and Nevada – are considering adopting these standards as well. Once finalized, EPA’s restoration of the California waiver will clear the way for states to again implement these life-saving pollution standards.

EPA’s notice today opens a public comment period through July 6, with a public hearing scheduled for June 2.

EDF is also urging the Biden administration to adopt national pollution standards that ensure all passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. are zero-emitting by 2035 and all medium- and heavy-duty trucks are zero-emitting by 2040, with accelerated action in urban and community applications. These actions can help ensure that we achieve a fully zero-emission transportation sector by 2050.

(Olympia, WA – April 24, 2021) Today, the Washington State legislature passed the Climate Commitment Act (Senate Bill 5126) with the state Senate concurring with the House of Representatives’ adopted version. The cap-and-invest legislation makes Washington the second state to put a binding limit on climate pollution across all major sectors of the economy— a powerful and essential tool to aggressively slash emissions to meet the state’s 2030, 2040 and 2050 goals. The bill includes innovative measures designed to reduce local pollution in historically overburdened communities alongside reductions in global climate pollution.

“Washington has modeled what states across the nation should do: turn climate pledges into concrete policy that delivers. The Climate Commitment Act makes good on Washington’s promise to meet the urgency of the climate challenge by putting a strong, enforceable limit on climate pollution. 

“This week President Biden pledged to cut U.S. emissions by at least half by the end of the decade. Washington’s leaders are matching that ambition with bold policy that drives real, immediate progress toward that goal.

“Governors across the country—as well as state and federal policymakers— should take note of what just happened in Olympia. The Climate Commitment Act raises the bar for climate policy by tackling both climate pollution and local air pollution. By slashing greenhouse gas emissions across major sectors of its economy, while also providing new tools to drive down local air pollution that disproportionately burdens many low-income communities and communities of color, this bill delivers big wins on health and on climate – ensuring that a low-carbon economy will also be a healthier and more equitable economy.

“We applaud Washington State’s climate leadership and look forward to Governor Inslee’s signature on the Climate Commitment Act.”

• Nathaniel Keohane, Senior Vice President for Climate at EDF

(Olympia, WA – April 23, 2021) Today, the Washington House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 5126, the Climate Commitment Act, which will next return to the Senate for a concurrence vote. The legislation would create a cap-and-invest program – through a binding limit across all major sectors of the economy – and will aggressively slash carbon emissions giving Washington a powerful tool to meet the state’s 2030, 2040 and 2050 goals. The bill includes crucial and innovative measures designed to reduce local pollution in historically overburdened communities alongside greenhouse gas emissions.

“The Climate Commitment Act sets a new gold standard for other states across the nation to follow by tackling both carbon pollution and air pollution. This landmark bill would slash emissions at the pace and scale necessary to curb the worst impacts of climate change, while driving down damaging air pollution that disproportionately burdens many low-income communities and communities of color.

“The race to beat the climate crisis demands urgent action to cut emissions at every level. As the Biden administration reasserts climate leadership on the global stage, Washington state’s leaders are matching that ambition with bold policy that drives real, immediate progress.

“These elected officials recognize that pivoting toward a clean energy future is not only the right way to protect their children and grandchildren – it’s the right move for Washington’s economy right now. Charting this ambitious path on climate will help Washington state capture the clean energy jobs and industries that all states will be competing for.

“We urge the Senate and House to work together on a swift concurrence vote to move the Climate Commitment Act to Governor Inslee’s desk.”

• Katelyn Roedner Sutter, Senior Manager for U.S. Climate

(Washington, D.C. – April 23, 2021) Today, the Biden-Harris administration’s Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization released a report outlining $38 billion in existing federal programs across 12 agencies that can be leveraged to support the economies of coal, oil and gas communities impacted by the transition away from fossil fuels.

These programs include infrastructure initiatives, investments in emerging energy technologies and associated workforce development, environmental remediation, grants for economic development and small businesses, and more. Crucially, the report maps the highest-priority regions for federal support across the country and identifies a number of immediate next steps for the working group, including increased community engagement and a federal “one-stop shop” of resources for energy communities. The Interagency Working Group was established by President Biden’s January executive order on tackling the climate crisis at home and abroad.

“The report is a promising step toward concrete policy solutions that benefit workers and lift up communities and regions that depend on fossil fuel jobs. The clean energy transition cannot succeed unless the federal government deploys solutions that help fossil fuel workers and communities. These solutions should include policies that create good-paying union jobs, clean up pollution, build vital infrastructure like broadband, protect workers’ benefits and generate new economic opportunities.

“Ultimately, ensuring a fair and equitable energy transition for all workers and communities demands new federal legislation. Congress should follow the Biden-Harris administration’s lead on this issue and pass robust policies that can address the energy transition challenges facing coal, oil and gas workers and their communities.”

• Derek Walker, Vice President for U.S. Climate for EDF

Read EDF and Resources for the Future’s joint report on federal policy solutions for fossil fuel workers and communities in transition.

(WASHINGTON – April 22, 2021) President Joe Biden has nominated Monica Medina as assistant secretary of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs for the State Department. In this role, Medina would be a key player in re-establishing U.S. leadership in critical negotiations and deliberations, including international agreements on climate change, biodiversity, wildlife trade, fisheries reform and the ocean. The following is a statement from Eric Schwaab, Senior VP for Oceans and Ecosystems and a former administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service at NOAA under the Obama administration:

“I congratulate Monica on her nomination to be assistant secretary of state for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. President Biden knows that economic growth and a healthy planet go hand-in-hand, and the State Department is critical to furthering sustainability globally. Monica’s appointment comes at a critical time as the world begins to recover from the pandemic and continues to confront the climate, ocean and biodiversity crises.

“Monica is a national and international leader on environmental issues with extensive experience in government, law, policy and conservation. I had the privilege to work alongside Monica while at NOAA in the Obama administration. Monica’s experience and passion for people and the planet will serve the United States and the Biden administration well at this critical time.

“All of us at EDF look forward to working with Monica and the State Department on such issues as promoting climate-resilient fisheries, elevating sustainable fishing as a source of nutrition as well as livelihoods, restoring the role of science in decision-making, and preserving biodiversity on land and in the ocean.”

• Eric Schwaab, Senior VP, Oceans and Ecosystems