Groups applaud Biden’s executive actions to combat climate change

Clean energy groups applauded President Joe Biden’s executive actions to combat climate change, including a proposal to boost offshore wind development.

“Offshore wind is a ripe opportunity to employ tens of thousands of Americans in good jobs, build out new domestic supply chains, and address the climate crisis through homegrown, reliable, clean energy. These actions take another step in the right direction toward the administration’s bold goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 as part of the transition to a grid powered by domestic clean energy,” Heather Zichal, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, said. “At the same time, America needs to rapidly mobilize across all sectors to meet these emissions targets and to address the root causes of extreme weather – and President Biden cannot do it alone.” 

Zichal followed by calling on Congress to come to a consensus on clean energy provisions.

In announcing the executive actions on climate change, Biden said climate change is a “clear and present danger to the United States,” and that action needs to be taken since Congress is not acting. He announced the executive actions from a former coal-fired power plant in Brayton Point, Mass., that will host a cable manufacturing facility to support the offshore wind industry.

One of his executive actions is to expand offshore wind opportunities by proposing the first Wind Energy Areas in the Gulf of Mexico. These areas cover 700,000 acres and have the potential to power over three million homes. Biden is also directing the Secretary of the Interior to advance wind energy development off the mid- and southern Atlantic Coast and Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Biden also announced $2.3 billion in federal funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fund its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program for fiscal year 2022. This money will help communities increase resilience to heat waves, drought, wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and other hazards by preparing before disaster strikes.

In addition, he said the Department of Health and Human Services will expand how the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) can promote the delivery of efficient air conditioning equipment, community cooling centers, and more. In April, the administration released $385 million through LIHEAP to help families with household energy costs, including summer cooling.

“We agree with the president’s remarks that climate change is a clear and present danger. Today’s executive actions are a meaningful step toward addressing the climate emergency, but truly tackling the worst impacts of climate change will require an all-hands-on-deck approach that includes legislative action. We urge Congress to not miss the opportunity to enact a long-term, stable, and predictable clean energy tax platform this year that is capable of effectively addressing the climate crisis,” Jose Zayas, executive vice president of policy and programs at the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), said.