Washington Watch

Biden seeks $11B for international climate change projects

Biden said he wants to mobilize $100B for “climate action in developing nations”

President Joe Biden wants America to spend $11 billion on international climate change projects.

“Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on September 21, 2021, President Biden stated he intends to work with Congress to increase annual U.S. climate financing to $11.4 billion annually,” explained a Jan. 10 Congressional Research Service paper on international climate finance in fiscal year 2023.

In his speech to the UN, Biden expressed a desire to make America “a leader in public climate finance.” The $11 billion he sought is just a down payment on a much larger goal: $100 billion to “support climate action in developing nations.”

As Biden said to the UN:

We also have to support the countries and people that will be hit hardest and that have the fewest resources to help them adapt.

In April, I announced the United States will double our public international financing to help developing nations tackle the climate crisis. And today, I’m proud to announce that we’ll work with the Congress to double that number again, including for adaptation efforts.

This will make the United States a leader in public climate finance. And with our added support, together with increased private capital and other — from other donors, we’ll be able to meet the goal of mobilizing $100 billion to support climate action in developing nations.

Thus far, about $988 million for international climate efforts has been appropriated. This was contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, otherwise known as the Omnibus.

Of that, $185 million will go to sustainable landscapes. These are “programs that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.”

Another $260 million will go to renewable energy. That’s defined as “programs that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation and energy use by accelerating the deployment of clean energy technologies, policies, and practices.”

And another $270 million will go to adaptation. That’s defined as “programs that aim to assist low-income countries with reducing their vulnerability to climate change impacts and building climate resilience.”

Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.

News Story

Michigan Healthy Climate plan: Build infrastructure for 2M electric vehicles by 2030

Less than 1% of vehicles sold in Michigan in 2020 were EVs. If Michigan builds charging infrastructure, will EVs come?

Last year, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy released the Michigan Healthy Climate Plan, a roadmap to decarbonize Michigan 100% by 2050.

The plan says Michigan needs to build the infrastructure for two million electric vehicles by 2030. That would require a major shift in demand, in less than a decade.

“Electric vehicles represent a small fraction of Michigan’s current auto sales today,” reads page 38 of the plan. “Just 0.62 percent of all vehicles sold here in 2020 were electric. Two of the key current barriers to widespread uptake are the higher purchase cost typically associated with these vehicles and the real or perceived lack of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.”

The state’s theory is that if it builds the infrastructure, drivers and businesses will start using electric vehicles.

Michigan has about seven million registered drivers, and 10 million residents. Two million electric vehicles would mean 28% of drivers, and 20% of Michigan, would drive EVs within seven years, using current population numbers.

The report continues:

“By expanding funding through the Charge Up Michigan program and partnering with utilities and the private sector, Michigan will deploy enough charging infrastructure to support two million electric vehicles on Michigan roads by 2030. In pursuing that 2030 target, Michigan should aim for electric models to account for at least 50 percent of light-duty vehicle sales, 30 percent of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles sales, and 100 percent of public transit vehicles and school buses sold that year.”

That’s a big jump from 1%. Is it possible?

Jason Hayes, director of environmental policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, has his doubts.

“They make grand pronouncements to get a headline, and to show that they’re doing all the ‘green’ things,” Hayes told CapCon. “When they don’t hit those targets, they sweep it under the rug and put out another press release on their next target.

“In the meantime, what happens is they get to target funding to all their big corporate friends and donors,” Hayes added. “And then their corporate friends and donors get to play along and do the same thing.”

Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.