The Biden administration has assembled a coalition of environmental groups and former advisers to former President Obama to push for green energy tax rebates, Axios reported Tuesday.
The coalition, led by the nonprofit Civic Nation, plans to lead a grassroots “Save Clean Energy” campaign to educate Americans about home energy rebates and increase consumer adoption of renewable energy, even though only one state has a home energy rebate program. The refund program is currently distributing Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds, and most of the $8.8 billion in IRA funds allocated to the initiative have not even been claimed yet. according to To the Department of Energy (DOE).
“Because these rebate programs were new and because they were U.S.-based, they were somewhat complicated to implement and run,” John Podesta, senior adviser for international climate policy to President Joe Biden, told Axios. (Related: Biden Administration contracts for 1 million barrels from emergency gasoline reserves to “lower prices” ahead of July 4th)
New York is the only state with an operational residential energy rebate program, which added IRA funds to its existing energy rebate program. As of Tuesday, 21 states, excluding New York, had applied for full funding to launch residential energy rebate programs, and only six states had their applications approved, according to the Department of Energy.
Moreover, the total amount of funding that the 21 states and territories have applied for or received is $2.7 billion, so even if all of the funding requested today is approved, including the approximately $160 million provided to New York, the federal government would have received more than 65 percent of the $8.8 billion allocated to the IRA. according to to the Department of Energy’s Home Energy Rebate Tracking System.
As a result, billions of dollars in tax refunds are unlikely to be distributed before the November election, he said. analysis E&E posted strong results in June, but that assessment is likely to change under a Trump presidency.
“If funds were not disbursed before the Trump administration, the new administration will certainly reassess the criteria for awarding funds,” Dan Simmons, who served as undersecretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy under the Trump administration, said in an email to E&E News. “For many grants, the Biden administration has included non-statutory requirements, all of which will be reviewed for consistency with administration policy.”
It's Time #savecleanenergy!
We are partnered Civic NationFifty companies and organizations are joining together to ensure consumers and communities across America have the support they need to reduce their energy costs and save money on clean energy upgrades.
⚡ https://t.co/RP3MyQcsFm pic.twitter.com/fFKB5l5UeG
— U.S. Department of Energy (@ENERGY) July 30, 2024
The “Save Clean Energy” campaign plans to hold events and share resources to promote President Biden's home energy discounts to Americans, with more than 40 businesses and non-governmental organizations participating, Axios reports. report.
Civic Nation CEO Kyle Lierman and board chair Valerie Jarrett both served in former President Barack Obama's administration.
One of the campaign's backers is the environmental group Ceres. according to It was posted on the Civic Nation website. The nonprofit Ceres came under fire in November after it appeared to work with a Democratic treasurer to publish an op-ed in the official's name about climate change investment regulations.
Another member of the coalition, Climate Power, a nonprofit funded by foreign billionaires, in February pressured broadcasters to pull ads criticizing President Joe Biden's electric vehicle policies.
Meanwhile, the League of Environmental Voters, which is also involved in the campaign, opposes offshore oil and gas projects due to their impact on ecosystems, but supports offshore wind development despite a number of mysterious whale deaths linked to their construction.
The White House and Civic Nation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
As an independent, nonpartisan news service, all content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation is available free of charge to any legitimate news publisher with a large readership. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and affiliation with the DCNF. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
