Biden Commits $450 Million for Carbon-Free Electricity at Old Mines & Commits Money to Save Colorado River, The Climate Daily 50/100 Reforestation Campaign!

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO DEVOTE $450 MILLION TO DEVELOP CARBON-FREE ELECTRICITY ON MINE SITES

In an announcement from the Department of Energy,  Secretary Jennifer Granholm said that the Biden administration will use $450 million to put new energy projects on current and former mine sites. The money comes from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and it could lead to projects that include nuclear power, renewables and carbon capture, among others. This is part of a larger picture in which the Biden administration is directing investment toward communities that have been hurt by the transition to clean energy. In a call with reporters, Secretary Granholm said the recipients could range from advanced nuclear projects to power plants with carbon capture capabilities.

The funds will be dispersed through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was enacted in 2021. “As with all BIL-funded projects, we’ll be prioritizing those that partner directly with communities,” she added, referring to the law. Why does devoting $450M to develop carbon-free electricity on old mine sites matter to us? As Secretary Granholm said, “They’ll prove out the potential to reactivate or repurpose existing infrastructure like transmission lines and substations, and these projects could spur new economic development in these communities.”

Concept papers from applicants will be due in May, with full applications due by the end of the summer.

DEEPER DIVE: The Hill 

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES NEW INVESTMENTS TO SAVE COLORADO RIVER SYSTEM

The Biden-Harris Administration is leading a whole-of-government effort to make Western communities more resilient to climate change and the ongoing megadrought by harnessing the full resources of the President’s historic Investing in America agenda. The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law together include $15.4 billion to enhance the West’s resilience to drought, the largest investment in climate resilience in our nation’s history.

The Administration is announcing new investments for water-saving projects and other conservation efforts in the Colorado River Basin that will immediately yield hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water savings. These water savings will grow rapidly in the years ahead as additional, longer-term water efficiency infrastructure and resilience strategies come online:

•       Up to $233 million in water conservation funding for the Gila River Indian Community, including $83 million for a water pipeline project that will reuse approximately 20,000 acre-feet of water per year and help shore up elevations at Lake Mead. 
•       Up to $36 million for water conservation in the Coachella Valley. 
•       $20 million for four small surface water storage and groundwater storage projects in California and Utah, including one near the Salton Sea
•       Over $54 million for repairs to aging infrastructure to improve water delivery, including $8.3 million for the Imperial Dam. 
•       Expanded drought-focused outreach and technical assistance to communities in the Colorado River Basin. In the coming weeks, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leadership will convene the environmental and infrastructure Secretaries from all seven Colorado River Basin states to discuss strategies to maximize long-term water savings. EPA will also leverage its network of regional Environmental Finance Centers, the Creating Resilient Water Utilities initiative, and other technical assistance efforts to expand targeted outreach and enhance federal-state collaboration.

Why does investing in saving the Colorado River system matter to us? Almost 20% of the U.S. population relies on it for all aspects of life.

DEEPER DIVE: WhiteHouse.gov, Dept. of Interior

THE CLIMATE DAILY’S 50/100 REFORESTATION CAMPAIGN!

Remember how in January we at The Climate Daily launched our first ever Climate Champions Massive Tree Reforestation campaign? Well in honor of upcoming Earth Day 2023, we’re launching The Climate Champions 50/100 campaign! What’s a climate champion, you ask? A climate champion proves that a small group of people can make a massive impact on the planet in a short amount of time. How? Our company, The Climate, is partnering with over 30 international tree-planting organizations–ALONG WITH our climate champions– to re-plant, and regrow forests all over the world, by planting ten thousand trees at a time. Why? Because science says the best way to combat climate change is to restore nature. And the fastest way to restore nature is to plant and grow a trillion trees, and the fastest way to plant and grow a trillion trees is to replant and regrow forests. The fastest way to do that is to plant ten thousand trees at a time, 

And the fastest and most fun way to plant ten thousand trees at a time is to fundraise with friends, climate champions. So, we’re looking for folks to donate $50 or $100 one time, to help us plant 10,000 trees at a time, in one of seven regions around the planet. (Which our tree planting partners will do. They’re the tree-planting professionals.)

Please visit champions.theclimate.org/climate hyphen champions/50or100. Click on the donate button and join our team of climate champions today. Again, visit champions.theclimate.org/climate hyphen champions/50or100. Click on the donate button and join our team of climate champions today. And if you want to start your own team of climate champions, reach out to us at info@34.203.12.8. Well help you put together your own small group of climate champions to make a massive impact on the planet in a short amount of time.

(Planting 10 thousand trees–a 20-acre forest!) Wouldn’t it be great to be the change you want to see in the world? Go to champions.theclimate.org/climate hyphen champions/50or100and become part of something special. Become a climate champion.  Thank you!!

DEEPER DIVE: 50/100 Campaign, Trillion Tree Project