Stand.earth Applauds Groundbreaking Biden Administration Action on Clean Energy
June 6, 2022
The Biden administration will use the Defense Production Act (DPA) to spur clean energy production, including crucial technologies like heat pumps
WASHINGTON, DC – In response to news that the Biden administration will use the Defense Production Act (DPA) to spur clean energy production, including crucial technologies like heat pumps activists have been calling for since March, Stand.earth Executive Director Todd Paglia said:
“Stand.earth applauds the Biden administration’s decision to address the climate crisis and accelerate a just transition to a clean energy economy, but we want to save the loudest cheers for the activists who pushed to make this happen. This is exactly the type of executive action the crisis demands, and we’ll need more of it as the climate crisis continues. This action shows the Biden administration is listening, and so we have to keep demanding the solutions we know are out there.”
Chief among the Biden administration’s announced actions was the authorization of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to massively accelerate the domestic production of clean energy technologies such as:
- Heat pumps, which are key to decarbonizing buildings
- Solar panel components
- Building insulation
- Components key to clean electricity generation such as “electrolyzers, fuel cells, and related platinum group metals”
- Grid infrastructure, such as transformers
In March, Stand.earth was a central player in a coalition of more than 200 groups calling on the Biden administration to use the “Defense Production Act to ramp up the deployment of renewable energy to transition the world off fossil fuels.”
“For too long, the Biden administration has allowed their climate and environmental justice agenda to be stymied by obstructionists in Congress,” said Nathan Taft, Stand.earth Senior Digital Campaigner. “Technologies like heat pumps are absolutely critical to efforts of local SAFE Cities working to move off fossil fuels, and we hope that Biden will continue using the full powers of his office to address the climate crisis and environmental injustice with the scale and urgency that’s required.”
Stand.earth is also encouraged to hear that “the White House and the Department of Energy will convene relevant industry, labor, environmental justice, and other key stakeholders” in order “strongly encourage projects with environmental justice outcomes,” but the Biden administration must include Indigenous communities if the conversations can have any credibility.
SAFE Cities supports the work of these and other local and subnational government leaders and advocates with technical, policy, communications, and organizing assistance, and by creating opportunities for local climate and environmental leaders to connect and collaborate on creating policies to stop fossil fuel expansion and phase out fossil fuels. Learn more at stand.earth/SAFE
###
Media contact:
Travis Nichols, travis@stand.earth, +1 404-432-1362 (Eastern Time)