As 2023 wraps, I’m reflecting on the Biden-Harris Administration’s accomplishments in climate and clean energy. I’ve been working on this topic for over two decades, and there were always lists of good ideas that somebody should do. A lot of those good ideas, GOT DONE. A thread:
I've been working in vehicle electrification for most of my career. Electrifying the postal fleet was a climate solution everyone agreed on:
- Predictable routes
- Easy charging
- Cleans the air
- Saves fuel $
But it never got done
@POTUS
Got. It. Done.
2023 is the year of the heat pump ⚡️
If you’re cold, they’re warm
If you’re warm, they’re cold
Now the Inflation Reduction Act can save you money on a heat pump:
Here’s a thing everyone needs to know: A few decades ago, heat pumps couldn’t heat well when it was really cold. But the heat pumps available today work well and are very efficient!
Also, the Inflation Reduction Act can save you money on a heat pump:
A full day of negative temps in
#Denver
down to -15F, and our
#heatpump
has no problem keeping things toasty. This with a 1900 house and old leaky windows, too! No gas necessary ⚡️
🚨ANNOUNCEMENT: On December 14, the White House will have an
⚡️Electrification Summit⚡️
The summit will focus on the innovation strategy to make electric options the easy choice, and help achieve net-zero emissions while improving people’s lives.
I’ve been working in climate and energy policy for two decades. And plenty of folks have been working longer. Whether you started 50 years ago or 50 hours ago, today’s historic win for the American people is because of you. Peoples’ lives will be better because of you. Thank you.
2 years ago, climate policy was mostly a bunch of good ideas in PDFs.
2 years later, we are here. Climate laws & leadership.
Against all odds, the Biden-Harris Administration did the most ambitious climate policy in history.
The most ambitious climate policy in history…so far
Hello! I’m Costa Samaras,
@WHOSTP
’s Principal Assistant Director for Energy & OSTP Chief Advisor for Energy Policy, in the Energy Division led by Deputy Director Sally Benson. I'll tweet about innovation & actions for a clean, affordable, equitable, & secure energy system.
Today is my last day with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. I have been extremely lucky to have had the chance to be Principal Assistant Director for Energy & OSTP Chief Advisor for Energy Policy & then OSTP Chief Advisor for the Clean Energy Transition.
What's in the President's budget for energy & climate? 🧵
⚡$3.3 billion to support clean energy projects
🏡$502 million to weatherize low-income homes, including $100 million to electrify low-income homes, & $260 million for energy efficiency in USDA-assisted multifamily homes
Idea: Tax credits for EVs should be available right at the dealership
Action: Thanks to the Inflation Reduction act, starting TOMORROW, January 1, 2024, EV buyers can apply the credit upfront at the dealership instead of when they file their tax returns.
And here's what the research by Laura Roberson and
@JohnHelveston
says: many consumers prefer an immediate EV rebate over a tax credit, & consider a rebate to be worth about $1500 more. The option for a rebate increases equity & gets more EVs on the road.
Subtle/under-appreciated detail of the new & used EV tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act: credits can now be transferred to the dealer at point of sale, which means you get $$ off the purchase price, instead of having to wait until you file taxes next April.
Idea: Investment in passenger rail and public transit is good for people and the climate.
Action: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes the largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak 50 years ago. High speed rail is on the way.
Energy security comes from energy availability & insulation from global price spikes
• Oil powers 90% of US transport but only 1% of US electricity
• Oil price set on global market
• Oil price spikes ripple through economy
• Diversifying transport with EVs improves security
Idea: Electric vehicle tax credits should also apply to used vehicles
Action: The Inflation Reduction Act makes it possible to get a credit of up to 30% of the purchase price of a used electric vehicle.
Idea: bring clean electricity to the people living near the shore.
Action: 6 offshore wind projects have been approved, several record-breaking offshore wind lease auctions, and announced port manufacturing and port investments: .
Idea: Invest in a nationwide EV charging network to make it easy for folks to save money and cut pollution by driving electric.
Action: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $7.5B to build a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations.
Idea: Enable an electric and zero-emissions school bus fleet.
Action: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests more than $5B for clean school buses. In one community “The principal believes he will save enough money on gas to hire a new teacher.”
Idea: Electrify postal vehicles, because they have predictable routes & charging patterns.
Action: U.S. Postal Service announced a $9.6 billion investment over the next five years to electrify its delivery fleet, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act.
Idea: Energy efficiency rebates and incentives should help renters as well as homeowners.
Action: Renters and homeowners can use the efficiency and clean energy incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act to save money and have cleaner air in their homes.
Idea: The Weatherization Assistance Program should be scaled up.
Action: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests a historic $3.5 billion in the Weatherization Assistance Program, reducing energy costs for more than 700,000 low-income households.
The CHIPS & Science Act is a “innovation push” policy. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a demonstration & infrastructure policy. The IRA is a “clean demand pull” policy. Individually, they’re great. Together they’re incredible. They enable a clean energy economy for everyone.
Offshore wind power is close to cities where electricity is needed, & can take advantage of consistently higher wind speeds, producing more electricity. The
#NYBight
auction could result in nearly 6 GW of clean power--or as much power as three Hoover Dams.
That’s right.
It’s not an accident, and it wouldn’t have happened on its own.
The biggest climate action ever taken got done thanks to the leadership of
@POTUS
&
@VP
, as well as thanks to all of you who said it was time to act on climate.
And we’re not done yet.
Idea: Enable an electric & zero emissions transit bus fleet, lowering costs and improving air quality.
Action: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests more than $5B for clean transit buses, & the number of clean buses on U.S. roadways has already doubled.
Idea: The Government should use the Defense Production Act to ensure the supply of critical energy technologies.
Action: The President authorized DOE to use the DPA to rapidly expand American manufacturing of five critical clean energy technologies.
Why electric vehicles contribute to real energy security:
⚡Less than 1% of our electricity comes from oil
🚚When the transportation sector uses a range of fuels, the economy is less at risk from an oil price spike
💵Fueling a car with electricity costs 50%+ less than gasoline
Idea: Clean energy tax credits should be available to all clean energy technologies, including nuclear.
Action: The Inflation Reduction Act makes tech neutral tax credits last for at least 10 years, giving certainty to industry, & includes nuclear power.
Idea: The Government should lead by example and decarbonize its vehicles and buildings.
Action: The President signed an Executive Order that will reduce emissions across federal operations, and invest in American clean energy industries and manufacturing:
Here’s a brand new guide on how the Inflation Reduction Act can save folks up to 30% of the cost of a heat pump, and other ways to save money, energy, and emissions. ⬇️
📍NEW >> DOE has just released a new resource to help families, homeowners, and consumers better understand the savings and tax credits available to them through
@POTUS
’
#InflationReductionAct
.
Learn more now and SAVE!
Here’s another one: establish an American Climate Corps.
Action: Done.
There are lots of other examples of actions the Biden-Harris Administration already got done that improve people’s lives & tackles the climate crisis. And we’re not done yet.
Private firms have announced clean energy investments across America, including more than $157 billion in EVs & batteries, $133 billion in clean power plants, & $75 billion in clean energy manufacturing. There’s still more to do. But the future is bright.
Without expertise from the social sciences, the clean energy transition won’t be successful.
Without expertise in equity and justice, the clean energy transition won’t be successful.
If you have this expertise, you can make a big difference ⬇️
Here we Grow Again!
@ENERGY
’s Office of
#EnergyJustice
Policy & Analysis is seeking a
#SocialScientist
for our growing research team. You will perform a variety of professional
#socialscience
work with respect to energy & environmental justice. Apply at
Idea: Abandoned oil and gas wells should be plugged so they stop spewing methane, a strong climate pollutant methane.
Action: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided $4.7B to plug abandoned wells. Work is underway. 10,000 wells are eligible.
You may know that President Carter put solar panels on West Wing to heat hot water. But you should read the speech he gave dedicating the solar panels, in front of a crowd on top of the Press Briefing Room. A true visionary. Thank you, President Carter. .
Idea: There should be more battery energy storage connected to the power grid to store wind & solar power for when it’s needed.
Action: Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, there will be sixteen Hoover Dams-worth of battery storage on the grid next year. Sixteen. Hoover. Dams.
The Inflation Reduction Act &
@POTUS
' agenda have supercharged U.S. grid-scale energy storage. Before the Biden-Harris Administration, grid-connected energy storage was basically zero. This year there will be 9 Hoover Dams worth of batteries on the grid. Next year: 16 Hoover Dams
Idea: Everyone should have safe drinking water
Action: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests over $50B for the largest upgrade to U.S. water infrastructure in history, & EPA just released a plan to replace EVERY LEAD SERVICE PIPE IN THE COUNTRY.
“If you don’t yet work in the industry, but have always cared about climate change as an issue, well, this is your moment to get involved”
Every job can be a climate job. The Inflation Reduction Act is the beginning of a clean tech industrial revolution.
For years, the policy research on broadening EV adoption recommended making tax credits available right when folks buy a car, & make them available no matter how much tax liability folks have. Now, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, it’s happening.
seems good:
“Since Biden took office, manufacturers have quadrupled their announced electric vehicle manufacturing and battery investments in the U.S. to $210 billion, more than any other country in the world.”
By making federally funded research freely available, here's what
@WHOSTP
's new open access policy will do: it democratizes information & enables innovators everywhere to live up to their potential. This policy has been called "transformational". It is.
We’re in the middle of a clean energy revolution here in the U.S. because
@POTUS
prioritized climate & equity across every agency. Climate strategy is industrial strategy & folks will look back & realize Brian was the right person at the right time to get big climate things done.
Today on Volts: a conversation with
@BrianCDeese
, departing director of the National Economic Council, about Biden's industrial strategy & the increasing convergence of economic & national security.
.
@POTUS
just signed bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act into law. This law advances U.S. leadership in the technologies of the future, and drives opportunity and equity for all in STEM and innovation. It also advances clean energy & climate R&D: Here's how 1/
Today's climate & energy policy actions by
@POTUS
will:
- quickly get more clean energy deployed
- lower family energy bills
- accelerate a clean energy revolution made in America
- advance environmental justice
- make our energy system more resilient
We can choose to build a future where everybody has an even shot. That’s the America I believe in.
And today, we’ve come a step closer to making that America real.
Clean energy is generated here. And thanks to the combination of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS & Science Act, & the Inflation Reduction Act, we’ll invent next generation clean energy tech here, manufacture it here with good-paying jobs, use it here, & lower bills.
We are really excited about this
#WHOSTPSpaces
with
@ivybarley
and
@amac46
to talk about the innovation path for digital assets that works for everybody and works for the environment.
I'm looking forward to hosting the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (
@WHOSTP
and
@amac46
) on my Space on Thursday 26th May to discuss the responsible use of digital assets like cryptocurrencies and NFTs.
Set your reminder:
#WHOSTPSpaces
Look, I know as part of the Administration, I'm not a neutral observer on this point, but trust me that this is genuine: That was one of most moving, optimistic, and patriotic
#SOTU
addresses in my lifetime. We can do big things, together.
The future is bright.
A Virtual Power Plant is coming together in Puerto Rico. When lots of solar panels & battery systems are connected & managed with IT, electricity reliability & resilience goes up. While I propose to call this a Digital Power Plant (cc:
@JigarShahDC
), it’s great news for the grid.
In Puerto Rico, 7,000 homes with solar panels & batteries will form the island's first virtual power plant — a project that's meant to improve reliability for all electricity users (not just those who can afford to go solar). My latest for
@CanaryMediaInc
Can Heat Pumps Actually Work in Cold Climates? Yes!
“…plenty of today’s heat pumps can keep your home toasty even amid bone-chilling cold, using far less energy than other types of heating systems. Many homeowners will save money with a heat pump, too.”
It's Halloween at the White House and the
@WHOSTP
team showed everyone how much fun science and technology can be. Thanks to Energy Team engineers Sarah Stevenson and Rachel Reolfi, the visiting trick-or-treaters learned how lemons can power a light bulb.
Idea: The government helped electrify rural America in the 1930s, & could now help bring clean energy to rural & tribal communities.
Action: The Inflation Reduction Act provides $11 B to help bring affordable clean energy to rural & tribal communities.
Here’s a thing everyone needs to know: A few decades ago, heat pumps couldn’t heat well when it was really cold. But the heat pumps available today work well and are very efficient!
Also, the Inflation Reduction Act can save you money on a heat pump:
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act are huge climate policies, and the US is now on track to reduce GHGs by up to 40% below 2005 levels by 2030. And with additional federal, state, local, & private measures, the US can get to a 50%+ reduction by 2030.
Idea: Green infrastructure can help cool down cities & advance environmental justice
Action: the Inflation Reduction Act increases urban tree cover, boosts equitable access to nature, and improves climate resilience in communities:
We had a guest speaker who stressed the importance of innovation on safety, mobility, infrastructure, & climate, while advancing equity & not repeating mistakes of past infrastructure efforts. The Biden-Harris Administration is leaving nobody behind. Thank you,
@SecretaryPete
.
Electrifying the postal vehicle fleet demonstrates leadership by
@USPS
, leadership from
@POTUS
, leadership from
@WhiteHouseCSO
&
@WHCEQ
, and shows how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering for the economy, for the climate & for the country. ⚡️🚚📫
You won't want to miss tomorrow's discussion that will help you take – and advocate for – the simple steps needed to improve your indoor air quality and reduce the transmission of COVID-19.
#ClearTheAir
A lot of the clean energy tax credits and other great parts of the Inflation Reduction Act didn’t start until January 1, 2023.
Here’s the good news: January 1, 2023 was yesterday ⬇️
Starting right now, you can get tax credits to install more energy efficient appliances for your house. Electric ovens, solar panels, heat pumps: you name it.
Save money while fighting climate change.
Want to learn more? Head over to .
Today,
@WHOSTP
hosted the inaugural White House ARPA-I Summit, to push the boundaries of infrastructure innovation that will improve people’s lives. Watch the whole summit here: .
@POTUS
likes to say America can be defined by a single word: possibilities.
Electrification is more efficient, so it’s good for your pocketbook.
Electrification is cleaner, so it’s good for your health & the climate.
Electrification is good for 🇺🇸
It’s why the White House held the first-ever
#ElectrificationSummit
this week:
Electrification is just more efficient!
Induction: ~3x more efficient than gas range (.)
EV: >4x more efficient than internal combustion engine (tank/battery to wheels)
Heat pump: ~3-4x more efficient than a boiler (HSPF 10-14 )
The climate actions of the Biden-Harris Administration are building a brighter future for everyone, right now.
@POTUS
likes to say that America can be defined by a single word: Possibilities.
Happy New Year to all and best wishes for a healthy and happy 2024.
The budget is policy. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act are improving people’s lives right now, are cutting climate pollution, are designed to leave nobody behind, and are a down payment on building a clean economy for all. We can do big things.
Idea: Electrified ports and ferries would improve air quality in overburdened communities and cut climate pollution.
Action: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides funding to electrify ports and ferries
The
@WHOSTP
Deputy Director for Energy Sally Benson & several members of the OSTP Energy Team are in Pittsburgh for the Global Clean Energy Action Forum. The region has a history of innovation & the U.S. clean energy revolution will be built in communities like Pittsburgh.
#GCEAF
#GCEAF
starts TOMORROW! We're excited to welcome everyone to
#Pittsburgh
to push forward clean energy action that will help bring a brighter, greener future for everyone around the world. via
@905wesa
Idea: Active transportation & safe streets for all would improve equity, safety, & air quality, & cut climate pollution
Action: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides funding to make it safer for biking, walking, rolling, & active transportation:
As a new engineer back in 2001, I worked on the plans to replace these train tunnels in NYC. The project stalled for years. Two decades later, the Biden-Harris Administration got it moving.
@POTUS
&
@VP
can get the big things done for the American people. The future is bright.
“For years people talked about fixing this tunnel. But thanks to the leadership of
@SenSchumer
and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re getting it done.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS & Science Act, & the Inflation Reduction Act are the boldest climate actions in history. And we're not done yet. This week,
@WHOSTP
's Deputy Director for Energy Sally Benson is at
#COP27
to raise the ambition to get to net-zero faster.
At the end of 2020, there were fewer than 31,000 electric vehicle public charging station locations in the United States. The Biden-Harris Administration is launching a clean infrastructure & electric vehicle revolution.
Every electric vehicle sold is a win against climate change. And under President Biden’s leadership, electric vehicle sales in the United States have tripled.
Here's
@JaneLubchenco46
,
@htallis
, &
@EliFenichel
describing three new Biden-Harris Administration initiatives to account for nature.
- Initiating 1st U.S. National Nature Assessment
- Launching a Natural Capital Account
- Ramping ⬆ nature-based solutions
In 2015, the projected number of EVs that would be sold in 2023 was: 19,100.
Actual EVs sold in 2023: more than 1 million. Innovation & policy have driven costs down, &
@POTUS
' agenda is making EVs cheaper & building a nationwide charging network. More:
Two years ago there were hardly any batteries connected to the grid. Thanks to
@POTUS
,
@VP
, & Congressional leadership, there’s a battery revolution happening in the U.S. This creates good jobs, makes energy cheaper, & fights climate change. Policy matters
I’m lucky to work with such wonderful, brilliant, & fun
@WHOSTP
colleagues. Dr. Lisa Friedersdorf led a Staff Holiday Cookbook & I sent in a Tzatziki recipe. If you have plain Greek yogurt, it’s easy to make for friends & family.
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all!
OK, wow! The Fact Sheet on the Energy, Climate, and Environmental Justice investments included in the President's budget was just released, so I'm going to continue the thread with a few more. There is a LOT of important climate items in the budget.
/7
The adoption of LED light bulbs has been saving households money. It’s been lightning quick, going from 4% of homes to half of homes in 5 years. The Biden-Harris Administration’s efficiency standards will put $3B back in the pocket of families every year:
Did you know that nearly half of U.S. households rely on
#LEDs
as their primary source of indoor lighting? That’s up from just 4% in 2015.
#RECS
More analysis of residential lighting trends here: 👉
In this video of an electric school bus at the
@WhiteHouse
, you'll see an emissions-free future that's made in America.
But listen closely to what you DON'T hear: the noise.
Electrifying buses is a win-win-win: cleans the air, protects the climate, & reduces noise pollution.
An electric school bus at the
@WhiteHouse
— ⚡️🚌 — no filters & no emissions.
@POTUS
&
@VPOTUS
delivering:
✅Schools can apply now — $500m available.
Let’s tackle climate and improve air quality & public health — with buses made in America! 🇺🇸
OSTP Deputy Director for Energy Sally Benson & I are joining colleagues on the White House South Lawn this morning to watch remarks by
@POTUS
&
@VP
at the celebration of the passage of the Safer Communities Act. Watch live:
Idea: Investing in disadvantaged communities that have been overburdened with pollution and disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change helps advance environmental justice.
Action: The Inflation Reduction Act makes historic EJ investments
Clean energy is the industry of the future. But it’s also the industry of the present. That’s why
@POTUS
has focused on a clean energy transition that reinvests in underserved & legacy energy communities, & jumpstarts an economy that works for everyone.
In climate policy, we often talk about how the world would look under “business as usual”— when things don’t change too much. Thanks to Gina McCarthy’s work, business as usual is over, & while there is more work to do, our climate future is much brighter.
⚡$150 million to electrify Tribal homes & transition Tribal colleges & universities to renewable energy
⚙ $80 million for a new Grid Deployment Office to build the grid of the future
🌲$18 billion for climate resilience & adaptation programs across the Federal Government
/2
I often think about how wild it is that for our entire career we were all saying “we should have electric school buses & postal vehicles, would make a lot of sense, & do a lot of good”.
And then
@POTUS
,
@VP
, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, & Inflation Reduction Act said: ok
Electric school buses -- the most purely virtuous & delightful win-win-win in all of clean energy -- are coming in earnest. The trickle has become a stampede. 🥰
We are lucky at
@WHOSTP
to have amazing colleagues on the Energy Team and Climate and Environment Team. Today we are joining people from across the country to celebrate the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act on the South Lawn of The White House.
.
@POTUS
is delivering clean energy jobs.
"An international green energy company will build a solar panel manufacturing facility at the Tulsa Port of Inola in what is being called the
largest
economic
development
project
in state history."
The Biden-Harris Administration’s clean energy agenda is delivering for American workers. Not too long ago there were ~no~ lithium-ion battery manufacturers in the U.S.
Zero.
@POTUS
prioritized growing good-paying clean energy jobs, & now we’re going to lead. Here’s a thread ⬇️
Big news from
@ENERGY
:
Electric Vehicle battery & grid battery supply chains are coming to the USA 🇺🇸
$2.8 Billion in awards to support 20 companies to manufacture domestically
This is 1st of set of investments to build out battery manufacturing
A thread on projects👇1/22
2022, just like 2021 before it, shifted the landscape of what everyone thought was possible for climate and clean energy policy, thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration. People’s lives are better as a result. Here’s to even bigger climate wins in 2023. Happy New Year!
Art can tell a story, art can inspire, art can change the world.
For the first time, the National Climate Assessment welcomes art submissions for inclusion in the upcoming report. Adults and youth (age 13-17) can submit their art for consideration through January 27, 2023. ⬇
We're calling on the artistic community to submit visual art around
#ClimateChange
that depicts the causes, its impacts, and the strength of our collective response.
We need you. We need your talents. Learn more here:
Today, President Biden attended the groundbreaking of a new Intel semiconductor manufacturing facility in Ohio. Before the trip,
@WHOSTP
Energy Policy Assistant Rachel Reolfi got to say hello at The White House.