U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is still “hopeful, positive and in fact bullish” that Congress can agree on “a significant push into clean energy,” despite the regulatory body’s virtual gridlock on issues like climate.
Before Congress breaks for August recess, Democrats have said they hope to reach a deal on a budget reconciliation bill. Effectively reviving aspects of the Build Back Better bill that died in the Senate last year, the legislation may include tax credits to drive down the price of electric vehicles and funds for renewable energy production. The specifics, however, aren’t clear and talks are reportedly ongoing. The bill would need support from Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.
Granholm made the comments during a TC Sessions: Climate 2022 interview, which was recorded on June 10. The energy secretary previously served as Michigan’s first female attorney general and first female governor.
Watch the full interview between TechCrunch and Granholm after the jump.
Asked if essential emissions cuts are still possible this decade if Congress fails to reach a deal, Granholm told TechCrunch: “There are pathways to get there without tax credits. But, you know, it’s a much bigger lift, clearly.” She added, “I’m gonna assume we get these clean energy tax credits. We can do it otherwise, but this is the most certain path to be able to get into those goals.”
The IPCC has called for steep emissions cuts by 2030 (a 43% drop). In the U.S., most of those cuts (“69% to 89%“) need to come from power and transportation, Electric Power Research Institute researchers say.
During the interview, the energy secretary also pointed to the infrastructure law that passed in November and a recent executive order on solar as evidence the White House is making progress on climate.
Granholm also defended her call to boost oil production (the U.S. is currently near record levels). Asked if upping supply threatens White House climate goals, the energy secretary said it’s important to do so while also increasing clean energy production. She declined to set a date for when the U.S. should cut oil production.
“It’s difficult to say reduction because the supply is so cramped. We want to make sure we have enough power for people, whether it’s fuel for their vehicles or power for their homes,” Granholm said.
The energy secretary added that “once we get to the point where we know we can be secure in the amount of fuel we have overall, then we can talk about curtailment of fossil and hopefully we get there sooner rather than later. This is why the focus has to be on building out clean as fast as we can, and as affordably as we can, so that when we get to 2035, we have 100% clean electricity.”
The Department of Energy is also looking to fund emerging climate tech across sectors, according to Granholm.
“We’re looking at the whole range. You got a geothermal idea? We want it,” she said, also citing hydroelectricity, solar, nuclear, lightweight materials, and “small wind technology that can be used in urban settings” as areas of interest. “We encourage people to go to our website and find out what the opportunities are.”