Energy & Environment — Biden proposes funding boost for EPA, Interior, Energy

Presented by Panasonic — Congress, not the president, holds the power of the purse, so Biden's exact proposal is unlikely to actually be implemented as written. 

View Online Energy & Environment Energy & Environment   PRESENTED BY  The Big Story  Biden proposes funding hike for energy, environment The Biden administration is proposing more spending at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Interior Department and Energy Department as part of his annual budget wishlist. © AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File Congress, not the president, holds the power of the purse, so Biden's exact proposal is unlikely to actually be implemented as written.    But, in an election year, it gives a window into the Biden administration's priorities for if he's reelected.   The plans include an approximately 20 percent bump in funding for the EPA, a 21 percent increase for the Interior Department and more modest boost for the Energy Department compared to the spending bill that was recently passed.     Key specific provisions include:  $500 million for the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which helps developing countries cut their emissions, as part of a four-year proposal totaling $3 billion  $2.4 billion for a fund for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure — representing a more than $1 billion increase over current funding levels Funding to expand the American Climate Corps jobs program, with the ultimate goal of supporting an additional 50,000 corps members annually by 2031 (the program is currently expected to support 20,000 members) It comes after lawmakers reached a partial government funding deal, which included cuts to agencies including the EPA. Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter, we're Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future: US, Canada announce deal on cross-border watershed pollution The Biden administration on Monday announced an agreement with Canadian officials and tribal leaders to cut pollution from British Columbia mining activity that has affected waterways on both sides of the national border.  Full Story Key Colorado River conservation deadline arrives, with no consensus on the horizon Monday marked a key cutoff time by which Colorado River states had been tasked with proposing a consensus-based plant for long-term water conservation in the overtaxed system.  Full Story Austin mayor expresses concerns over wave of self-driving cars, rail opposition Autonomous car companies need to do a better job of working with cities to avoid costly failures, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said Monday.  Full Story In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Maui officials push to speed up permits to rebuild after deadly wildfires Hawaiian officials are pushing to speed up the processing of building permits by opening a new center next month, in hopes it will help will Maui's recovery from last year's deadly wildfires.   Full Story A MESSAGE FROM PANASONIC Panasonic is supporting jobs, communities and a brighter future for everyone. At Panasonic Energy, we set out each day to change the world by accelerating the transition to sustainable energy through the production of safe, high-quality lithium-ion batteries. And this is just the beginning. Learn more. What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: Biofuels were supposed to be the future. Why is Chevron letting its plants go idle? (NPR)   Can Carbon Offsets Save a Fragile Band of Belize's Tropical Rainforest? (Inside Climate News) Floodwaters inundate Maine, New Hampshire for fourth time since December (The Washington Post) On Tap  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: The House Oversight Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on grid security and reliability The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on "Ending Global Dependence on Putin's Nuclear Energy Sector" The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the findings and recommendations of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.  The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a business meeting on whether to advance bills related to conservation as well as economic development and infrastructure The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a hearing on disaster readiness and FEMA Resources The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a markup of several bills What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Britt backlash stokes GOP fears about losing women voters Sen. Katie Britt's (R-Ala.) State of the Union response is shining a light on the GOP's struggle to appeal to women voters ahead of November's elections. Read more DEI killed the CHIPS Act DEI — the identity-obsessed dogma that goes by "diversity, equity, and inclusion" — has now trained Google’s new AI to refuse to draw white people. What's even more alarming is that it’s also infected the supply chain that makes the chips powering everything from AI to missiles, endangering national security. Read more Opinions in The Hill  Op-ed related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: Our recycling system isn't working — here's what we can do instead    You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Energy & Environment page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? 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