Energy & Environment — Helene's devastation roils presidential race

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View Online Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story  Hurricane Helene scrambles presidential race  Former President Trump and Vice President Harris have changed their campaign plans to refocus their attention on states hit hard by Hurricane Helene.  © AP Photo/Stephen Smith The storm's damage has drawn early comparisons to 2005's Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,000 people in Louisiana and became a political quagmire for then-President George W. Bush.   "The burden is on President Biden's shoulders, because his reputation now with many voters is that he's only marginally up to the job. Anything that seems a bit slow, even if it's not slow … will have some political fallout for him and those associated with him. So I think the burden is clearly on the shoulder of the Democrats," said Stephen Smith, a political science professor at Washington University in St. Louis.   "There's a tendency to just blame everyone in power if things don't go as people expect them to," he added. "I do think that the administration and the Harris campaign are hypersensitive about how things went with Katrina, and they'll do everything possible to be visible and active in their response."   Biden says he'll  visit North Carolina, a battleground state that has been battered by the storm, later this week.   Harris, meanwhile, cut short a campaign trip in Nevada on Monday to fly back to Washington and plans to visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency's headquarters to get updates on the federal disaster response.   The federal government's response has already become a political target, with Trump claiming during a visit to Valdosta, Ga., that Gov. Brian Kemp (R) couldn't get in touch with Biden, though Kemp had told reporters earlier Monday that he had already spoken to the president.   Republicans more broadly are looking to put Biden and Harris on the defensive, questioning their minute-by-minute movements over the weekend. "Democrats invented hurricane politics and now Democrats might get burned by it. You've got millions without power, you've got tens of thousands who've lost everything. On the ground, that's certainly going to weigh on the election results, particularly when you're talking about Georgia, North Carolina that will be decided by tens of thousands of votes," said Ford O'Connell, a Republican strategist and veteran of presidential campaigns.   Read more from our colleague Alexander Bolton at TheHill.com. 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: What it's like in Asheville after Helene SOUTH OF ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Buzzing chainsaws and growling generators have replaced the everyday suburban sounds of lawnmowers and birds in my neighborhood about 12 miles south of flooded parts of town.  Full Story White House approves Georgia disaster declaration requested by congressional delegation The Biden administration has approved a national disaster declaration in Georgia following Hurricane Helene, a move that comes a day after the state's congressional delegation requested it.  Full Story Interior Department watchdog says former deputy violated ethics laws Former Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau violated ethics laws by not properly monitoring financial investments or recusing himself in a conflict of interest, the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) watchdog found in a report published Tuesday.  Full Story Quote of note  The Biden administration indicated Tuesday that it may seek to loosen its proposed rule for which hydrogen projects can qualify for key tax credits.    "We are working to include appropriate adjustments and additional flexibilities to help grow the industry and move projects forward," said Treasury Department official Aviva Aron-Dine, according to a copy of her prepared remarks.    Aron-Dine added that the department would also still seek to adhere to the Inflation Reduction Act's "emissions standards, including the requirement to consider indirect emissions."    She did not elaborate on what any additional flexibilities may look like, but the comments come amid a fierce debate over which hydrogen projects should qualify for federal tax incentives.    Climate advocates have said that hydrogen electrolyzers should have to meet strict requirements because they are so power hungry, expressing concern that loose rules could result in poor emissions outcomes.   However, proponents of relaxed rules say anything too stringent could put up roadblocks for getting a nascent energy technology off the ground.    In an email to The Hill, Friends of the Earth senior climate campaigner Sarah Lutz called the statement "frustratingly vague" adding that "we need Treasury to be more concerned with rigorously implementing the law's emissions standards than building in 'additional flexibilities'."   Frank Wolak, president and CEO of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association, called the statement a "nod in the direction that the rules that they put out back in December were too rigid."   "This is definitely showing that the trend is in the right direction for finding an appropriate compromise between the environmental goals of law and then the needs of the industry to grow and decarbonize," he said.      In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Port workers strike for first time in nearly 50 years Tens of thousands of longshoremen at ports along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico went on strike shortly after midnight, the first strike by the port workers' union in nearly 50 years. Full Story What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: UK becomes the first major economy to stop burning coal for electricity, closing its last power plant (CNN)   In a Florida Town Ravaged by Storms, Homeowners All Want to Sell (The Wall Street Journal) Why don't we just pipe in water from the East to fix the Colorado River crisis? (The Colorado Sun) On Tap  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: Tonight, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) will face off against Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) in the vice presidential debate.  What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Trump widens lead over Harris in Georgia: Poll Former President Trump has widened his lead over Vice President Harris in Georgia, according to a new poll, as the rivals fight for inches in key states in the Southeast.  Read more New book details how Austin, Texas, lost its 'magic' — and the larger threat its trajectory may represent  Austin's “magic” has slipped away thanks to poorly planned development run amok, a new book argues. Read more   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Energy & Environment page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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