White House eyes new climate change strategies in Biden bill

White House eyes new climate change strategies in Biden bill

SeattlePI.com

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is zeroing in on a package of clean energy strategies for President Joe Biden's big domestic policy bill that officials believe could reach similar greenhouse gas emission reduction goals as an initial proposal that was quashed by opposition.

The Biden administration discussed the proposals Monday at the White House with the leaders of about a dozen environmental and justice groups, according to a senior administration official who requested anonymity to share the plans. A new approach was needed after coal-state Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., rejected the White House's earlier clean energy plan.

The emerging proposals would expand grants and loans in the agriculture and industrial sectors to help them shift to clean energy providers with fewer emissions, the official said. There would also be new, refundable home improvement tax credits for tapping solar, wind and other renewable energy sources. The official said momentum was building as the group coalesced around the new ideas.

The new strategies come as the president and Democrats in Congress are struggling to wrap up talks on Biden's now-scaled-back package of at least $1.75 trillion in social services and climate change investments before he departs later this week for two global summits overseas.

Vice President Kamala Harris visited the afternoon meeting with the leaders of some of the nation's leading environmental and justice organizations and reiterated the president's commitment to the goals of the package — even as she acknowledged the sometimes grueling process to achieve consensus in the party.

“The president and I and our administration are unwavering in our commitment to these issues. Absolutely unwavering," she said. “But you know, there’s an old saying, you don’t want to...

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