Joe Manchin’s pushback on the Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP) seems to have become a blockage in the presidential budget plans for the nation. The Democrats were expected to include their cornerstone climate policy in the massive social safety package, but now that might change since Manchin does not support the idea.
According to three congressional sources who spoke to CNN, the US Senator from West Virginia since 2010 reeled up Democrats’ heads as they were trying to convince him on the strategy. A Democratic aide interviewed by the BBC commented on Manchin’s refusal to accept their plan and said, “He is not there on the CEPP period. We’ve been trying”. The aide added that Democrats are currently cracking heads in trying to develop a new draft that will abide by Manchin’s concerns and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Whatever comes through will not be called the CEPP, but we’re strongly hoping and thinking there will be ways to meet what he wants. If there’s a deal to be struck in the next days, I don’t think there’s anything resembling CEPP in there,” as noted by the aide.
A report from New York Times stated that the climate measure might be cut. The focal point of this program is “to give utilities federal grants to increase their share of electricity from clean sources and penalize those who fail to up their clean electricity.” The two-folded program is based on clean energy and clean energy tax credits and is projected to contribute immensely in cutting down greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52% relative to 2005 levels by 2030. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, revealed that about “42% of Biden’s decarbonization target could be achieved from the two programs combined”.
Suggestions brought forward in relation to the program include lowering the emissions standard in a bid to “allow for coal- and natural gas-fired power plants with carbon capture technology.” But Democrats expressed severe doubt over Manchin’s acceptance of the programs even from such a modification.
History shows that the West Virginia senator once supported carbon capture, but recent actions reveal a shift from his previous stance. Last month, he expressed his doubt over the technology by saying, “I’d love to have carbon capture, but we don’t have the technology because we haven’t gotten to that point. And it’s so darn expensive that it makes it almost impossible”.
The Democratic senator’s spokeswoman recently aired his unchanged perception to CNN in a statement which stated that Manchin “has clearly expressed his concerns about using taxpayer dollars to pay private companies to do things they’re already doing. He continues to support efforts to combat climate change while protecting American energy independence and ensuring our energy reliability”. Manchin is skeptical of the program and believes it will just pay other services for moving away from fossil fuels, but they are already doing so. Also, CNN reported that Manchin warned Democrats not to include stern climate measures in the budget bill and had foreseen them failing in achieving their goal of reducing emissions by half by 2030.
However, Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal refuted reports on Manchin’s rejection of Biden’s climate provisions stating that “there are no decisions that have been made, the negotiations are continuing.”
“We understand that we have to get fifty senators on board and that Sen. Manchin has a very big role to play on this. This is his committee. And so we are continuing to push for the strongest possible climate protections that will allow us to bring down carbon emissions”. The Washington state Democrat, in his interview with MSNBC, added that “We’re open to that negotiation as long as we have strong climate protections that bring down carbon emission. That’s the discussion that’s underway right now.”
At the moment, the House and Senate are on recess and will return next week and attend a caucus meeting scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The agenda is related to the way forward for Democrats in implementing their economic package that is expected to increase funding in education, healthcare, and childcare support. This is all embedded under the Rescue plan rolled out by the Biden administration to save impoverished Americans and underperforming government sectors while improving institutions that offer essential services.
For now, Democrats might need to devise acceptable terms which will persuade Manchin to support them.
