In his first week back in office, President Donald Trump began remaking national energy policy through a string of executive orders, some of which could impact New Hampshire programs aimed at reducing the pollution that drives climate change.
Among other things, Trump’s orders withdraw the U.S. from international climate agreements, outline federal support for fossil fuel production, and pause the disbursement of funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act — the largest climate investment in U.S. history.
Those bills were set to send more than $150 million to New Hampshire for climate and energy projects. How much of that money will reach its intended use is still unclear, and may be uncertain for some time. During the disbursement pause, Trump directed federal officials to review grants, loans and contracts related to Biden-era climate laws and make recommendations for changes that would align with his own energy policy within 90 days.
Through executive actions, Trump also reversed the order that created the Justice40 initiative, an effort to ensure that 40% of the benefits of federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities. He also terminated federal environmental justice offices and positions.
In New Hampshire, climate advocates expressed disappointment but said the flurry of action came as no surprise.
'There is still work to be done'
Much remains unclear when it comes to how these orders will be implemented and which ones could be held up in legal fights. But the federal policy landscape around energy doesn’t change the reality of climate change, said Rebecca Beaulieu with 350 New Hampshire.
"There are still things that we can do to prevent the worst case scenario for climate change. So that's what I'm holding on to in this moment."Rebecca Beaulieu, 350 New Hampshire
“The next four years are going to be damaging. However, we can't let that derail us. There is still work to be done, and there are still things that we can do to prevent the worst case scenario for climate change. So that's what I'm holding on to in this moment,” she said.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius would require fast, deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors. Climate scientists project that the impacts at 2 degrees Celsius will be much greater than those at 1.5 degrees.
Beaulieu said her organization is focused on local efforts to fight climate change. In New Hampshire, some federally-funded projects are far enough along that they may have enough momentum to keep going even amidst the uncertainty. And she’s hoping to see people come together to address climate change with urgency.
“I think we need local governments to step up. And we also just need community members who have funds to be able to support these kinds of projects to step up in the meantime when the federal government won't,” she said.
Funding for the transition
For Sam Evans-Brown, the director of Clean Energy New Hampshire, a main focus is getting clarity on the future of the money the state was relying on to help fund the clean energy transition.
“Ensuring that those dollars actually make it to the Granite State and actually get spent in ways that are beneficial to low income people is a really high priority."Sam Evans-Brown, Clean Energy New Hampshire
“Ensuring that those dollars actually make it to the Granite State and actually get spent in ways that are beneficial to low income people is a really high priority,” he said.
At the state’s Department of Energy, officials have planned to use federal money to pay for rebates for people looking to make their homes more energy efficient, or buy heat pumps or other electric appliances. Federal money is also expected to go towards solar developments for low-income households, a grid resilience program, and other clean energy efforts.
In an email, deputy commissioner Chris Ellms said the agency would review guidance from federal officials to determine what impacts Trump’s orders would have on their programs.
More than $30 million was awarded to New Hampshire to build out electric vehicle charging stations. The state’s Department of Transportation says it is still receiving reimbursements for funding affiliated with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, much of which covers non-EV programs. That agency also says they are waiting on more guidance from federal officials.
Evans-Brown said he’s hoping to see bipartisan consensus in Congress from rural states that were hoping to benefit from Biden-era climate legislation. But like other advocates, he said he remains hopeful that the clean energy transition’s momentum will continue no matter the policies Trump adopts.
“I personally think the clean energy transition is inevitable,” he said. “So many of these technologies are just fundamentally more efficient that the incumbent technologies we’re relying on now.”
Environmental justice resources
In revoking Biden’s executive order that created the Justice40 Initiative and terminating federal environmental justice positions, Trump also threw funding earmarked for historically underserved communities into uncertainty.
“While these executive orders aim to impact resources available for environmental justice work from coming from the federal government, they can't take away the wisdom, the creativity and the ingenuity that has been fostered on the ground."Marina Vaz, an environmental justice advocate with the Conservation Law Foundation
Marina Vaz, an environmental justice advocate with the Conservation Law Foundation, said she’s concerned about the future of $48 million in environmental justice grants through the Thriving Communities program funded by the Inflation Reduction Act.
The deadline to apply for those grants — which are meant to address things like air and water quality, food access, lead contamination, and emergency preparedness — is in three weeks.
But, Vaz said, environmental justice work doesn’t rely on federal funding. There are other resources to draw on. And, she said, funding for environmental justice issues is a relatively recent development while action on local environmental issues has a long history.
“While these executive orders aim to impact resources available for environmental justice work from coming from the federal government, they can't take away the wisdom, the creativity and the ingenuity that has been fostered on the ground,” she said.
'A couple steps forward and a step back'
Rob Werner, New Hampshire’s state director for the League of Conservation Voters, said he’s optimistic that the goals of Biden’s climate investments would endure, even if federal funding was stopped.
“There are supply chains that have been developed. There’s investments that have been made. There are jobs that have been created."Rob Werner, League of Conservation Voters
“There are supply chains that have been developed. There’s investments that have been made. There are jobs that have been created,” he said.
Globally, investments in renewable energy are increasing and he anticipates other countries or groups will step in to lead on climate change in the absence of the United States.
In New Hampshire, Werner said state policy may be affected by the direction of the federal government, with lawmakers looking to echo Trump’s priorities locally through bills to dismantle some state climate efforts.
“I don’t think that all is lost. I think it’s delayed. It's sort of a classic situation in some ways of a couple steps forward and a step back. Maybe not a small step back,” he said.
