Data for Climate Progress - Bachelor in Paradise is Infrastructure - 10.08.21

New Additions to the Team

• We recently welcomed Julia Jeanty to the Data for Progress team as our new policy manager. Julia comes to Data for Progress from the National Wildlife Federation. Be sure to give her a follow on Twitter!

What We’re Watching

• October’s scariest fright: The BIF and reconciliation bill saga continues

  • Last week, legislators failed to come to a consensus on a topline for the reconciliation package, thus postponing the 9/30 vote to Halloween (10/31). Progressives held the line promising to tank the vote of a stand-alone infrastructure bill, which leaves out a majority of the social and environmental provisions that Democrats have promised to prioritize. 

  • President Biden has now named a topline of $2 trillion as a compromise with moderates who are calling to reduce the size of the original $3.5 trillion proposal. Our polling has found that lowering the cost of the bill does not increase its popularity. 

  • All eyes are on Speaker Pelosi to see if she can unite the embattled Democratic caucus around both bills. In the Senate, we’ll be closely watching Sens. Manchin and Sinema, who are the main Democratic holdouts to the budget reconciliation proposal. Like the smoke that emerges from the Sistine Chapel when a new pope has been chosen, we will wait until the Almost Heaven blows its horn 5 times in the Washington harbor to know that Manchin has decided what he wants in the bill. 

Policy

• Made Clean in America

  • Data for Progress and the National Wildlife Federation recently released a series of policy proposals and polling data on federal investments to kickstart clean energy job growth across America.

  • From shoring up domestic clean energy supply chains to reviving the 48C tax credit for advanced manufacturing, we have identified six key government investments to both tackle the climate crisis and spur economic growth. 

  • Despite partisan polarization around climate action, we find that Democrats, Independents, and Republicans all overwhelmingly support government investments to create new, good-paying clean energy jobs.

• The Clean Electricity Performance Program 

  • Following President Biden’s commitment to transition the United States to 80 percent clean power by 2030, legislators have introduced the Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP) to incentivize utilities to meet certain clean energy goals each year. Not only is the CEPP popular among voters, but our new economic analysis finds that it also amplifies the job creation impacts of the 48C Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit for companies that build or retrofit facilities to manufacture clean energy technologies in the U.S. Read our memo on the job-creating impacts of the 48C tax credit here. 

  • Our recent polling has found that voters across the country — including in key battleground states — overwhelmingly support rapidly transitioning our power grid to clean electricity, even when shown talking points pushing back on the proposal.

Polling

• Voters in Frontline Districts Support the Build Back Better Plan

  • Data for Progress and Climate Power find that voters in eight key frontline congressional districts overwhelmingly support the Build Back Better plan and government investments to address climate change.

  • With the 2022 midterms only 13 months away, Voters in each of these districts — including majorities of Democrats — say they are less likely to vote for a candidate who opposes the Build Back Better plan.

  • You can read more highlights from the polling here.
    

• The Build Back Better Plan’s Climate and Clean Energy Provisions are Popular

  • As ongoing discussions around the reconciliation bill continue, a majority of voters support the key climate and clean energy investments included in the Build Back Better plan.

  • Among the most popular proposals are improving energy efficiency in homes, buildings, and schools, researching and developing clean energy technologies, and tax credits for clean energy projects.

  • We also find that voters across party lines overwhelmingly agree that Congress should fully fund lead pipe removal through the reconciliation plan, as the bipartisan infrastructure package falls short of the $45 billion necessary to replace all lead pipes in America. 

  • Given the extreme weather that Americans from coast to coast have experienced this summer and fall, voters support government investments in disaster preparedness and natural resource restoration. 

• Nevada Voters Overwhelmingly Support Conservation Initiatives

  • In a new statewide poll of Nevada, we find that Silver State voters broadly support President Biden’s executive order to conserve 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030, often called the “30 by 30” initiative.

  • Nevada voters across party lines widely agree that the federal government should take steps now to meet this goal, and support establishing Avi Kwa Ame (Spirit Mountain) as a new national monument site in the state.

  • We also find that voters in this key battleground state are more likely to vote for a Senate candidate who supports the establishment of new conservation sites in Nevada — looking at you, Sen. Cortez Masto!

• Building a Caring Green Economy

  • While we often talk about creating new “green jobs”, the Feminist Green New Deal Coalition and Data for Progress sought to understand how to develop narratives that connect care work and the climate.

  • We find that while there is little consensus over what constitutes a “green job”, voters broadly agree that green jobs are any job related to the well-being of people and the planet and support federal investments in the care economy.

  • Be sure to check out the report, authored by DFP fellow Amanda Novello, to learn more about our work to formulate successful narratives around care work and the climate.

Cross-Cutting Issues

• On the heels of a major oil spill off the coast of Southern California, another oil spill occurred at a Marathon refinery in Texas. While we are still learning more details about the spill in Texas, Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency. The nearly 13-mile spill poses an imminent threat to wildlife and beaches. Earlier this year, Data for Progress found that voters nationwide widely support government initiatives to promote renewable energy development in public waters, while a plurality support ending fossil fuel leasing for public lands and waters. 

• With Indigenous People’s Day on the horizon, we want to re-assert our commitment to supporting Indigenous communities in their ongoing struggle for environmental and climate justice. Our polling has found broad support for Indigenous-led conservation efforts and for restoring Bears Ears National Monument. 

Lead Locally

• With many critical statewide and local elections just a month away, we introduced a new Green New Deal Slate of candidates with our partner Lead Locally.

• We’ve identified candidates from Washington, Massachusetts, Virginia, Ohio, Kansas, Minnesota, and Michigan who need your help to enact transformative climate change in their communities. 

• Our friends at Climate Cabinet are also looking for a Legislative Director to support their work electing local climate champions — be sure to check out the job description if you or anyone you know is interested in the role. 

Media Hits

Build Back Better

• Truthout (DFP mention)

• Red Green and Blue (DFP mention)

• Sierra Club (DFP mention)

• Maine Beacon (DFP mention)

• Colorado Times Reporter (DFP mention)

• Rolling Stone (DFP mention)

• Backpacker (DFP mention)

• Clean Energy (DFP mention)

• Rolling Stone (Danielle quoted)

Climate Legislation

• Trib Live (DFP mention)

• Pittsburgh City Paper (DFP mention)

• Pennsylvania Capital Star (DFP mention)

• Bloomberg (DFP mention)

• The Hill (DFP mention)

• PV Magazine (DFP mention)

• NBC (DFP mention)

• E&E News (DFP mention)

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