Coronavirus: Renewable Energy Loses Out in Stimulus

Yesterday, major ideological tensions flared among Senate Democrats and Republicans about what just 12 hours prior seemed to be a solid stimulus package.

Despite those roadblocks, there was one clear loser in the $2 trillion relief package: the renewable energy industry. The deal for Senate Republicans taking out a $3 billion provision to buy oil for a strategic stockpile, the stimulus bill will also exclude extensions to solar and wind tax credits. The Energy Gang’s Jigar Shah explained,

The Republicans in fact jettisoned the oil/gas provisions in order to not to renewable energy. The directive came directly from @realDonaldTrump, he hates renewable energy. https://t.co/KRhSxUnp8D

— Jigar SOCIAL DISTANCING Shah (@JigarShahDC) March 25, 2020

Why This Matters: While the renewable energy industry isn’t nascent it’s being dealt a serious blow to its supply chain by the coronavirus. It’s also an industry that employs nearly 800,000 Americans and has the nation’s fastest-growing jobs. In addition, many current wind energy projects must be completed by the end of 2020 to be eligible for full federal tax credits and COVID-19 is making it likely those projects will not be completed without additional federal help.

The Challenge: How do we provide affordable energy access throughout the corona crisis?

WTF: Less than a month after taking steps to permanently ban the trade and consumption of live wild animals for food, the Chinese government has recommended using Tan Re Qing, an injection containing bear bile, to treat severe and critical COVID-19 cases.

FYI: Individuals who intentionally spread the novel coronavirus could be charged with terrorism for the “purposeful exposure and infection of others,” according to the Justice Department.

On The Hill: The Senate coronavirus bill was once again on shaky ground yesterday. As Buzzfeed reported, a group of Republican senators was threatening to stall the $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill over unemployment insurance benefits, causing Sen. Bernie Sanders to announce he will launch a counter-crusade against corporate aid.

New York: New York City with its 8.6 million residents is being called the ground-zero for the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. In many ways, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo is orchestrating the pandemic response that Americans wish to see on a national level from President Trump. Cuomo warned that in his state “we have not turned the trajectory, nor have we hit the apex” and expressed that the Senate stimulus plan is a “drop in the bucket” for New York.

As ABC News reported,

The governor said he’s asked the White House to send New York the personnel and equipment the state needs, and “as soon as we get past that critical moment, we’ll redeploy that equipment and personnel to the next hot spot. I will personally guarantee it and personally manage it.”