Even in the middle of a global crisis, the Trump Administration continues to hamper our ability to reach critical climate goals.

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Hi John,

We hope you and your loved ones are remaining safe during these challenging times.

Even in the middle of a global crisis, the Trump Administration continues to hamper our ability to reach critical climate goals. Instead of working to protect Americans, the EPA is endangering our health and safety by rolling back Obama-era fuel-efficiency standards. This week, the administration finalized its SAFE Vehicles Rule ([link removed]) . But there's nothing “safe” about it: This rule will place 1 billion more tons of carbon dioxide in the air. That’s equal to a year’s worth of emissions from 216 million passenger vehicles.

It’s the latest in a growing list of rollbacks from the administration, which is also “loosening controls on toxic ash from coal plants, relaxing restrictions on mercury emissions and weakening the consideration of climate change in environmental reviews for most infrastructure projects,” as Lisa Friedman recently reported ([link removed]) . And what’s more, when he should have been focused on shoring up the federal government’s continued insufficient response to the pandemic and economic crisis, the President ([link removed]) is meeting with oil barons at the White House today.

Luckily, companies and communities are working around the clock to make sure Americans have one less thing to worry about: access to electricity. Let’s take a look this week.
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Powering the Recovery
The US must maintain access to reliable electricity every day, not least during a national health crisis. Utility workers deserve recognition for continuing to work through the pandemic to keep our lights on and our hospitals running. Major and minor utilities nationwide are stepping up ([link removed]) to suspend service disconnections for their ratepayers.
Talking Points:
* Now more than ever, this country is dependent on the energy sector to provide electricity to places that need it the most, including the most vulnerable among us.
* Utilities like Dominion Energy and Duke Energy have not only committed to eliminating emissions by 2050, but are among the companies that have donated through their charitable foundations to aid the coronavirus response.
* This is a testament to energy reliability’s critical role in mitigating further damage during a crisis—including a slow-moving one like climate change. Most utilities were already rising to that challenge before COVID-19.

Responding to the Crisis: Third Way Interactive Web Panel Series
Yesterday, in partnership with Our Daily Planet and the University of Michigan, we held the first in a series of Zoom interactive web panels examining how the COVID-19 crisis will impact our transition toward a clean energy economy. The series also explores solutions to rebuild our economy through thoughtful policies that place the US on the fastest, fairest path to net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest.

Join us for the next panel on April 16 at 12:30 p.m., where Miro Korenha from Our Daily Planet will host Beth Osborne, Director of Transportation for America, and Alexander Laska, Policy Advisor for Third Way’s Climate and Energy Program, to ask: “What Does Infrastructure Look Like During the COVID-19 Recovery?” Register here. ([link removed])
As always, let’s keep the conversation going while we #StayHome,
Jared

Jared DeWese
Senior Communications Advisor | Third Way
202.384.1737 :: @jareddewese ([link removed])

T.J. Osborne
Climate and Energy Press Coordinator | Third Way
202.775.5163 :: @tjosborne_ ([link removed])

Jackie Toth
Advisor for Policy and Content, Climate and Energy | Third Way
202.775.5167 :: @JackieTothDC ([link removed])

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