PORTLAND, Ore. -- House Democrats in Congress have released a comprehensive plan for getting the United States to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The Climate Crisis Action Plan has proposals for cleaning up the country's biggest carbon-emitting sectors, including electricity, transportation and manufacturing.

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., is a member of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, which released the plan.

"We know from the science -- the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for example -- we have to take bold action," Bonamici said, "and this Climate Crisis Action Plan gives us the road map to do just that."

Measures in the plan could save an estimated 62,000 premature deaths a year and provide close to $8 trillion in health- and climate-related benefits over the next three decades, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan firm Energy Innovation.

The plan sets out emissions goals for various sectors. Its Clean Energy Standard, to get the electricity sector to zero-net carbon by 2040, would create more than 500,000 jobs a year, according to Energy Innovation.

Bonamici noted that this would create high-quality jobs, which is more important than ever at a moment when millions are out of work because of COVID-19.

"There's tremendous potential. This is an opportunity to grow our economy in a way that's healthier and fairer," she said. "There's environmental-justice provisions woven throughout."

In addition, she said, it's important to acknowledge that communities of color, low-income and indigenous communities are disproportionately burdened by environmental hazards and are bearing the brunt of climate change. That's why environmental justice is a central tenet of the plan.

Bonamici said it's time for the federal government to lead on the movement toward a clean economy: "I applaud the states that are forward-thinking and are enacting policies that help to address the climate crisis. But we really need to do this on a national level."




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Public-health advocates are welcoming a new proposal to reduce harmful air pollution by limiting methane waste at oil and gas facilities.

Sabrina Pacha, director of Healthy Air and Water Colorado, said medical professionals have long been sounding the alarm about the health impacts of methane pollution, which has been linked to respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, stroke, Alzheimer's and poor maternal health.

"Folks who are pregnant who are living in areas with elevated rates of methane pollution are at higher risk of preterm birth, low-weight birth and, in severe cases, even higher rates of maternal and fetal illness and death," Pacha said.

Reducing methane pollution, which is more than 85 times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, is also seen as critical for mitigating climate change. The EPA's proposal, under authority of the Clean Air Act, calls on oil and gas operations to find and repair leaks, capture gas lost through venting and flaring, and other proven strategies already at work across Colorado.

Critics of efforts to rein in waste have argued it places an undue cost burden on smaller operators.

Proponents point out there are cost-effective options available for operations at all scales, in part because producers are able to bring lost natural gas to market. Recently passed federal infrastructure and climate legislation also provides significant funding to reduce waste.

Pacha believes other states should be able to adopt the EPA's proposed regulations, which are similar to protections already at work in Colorado.

"And we were able to achieve those in partnership with business groups who have really stepped up to the table," Pacha said. "So if our Colorado businesses can do it, folks across the country can meet those standards as well."

The EPA is accepting public comments on its proposal, and will hold public hearings. The rule is expected to be finalized next year.

Overall, Pacha believes the proposal is strong in cutting methane pollution, but said she would like to see additional limits expanded to all states similar to those adopted by Colorado on routine flaring, where operators burn off excess gas.

"Unfortunately, air pollution can't be contained in just one state; it's a multi-state issue. So we would like to see the federal government match our Colorado standards when it comes to routine flaring," Pacha said.

By Phil Roberts for Next City.
Broadcast version by Edwin J. Viera for New York News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service Collaboration

BlocPower, a clean technology start-up, is greening buildings in New York City and beyond. About 40 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions come from buildings. And when buildings use oil or natural gas as a heating fuel, they also produce smoke that can cause or worsen asthma and other health problems.

In New York City alone, more than 10,000 multifamily buildings still use boilers that run on fuel oil or natural gas, and buildings that primarily serve low-income tenants are least positioned to pay for the expensive upgrades that would eliminate these emissions.

Enter BlocPower, a Black-owned, cleantech startup that works with these buildings to turn them green, swapping oil or gas for heat pumps. The startup helps buildings transition away from fossil-fuel-powered boilers and toward electric heat pumps, without paying large sums of money upfront. BlocPower - and its investors - are repaid from the savings on buildings' utility bills. In New York City, BlocPower has made it work for over 1,000 buildings, with 24 ongoing projects in other U.S. cities.

"Two of the barriers that we break down are customer acquisition costs and the lack of capital by building owners," explains Keith Kinch, General Manager and co-Founder at BlocPower. Building owners complete a survey on the BlocPower website and get an analysis of their building's energy savings potential. But many building owners don't have capital to finance these projects on their own, so BlocPower provides a no money down lease option. Building owners get a new heating or cooling system and save up to 70 percent on their energy bills. Kinch explains the importance of overcoming those two barriers with the company's unofficial motto: "We are turning buildings into Teslas!"

Once the heat pumps are installed, BlocPower uses the leasing revenue to cover all maintenance and repairs for 15 years. A proprietary software determines which buildings would benefit most from such a retrofit, and after installation, monitors, analyzes, and manages the heat pumps on every project to ensure optimal performance. BlocPower's revenues come from the installation profits, financing fees, and the enterprise contracts.

Heat pump technology - which is essentially an air conditioner (or a reverse air conditioner when used to heat a space) is not without its criticisms, depending on the existing energy source of a geographic location. Since heat pumps use electricity, if a home's electricity source comes from a coal-burning power plant, critics say that a heat pump simply moves emissions from one place to another. BlocPower still believes that heat pumps are important because they provide heat in the winter, cool air in the summer, and they run on electricity.

The scale of what BlocPower has done would not be possible without the NY Green Bank, a state-sponsored entity dedicated to helping finance investments in clean energy, which loaned the company $5 million. "They provide capital that traditional banks do not provide. They've done tremendous work in allowing us to complete projects," says Kinch.

It also helps that the company managed to partner with Goldman Sachs, which loaned them $50 million. It is hard to believe there was a time when BlocPower was not on Wall Street's radar, but those days are a mere memory now. When asked what changed, Kinch describes the simple way they got the attention of major investors.

"We had to prove that we're a viable company and have a record of accomplishments. We have both now," Kinch declares. "When we talk about the work it's not what we might do. We've done this work and we plan to do more. From Wall Street's end, I think there's more of an interest in investing in clean energy projects, because it's a market that will grow."

In a November 2020 interview, BlocPower founder and CEO Donnel Baird said that he sees a new asset class developing around national clean energy technology projects for investment banks and pension funds, independent of the fluctuations of the stock market. He believes that with the reduction in costs of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, solar energy, and smart heating technologies, this new asset class will become a long-term investment strategy, similar to a bond. (BlocPower did not make Baird available for an interview with Next City.)

BlocPower has done projects for nonprofit organizations, churches, and small commercial properties, but residential is where Kinch says the company looks at the most. "Owners of multi-family buildings in dense urban areas have the most to lose, because they've been underserved for years and don't have the capital."

For Kinch, the more money they receive, the more they can take their community level solution national. "It (the VC money) gave us more capital to finance projects across New York state. It allows us to expand the company by hiring the right people and build out our software tools so we can expand to other states like Pennsylvania and California."

Phil Roberts wrote this article for Next City.


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A successful program that helps low-income households weatherize homes and lower energy bills is setting its sights on improving the health outcomes of children and older Coloradans at risk of indoor and outdoor air pollution.

Ashley Feiertag, director of residential programs for Energy Outreach Colorado, spearheaded its Healthy Homes program, which recently won a $1-million dollar grant. She said the goal is to remove barriers for vulnerable households to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, improve indoor air quality, and reduce unsafe exposure to pollutants.

"In doing this we will help alleviate future health-care costs," she said. "We're also getting people signed up for community solar gardens. Those community solar credits help offset their utility bill."

Healthy Homes was one of three recipients of the ICLEI USA Action Fund, made possible through funding from Google, which aims to support innovative urban-based efforts to accelerate climate action through projects that are data-driven, highly replicable and impactful.

Feiertag said participating households will receive a thorough inspection of their home's energy efficiency, and experts will identify any sources of air pollution that can contribute to respiratory and other illness. In addition to adding harmful particulates to indoor air, appliances fueled by natural gas - including water heaters, furnaces, stoves and dryers - also contribute to climate pollution.

"So we're looking at replacing those with heat pump water heaters, air-sourced heat pumps, mini-split systems, induction stoves and electric dryers," Feiertag said.

Healthy homes has partnered with the City of Denver and area hospitals to identify those most in need of help. Feiertag hopes health-care providers will be able to write a prescription for these services for patients who are suffering from respiratory conditions, especially for families living in the shadow of highways, refineries and other persistent sources of air pollution.

"So if a person is experiencing asthma due to environmental factors, we will absolutely look at supplying them with a portable air cleaner," she said.