Biden's race to spend billions of climate bucks

• Republican nominee Donald Trump has vowed to claw back unspent funding from President Biden's signature climate law.
• Even by the standards of previous administrations, Biden's late-stage climate and energy steps stand out, experts told Axios.

The big picture: Last week's announcements alone included $100 million from the bipartisan infrastructure and climate laws to hone extreme weather and climate forecasting at NOAA and $300 million from the EPA for greenhouse gas emissions reductions in tribal communities.

• In addition, the White House touted more wind energy investments, bringing total offshore wind power approvals to about 15 gigawatts, and the EPA touted new spending on cleaning up brownfield sites.
• There was also a species delisting — the Apache trout, from the Endangered Species Act.

Context: "The flurry of activity that is happening around regulations and implementation of policy — this happens every term," Sasha Mackler, executive director of the Bipartisan Policy Center's energy program, told Axios.

• "In this particular moment, as a result of the enormous legislative productivity of the last four years, there's just a lot to do."

The intrigue: The White House views these steps and other forthcoming actions as part of the rapid pace of climate and environmental actions that have taken place since Biden assumed office.

• Initially, actions focused on reversing Trump administration moves, such as withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement.
• "I cannot remember a moment in time during this administration when we were not sprinting," White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi told Axios.

Between the lines: One of the more vulnerable programs, according to experts outside the government, is the EPA's multibillion-dollar greenhouse gas reduction fund, which seeks to catalyze spending from the private sector.

• The EPA has now obligated much of this program, Zaidi said, and is aiming for the finish line with this and other programs.
• The agency is a prime target for steep funding and staff cuts under a Republican administration.

Yes, but: Not all of the money Congress has appropriated for agencies, particularly at the Energy Department, will have been spent by the time Biden leaves office.

• "A commitment of resources is not the same as a grant obligation or as something that's actually gone out the door," Mackler said.
• Some of the money that needs to get out the door, lest it be halted by a potential second Trump term, is still in the request-for-proposal stage, Zaidi acknowledged.
• "But that's an ongoing process, and frankly, the agencies have been really, really remarkable at implementing that," he said.

Mackler noted that the tax incentives for electric vehicles and other low emissions technologies under the IRA would take an act of Congress to fully rescind, although new leadership in the White House and at Treasury could unilaterally alter them.

• Mackler identified DOE's hydrogen hubs, direct air capture hubs and Loan Program Office as being vulnerable to potentially leaving money on the table in January.
• He said it is difficult to account for exactly how far along the White House is in shipping money and tax guidance out the door.

The bottom line: Biden's legacy on climate and energy policy depends in part on the administration's ability to funnel billions of dollars out the door, along with regulatory steps, during the next four months.