Lawmakers close to striking bipartisan deal on phasing down hydrofluorocarbons
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All kinds of strange things can happen in a lame-duck session — ahead of a White House transition no less — and apparently a bipartisan energy deal is among them.
Driving the news: Per multiple reports (like this Washington Examiner piece) and some of Axios' own sourcing, lawmakers are closing in on an agreement on a package that would be attached to an omnibus spending deal moving through Congress.
Why it matters: One major provision is an apparent deal on phasing down the use of hydrofluorocarbons, a very potent greenhouse gas used in refrigeration, air-conditioning and other applications.
- "We have made very good progress towards an agreement on HFC reduction," Sen. Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, said on the chamber's floor yesterday.
- He said it would be the "single biggest victory in the fight against climate change to pass this body in a decade."
The big picture: Per a draft reviewed by Axios and several reports, the overall measure contains a suite of provisions authorizing finance and overhaul of Energy Department programs to boost innovation and deployment of carbon removal tech, energy storage, renewables, nuclear and more.
- Here's a snippet of a detailed E&E News piece this morning: "In total, the bill would authorize $35.2 billion in research spending over the next decade. That includes more than a dozen demonstration projects on advanced nuclear reactors, energy storage and carbon capture technologies."
Yes, but: Bipartisan energy deals come around extremely rarely, so let's see if this actually happens.
- Roll Call reported last night that "House Democratic leadership had not delivered an official blessing of the energy deal" and that the situation is "fluid."
