Secretary of Power Jennifer Granholm on cleansing up ‘clear’ vitality

As a lot as local weather change is reshaping life on Earth as we all know it — the options posed are additionally going to alter on a regular basis life. 2023 is on monitor to be the hottest within the books, and except we need to shatter that report yr after yr, each nation on Earth should work collectively to wean themselves off fossil fuels. The US, the world’s largest producer of oil and gasoline, has extra work to do than others.

So, how do you remake our complete vitality system whereas the clock is ticking? Whenever you construct all this infrastructure, how do you accomplish that with out steamrolling over communities within the course of? And the way do you keep away from the harms attributable to drilling and mining up to now, particularly after we’ll want a whole lot of important minerals to make EV batteries, wind generators, and photo voltaic panels?

The Verge spoke with Secretary of Power Jennifer Granholm shortly after the Division of Power introduced $7 billion in funding for hydrogen manufacturing hubs throughout the US. It’s a textbook instance of a possible different vitality supply that has opened up an entire new can of worms.

The environmental advantages of hydrogen are nonetheless contested. A number of the hubs will run on renewable vitality. Others can be made with fossil fuels that also produce greenhouse gasoline emissions. The Biden administration thinks it may clear up that air pollution with controversial carbon seize know-how. However a whole lot of communities don’t need that industrial infrastructure — pipelines and storage — including to well being dangers they already face after many years of environmental injustice. 

That’s all to say, it’s sophisticated. Within the interview, Granholm spoke about how she may navigate these tough subsequent steps. 

This interview has been flippantly edited for readability.

The DOE lately introduced billions in funding for hydrogen hubs throughout the US. Hydrogen as a gasoline has been round for some time. Why prioritize making extra of it now?

All people at all times says renewable vitality, fabulous, however the Solar doesn’t at all times shine, and the wind doesn’t at all times blow. How do you just be sure you have clear vitality that’s 24/7? And the way do you just be sure you have clear vitality that’s serving to to decarbonize the toughest to decarbonize sectors? Like heavy trade, heavy trucking, for instance. And so I feel clear hydrogen just isn’t for each use however actually for these essential areas as a filler, as a Swiss Military knife, as they name it.

Vans proper now run on diesel, and people create air pollution, clearly. Properly, in the event that they’re in a position to run on gasoline cells, that takes care of that downside. Tools used at ports, marinas, sustainable aviation gasoline, [the] creation of inexperienced ammonia, metal and industrial warmth, information facilities. These sorts of makes use of are, I feel, prime for this.

A number of of the hubs will use gasoline to make hydrogen — and a few environmental and local weather justice teams — say this perpetuates dependence on fossil fuels. Why select tasks that depend on gasoline as a substitute of simply funding tasks that make hydrogen utilizing renewable vitality?

We are able to’t flip the swap and simply fully rework our vitality system in a single day. We’ve got to have this transition. If these manufacturing websites are powered by pure gasoline, all of them should have carbon seize and sequestration and never enable for carbon air pollution to go up into the ambiance.

I fully perceive the need to not perpetuate, as many within the environmental justice neighborhood have stated, any makes use of of fossil fuels. However , the fact is individuals can be driving vehicles, and never everyone is driving electrical autos. Not each enterprise can convert tomorrow to have electrical autos. There can be this transition. 

Even clear vitality has an environmental footprint. Advocates are already involved about mining minerals utilized in batteries for electrical autos and renewable vitality, as an illustration. How do you weigh these sorts of prices and decrease any harms?

Properly, right here’s what I might say. One, if we’re going to affect our transportation system, we’re going to wish batteries. And the batteries are going to wish the important minerals that propel these batteries. So any individual’s going to be mining them. Is it doable for us to be the chief in sustainable practices for mining as a nation? You guess it’s. Is it doable for us to associate with international locations that do this in a sustainable method, in a method that respects Indigenous lands and peoples who’ve deep considerations over land getting used? Can we do that? Sure. The photo voltaic panels, the wind generators, they’re made with metal, they’re made with glass. That cup needs to be produced someplace. Can we produce it in a sustainable method? Can we create the roles right here in America? Sure. 

We are able to’t create these merchandise out of skinny air, however we are able to do it in a method that we incentivize firms, present carrots and sticks, in order that they’re producing, manufacturing within the cleanest method doable. 

America is in the very best place to have the ability to do this, slightly than relying upon international locations whose values we might not share. Who might not share our respect for the surroundings, or who might use little one labor, for instance, to extract minerals from the Earth.

The DOE is funding hubs for hydrogen and carbon removing — two applied sciences that critics generally say might create new environmental injustices. I’ve heard from communities that don’t need to share a fence line with these industrial amenities and pipelines that join them. What would you say to a resident who’s involved about that? 

We’ve got to acknowledge that a lot carbon air pollution, and air pollution normally, is in deprived communities due to a historical past of racism. These are the locations which can be going to wish probably the most TLC, if you’ll, to assist take away the emissions from the air for these communities. For instance, in Most cancers Alley within the Gulf Coast in Louisiana, so many individuals are experiencing well being impacts due to the air pollution of heavy trade. But when we have been to have an answer that removes diesel fumes from the air, that may assist to restore what has been a historical past and a legacy of air pollution. 

Clear vitality has gotten dragged into tradition wars, and we regularly see these conversations devolving into questions of non-public alternative — what if somebody needs to maintain their gasoline range, as an illustration. How can we get out of that lure to see what the larger image is? 

To start with, let me simply be clear, President Biden doesn’t need to ban gasoline stoves. We need to make all home equipment environment friendly so that folks aren’t losing their cash on vitality that isn’t going to its meant use, for stoves or for something. 

These are all distractions. Our planet is on hearth. All individuals should do is have a look at what the variety of excessive climate occasions has been this previous yr. We’re at record-breaking temperatures all throughout the nation. This would be the hottest yr that we now have ever recorded due to our actions as human beings. 

All of that’s to say, we now have bought to propel ahead with a way of urgency, the identical sense of urgency that’s felt by the communities which can be experiencing these excessive climate occasions. And we can’t enable ourselves to be distracted by arguments which can be political or are sideshows to what the primary present is. The primary present is that we should cut back our carbon emissions. 

Are you involved {that a} future president will undo all of this administration’s efforts to advertise sustainable vitality?

In fact. In fact we’re very involved about that — about going backward and contributing additional to the heating of our planet.

Worldwide local weather talks are arising on the finish of the month. One of many largest questions is whether or not international locations can agree on a world plan to section out fossil fuels. What do you assume must occur? 

I feel that all of us should get collectively as international locations and decide to holding ourselves to the targets that we set. And for the international locations that haven’t set targets, they should set them. We can’t stand idly by as passive bystanders as our shared residence, this planet, is on hearth.