The Massive Story 

Vice President Harris’s ascendance because the doubtless Democratic nominee has despatched a wave of pleasure by way of environmental advocates and local weather hawks in Congress, who level to her historical past of investigating the oil business and assist for the Inexperienced New Deal within the Senate.

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Environmental points haven’t been a serious a part of Harris’s portfolio as vice chairman, however advocates see her as a determine who each has bona fides on the difficulty and is positioned to generate enthusiasm amongst youthful and extra progressive voters who have been ambivalent about President Biden’s reelection bid.

“I believe she deserves extra credit score than she typically will get on this space,” stated Lena Moffitt, government director at Evergreen Motion. “She’s made it a precedence of the workplaces she’s overseen going again twenty years in a approach that’s actually spectacular.”

Harris’s tenure as California Lawyer Basic included a 2016 investigation into allegations that ExxonMobil knowingly hid the impacts of fossil fuels on local weather change, though no case was in the end filed.

The identical 12 months, her workplace reached a $14 million settlement with BP subsidies over allegations the businesses had not correctly secured leaky underground gasoline tanks at California stations, and introduced prison indictments in opposition to a Houston pipeline operator over a 2015 rupture in Santa Barbara County.

As a senator and presidential candidate, Harris staked out positions to Biden’s left on local weather and vitality points. In contrast to Biden, she supported a fracking ban and the formidable suite of local weather actions launched by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) often called the Inexperienced New Deal. An official together with her marketing campaign now tells The Hill she is not going to ban fracking if she’s elected president.

The identical positions which might be inspiring enthusiasm amongst environmental advocates might additionally gas assaults from conservatives, nevertheless.

Learn extra in a full report at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Power & Surroundings publication, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — conserving you on top of things on the insurance policies impacting every part from oil and gasoline to new provide chains.

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Important Reads 

How coverage will have an effect on the vitality and surroundings sectors now and sooner or later:

Harris does not support fracking ban: Campaign official

Biden puts $575 million toward making coastal communities more resilient to climate change

‘Extreme’ California blaze could mark dangerous turning point for wildfire season

In Different Information 

Department out with a special learn on The Hill:

Spending fight turns to stopgap as House GOP stumbles 

Home Republicans are turning their focus to a debate over whether or not to fund the federal government by way of December or into subsequent 12 months after their hopes of passing 12 full-year funding payments earlier than the August recess collapsed.

On Our Radar 

Upcoming information themes and occasions we’re watching:

   Wednesday:

• The Senate Power and Pure Sources Committee will maintain a meeting to think about the Manchin-Barrasso allowing invoice

   

• The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will meet to consider a number of items of laws on matters together with warmth sickness and marine conservation.

• The Senate Surroundings and Public Works Committee will maintain a hearing on the environmental impacts of the chemical 6PPD which is used to stop tires from breaking down

• The Senate Price range Committee will maintain a hearing on the future of electrical autos

• The Senate Banking, Housing and City Affairs Committee will maintain a hearing on public transit

   Thursday:

• The Senate Appropriations Committee will mark up funding bills, together with funding for the Power Division

What We’re Studying 

Information we have flagged from different shops bearing on vitality points, the surroundings and different matters:

• Displaced by one other spherical of flooding, Vermont renters have few choices (VT Digger/Vermont Public Radio)

• Scientists, deep-sea miner spar over ‘darkish oxygen’ discovery (E&E News)

   

• The Rolls-Royce of water filters has a cult following. Why does the EPA see purple flags? (The Los Angeles Times)

What Others are Studying 

Two key tales on The Hill proper now:

Some House Republicans slam Vance as Trump’s VP pick: ‘The worst choice’

Quite a lot of Home Republicans are privately bashing former President Trump’s choice of Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as his working mate, warning that the decide is not going to assist — and will damage — the social gathering’s possibilities of successful in November. Read more

FBI director stirs controversy with Trump bullet skepticism

FBI Director Christopher Wray kicked a hornet’s nest with remarks this week casting doubt on former President Trump’s claims that he was hit by a bullet in his July 13 assassination try.  Read more