November 16, 2020 - A Biden presidency will change the direction of U.S. policy energy and environmental policy. If Republicans remain in control of the Senate, most policymaking will occur via executive order and agency action. Among the most prominent proposals that the new Biden Administration will advance are the following:

• Rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement

• Setting policy to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050

• Restoring methane emission limits proposal

• Developing new fuel efficiency standards

• Increasing funding for advanced biofuels; decreasing waivers for small refiners from ethanol blending requirements

• Promulgating new appliance and building efficiency standards

• Accelerating development of carbon capture, utilization, and storage technology

• Locating more than 500,000 charging stations for electric vehicles

Executive Orders

President Biden can be expected to issue Executive Orders and take other early executive action aimed at reversing policies of the Trump Administration. These include actions addressing the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the Keystone XL Pipeline, climate change, and administration of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Immediate executive action will likely also include increased regulation of the environmental impacts of fracking and revisiting the waters of the United States (WOTUS) rulemaking.

PFAS Legislation

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a matter of increasing bipartisan concern and could be one of the few environmental issues addressed in the 117th Congress.