2021

HomeWashington Letter2021 ▶ COVID-19 Relief Package Includes Important Climate Change Provisions
COVID-19 Relief Package Includes Important Climate Change Provisions

While most of the media attention was focused on the economic relief and COVID-19 funding provisions of the final legislation that was signed into law by President Trump, the package includes a number of important provisions for addressing climate change, including:

  • EPA Clean Programs and Grant funding –for the first time in several years , EPA received a funding increase for these programs.
  • Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) Phasedown – the law commits the U.S. to a phasedown of economy wide HFC use. HFC for metered dose inhalers are exempted from the phasedown.
  • Diesel Emissions – the law re-authorized the Diesel Emissions Reductions Act and provided additional funding for its programs. The program supports the replacement of older/less efficient diesel engines with cleaner diesel engines.
  • Extension of tax credits for wind and solar energy.
  • Enhance methane leak detection program for pipeline industry.
  • Large increase in clean energy research funding.
Last Reviewed: January 2021