The coal baron senator included a controversial carbon capture provision in the IRA that could benefit his biggest sponsor, a fossil fuel company betting big on unproven technologies.
By Donald Shaw, The Lever
While forcing his fellow Democrats to scale back their climate and health care legislation, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) made sure the bill included a lucrative gift for his biggest donor: a fossil fuel company whose CEO recently called the legislative gift a potential “game changer” for its business.
Critics say the provision — tax credits for unproven carbon capture technologies — is a handout to the oil and gas industry that could end up prolonging fossil fuel use instead of accelerating a transition to renewable energy. In addition, Manchin has reportedly negotiated a side deal for separate legislation that could also enrich that same fossil fuel industry donor.
The situation illustrates the continued power of fossil fuel industry lobbyists to shape legislation, even in an era when scientists say that industry’s products are destroying the livable ecosystem.
It also sheds light on a contradiction at the heart of Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act (IRA): A bill sold to the public as a climate solution includes significant resources for the oil and gas industry fueling the climate crisis.
Recent Posts
The Democratic Party Needs A Soul, Not A Focus Group
Take Action Now Exposing the flawed logic of a centrist pivot for DemocratsBy Sam Rosenthal Nearly exactly a year later, two narratives have taken…
The Money Versus Mamdani in the Final Stretch of NYC Mayoral Race
Take Action Now Unpacking the expensive eleventh-hour efforts by billionaires targeting Zohran Mamdani.By Meghnad Bose and Biplob Kumar Das, Drop…
The World Must Demand the Release of Palestinian Leader Marwan Barghouti
Take Action Now His continued imprisonment is not merely unjust; it silences the one leader most capable of uniting the Palestinian people and…
Trump Is Moving Relentlessly Toward Illegal War In Venezuela
Take Action Now The Trump administration’s murderous strikes on small boats at sea constitute unlawful extrajudicial killings.By Marjorie Cohn,…