Biden Drops Out of Race After GOP Convention Returns Focus to Trump Administration Policies Including U.S. Manufacturing, Trade & Bashes “Green” Policies
In a historic week for U.S. politics, three days after former President Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination, President Joe Biden announced on July 21 that he would not run for a second term. Concerns surrounding his age exploded following a disappointing performance in the first of two scheduled debates.
In a series of social media posts, President Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee. Other Democrats quickly fell in line supporting her, seemingly removing the possibility of an open Democratic convention in Chicago at the end of August.
Separately, President Trump began his acceptance speech with a call for unity and thanking Americans for the response to the assassination attempt that left the former president injured and one attendee dead the weekend prior. His speech included references to common themes from his administration including cracking down on immigration, including continued construction of a southern border wall, rising inflation during the Biden Administration, and the standing of the United States with allies and other countries, including Russia and China.
President Trump stated he would consider tariffs of 100 to 200 percent on imported automobiles, but did not reference tariffs on other imports as he has on the campaign trail.
Both President Trump and his Vice Presidential nominee, Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) discussed the need to return manufacturing jobs to the United States, with Senator Vance bashing the Biden Administration’s “Green New Scam,” a play on the White House’s “Green New Deal.” President Biden has said on the campaign trail he would repeal all or part of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, both passed under Biden.
Contact Dan Neumann for more information.
DOE Funds First Hydrogen Hub Under the Inflation Reduction Act
The U.S. Department of Energy announced a $1.2 billion funding of the first regional Hydrogen Hub on July 17, an opportunity for ACMA members to potentially use hydrogen power in their facilities and to supply composite materials for the buildout. The California hub, known as the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES), will initially receive $30 million to design the initial hydrogen projects. The announcement did not say how the hydrogen will be produced.
DOE provided some additional details on the ARCHES program:
- Add hydrogen power at major plants including the Scattergood Plant in Los Angeles and the Northern California Power Agency’s Lodi Energy Center
- Installing 165 miles of open-access pipelines
- Building 60 fueling stations for trucks and buses
- Replacing diesel cargo-handling equipment with hydrogen equivalents at the Ports of LA-Long Beach and Oakland
- A hydrogen-powered research vessel based at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego.
Download a fact sheet on the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program for more information. Contact Dan Neumann with questions.