Biden Admin Climate Action: Spring 2024

The Biden-Harris administration is continuing to fulfill President Biden’s commitment to climate action, through ongoing implementation of the Biden Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS & Science Act, and other legislation. One of the Administration’s climate actions this spring continues support for the Port of Oakland’s clean energy initiatives, while the other two benefit everyone in America.

The Port of Oakland

On April 4, 2024, Senator Alex Padilla and Representative Barbara Lee announced that they had secured over $1 billion for hydrogen projects at the Port of Oakland as part of an initiative to facilitate the production and use of renewable, clean hydrogen across California. They toured the hydrogen projects along with leaders from the Port and the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES), California’s hydrogen hub. This funding is from the Biden Infrastructure Law.

Drinking Water Protection


On April 10, 2024 the Biden-Harris Administration issued the first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard that will protect people from exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals.” This final rule will reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses.


The issuance of this final rule comes along with nearly $1 billion in new funding from the Biden Infrastructure Law, to help states and territories implement PFAS testing and treatment at public water water systems and private wells. This is part of $9 billion in the Biden Infrastructure law to help communities with drinking water impacted by PFAS and other emerging contaminants, including PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA. It also establishes limits for mixtures of any two or more of four PFAS: PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and “GenX chemicals.”

Protecting Alaskan Wilderness

On April 19, 2024 the Department of the Interior announced that its Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finalized the Management and Protection of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) rule to ensure maximum protection for the 13 million acres of Special Areas in the western Arctic, while maintaining support for Alaskan native communities’ subsistence economy.  

The BLM also released its final environmental analysis of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) proposal for the Ambler Road project which would have spanned over 210 miles of significant wildlife habitat and pristine waters, vital for subsistence along the iconic Brooks Range in north central Alaska. The BLM chose “No Action” in furtherance of the project as its preferred alternative, finding that the other alternatives would irrevocably impact resources supporting subsistence uses. If the “No Action” alternative is finalized in a Record of Decision, that would prevent the AIDEA from receiving a right-of-way to build the road across BLM-managed lands.

These actions added to the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic action in the spring of 2023 to protect the entire U.S. Arctic Ocean from any future oil and gas leasing.

Earth Day Announcements

On Earth Day 2024, President Biden visited Triangle, VA, where he highlighted $7 billion in grant funding for solar power under the Inflation Reduction Act. He also announced new benefits for the American Climate Corps (launched in September 2023). The Biden-Harris administration has established a workforce training and service initiative to prepare American Climate Corp members for jobs in clean energy and climate resilience. 

Deep DiveAnna Krasnerclimate, earth day, water protection, Inflation Reduction Act