By Arianna Skibell

Presented by Chevron

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). | Francis Chung/POLITICO

Kevin McCarthy is not a Climate advocate by any means.

But the former House speaker — ousted this week in a hard-right revolt — had left the door open, or at least ajar, to some environmental policies, like planting trees to store carbon and faster permitting for major energy projects.

McCarthy’s removal leaves major questions about the future of any bipartisan energy initiatives, even those few that may have seemed viable before Tuesday, write Emma Dumain and Kelsey Brugger.

And the frontrunners to replace him boast environmental records that haven’t inspired confidence among climate supporters.

First up is GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, who announced his bid for speaker today. The chair of the House Judiciary Committee has mostly focused his attention this year on pursuing probes against President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Since his congressional tenure began in 2007, only 3 percent of his votes on green issues were pro-environment, according to the League of Conservation Voters’ tallies. His LCV scorecard for 2022 is zero.

Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana announced his candidacy soon after Jordan. He is one of the House’s most prominent fossil fuel defenders and routinely casts doubt on the science of climate change, write Robin Bravender, Manuel Quiñones and Marc Heller.

Scalise also heads the House Energy Action Team, a messaging arm for leadership, and hosts an annual trip to an oil rig in his district.

Permitting in limbo 
With a major backlog of clean energy projects, Democrats have been eager to speed up the permitting process. They found some common ground with Republicans who likewise want quicker approval for oil and gas infrastructure.

As Emma and Kelsey note, McCarthy adopted the issue given the interest and expertise of Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana, one of his top deputies. There is no guarantee Graves, who enjoyed tremendous influence inside the ex-speaker’s inner circle, will remain inside the next speaker’s inner sanctum — further imperiling long-stalled permitting talks.

And if history is any guide, House Republican action to curb climate change will remain largely nonexistent. While McCarthy dipped a toe into tree planting, he also made gutting environmental laws, repealing clean energy incentives and promoting fossil fuel production a major part of the GOP energy agenda — priorities most of his colleagues share.

It's Wednesday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Arianna Skibell. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy.

Send your tips, comments, questions to [email protected]. And folks, let’s keep it classy.

A message from Chevron:

Chevron knows methane management is critical for a lower carbon future. We’re striving to lead in methane management with innovative practices, partnerships, and new technologies. These are a few ways we’re aiming to keep methane in the pipe.

Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: Democratic Sen. Laphonza Butler of California is replacing the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Timothy Cama breaks down her limited track record on green issues, how environmentalists are reacting to her and what this means for California.

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Giant wind turbine blades for the Vineyard Wind project are stacked on large racks in New Bedford, Mass. | Charles Krupa/AP Photo

States ink offshore wind deal
Three New England states have announced plans to jointly solicit bids for offshore wind projects in an attempt to curb costs and boost clean energy development, writes Benjamin Storrow.

The move by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island comes at a critical time for U.S. offshore wind developers, who are trying to renegotiate or cancel power contracts in the face of rising interest rates and a supply chain crunch.

Will 'blue' hydrogen be a thing?
Congress created a landmark suite of incentives in the past two years for companies that make hydrogen from natural gas, called "blue" hydrogen, writes David Iaconangelo.

But whether the product is actually viable will become clearer by the end of the year, as the Energy Department prepares to award the first billion-dollar subsidies for pilot projects and the Treasury Department issues guidance for companies that want to claim related tax credits.

Europe's populist rise
Across Europe, the far-right is gaining ground and in many places making opposition to climate policies a core issue, writes Karl Mathiesen.

For example, conservative groups have turned heat pumps into electoral rocket fuel, expertly weaving climate change policy, migration and euroskepticism into a grand narrative of decay, elitism and rage.

Under scrutiny: Water-stressed Arizona announced the state will stop leasing land to a Saudi-owned farm.

Yes, in my backyard: Americans don’t hate living near solar and wind farms as much as you might think.

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A boat works to collect oil that has leaked from the Deepwater Horizon wellhead in the Gulf of Mexico on April 28, 2010. | Chris Graythen/Getty Images

The Biden administration is considering using a climate damage metric to help calculate fines and penalties for companies that violate environmental regulations.

The lead developer of the Mountain Valley pipeline and federal regulators announced an agreement Tuesday to address safety concerns around the embattled natural gas project.

U.S. gasoline demand dropped sharply last week, offering some political breathing room for Biden on the economy.

That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.

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