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Climate Power Education Fund

Parent Organization: Fund for a Better Future
Website:

climatepower.us/
Type:

Environmental Project
Founded:

2020
Executive Director:

Lori Lodes

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The Climate Power Education Fund (Climate Power, formerly Climate Power 2020) is a project of the Center for American Progress (CAP) Action Fund, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), and the Sierra Club. Climate Power advocates in support of left-of-center environmentalist policy. 1

Climate Power was created as a joint campaign to denounce former President Donald Trump’s energy and environmental policy. Since the end of the Trump administration, Climate Power has campaigned in support of President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan, a $2 trillion infrastructure proposal, and in support of environmentalist policy. 23

Although seemingly acting as an independent organization, reporting from the Washington Free Beacon has claimed that the group operates under the ownership of Fund for a Better Future. Fund for a Better Future is heavily funded by the Wyss Foundation, having received $44,468,000 from 2017 to 2020. 4

Background

The Climate Power Education Fund was launched in May 2020 as a project of the Center for American Progress (CAP) Action Fund, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), and the Sierra Club. John Podesta, former Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, announced the formation of Climate Power, claiming that it was designed to promote the idea that then-President Trump and other critics of environmentalist policy were promoting disinformation on environmental issues. 5

Climate Power focused on promoting environmentalism and opposing President Trump. In addition to publishing research and polls that promote environmentalism, Climate Power used tactics like the “B.S. Tracker” that tracked how often President Trump allegedly told a lie related to the environment. 6 After President Trump lost the 2020 election, Climate Power changed its name to Climate Power Education Fund and transitioned from opposing President Trump to opposing the American Petroleum Institute (API) and supporting President Biden’s environmentalist policy. 7

Advocacy and Campaigns

Green New Deal

Climate Power has supported and been described as a leader of the Green New Deal, a far-left proposal to eliminate the use of conventional energy sources like oil and gas in the United States. 8 It has also published research claiming that conventional energy corporations are racist towards ethnic minorities, supporting the Green New Deal’s assertion that environmentalist energy is a solution to racism. 9

Biden Administration

During the Biden administration, Climate Power has published polls, research, and press releases supporting President Biden’s environmentalist policy. The organization has supported and defended President Biden’s decision to rejoin the Paris Climate Accords and campaigned in support of his American Jobs Plan, a left-of-center proposal to spend $2 trillion on infrastructure, including environmentalist energy infrastructure, over 8 years. 1011

In March 2021, Climate Power, along with environmental group League of Conservation Voters (LCV), helped conduct an internal training session on climate communication strategies for Biden appointees. The date was revealed by government watchdog group Americans for Public Trust (APT), which it had obtained from Biden Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s internal agency calendar and shared with Fox News Digital. According to the Calander data, Granholm had attended and gave opening remarks, while the session itself described having attendees including, “political appointees from all climate-related agencies,” 12 and that groups like ClimatePower and LCV would, “conduct a training on how to message climate work in an impactful and persuasive way.” 13 According to a statement released by a Department of Energy Spokesperson in February 2023, “Secretary Granholm has been spreading the word — across America and the globe — on President Biden’s actions to slash costs for American families, bring back American jobs and manufacturing, and strengthen American security through clean energy.” 14 APT executive director Caitlin Sutherland commented by stating, “Why are dark money groups, bankrolled by a foreign billionaire, training Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on communication strategies…Secretary Granholm continues to do the bidding of green energy extremists…This constant coordination is just another example of the tremendous influence dark money has on the Biden administration.” 15

In June 2021, Climate Power initiated a $10 million ad campaign to pressure lawmakers to support the Biden administration’s American Jobs Plan and Build Back Better legislation. The organization also paid a lobbying firm, Pioneer Public Affairs, to push lawmakers in the House and Senate on including climate provisions and spending in future legislation. 16 Climate Power, along with the League of Conservation Voters and other allied organizations, launched “The Great American Build” campaign which was made to exhort Congress to put the Build Back Better Agenda into motion. 17

A 2023 report by Americans for Public Trust (APT) discussed how Climate Power, in May 2023, worked with left-of-center organization Future Forward USA Action and strategy hub Way to Win to fund a $20 million ad campaign promoting health, economic, and environmental policies passed the Biden Administration. The report though claims that media analysts deduced that the ads were, “influenced by Democratic research.” 18

In August 2023, it was announced that Climate Power would work with 34 partner groups to launch a “six-figure media buy” including television, newspaper, and digital ads to endorse the Inflation Reduction Act passed by the Biden Administration in 2022. 19 The organization stated that the ads would be released in swing states including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Climate Power Executive Director Lori Lodes claimed that the ad campaign is meant to, “tell the stories of the workers across the country who have benefitted from the Inflation Reduction Act and make sure Americans understand that our clean energy boom is just getting started.” 20 Several of the groups Climate Power is partnering with in the campaign include Building Back Together (BBT), the Center for American Progress (CAP), the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), GreenLatinos, MoveOn.org, NextGen America, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Working Families Party (WFP). 21

In October 2023, it was announced that Climate Power would plan to spend roughly $80 million on television and digital advertising to praise President Biden and his Administration’s work on environmental policies before the 2024 presidential election. Climate Power executive director Lori Lodes commented on the move by claiming, “We need to make sure that the Biden coalition, the folks who got him into office in 2020, sees that he’s delivered on his promises. And he has.” 22 It was also reported that an affiliated Super PAC for Climate Power would also advertise for President Biden’s campaign starting in 2024. 23

Polluters Exposed

In March 2021, Accountable.US and Climate Power launched a joint campaign called Polluters Exposed. The campaign was created to combat what it alleges to be misinformation about environmentalism produced by the API and other conventional energy organizations. 24

Polluters Exposed performs research on API and other proponents of conventional energy to publish reports denouncing their work on conventional energy as “disinformation.” The campaign advocates for environmentalist policy and promotes the idea that those who support conventional energy companies are creating disinformation about environmentalism. 25

Financials

According to OpenSecrets, between 2021 and through 2022 ClimatePower received $5,860,903 in grants from Fund for a Better Future and $3,083,000 in grants from League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund. 26 27

People

Climate Power Education Fund’s Advisory Board includes a long list of high profile, left-of-center figures including Georgia politician Stacey Abrams, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry, John Podesta, and billionaire Democratic donor Tom Steyer. 28

Lori Lodes is the executive director of Climate Power, delivering most of its press releases. Lodes has previously worked for a number of left-of-center organizations, including the Service Employees International union (SEIU), the Center for American Progress (CAP), and the Obama administration. 29

References

  1. Brown, Gabby. “Climate Power 2020 Launches Campaign to Change the Politics of Climate.” Sierra Club, May 13, 2020. https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2020/05/climate-power-2020-launches-campaign-change-politics-climate.
  2. Brown, Gabby. “Climate Power 2020 Launches Campaign to Change the Politics of Climate.” Sierra Club, May 13, 2020. https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2020/05/climate-power-2020-launches-campaign-change-politics-climate.
  3. “Latest Senate Republican Infrastructure ‘Plan’ Is a Non-Starter. Congress Must Now Focus on Passing the American Jobs Plan.” Climate Power, May 27, 2021. https://climatepower.us/resources/latest-senate-republican-infrastructure-plan-is-a-non-starter-congress-must-now-focus-on-passing-the-american-jobs-plan/.
  4. Goodman, Alana, and Organizer of 2010 Gaza Flotilla Launches Congressional Campaign. “Swiss Billionaire Bankrolling Dark Money Group Pushing for Biden Climate Initiative.” Washington Free Beacon, November 11, 2021. https://freebeacon.com/policy/swiss-billionaire-bankrolling-dark-money-group-pushing-for-biden-climate-initiative/.
  5. Brown, Gabby. “Climate Power 2020 Launches Campaign to Change the Politics of Climate.” Sierra Club, May 13, 2020. https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2020/05/climate-power-2020-launches-campaign-change-politics-climate.
  6. “Tracking Trump’s B.S.” Climate Power, November 4, 2020. https://climatepower.us/bs-tracker/.
  7. “Resources.” Climate Power. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://climatepower.us/resources/?resource_tax=coverage.
  8. Huber, Matt. “Why the Green New Deal Has Failed – So Far.” Jacobin, October 5, 2020. https://jacobinmag.com/2021/05/green-new-deal-climate-change.
  9. “Big Oil And Gas Hurts Communities Of Color.” Climate Power Education Fund, n.d. The report can be accessed via this URL: https://climatepower.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2021/02/20210216-Oil-Gas-Hurting-Communities-Of-Color.pdf.
  10. “U.S. Climate Leadership Is Back With Biden’s Bold Ambitions to Significantly Reduce Emissions and Combat the Climate Crisis.” Climate Power, April 22, 2021. https://climatepower.us/resources/us-leadership-back-bold-ambitions/.
  11. “100 Pretty Cool Things You Need to Know About The American Jobs Plan on Biden’s 100th Day in Office.” Climate Power, May 12, 2021. https://climatepower.us/resources/100-pretty-cool-ajp-things-on-bidens-100th/.
  12. Catenacci, Thomas. “Far-left environmental groups conducted internal Biden admin trainings, documents show.” Fox News, February 15, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/far-left-environmental-groups-conducted-internal-biden-admin-trainings-documents-show
  13. Catenacci, Thomas. “Far-left environmental groups conducted internal Biden admin trainings, documents show.” Fox News, February 15, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/far-left-environmental-groups-conducted-internal-biden-admin-trainings-documents-show
  14. Catenacci, Thomas. “Far-left environmental groups conducted internal Biden admin trainings, documents show.” Fox News, February 15, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/far-left-environmental-groups-conducted-internal-biden-admin-trainings-documents-show
  15. Catenacci, Thomas. “Far-left environmental groups conducted internal Biden admin trainings, documents show.” Fox News, February 15, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/far-left-environmental-groups-conducted-internal-biden-admin-trainings-documents-show
  16. Goodman, Alana, and Organizer of 2010 Gaza Flotilla Launches Congressional Campaign. “Swiss Billionaire Bankrolling Dark Money Group Pushing for Biden Climate Initiative.” Washington Free Beacon, November 11, 2021. https://freebeacon.com/policy/swiss-billionaire-bankrolling-dark-money-group-pushing-for-biden-climate-initiative/
  17. “About.” The Great American Build, August 5, 2021. https://thegreatamericanbuild.com/about/.
  18. “Report: Foreign Influence in U.S. Elections.” Americans for Public Trust, July 10, 2023. https://americansforpublictrust.org/document/report-foreign-influence-in-u-s-elections/
  19. Kasimar, Ben. “New ad campaign touts Biden’s clean energy jobs record.” NBC News, August 15, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meetthepressblog/new-ad-campaign-touts-bidens-clean-energy-jobs-record-rcna99786
  20. Kasimar, Ben. “New ad campaign touts Biden’s clean energy jobs record.” NBC News, August 15, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meetthepressblog/new-ad-campaign-touts-bidens-clean-energy-jobs-record-rcna99786
  21. Kasimar, Ben. “New ad campaign touts Biden’s clean energy jobs record.” NBC News, August 15, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meetthepressblog/new-ad-campaign-touts-bidens-clean-energy-jobs-record-rcna99786
  22. Epstein, Reid J. “Climate Advocacy Group Plans to Spend $80 Million on Ads to Aid Biden.” New York Times, October 17, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/16/us/politics/climate-group-advertising-biden.html
  23. Epstein, Reid J. “Climate Advocacy Group Plans to Spend $80 Million on Ads to Aid Biden.” New York Times, October 17, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/16/us/politics/climate-group-advertising-biden.html
  24. Derysh, Igor. “Big Oil Pushed State School Officials to Stoke Fears About Biden Climate Policy.” Truthout. Truthout, March 24, 2021. https://truthout.org/articles/big-oil-pushed-state-school-officials-to-stoke-fears-about-biden-climate-policy/.
  25. Polluters Exposed. Accountable.US and Climate Power Education Fund, April 13, 2021. https://polluters.exposed/.
  26. Catenacci, Thomas. “Far-left environmental groups conducted internal Biden admin trainings, documents show.” Fox News, February 15, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/far-left-environmental-groups-conducted-internal-biden-admin-trainings-documents-show
  27. “Top Organizations Disclosing Donations to Climate Power Action, 2022.” OpenSecrets, Accessed June 14, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2022?cmte=C00817536&tab=donors
  28. “Advisory Board.” Climate Power, May 26, 2021. https://climatepower.us/advisory-board/.
  29. “Lori Lodes.” LinkedIn. Accessed June 21, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-lodes-b818083/.
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