Sea levels across the Southeastern United States are rising three times faster than the global average.

That’s according to a new study from the journal Nature Communications, writes POLITICO’s E&E News reporter Chelsea Harvey. Another study published earlier this month in the Journal of Climate found a similar pattern.

The findings suggest that communities along the U.S. Gulf and Southeastern coastlines, from Houston to New Orleans and Miami to Cape Hatteras, N.C., could be at even greater risk from rising tides than scientists had predicted.

In recent years, the already vulnerable landscape has seen increased flooding, more severe hurricanes and eroding shorelines that once provided protection from storm surges. Millions of Americans are watching their shorelines not-so-gradually slip into the ocean as flood damages rise and insurance costs spike.

The science: Human-caused global warming — primarily from burning fossil fuels — is driving sea-level rise worldwide. But the disproportionate rate in the southeastern U.S. is somewhat of a mystery. Scientists agree that physical ocean dynamics are likely to blame, but the nature of those dynamics is less clear.

Researchers thought perhaps the tidal rises were exacerbated by sinking land, a notable problem in parts of Texas and Louisiana. But they found no real connection between sea-level rise and sinking land in the region.

Meltwater from the world’s shrinking glaciers and ice sheets has contributed to a global acceleration in sea-level rise — but it doesn’t fully explain the pattern happening on U.S. coastlines.

Some researchers suggest that warming waters and changing wind patterns have altered the ocean’s circulation in parts of the North Atlantic and the Caribbean, changing the way masses of water flow up to U.S. coastlines. Others say perhaps the increase is being driven by changes in a warm-water current passing through the Gulf of Mexico.

The upshot: Researchers say the accelerated sea-level rise could slow back down eventually, but no one knows if that’s probable or how long it might take — adding another uncertainty to the consequences of a warming planet.

It’s Tuesday — 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]

Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: Catherine Morehouse breaks down how regional electric grid operators work and why states are fighting for more influence.

Colorado River

The Biden administration has released its initial proposals to address shortages on the drought-ravaged Colorado River — offering contrasting plans that would either force California to forfeit a significant portion of its flows or concentrate the pain of cuts on Arizona and Nevada, writes Jennifer Yachnin.

The emergency plans attempt to save hydropower production on the river — which serves some 40 million individuals in seven states — by raising water levels in lakes Powell and Mead, which have dropped precipitously in recent years.

The plans — which are in draft form and under review for 45 days — aim to cut use of the river by a maximum of 2.083 million acre-feet by 2026. That amount of water could provide 6.2 million families with water for one year.

By declining to indicate a “preferred alternative,” President Joe Biden’s Interior Department is seeking to turn up the pressure on the states to accelerate their negotiations to strike a water-sharing deal that could alleviate the need for Interior Department to make the tough decisions, writes Annie Snider.

Power Centers

Public EV demand
Biden’s upcoming rule to boost the sale of the electric vehicles, which is expected Wednesday, is a reflection of growing consumer demand, write Mike Lee and David Ferris.

While EVs made up only 5.6 percent of cars and trucks sold in 2022, analysts say there’s a growing appetite among consumers. “There’s a huge amount of pent-up demand for EVs right now, and automakers aren’t delivering,” said Chris Harto, senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports.

Speaking of the new rule ...
Biden’s upcoming regulation to slash auto pollution is likely to be met with challenges in federal court, like its predecessors, writes Lesley Clark.

But this time, the administration has a new tool in its legal arsenal to ward off attacks: the Inflation Reduction Act. The landmark climate law could insulate the incoming regulation from legal scrutiny.

Dutch warmup
French President Emmanuel Macron is warming to the Netherlands as he and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte set aside old tensions to work together on issues including nuclear energy, write Giorgio Leali and Pieter Haeck.

During Macron’s visit to Amsterdam and The Hague this week, the two leaders are expected to announce new partnerships on semiconductors, quantum computing, and a so-called pact for innovation and sustainable growth endorsed by business organizations from both countries.

In Other News

Disinformation: Climate deniers were ejected from a teachers’ conference in Atlanta for distributing a deceptive comic book.

Drought: A deepening drought in Florida is hitting ranchers and growers hard.

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is convincing Europe’s militaries to ditch fossil fuels in order to avoid being taken hostage by high energy prices or Kremlin-controlled supplies.

EPA proposed a rule Tuesday aimed at slashing emissions of a cancer-causing gas used at facilities that sterilize medical equipment.

The Energy Department is proposing a big cut to the efficiency value it assigns EVs, a move designed to slash greenhouse gas emissions.

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

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