{"id":435512,"date":"2021-04-20T14:35:29","date_gmt":"2021-04-20T18:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=435512"},"modified":"2021-04-20T14:35:34","modified_gmt":"2021-04-20T18:35:34","slug":"biden-to-showcase-business-tied-to-energy-sec-granholm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-to-showcase-business-tied-to-energy-sec-granholm\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden to Showcase Business Tied to Energy Sec Granholm"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-to-showcase-business-tied-to-energy-sec-granholm%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=435512&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div readability=\"31.150862068966\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"article-category\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"article-excerpt\">In infrastructure push, Biden promotes company in which Granholm holds multi-million dollar stake <\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-thumbnail-container relative lg:mr-24 w-full my-4 mb-8\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"736\" height=\"491\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/fb_image-2952.jpeg\" class=\"w-full lazyload blur-up wp-post-image\" alt=\"Jennifer Granholm\" srcset=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 736px) 100vw, 736px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/fb_image-2951.jpeg 736w, https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/GettyImages-1178855426-300x200.jpg 300w\" data-sizes=\"auto\"  style=\"display:none\"><figcaption class=\"absolute text-white p-4 w-full text-right text-xs bottom-0 bg-black opacity-75\">\n\t\t\t\tJennifer Granholm \/ Getty Images\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"text-gray text-xs md:text-lg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/author\/matthew-foldi\/\" title=\"Posts by Matthew Foldi\" rel=\"author\" class=\"text-red-700\">Matthew Foldi<\/a> \u2022 April 20, 2021 2:25 pm<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div readability=\"101.59257322176\">\n<p><span>Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm owns up to $5 million in the electric battery and vehicle manufacturer President Joe Biden will promote on Tuesday as part of his push for a $1.9 trillion infrastructure bill.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Biden\u2019s virtual visit to the electric battery producer Proterra comes days after Vice President Kamala Harris paid a visit to Thomas Built Buses, a North Carolina-based school bus company that counts Proterra as its <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proterra.com\/vehicles\/proterra-powered-vehicles\/school-bus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>main supplier of electric vehicles<\/span><\/a><span>.\u00a0<\/span><span>The back-to-back White House visits to Granholm-connected companies risk at least the appearance of impropriety and demonstrate how lawmakers can use policy initiatives to pad their own wallets. Biden&#8217;s infrastructure package <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2021\/03\/31\/fact-sheet-the-american-jobs-plan\/\"><span>includes<\/span><\/a><span> a $174 billion investment in the electric vehicle market, calls for the replacement of &#8220;50,000 diesel transit vehicles&#8221; in favor of electric alternatives, and creates a Clean Buses for Kids program that will &#8220;electrify at least 20 percent of our yellow school bus fleet.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Granholm has taken a leading role in the administration\u2019s forthcoming infrastructure package. The president in February tasked her with &#8220;identifying risks in the supply chain for high-capacity batteries, including electric-vehicle batteries, and policy recommendations to address these risks.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Department of Energy did not respond to multiple requests for comment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Granholm <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proterra.com\/press-release\/former-two-term-governor-of-michigan-jennifer-granholm-joins-proterras-board\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>joined<\/span><\/a><span> Proterra\u2019s board of directors in March 2017; internet archives <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210219165541\/https:\/\/www.proterra.com\/company\/leadership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>list<\/span><\/a><span> her as a board member as recently as February 19, 2021, shortly before her confirmation on February 25. Her financial disclosures reveal up to and $5 million worth of stock options in the green tech company, <\/span>which went public in January through the special purpose acquisition company ArcLight Clean Transition Corp. Arclight, a NASDAQ-listed company, saw shares shoot up about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.investorsobserver.com\/news\/stock-update\/is-arclight-clean-transition-corp-actc-a-bad-choice-in-shell-companies-tuesday\">55 percent<\/a> since its September IPO<span>, a spike financial traders <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasdaq.com\/articles\/actc-stock%3A-15-things-to-know-about-arclight-and-the-proterra-spac-merger-2021-01-12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>attributed directly<\/span><\/a><span> to the acquisition of Proterra.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1466871\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/fb_image-46.png\" alt width=\"2030\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-1.55.31-PM.png 2030w, https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-1.55.31-PM-300x47.png 300w, https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-1.55.31-PM-768x121.png 768w, https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-1.55.31-PM-1024x161.png 1024w, https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-1.55.31-PM-1400x221.png 1400w, https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Screen-Shot-2021-04-20-at-1.55.31-PM-736x116.png 736w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2030px) 100vw, 2030px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span>In a January 16 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/extapps2.oge.gov\/201\/Presiden.nsf\/PAS+Index\/33162796E5379257852586610031846A\/$FILE\/Granholm,%20Jennifer%20M.%20%20finalEA.pdf\"><span>letter<\/span><\/a><span> to the designated agency ethics official, Granholm vowed to step down from the board and sell her stock in the company, as well as the steps she will take &#8220;to avoid any actual or apparent conflict of interest.&#8221; The former Michigan governor has sold some stock,\u00a0 but has not offloaded any of her Proterra shares, according to a White House official.\u00a0<\/span><span>Granholm\u2019s stake in Proterra represents her largest financial asset outside of a house in Oakland, California that she values as between $1 and 5 million, according to her <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/extapps2.oge.gov\/201\/Presiden.nsf\/PAS+Index\/ADEFA0D29965A0498525866100317E6F\/$FILE\/Granholm,%20Jennifer%20M.%20%20final278.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>financial disclosures<\/span><\/a><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The White House confirmed that Granholm still holds stock in Proterra, but said she played no role in planning the president&#8217;s visit.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Proterra was selected for today\u2019s virtual visit because it is the leading U.S. manufacturer of electric buses, employing 600 workers at its South Carolina and California plants,&#8221; a White House official told the <em>Washington\u00a0<\/em><em>Free Beacon<\/em>. &#8220;Neither Secretary Granholm nor the Department of Energy were involved in selecting the Proterra plant.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The official said Granholm is &#8220;in the process of selling off all stock in the company,&#8221; and will have it sold &#8220;within the 180 day window permitted by the ethics agreement.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span>In a February 24 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/presidential-actions\/2021\/02\/24\/executive-order-on-americas-supply-chains\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>executive order<\/span><\/a><span>, Biden placed Granholm in charge of &#8220;identifying risks in the supply chain for high-capacity batteries, including electric-vehicle batteries, and policy recommendations to address these risks.&#8221; One of Proterra\u2019s key products is electric-vehicle batteries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Proterra\u2019s website <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proterra.com\/proterra-powered\/\"><span>boasts<\/span><\/a><span> that &#8220;our flexible design enables Proterra\u00ae EV batteries to be the best choice for commercial vehicles ranging from transit buses and trucks to delivery vehicles, construction equipment, and more.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Nearly 85 percent of Proterra employee campaign contributions went to Democrats, including Joe Biden, according to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/orgs\/proterra\/recipients?id=D000065013\"><span>Center for Responsive Politics<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In infrastructure push, Biden promotes company in which Granholm holds multi-million dollar stake   Jennifer Granholm \/ Getty Images  Matthew Foldi \u2022 April &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2276315,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/fb_image-2952.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"Biden to Showcase Business Tied to Energy Sec Granholm","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-435512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/fb_image-2952.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"Biden to Showcase Business Tied to Energy Sec Granholm","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/435512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=435512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/435512\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2276315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=435512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=435512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=435512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}