How federal money is making the Colorado River fight more expensive

Earlier this year, the Biden administration announced a historic deal to use Inflation Reduction Act cash to conserve nearly a billion gallons of water from the shrinking Colorado River through 2026. But a POLITICO investigation found that the federal money is driving up the payments for farmers and tribes to forego some of their water rights – and could make any long-term agreement to save the West’s most important river far more expensive. POLITICO’s Annie Snider breaks down exactly how the IRA is raising the conservation price tag. Plus, a new report from the United Nations says countries need to make deep emission cuts this decade in order to achieve the goals set under the Paris climate agreement.

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Catherine Morehouse is an energy reporter for POLITICO and the host of the POLITICO Energy podcast.

Annie Snider covers water issues for POLITICO Pro. 

Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer. 

Kara Tabor is an audio producer for POLITICO.

Gloria Gonzalez is the deputy energy editor for POLITICO. 

Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO.

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