Posted by: Michael Noble in Renewable Energy Standard, policy, legislation, green jobs, green economy, global warming, federal issues, energy independence, coal, climate bill, CLEAR Act on
Jul 22, 2010
President Obama and the U.S. Senate have failed. They promised legislation to transform our energy system, create jobs and reduce pollution and today Senate Majority Leader Reid gave up.
Congress is currently deciding what energy legislation will be debated this year - and we need to make sure that a strong, federal renewable energy standard (RES) isn't left on the cutting room floor. An RES is an easy, straightforward way to increase the percentage of renewable energy we get our electricity from while creating thousands of jobs. Take a minute to sign the
American Wind Energy Association's petition asking Congress to pass a strong RES this year!!
Today's release of climate and energy legislation by Senators John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) and Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut), the American Power Act, is an important step in the right direction for putting our country on a path to a clean energy economy.
Last time I saw it, it was nothing but a bare field with a few stubby corn stalks sticking up here and there - remains of the fall crop. But when I drove to the St. John's campus recently, I found that the same barren field on the edge of campus is now covered with thousands of solar panels, gleaming in the sunlight and cranking out 575 megawatt hours of electricity annually (about the equivalent of fully powering 65 homes year round). This farm is the upper Midwest's largest solar photovoltaic farm - by four times!
Earlier this month, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) released the findings of a report they commissioned on the job impacts of a federal renewable electricity standard (RES). The "Jobs Impact of a National Renewable Electricity Standard" study, conducted by independent, third-party researchers at Navigant Consulting, Inc., found that a 25 percent by 2025 national RES would result in 274,000 more renewable energy jobs over business as usual.
In a just-released study, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) found that "if Congress passed climate and energy legislation that strengthened the energy efficiency and renewable energy standards in [the ACES bill] the House of Representatives approved last June, consumer electric and natural gas costs would be $113 billion lower by 2030, and emitters would pay 4 percent less in compliance costs." Read the entire analysis here.
Posted by: J. Drake Hamilton in Renewable Energy Standard, policy, legislation, global warming, federal issues, economy, economic development, carbon regulation, cap and auction, ACES on
Jun 23, 2009
June 23, 2009
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative:
On behalf of the millions of members and volunteers that our organizations represent, we write to urge you to support final passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES).
We also urge you to do everything possible to strengthen the bill between now and final passage, and along its journey to the President's desk.
ACES will help build America's clean energy economy and launch the United States' first national plan of action to address the growing threat of climate change. ACES offers our country the most important opportunity in generations to jumpstart our economy, create millions of new, well-paying jobs, and set the stage for America to compete and prosper in a 21st century economy.
Posted by: J. Drake Hamilton in Renewable Energy Standard, policy, legislation, green economy, global warming, federal issues, economy, economic development, carbon regulation, ACES on
Jun 23, 2009
Today, President Barack Obama highlighted the historic American Clean Energy and Security Act bill moving in the House of Representatives, saying it will "spark a clean energy transformation that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and confront the carbon pollution that threatens our planet."
As a Minnesotan, I was pleased that the president praised the great efforts of leaders on the Energy and Commerce Committee as well as Representative Collin Peterson, chair of the Agriculture Committee, for his "many and ongoing contributions" in developing this legislation.
At a news conference broadcast today from the White House, the president called passing this clean energy and climate legislation critical: "The nation that leads in the creation of a clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy."
According to a brief article posted Monday evening in Roll Call: House Democrats filed a 1,201 page energy package late Monday night and said they are confident that they will resolve all outstanding issues in time for a vote Friday.
"There are some issues still under discussion, but we are confident we can resolve them by the time the bill goes to the floor on Friday," said Drew Hammill, spokesman for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Hammill said Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) "have all agreed on this approach for moving this historic climate change and clean energy jobs bill."
Citizens should take action and call their representative in Congress today.
Today, 20 leading U.S. climate scientists released an open letter asking for H.R. 2454, the clean energy jobs plan known as the Waxman-Markey bill, to be strengthened and passed into law. The experts called for sustained presidential leadership on climate policy.
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