Congressional Action on Clean Energy & Climate Protection Needed Now

Change the Politics, Not the Climate

More than a year has lapsed since the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454, ACES Act), setting limits on climate change pollution and targets for a shift to clean, renewable electricity nationwide. All eyes have been on the U.S. Senate since then to follow suit with its own clean energy and climate protection plan.

Introduction of various bills notwithstanding, our senators have failed to advance their own energy-climate legislation–and the United States continues to lag behind China, Europe, and others in addressing the climate crisis caused largely by our deadly addiction to fossil fuels.

The window of opportunity for Congress to pass a bill this year is closing rapidly with the 2010 elections just a few months away. This summer, therefore, is do-or-die time for our senators to pass strong, comprehensive legislation that limits carbon pollution and accelerates our transition to a clean energy economy. In New Mexico, we must especially influence our senior senator, Jeff Bingaman (Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee), and urge him to exercise leadership in pushing for bold, clean energy measures that will help create jobs, save consumers money, and improve public health.

A recent editorial in the Santa Fe New Mexican reminded us that Senator Bingaman’s ENR Committee did put out an energy bill around the same time the House passed the ACES Act. Despite the bill’s title–the American Clean Energy Leadership Act (S. 1462)–Sierra Club and nearly all our allies declared opposition to the bill for its weak targets and handouts to dirty energy industries. We must demand real leadership and bold measures from a clean energy bill, such as an ambitious Renewable Electricity Standard, a standalone Energy Efficiency Resource Standard, and a Clean Energy Deployment Administration that gives highest priority to investments that will achieve the maximum greenhouse-gas emission reductions.

As noted earlier, various proposals for a climate change bill are currently floating in the Senate. The Sierra Club, along with many allies, believes that the American Power Act, introduced by Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman, presents the most solid foundation of a climate bill, if–and only if–it is improved. There are some strengths to the American Power Act, but it must be improved by: limiting the amount of “offsets” that can be utilized to meet emission reduction targets; eliminating subsidies and incentives for dirty energy industries like nuclear, carbon capture and sequestration, and offshore oil drilling; and greater funding for clean energy deployment as well as domestic and international adaptation measures.

For a more complete analysis of the American Power Act, please visit:
http://nmsierraclub.org/club-takes-strong-positions-on-climate-change-ac....

Again, this summer is a critical time for the Senate to act and pass a strong, comprehensive clean energy and climate protection bill. Scores of recent public opinion polls demonstrate that a solid majority of Americans support such federal action now. Join us in urging Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall to make action on energy and climate change their top priority before the current congressional session ends.

To volunteer this summer, contact Shrayas Jatkar, Associate Regional Representative of Sierra Club’s Clean Energy Solutions & Federal/International Curbing Carbon campaigns (505/243-7767, shrayas.jatkar@sierraclub.org).

A primer on federal energy-climate legislation is available on the Rio Grande Chapter’s website: http://nmsierraclub.org/clean-energy-legislation-primer .—Shrayas Jatkar