Clean Energy Policy Gains in the Mix as Congress Returns to Work | Article

Let me begin by clearly stating that none of what follows constitutes a jinx. The stakes are too high to take any chances with superstition. Wildfires rage in the West. Five named tropical storms (plus a disturbance or two) are gaining steam in the Atlantic. It is never a bad idea to update U.S. energy policy for the better. It just feels like an especially good idea at this moment.

There is reason for some guarded optimism as Congress returns after its August recess and Labor Day holiday. In the House, leadership plans for floor consideration of a wide range of energy policy bills beginning September 21, including H.R.4447, the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act. And, perhaps more surprisingly, the Senate stands ready to set aside an earlier disagreement over terrible-for-the-climate hydrofluorocarbons that derailed sweeping bipartisan energy legislation in March. Could the two chambers pass their bills and meet to resolve differences in conference? While acknowledging a heap of uncertainty in the lead-up to election season, that possibility is much more likely today than a week ago.

If this scenario plays out and the House and Senate are able to work together and reach agreement on their respective bills, the result will be meaningful emission reductions—including 1.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions avoided just from energy efficiency. Some critics of the legislation might dismiss the scope of the House and Senate bills as too narrow to fully transition and decarbonize the U.S. energy sector. But that is a monumental task. We have to start somewhere, and building energy codes and research and development, in this case, provide a move down the path to reduce emissions. Congressional action on energy bills this year would be very good for the climate. It is also a positive development for the future of U.S. climate policy and the ability of policymakers to rise to the tremendous challenge of a warming planet.

Climate change is nothing new; the science and risks have been known for decades. EESI, for example, declared that addressing the issue constituted a moral imperative in 1988. But the urgency to act to reduce emissions has never been greater. Each day that passes without new climate and clean energy policy imperils the future.

Near- and medium-term emission reductions, including those realized by building energy-efficient homes and commercial buildings, make future improvements easier to achieve. We have to get started; urgency is the name of the game. Chalking up some good policies in 2020 should give us hope for Congress and its ability to craft and pass the next phase of climate policy that positions the United States for a sustainable, resilient, and equitable world.

Author: Daniel Bresette, EESI Executive Director