Energy and Commerce Vote is a Key First Step Toward a Clean Energy Future

The House Energy and Commerce Committee takes a key first step toward a clean energy future

For Immediate Release: May 21, 2009

Takoma Park, MD -- Statement from Gillian Caldwell, campaign director of 1Sky, a collaborative national campaign pushing for bold federal action to tackle climate change and invest in building the clean energy economy of the future, upon Committee passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.

“By passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 introduced as H.R. 2454 (ACES), the Energy and Commerce Committee has taken an historic first step toward America's clean energy future.  

“We believe that the ACES bill introduced by Chairmen Henry A. Waxman (CA-30) and Edward J. Markey (MA-7) is the only viable legislative opportunity we have before the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December of 2009 to move the United States toward a clean energy economy that will create jobs, strengthen our economy, make us more energy independent, and limit dangerous global warming pollution.  Representatives Waxman and Markey have worked tirelessly day and night to try to deliver a bill that will provide a clean energy future.

“However, it is clear given the changes since the discussion draft that Big Oil, Dirty Coal, and other polluters are continuously working to weaken the bill and secure funds and bailouts for their industries on the backs of American consumers.  In the last three months alone, oil, coal, and natural gas companies have outspent environmental groups 16 to 1.  The industries spent $79 million to lobby Congress, outspending the Green community’s comparatively meager $4.7 million in the same time period.  Exxon-Mobil alone spent $9.3 million, over twice the amount of money spent by the entire environmental community combined.  As this bill moves through Congress, 1Sky is resolved to be 16 times louder, and will count on the power and resolve of ordinary citizens from all walks of life, channeling their voices in ways that move and improve this bill, to make up for the disparity in the financial resources we have to apply to the task.

“While frustration from many in the climate and environmental community about the compromises made to get this bill out of the Energy and Commerce Committee are understandable, we believe it is critical to channel this energy constructively to achieve the win upon which our survival and prosperity depends. We must pass U.S. climate and energy legislation strong enough to demonstrate U.S. leadership and strengthen our negotiating power to bring in other heavy emitters like China and India to an international treaty.

“1Sky and our allies look forward to working with members of Congress to explore every opportunity to strengthen the bill on the House floor and beyond, and to ensure that the President has the necessary tools to broker a fair and effective global climate agreement in Copenhagen in December of 2009. We also urge the White House and our champion President Obama to demonstrate even more robust leadership in helping ensure that our Congress delivers bold energy and climate policy that gets the job done.”

ACT NOW:  www.1sky.org/now

READ MORE:
1Sky’s analysis of the bill: www.1sky.org/hr2454 (will open to a pdf)