Clean Energy News

Trenton, NJ – The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee today in Washington passed the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733) by a vote of 11-1.  The bill, sponsored by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair John Kerry and Senate EPW Chair Barbara Boxer, sets the first-ever federal limits on global warming pollution and invests in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and green transportation.

“Clean energy has the potential to revive our economy, create millions of clean energy jobs, and stop global warming.  This bill begins to move our nation toward clean energy,” said Doug O’Malley, Environment New Jersey’s field director.

The key components of the bill include the following:

n       The bill aims to reduce global warming pollution by 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.

n        It preserves the Clean Air Act’s requirements that the oldest and dirtiest coal-fired power plants, the nation’s single largest source of global warming pollution, eventually meet performance standards. 

n       It uses revenue from the sale of pollution credits to make large investments in clean energy, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, and green transportation.

n       The bill sets a national goal for reducing pollution from the transportation sector.

Unfortunately, the Republicans on the committee boycotted consideration of the bill.

“We are disappointed that opponents of the bill refused to engage in the committee process, forcing the committee to pass the bill without considering a critical amendment to invest more in energy efficiency.  The amendment would have created hundreds of thousands of jobs and lowered electricity costs for consumers and businesses.  Energy efficiency is the best way to meet America’s energy, economic, and environmental challenges,” said O’Malley.

“We applaud Senator Lautenberg for voting to move America to clean energy.  Now we’re counting on him to work to pass the strongest possible bill through the Senate.  A strong bill has the potential to create millions of clean energy jobs, make America and New Jersey more energy independent, and cut pollution fast enough to stave off the worst effects of global warming,” said O’Malley.

Environment New Jersey’s analysis of the House-passed clean energy bill is available here.

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