2009 Legislative Priorities

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

As the unemployment rate continues to rise in North Carolina and across the nation, Conservation Council encouraged members of The North Carolina Congressional Delegation to support President Obama's economic recovery plan, which will not only create jobs and repower our economy; it will help break America's addiction to oil and create vast new domestic resources of clean, renewable energy.

This Act will create 1.6 million new jobs in part by investing in clean energy and improving the energy efficiency of millions of American homes. Many of these projects are labor intensive and will create jobs in the construction and manufacturing sectors, where unemployment is highest. Projects range from bridge repair to converting government buildings to use clean sources of energy.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is a critical down payment on rebuilding and repowering our future.

Conservation Council applauds Senator Hagan and Congressmen Butterfield, Etheridge, Price, McIntyre, Kissell, Watt, and Miller for passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

President Obama's 2010 Budget

The President's proposed budget includes revenue from the auctioning of carbon offsets; such revenue necessitates a federal cap on carbon pollution. Limiting carbon pollution is the cornerstone of the comprehensive effort we need to drive economic growth, improve our national security, and reduce global warming pollution. The President's budget also supports critical priorities such as clean energy, energy efficiency, transportation, water infrastructure, and protection for our nation's lands and wildlife. This budget clearly demonstrates President Obama's commitment to repowering America with clean energy, solving global warming, and reinvesting in our environment by funding vital programs that have long been neglected. Workers and business owners, scientists and religious leaders, environmentalists and entrepreneurs have all come together to call for swift action in passing this budget. Neither our environment nor our economy can afford to wait.

Conservation Council has joined with our national partner, League of Conservation Voters, and over 100 other leading national organizations to urge members of Congress to support President Obama's historic budget. Rebuild and Renew America Now has active grassroots, grasstops, and media campaigns in many states across the country, working diligently to pass the budget with the President's priorities and vision intact. Visit the North Carolina coalition website for more information.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act

On March 31, 2009, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and Chairman Edward Markey of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee introduced the first discussion draft of the American Clean Energy and Security Act. This is the start of a critical process to pass a comprehensive clean energy jobs bill through the House Energy and Commerce committee.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act will create millions of new clean energy jobs, save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs, enhance America’s energy independence, and cut global warming pollution. To meet these goals, the legislation has four titles:

• A clean energy title that promotes renewable sources of energy, carbon capture and sequestration technologies, low-carbon fuels, clean electric vehicles, and the smart grid and electricity transmission;

• An energy efficiency title that increases energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, including buildings, appliances, transportation, and industry;

• A global warming title that places limits on emissions of heat-trapping pollutants; and

• A transitioning title that protects U.S. consumers and industry and promotes green jobs during the transition to a clean energy economy.

The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy estimates that a national energy efficiency standard, such as the one included in Waxman and Markey's discussion draft, could save utility customers $168 billion through 2020 and add 220,000 jobs to the economy. In the year 2020, such a standard could reduce heat-trapping emissions by 262 million metric tons.

According to the University of Massachusetts' Political Economy Research Institute, investments in wind and solar power create nearly 3 times as many jobs as the same investment in coal; mass transit and conservation could create nearly 4 times as many jobs as coal.

With the adoption of this Act, America has an opportunity to become a leader in this new clean energy economy. Our country is made up of innovators and entrepreneurs. We put a man on the moon, built the best highway system in the world, and created the Internet. Countries like China and India are already moving quickly to create clean energy technology. Germany already produces more solar panels than we do. We can delay and be left behind, or we can act now and become the global leaders in clean, renewable technologies that drive economic growth and protect our national security for years to come.

Conservation Council encourages all the members of the North Carolina Congressional Delegation - especially Representative G.K. Butterfield, who serves as Vice-Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee - to support this historic legislation.

UPDATE: On May 21, Representative G.K. Butterfield and members of the Energy and Commerce Committee voted to pass The American Clean Energy & Security Act out of committee. (see press release) The bill is now expected to face markup in the Agriculture and Ways & Means committees before heading to the  floor for a full House vote. House leadership is pushing to have the full floor vote by either the last full week of June or the week after members return from the July 4th Recess.

UPDATE: On the evening of June 26th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed The American Clean Energy & Security Act of 2009 (see press release). CCNC applauds North Carolina Representatives G.K. Butterfield, Bob Etheridge, David Price, Brad Miller, Heath Shuler, and Mel Watt for voting in favor of this historic clean energy jobs package. The U.S. Senate plans to unveil its version of the bill for committee markup after senators return from recess in early September.

Download the ACES Factsheet for more details on the current version of this historic clean energy legislation and how it will benefit North Carolina.