Sen. Smith and Rep. Lujan Introduce Bill to Promote Clean Energy

(Washington, D.C. – May 8, 2019) Today, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Representative Ben Ray Lujan (D–NM–03) along with Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI), introduced the Clean Energy Standard Act of 2019 to help reduce climate pollution and protect Americans from the threat of climate change.

The bill sponsors state the bill "would establish a federal Clean Energy Standard (CES), to put our nation on course to achieve net-zero emissions from the electric sector by midcentury to fight climate change. Under this plan, every company selling retail electricity would be asked to increase the amount of clean energy provided to its customers, with the recognition that different regions will be starting the clean energy transition at different benchmarks." ­­­­

Reducing climate pollution from electricity generation is critical to achieving our national climate change goals, and EDF applauds the lawmakers for adding a thoughtful proposal to the current climate policy discussion. The United States will also need dramatic reductions in climate pollution across other sectors of the economy, including transportation and industry."EDF looks forward to working with the authors and all Members of Congress to advance climate policy," said Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs, Environmental Defense Fund. "We hope this bill and any other serious proposals will encourage members on both sides of the aisle to provide the kind of leadership on climate change that America needs."