Learn more: 1 million clean-energy jobs, not utility giveaways
Senator Barbara Boxer, the Chair of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee in the U.S. Senate, released her "Chairman's mark" of the Senate's climate and clean-energy bill on October 23rd. This version of the bill will now be "marked up" (or amended and changed) by the EPW committee.
The "Chairman's mark" includes key provisions for expanded opportunity and good clean-energy jobs that Green For All and our supporters have fought for.
But these provisions will be less effective if this bill doesn't live
up to its potential and create as many clean-energy jobs as possible.
A key amendment to the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act could create 1 million new jobs in the clean-energy economy, by requiring utilities to invest in energy-efficiency renovations for millions of buildings nationwide.
Call Senator Boxer now. Tell her to support 1 million clean-energy jobs, not giveaways to utilities.
Specifically, the amendment would require that 1/3 of the "allowance value" for electric utilities be spent on energy-efficiency.
What does that mean? A central component of the Senate's Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act would issue carbon permits – charging polluters for the carbon they dump into the air, and limiting the total amount of carbon the U.S. can emit overall. This system will reduce global warming pollution and transition America to clean energy.
But there is a catch: Utility companies are being granted their carbon permits ("allowances") for free, meaning they don't have to pay up front to pollute. Senator Boxer's version of the bill requires that some industries use a certain percentage of their total "allowance value" on energy-efficiency. For example, natural gas utilities must spend 1/3 of their allowance value on energy-efficiency - a requirement that is estimated to create more than 100,000 new jobs.
We are calling on Senator Boxer to support the same requirement for electric utilities - the largest type of utility company in the United States. These utilities receive 30% of the total allowance value in the bill, worth tens of billions per year. If 1/3 of this tens of billions was required to go towards energy-efficiency, this investment would create an estimated 1 million jobs, lower energy bills for consumers, and reduce carbon pollution overall.
Electric utilities are lobbying hard to squash the amendment. They prefer giveaways with no strings attached.
That's why Senator Boxer needs to hear that the people of California support 1 million clean-energy jobs, not giveaways to utilities.
Requiring that 1/3 of the allowance value for electric utilities be spent on energy-efficiency would:
- Generate $100 billion for electric efficiency investments,
- Create more than 900,000 new construction and energy services jobs by 2019, and many more jobs at plants that supply these sectors.
- Reduce consumer energy bills by $300 billion.
