New Energy Future News

PHILADELPHIA—PennEnvironment today congratulated victorious Pennsylvania Congressional candidates Chaka Fattah (D-2), Patrick Murphy (D-8), Chris Carney (D-10), John Murtha (D-12), and Todd Platts (R-19), for supporting the New Energy Future platform to move America beyond fossil fuels and toward a cleaner energy future.

“Pennsylvanians want leaders who will work to solve our energy problems,” said Ashley Zeigler, Field Organizer with PennEnvironment. “We look forward to working with these candidates to put American innovation to work to build a New Energy Future in the 110th Congress,” said Zeigler.

PennEnvironment today also called on newly elected Senator Bob Casey Jr. to sign on to the platform. “While we are disappointed that Mr. Casey chose not to endorse the New Energy Future platform during the campaign, we hope that in office he will join us in supporting policies to move America towards a new energy future,” said Zeigler.

“Pennsylvanians and voters across the country have made it clear that they want our leaders to commit to achieving a real change in American energy policy. We need Mr. Casey to show leadership in the Senate on this issue,” said Zeigler. “These goals are achievable, though they need strong political will to make them happen.”

Last night’s returns demonstrate that the American people want Congress to take action now to move Americans toward a new, cleaner energy future. These candidates joined winners from across the country in the nation’s most competitive races in endorsing the New Energy Future platform, demonstrating that clean energy is both good policy and good politics.

PennEnvironment was joined by organizations across the country in calling on all Congressional candidates in the 2006 elections to deliver on the promise of a New Energy Future by committing to:

• Reduce our dependence on oil by saving one-third of the oil we use today by 2025;
• Harness clean, renewable, homegrown energy sources for at least one quarter of all energy needs by 2025;
• Save energy with high performance homes, buildings and appliances so that by 2025 we use 10 percent less energy than we do today; and
• Commit $30 billion in federal funds to research and development in the technologies we need to achieve these goals. On the state level, commit Harrisburg to quadrupling funding to renewable energy sources and conservation measures.

New Energy Future organizers, activists, and volunteers worked to raise the profile of energy issues in Pennsylvania during the campaign, asking the candidates where they stood on energy issues at campaign events, debates, and by collecting petition signatures.

There was also strong support for the New Energy Future platform across the nation. In the 50 key congressional races targeted by the state environment groups, the platform was endorsed by 37 major party candidates, with at least 18 and as many as 21 winning at the polls. The platform was endorsed by victorious candidates across the political spectrum. Over 185 candidates endorsed in total, including 120 Democrats and 40 Republicans.

In the campaigns for Pennsylvania’s State Legislature, 147 candidates endorsed the platform, with 63 winning. This represents a breakdown of 21 Republicans and 41 Democrats, including State House Democratic leader Bill DeWeese, who may be the new Speaker of the House if the remaining uncalled races tip the State House Democratic. Newly re-elected Governor Ed Rendell maintained his leadership in renewable energy by committing strongly to the New Energy Future platform.

“We will need bold leadership to solve our energy problems,” said Zeigler. “By endorsing the New Energy Future platform, these candidates have shown their support for moving America in a new direction that puts our national security, our environment, the global climate and our children’s futures above Big Oil and other powerful interests,” continued Zeigler.

PennEnvironment will continue to work with over 40 organizations—including the League of Women Voters, the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, and the Pennsylvania Farmers Union—to make sure that Pennsylvania’s newly elected and re-elected representatives make the vision of a New Energy Future a reality. Nationwide, more than 320 environmental, consumer, labor, and civic groups have endorsed the New Energy Future platform. Together with these coalition partners and other state environmental groups across the country, PennEnvironment will work to introduce legislation in Congress and the Pennsylvania Legislature that will help us achieve energy independence through clean, renewable and homegrown energy sources.

More than 184 candidates in 39 states endorsed the New Energy Future platform. The full list of federal candidates who signed the New Energy Future goals is available at http://uspirg.org/NEF.html, and the full list of state candidates who signed is available at http://pennenvironment.org/NEF.html.