Repower America

Labor, Business, and Environmental Leaders Urge Quick Action on Federal Clean Energy Policy

Philadelphia, PA – The Pennsylvania Clean Energy Works (CEW) campaign—which includes PennEnvironment, Blue-Green Alliance, United Steelworkers, Sierra Club, Repower America and others—held a telephone conference with reporters to highlight the benefits of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, which was introduced in the Senate today by Senators Boxer (CA) and Kerry (MA).  The campaign called for Senators Bob Casey and Arlen Specter to lead the way in the effort to repower Pennsylvania’s economy with clean energy.  

“This bill is a good beginning,” said Adam Garber, Field Organizer for PennEnvironment. “It is a first step of many toward a cleaner, healthier, safer world.”

“Making what America needs is what Pennsylvania’s workers have done for generations,” said Eric Russell of the United Steelworkers.  “With the right action by the US Senate, manufacturers throughout the Commonwealth will get the type of investments they need to produce the wind turbines, solar panels, and other sources of clean energy that America and the rest of the world needs.”

A major strength of the bill, according to PennEnvironment, is that it preserves and builds on the Clean Air Act’s protections, which will enable America to move to wind, solar, and other clean energy technologies by requiring the nation’s fleet of old and inefficient coal-fired power plants to eventually meet modern air pollution standards. 

In addition, the bill improves on legislation passed by the House in June by aiming to cut global warming pollution from large polluters 20 percent by 2020.  This comes just a week after the release of a sobering United Nations report concluding that the impacts of global warming are arriving faster than the world’s scientists had predicted just two years ago.

"The introduction of this pollution reduction bill ensures that the debate is moving forward in a bipartisan way on one of the most critical issues of our time. The opportunity to halt global climate change while creating millions of domestic jobs is before us," said Michael Fedor, State Director for Repower America.

“Energy efficiency reduces utility costs to homeowners and makes homeownership more affordable,” said Bill Reddish of Gensis Group, a Philadelphia based general contractor that builds affordable, energy efficient housing. “Supporting legislation that helps promote energy efficient, affordable housing is a win for everyone.”

“Serious Materials Inc. supports prompt, effective legislation to address the threat of climate change.  And we know that policies that deliver cost effective energy efficiency not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions; they also benefit consumers, improve energy security, and create good jobs,” said Robin Roy Vice-President of Projects and Policy at Serious Materials Inc.  “There is an enormous opportunity to improve energy efficiency in homes and other buildings across the country.  We are delighted to play our part, manufacturing highly insulating windows in our Vandergrift, PA plant.”

Speakers at today’s a telephone conference with reporters say special interests can no longer be allowed to stand in the way of America’s clean energy future.

“Oil companies, lobbyists and special interests have fought energy reform for decades to protect their profits,” said Garber.  “They’ve kept us dependent on foreign oil and protected corporations that pollute the air our children breathe and the water they drink. This bill would change that by making Pennsylvania and America a leader in creating a clean energy jobs economy.” 

PennEnvironment’s analysis of the House-passed energy bill is available here.