Senate Energy Bill a “Missed Opportunity” to Address Climate Change

“The U.S. Senate is expected to pass an Energy Bill today that fails to seriously address climate change. At a time when America needs strong leadership and decisive climate action, this bill is a missed opportunity.

“We need an energy policy that is a driver to solve climate change. There are a few examples of where the bill gets it right, including grid modernization and increasing clean energy, and the Sensible Accounting to Value Energy (SAVE) amendment, which would help American families save money through energy efficiency.

“But we need to do so much more. It has been almost a decade since our country passed its last energy bill, but this one does little more to address climate change than the last. It doesn’t even include vital information about its own climate impacts, which means we don’t know whether this bill will help or hurt our efforts to reduce climate pollution. Passing an energy bill without knowing whether it will add more climate pollution to our air is like passing a budget bill without knowing whether it adds to the deficit.

“We hope this bill is a beginning and that Congress does more to cut climate pollution. America, and the planet, need more.”

– EDFAction President Elizabeth Thompson