Washington, D.C. — Today, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), and Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduced the CLEAN Future Act of 2021, a sweeping legislative package that seeks to address climate change, create jobs by accelerating the transition to a 100 percent clean economy, and help tackle the toxic legacy of pollution faced by environmental justice communities. In response, Center for American Progress Senior Vice President for Energy and Environment Christy Goldfuss issued the following statement in support of the measure:
This bill helps lead the way to an ambitious clean energy transition, with significant investments in economic recovery and commitments to bold new sector-specific standards for decarbonization. Notably, the bill’s support for a strong clean electricity standard—with an interim target of producing 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from clean and renewable sources by 2030—breaks new ground in recognizing the urgency of this transition. This interim target also puts the United States on a clear path to achieving President Joe Biden’s goal of 100 percent clean electricity by 2035.
Furthermore, this legislation acknowledges that the economic and racial justice crises are deeply intertwined with the climate crisis by requiring that 40 percent of the funds made available under the bill benefit environmental justice communities, restricting air pollution permits for major emission sources in communities already overburdened by pollution, and investing in legacy pollution cleanups. These investments, paired with sector-specific standards, will create good-paying jobs and begin to reduce toxic pollution in affected communities while transitioning the United States to the clean energy economy of the future.
Resources on a 100 percent clean energy future:
- Read the “A 100 Percent Clean Future” report by John Podesta, Christy Goldfuss, Trevor Higgins, Bidisha Bhattacharyya, Alan Yu, and Kristina Costa.
- Read the fact sheet on the policy principles and benchmarks in “A 100 Percent Clean Future.”
- View an interactive that shows how six sector-specific benchmarks are enough to achieve roughly 90 percent of the emissions reductions required by 2050.
- Read CAP’s fact sheet on how state policy successes can inform federal action on climate change.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Ari Drennen at [email protected].