Crucial legislation was introduced today in the United States Senate, making progress in moving America closer to a clean energy future. Senator Benjamin Cardin joined Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair John Kerry and Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer for the announcement of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.
"This bill is a good beginning," said Shea Kinser, Clean Energy Associate with Environment Maryland. "It is the first of many steps toward a cleaner, healthier, and safer world."
A major strength of the bill, according to Environment Maryland, is that it preserves and builds on the Clean Air Act's environmental 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 also 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.
"Over the next few weeks, months, and years, we will need to do much more to capture the full potential of clean energy," said Kinser. "But this year begins the race to transform the way we produce energy and avoid the worst impacts of global warming."
Senator Ben Cardin came out early in support for strong clean energy and global warming legislation, specifically addressing the need to keep the Clean Air Act intact. Environment Maryland applauded Senator Cardin for his leadership and hard work in crafting this bill.
"We look forward to working with Senator Cardin to pass a bill that creates millions of clean energy jobs, makes America more energy independent and cuts pollution fast enough to stave off the worst effects of global warming," said Kinser.
Environment Maryland's analysis of the House-passed energy bill is available at https://www.environmentmaryland.org/newsroom/global-warming/global-warming-campaign-news/america-poised-to-turn-the-corner-on-global-warming.
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