Action Alert! Urge Congress to pass comprehensive Energy Bill!

Quick! There's an Energy bill being pushed through Congress right now and it's in danger (of not being comprehensive enough to effectively tackle climate change)!

Call your Rep and Senator today and remind them to include increased CAFE standards, a national RES of 15% and increased PTC! Call the Capitol switchboard and ask for your rep/senator: 202-224-3121

While late Friday night we found out that policymakers had agreed to include increased CAFE standard of 35mpg in the overall bill (take that, Chairman Dingell!!), several other key components, like a Renewable Energy Standard and Production Tax Credits for solar/wind energy, are currently threatened.


Increased CAFE Standards- 35mpg!

Rep. Dingell, the ancient Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce committee has vehemently opposed any such increase in CAFE standards in defense of the automakers and Detroit. But our woman, Speaker Pelosi, showed Dingell who's boss. Check out the NYTimes article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/01/washington/01energy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

A study by the Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that requiring automakers to meet a fleetwide average of 35mpg by 2018 will create 241,000 additional jobs nationwide by 2020, and increase jobs in the automotive sector alone by 23,900. Additionally, such a requirement would also save consumers $37 billion in 2020 alone and cut national oil use by 1.6 million barrels per day by 2020. And Detroit said they would be ruined....liars! The measly increase to 35mpg will reduce our emissions and help make American automakers more competitive in the global market- something the US desperately needs right about now.

But we still need....Renewable Electricity Standard 15%

A RES would require all utility companies to generate 15% of their electricity with renewable energy. While a provision for a 15% RES was included in the House Energy bill, it was not included in the Senate version. Call your Representative and Senator and urge them to make sure that 15% RES will be included in the final bill!

And also..Production Tax Credits!
Ever wonder why wind energy and other renewable energy sources haven't caught on yet? One of the primary reasons is the un-stable Production Tax Credits (PTC) for wind energy and other renewable energy, and Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for solar energy. Oil and coal are still heavily subsidized. Renewable energy is not nearly as subsidized as oil and coal, and therefore has not been able to develop yet. Nearly every year, the wind energy industry fought to renew and extend the PTC. The uncertainty of the PTC significantly slowed development and created a boom-and-bust cycle within the industry. Congress must pass an Energy bill with extended PTC and ITC in order for renewable energy to truly develop.

Call Congress today and urge your Representative and Senator to include increased CAFE standards, a 15% RES and increased PTC/ITC in the Energy bill!

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Things are looking good for the Energy bill right now, but keep calling until the final Energy bill is passed!

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