Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
7/10/2015
In a June 29 letter to the nation’s Governors, a group of 45 Senate Democrats emphasized the need for States’ support in the development of a new national energy policy. The national energy policy has not been updated in more than a decade, the Senators write, and the best way to develop a successfully updated policy is by working with the states constructively. “Rather than reflexively oppose the administration’s efforts to develop clean energy technologies and take action on climate change, Senate Democrats want to work with all 50 governors to generate bottom-up energy policies that are collaborative and innovative. The only way we can we can upgrade our nation’s energy system is for all states to be engaged and willing partners,” Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement released alongside the letter.
The Senators lay out five key energy goals and seek feedback from the Governors as to how to meet them. These goals are; empowering consumers, modernizing infrastructure, cutting pollution and waste, investing in research and development, and investing in clean energy. The letter makes note that an updated energy policy will include the full range of clean-energy generation. “The U.S. should continue on a trajectory that encourages investment, invention and deployment of the clean energy technologies that are creating jobs today, and will continue to do so for decades to come–from renewable energy and low-carbon fossil energy, to storage and advanced grid systems,” the letter says.
“I have long said we need a true all-of-the-above energy strategy – that includes renewable energies as well as fossil fuels, and we need to build the energy infrastructure that will help enable us to become more energy secure and independent. We can use all of these resources while building the technology to make them cleaner and reduce emissions,” said Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) said in a statement released alongside the letter.
