March 18, 2021

WASHINGTON- In a letter sent today to members of Congress, more than 300 climate and social justice groups called on lawmakers to exclude fossil fuels, nuclear energy, biomass and other false solutions from plans to achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2035. The letter arrives as Chairman Pallone and the House Energy and Commerce begin hearings on the CLEAN Future Act, a bill that includes a Clean Energy Standard (CES) that problematically defines “clean energy.”

The Letter reads:

“Sacrificing the very definition of ‘clean’ in order to achieve 100 percent clean energy is self-defeating. The CLEAN Future Act is a prime example of the type of half-measure we must avoid. The CES in the newly proposed bill is defined broadly enough to allow ‘natural’ gas (fossil gas), biomass, and nuclear power to qualify. These false solutions are not clean energy and undermine efforts both to reduce emissions and protect communities from pollution . . .

“Conclusion: We urge you to reject proposals that mischaracterize fossil fuels, biomass, and nuclear power as clean energy. As we look to combat the climate crisis, it will be crucial to resist the disingenuous efforts of polluters to co-opt clean energy. Allowing dirty energy to be bundled with clean energy under a CES would prolong the existence of sacrifice zones around dirty energy investments and delay the transition to a system of 100 percent truly clean energy.”

Read the full letter HERE.