To: The United States Senate
Support S. 1627, American Renewable Energy & Efficiency Act
Please support and co-sponsor S. 1627, the American Renewable Energy and Efficiency Act.
This far-sighted bill would bring our nation's haphazard energy policy into the 21st century by encouraging greater use of modern, clean, safe, and cost-effective renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.
In the process, the bill would create more than 400,000 jobs; through efficiency measures, save consumers more than $90 billion through 2030; quadruple renewable energy production by 2025; and reduce carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to 120 coal-fired power plants.
Again, please support and work for speedy enactment of S. 1627.
Why is this important?
It isn't often we get the opportunity to wholeheartedly support a bill in the U.S. Congress. We're usually fighting off taxpayer funding for new nukes, or some demonic radioactive waste scheme hatched in some nuclear lobbyists' smoke-filled room and brought to an embracing Congressional committee.
So we're very excited to tell you about Sen. Ed Markey's first Senate bill: The American Renewable Energy and Efficiency Act (S. 1627).
This bill would set a national Renewable Energy Standard and a national Energy Energy Efficiency standard--both long overdue and both without nuclear power. Under the bill, utilities would have to provide 25% of the power from renewable sources by 2025. In addition, electric utilities would have to save the equivalent of 15% of their sales from efficiency measures by that date, while natural gas utilities would have to save 10% of their sales. Plus, the bill includes extra measures to support distributed generation technologies, like rooftop solar and small wind.
Please support S. 1627, The American Renewable Energy and Efficiency Act and ask your Senators to co-sponsor this important legislation.
According to an analysis of the bill prepared for Sen. Markey's office, S. 1627 would:
*Create more than 400,000 jobs
*Lead to energy efficiency improvements that will save the average American household $39 annually. Cumulative consumer savings through 2030 would be nearly $90 billion
*Spur more than $200 billion in new capital investments in renewable energy technology, leading to nearly a quadrupling of renewable electricity production by 2025
*Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 480 million metric tons annually by 2025, the equivalent output of 120 coal-fired power plants.
We hope you'll agree this is a rare bill worthy of your and NIRS' support, as we have joined other DC-based groups, like Sierra Club, UCS, NRDC, Environment America and more in endorsing this legislation.
But since this is Washington, there are of course caveats.
For one, it's not a perfect bill. A perfect bill would bring about a nuclear-free carbon-free energy system before mid-century. But no one has ever introduced such a bill, and S. 1627 is the best first step toward that goal that we've seen.
For another, as we said, this is Washington, DC 2013. This bill is not going to pass this session, not through this dysfunctional, cynical, mean-spirited Congress.
But things will change; they're already changing. The cost and deployment advantages of clean energy are becoming too great to ignore--even in the Halls of Congress. After all, depending on which poll you look at, anywhere from 70% to about 85% of the American people want more renewable energy. Right now is when we must lay the groundwork for massive and growing popular support for this bill. That's why we're asking you to take a moment to support S. 1627 and ask your Senators--no matter how neanderthal you think they may be--to co-sponsor the bill.
Thank you,
Michael Mariotte
Nuclear Information and Resource Service