Seattle has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to promoting a greener city through cleaner, sustainable energy. I’m proud to say that residents of Washington’s 7th districts are some of the most environmentally conscious in the country.

We often get caught up in the latest and most exciting green energy technologies-- not to say that those don’t play an important role in ultimately dealing with climate change, but we often do this at the expense of some of the simplest solutions to making us more carbon efficient -- building smarter. In 2007, I authored legislation to provide tax incentives promoting energy conservation in homes and buildings.  This was eventually folded into a larger energy bill, which was passed by Congress and signed by the President.  I also introduced legislation that improved tax credit bonds to better enable public power to obtain interest-free financing for renewable energy projects, which was also incorporated into a larger bill and passed into law.

Investing in cleaner, renewable energy not only benefits the environment, but creates jobs and help families save money.  As a member of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, and the Livable Communities Task Force I’ve worked to promote legislation that encourages smart planning, including tying housing to public transit and encouraging green building standards.

Passing comprehensive climate change legislation is only one way for us to work towards solving this problem. The quickest and cheapest way to make a meaningful change in our carbon footprint is through energy conservation, which is something every family can do. We know that for every kilowatt hour that we don’t use is a kilowatt hour that we don’t have to produce. That means we don’t have to build as many power plants which in turn helps our country’s energy infrastructure—by conserving, we are putting less of a strain on our national power grid and strengthening our national energy security.  I have long supported weatherization programs, and have authored legislation to give states a stable funding source to fund and implement home weatherization programs, including provisions specifically benefitting lower-income families.

I’ve also worked to help make Congress and the American people aware of the huge subsidies our tax system provides to fossil fuel and nuclear industries and technologies. In 2007, I authored a bill to end subsidies for big oil companies. That legislation was later folded into a larger bill and passed into law.

I’m pleased that the Obama administration recognizes the need to promote clean, renewable energy and curb America’s dependence on fossil fuels. But we still have a lot more work to do, and I’m glad to know that Seattle will be helping lead the way.