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Arizona lawmaker succeeds in boosting solar provisions in the American Clean Energy and Security Act
WASHINGTON –U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today voted for the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a bill that will lead to the creation of new jobs, a stronger economy and a reduced dependence on foreign energy.
“Our great nation needs an energy policy that is focused on the future, not the past,” said Giffords. “Americans currently spend more than $400 billion a year overseas to buy foreign energy. This weakens our economy, strengthens our enemies, and undermines our national security. We need to tap our own sources of clean and renewable energy, like the abundant sunshine we have in Arizona. The American Clean Energy and Security Act will move us toward this goal by spurring the creation of new businesses and protecting our environment.”
The American Clean Energy and Security Act passed the House today in a 219 to 212 vote. It now goes before the Senate.
The legislation is supported locally and nationally by a diverse group of businesses, organizations, and community leaders. Among them is Paul Bonavia, Chairman, President and CEO of Tucson Electric Power and its parent company, UniSource Energy Corporation.
“The time has come to enact climate change legislation. TEP is already working toward this bill's goals, and we look forward to the opportunity to further establish TEP as a renewable energy leader,” Bonavia said. “I’m encouraged by the progress that has been made with this legislation, and I'm hopeful that the final bill will help our nation rein in greenhouse gas emissions without imposing too high a cost on the families and businesses that pay our electric bills. We want to thank Congresswoman Giffords for her leadership on this very important issue.”
Bonavia’s comments were echoed by Tom Warne, a Tucson commercial real estate developer, Lea Marquez Peterson, the owner and broker of TucsonBizforSale.com., and Jane Poynter, president and chairwoman of Paragon Space Development Corporation.
“I applaud Congresswoman Giffords for her support for the American Clean Energy and Security Act,” Warne said. “This legislation represents a significant accomplishment for Arizona and our nation. It will boost our local economy by expanding the use of solar power and creating well-paying jobs. It also will put our nation at the forefront of the global effort to reduce carbon emissions as we launch a new energy policy that reduces our dependence on fossil fuels. Congresswoman Giffords did the right thing by voting for the American Clean Energy and Security Act.”
Said Marquez Peterson, “The American Clean Energy and Security Act is a fair compromise. It is important to me that this legislation is supported by major American corporations and intensive energy users like Dow Chemical and Alcoa, as well as electrical utilities such as Tucson Electric Power. During these difficult economic times, I also appreciate the focus on job creation and laying a strong foundation for future economic prosperity.”
Poynter noted that the American Clean Energy and Security Act will have a direct impact on our economy and environment.
“As a small business owner I recognize this opportunity to increase Arizona’s competitive edge in research and development, including solar power generation, water conservation, and even Paragon’s own carbon sequestration technologies,” she said. “I applaud Congresswoman Giffords’ leadership on this critical issue and her support of this important legislation.”
The American Clean Energy and Security Act recognizes that there are better ways to make and use energy than continuing our dependence on foreign sources of energy that jeopardize our national security and threaten our environment. One of the key ways it achieves this goal is the inclusion of measures that promote the expanded use of solar energy.
At the insistence of Giffords and Reps. Dina Titus of Nevada and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, the legislation included a provision to increase the use of renewable sources of energy by the federal government – the nation’s largest energy consumer. The lawmakers’ efforts won the praise of Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
“Representatives Giffords, Titus and Heinrich worked to strengthen the renewable energy provisions that will help create clean energy jobs in the West and across the country,” Hoyer said. “Understanding the tremendous potential of renewable energy sources in their states to jumpstart the economy and power our future, they have worked together with the Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition to craft provisions that will significantly increase the use of renewable power by the federal government. This added demand for renewable energy will reduce costs and create good jobs in emerging industries like solar and wind – resources that are abundant in the Southwest. I congratulate my colleagues for their success in getting this amendment included and thank them for their leadership on this bill.”
In voting for the American Clean Energy and Security Act, Giffords said she was influenced by an analysis of the bill that was recently completed by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. The CBO found that for many families, the costs of the legislation will be minimal — and that the consumer protection provisions in the legislation, which include energy rebates and tax credits, will largely mitigate the financial impact for low-income families.
An analysis of the impacts on Arizona’s 8th Congressional District found that:
• For the average household in the district, costs from the legislation will be only $168 annually – that’s 46 cents per day, or about the cost of a postage stamp.
• There are an estimated 50,000 low-income households in the district that will see a net income gain as a result of the consumer protection provisions in the ACES legislation.
• For 40 percent of the households in the district — an estimated 120,000 families — net average annual costs will be less than $40.
Giffords said that one of the most exciting aspects of the American Clean Energy and Security Act is the way it benefits consumers over the long-term. An analysis of the legislation by the Environmental Protection Agency found that because the many provisions to increase energy efficiency in appliances and buildings, the bill would actually reduce utility bills by approximately 7 percent in 2020. Based on current utility spending data, this would result in an average savings of approximately $130 per household.
Giffords said she also considered a study by the Center for American Progress that found that Arizona could see a net increase of about $2.8 billion in investment revenue and 30,000 jobs based on its share of the $150 billion in annual clean energy investments.
The American Clean Energy Security Act would:
• Reduce greenhouse gases emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050 through a market-based program that allows pollution permits to be bought and sold.
• Protect consumers from rising energy costs by giving rebates and credits to low-income households.
• Limit emissions from major industrial sources, including power plants, factories, refineries and electricity and natural gas distributors. (Emissions from agriculture would be excluded.)
• Control carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels and limit six other greenhouse gases.
• Allow companies to meet emission-limiting targets by investing in offset projects such as tree planting and forest protection.
• Require electric utilities to produce at least 12 percent of their power from renewable sources such wind and solar energy by 2020, and require as much as 8 percent in energy efficiency savings.
• Impose tighter performance standards on new coal-fired power plants while providing $1 billion a year to develop technology to capture carbon dioxide from such plants.
• Establish standards that will require new buildings to be 30 percent more energy-efficient by 2012 and 50 percent more efficient by 2016.
“We need to get America running on clean energy,” Giffords said. “No question about it, this will be good for our environment. But more importantly, clean energy makes good financial sense. The bill we passed today is about jobs and getting our economy back on track. Clean energy can help jumpstart our economy. We’ve seen that right here in Arizona, where a small but vibrant solar energy industry is taking root. Arizona can be a world leader in solar energy production and use. The American Clean Energy and Security Act will help us achieve this goal.”