New Dems Unveil Plan for Investing in America’s Energy Future

Washington D.C. - Today, the New Democrat Coalition, led by the Coalition's Energy Task Force, announced key energy principles to build America's clean energy future.

New Democrats are committed to swift and thoughtful action to ensure that as comprehensive energy and climate change legislation is drafted there is a common-sense approach to addressing our energy needs.  The New Dems believe an investment in America's energy future should support economic growth, national security, innovation and entrepreneurship.  At the same time any energy legislation must promote market certainty and contain incentives to promote stability, innovation and energy efficiency.

"The New Dems are putting the force of its members behind the effort to develop a comprehensive energy plan for America," said Congressman Joseph Crowley (NY-07), a leader of the New Dem Coalition.  "We are committed to enacting a 21st century energy policy that invests in cleaner, renewable energy, enhances our nation's security and economy, and taps into American ingenuity and innovation so we can harness and expand domestic energy technologies.  I applaud our taskforce co-chairs Rep. Klein and Rep. Halvorson for their leadership on this critical issue, and look forward to working with them and the House leadership to make energy reform a reality."

"As New Democrats, we are committed to building a clean energy future that will create jobs and revive our economy," said Representative Ron Klein (FL-22), Co-Chair of the Energy Task Force. "Any common-sense approach to solving our energy crisis must support American innovation and entrepreneurship. Our scientists and researchers are the greatest in the world, and they must once again lead the way in developing clean, affordable renewable energy technologies."

Representative Debbie Halvorson, Co-Chair of the Energy Task Force (IL-11) said, "It's so important that we address America's energy challenges in a responsible and effective manner.  These principles will guide the New Democrats in our support for clean energy legislation that will create jobs and enhance our national security by reducing our reliance on foreign oil."

"I applaud the New Democrat Coalition for coming together to make this commitment to comprehensive climate change legislation," said Representative Jay Inslee (WA-01), Member of the New Democrat Coalition. "Climate legislation will be an economic engine, spurring millions of new green collar jobs in clean technology industries all around the country.  We must make our own solar panels and advanced batteries here in the US, instead of relying on imports from Germany and Korea."

The New Dem Energy Task Force is made up of members dedicated to investing in America's clean energy future. The Task Force's principles, which have been endorsed by the full Coalition, will focus on the following four key areas that can serve as a catalyst for economic growth, innovation and entrepreneurship:

Building a Clean Energy Future
New Dems are committed to establishing clean energy incentives that encourage the private sector to develop and implement energy efficient technologies and reduce carbon emissions.   A carbon reduction program should have firm timelines for reductions that are based on the best available scientific, technological, and economic information.  The program should reward early action to help affected communities transition to a greener economy, with a focus on investing in renewable energy and the technology and jobs of the future.  Transportation and other industry efficiency aspects should be considered as an accompaniment to a carbon reduction program as a means to aid in the reduction of carbon emissions.

Research and Development
New Dems support increasing investment in research and development in order to speed market deployment of existing green technology and at the same time, invest in revolutionary advances.  New Dems believe in improving cooperation within the Department of Energy and across agencies so that federal Research and Development efforts can address broader policy goals with a multidisciplinary approach.

New Dems believe that we must have a clear and thorough plan to ensure that the U.S. will lead the world in developing advanced vehicle technologies.  This will require both public and private investment in leapfrogging the engine technology of today's automakers worldwide and focus on speedily deploying the technology of the future, including advanced battery technology.  Ultimately, the transition to next generation vehicles, including electric vehicles, must reduce the transportation sector's impact on the environment and our national security while helping rebuild our domestic manufacturing base.

Energy Efficiency
New Dems support measures that will increase energy efficiency and incentivize Americans to "green" their homes and businesses and make them more sustainable for the future.  New Dems believe that a federal energy efficiency standard should be comprehensive and include innovative technologies of the future.

New Dems  are committed to working towards the implementation of a smarter energy distribution grid that takes into account the nation's growing energy needs, the diverse sources of renewable energy, regional differences in terms of energy resources and production, affordability for businesses and individuals, and energy efficiency management.

New Dems support increasing the total amount of advanced renewable biofuels used as part of the country's motor fuel usage to help increase energy security, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, improve our trade deficit, and create new opportunities for domestic businesses.

Market Certainty
New Dems support the use of tax incentives to help make American businesses more competitive in a global marketplace. Tax incentives can be used as a means to promote the growth of businesses and industries that are working towards more efficient management of our nation's energy usage, advancing the use of alternative and renewable fuel sources, and reducing their impact on the global environment.  Additionally, New Dems support policies that harness and incentivize American innovation that contributes to the growth and prosperity of the domestic economy

New Dems seek to encourage private investment in the renewable energy industry by supporting long-term measures that can provide certainty to the markets.  At the same time, New Dems support the creation of a Clean Energy Investment Fund to support deployment of clean energy technologies including through direct support of loans, loan guarantees, and other credit enhancements as well as secondary market support to develop products such as clean energy-backed bonds that would allow less expensive lending in the private sector.

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