Senator Coons leads bipartisan call for clean energy action

As a leading voice on clean energy innovation in the United States Senate, Senator Coons led a bipartisan group of 26 Senators in calling for Energy Secretary Steven Chu to help speed the development of alternative energy technologies by focusing on critical market development and innovation issues.

The Senators co-signed a letter to Secretary Chu which urges the Department of Energy to sponsor a study of clean energy deployment, market development, and financing which would be carried out by the National Academy of Sciences, stating “acting wisely is no less important than acting quickly.”

“The global clean energy race will continue to accelerate at an ever increasing pace with – or without – the United States in the running,” the Senators write in this morning’s letter. “Especially disturbing is the growing gap between our progress and that of nations taking the lead in the later stages of the energy value chain – the deployment, finance, manufacture, and consumption in domestic and export markets.  The United States must adopt a sustainable set of policies to recapture our leadership role in clean energy.”

The study would address the deployment of energy technologies and market dynamics that are inhibiting the U.S. from meeting its critical energy goals. Such a study will build upon previous studies of this kind which have led to important legislative advances. This includes a 2005 report titled Rising Above the Gathering Storm, which led to the passage of the America COMPETES Act. Chris is a strong supporter of the America COMPETES Act, which makes strategic investments in game-changing technologies as well as science, technology, engineering, and math education.

Click here to learn more about Chris’ work on clean energy and jobs.