Latest news with #CitizensClimateLobby
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Climate watch: Why Congress must not pull the plug on PA's clean energy progress
On May 22, the House of Representatives voted to pass a budget bill that drastically cuts America's clean energy tax credits. I'm disappointed to see that the House advanced this legislation. Make no mistake: These cuts will hurt Pennsylvania if they go on to become law. Experts are already warning that these changes would raise energy costs for American households, increase pollution, and threaten growing economic investments in the commonwealth. The House passage of this bill just put these investments at risk. Federal tax credits — designed to boost clean energy manufacturing in the U.S. — have been working. Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, Pennsylvania has benefited from just under $3.5 billion in investments in 34 clean energy projects to create more than 7,900 jobs. That's according to an analysis by Citizens' Climate Lobby. An outsized chunk of that investment is in the state's 15th Congressional District, represented in Congress by Glenn Thompson. Nine projects — eight solar and one for electric transmission lines — have spurred $1.7 billion in investments in PA15 with an estimated 2,550 jobs to be created. The tax credits were passed by Democrats, so they have been an easy target for Republican attacks. But the legislation has overwhelmingly benefited Republican-held districts — 78% of the funding has gone to rural and suburban areas held by the GOP. That success story, however, could unravel quickly. The legislation is now in the Senate's hands, and the House passage has set them on a path toward drastic cuts. If the cuts become law, energy prices will rise. Manufacturing will slow. Phasing out tax credits that support clean energy manufacturing will jeopardize long-term projects. Eliminating clean vehicle tax credits could put up to 100% of planned EV plant construction and a significant portion of existing capacity at risk, according to industry analysis. Households and local businesses will take a huge hit. A rollback of tax credits for home energy upgrades such as rooftop solar is a blow to Pennsylvanians who've been using these tools to cut energy bills. Incentives have made it easier for homeowners to install solar panels, save money, and even help stabilize America's power grid. But those benefits — and the local businesses that depend on them — are in jeopardy if Congress moves forward with these cuts. By contrast, if Congress protects clean energy tax credits, it would be a giant boost to the commonwealth's economy over the next decade. Analysis by American Clean Power and ICF estimates that continuing clean energy incentives will be a $65 billion economic boost to our state in the next 10 years and support more than 35,000 in full-time jobs in Pennsylvania annually. Encouragingly, a growing number of Republican members of Congress are vocalizing their support for the clean energy tax credits. Four Republican Senators recently sent a letter to leadership last month saying repeal would 'lead to significant disruptions for the American people and weaken our position as a global energy leader.' The numbers are clear: clean energy tax credits work for Pennsylvania. Undoing them now — as the House just voted to do — would be reckless and harmful. I urge Senators David McCormick and John Fetterman to work with their colleagues in the Senate to protect these tax credits. Lisa Richardson is co-leader of the State College chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Clean energy advocates concerned about how federal cuts and freezes could affect clean energy efficiency programs in the CSRA
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – State Senator Harold Jones and local clean energy leaders are speaking out about how those cuts could impact the funding of clean energy programs and what that means for the community. Programs like the Weatherization Assistance Program and Solar for All help lower utility costs for some Georgia families. They also promote workforce development, home energy savings, and address climate issues. Georgia State Senator Harold Jones is opposed to those cuts. He says they'll raise costs and cut jobs. 'These are not buzz words about clean energy or weatherization,' said State Senator Harold Jones. 'These things actually matter to people. Actually, puts more money in their pockets. Also improves the economy and the environment. All of that is connected to actually having a better society.' Nicole Lee is a business owner who has seen how weatherization and solar power help low- to moderate-income families save hundreds of dollars in utility costs thanks to these programs. 'Just to see the widespread of ones solar as well as weatherization work in in multiple states and seeing the impact that it helps in LMI communities is astonishing, and so I'm hoping that you know bipartisan funding is able to be passed so that these programs can continue to exist,' said Nicole Lee, Owner of Be Smart Home Solutions. Paige Brockmeyer is part of the Citizens Climate Lobby in Augusta and wants to encourage people to continue reaching out to state and federal lawmakers and encourage them to vote against cuts to these programs. She says the health of Georgians depends on it. 'The more particulate matter that's in the air from burning fossil fuels, the more respiratory problems we have. So, that's kind of at one level, and at another level, you have events like Hurricane Helene,' said Paige Brockmeyer, Volunteer Group Leader, Citizens Climate Lobby Augusta. The speakers wanted to bring attention to Georgia's congressional delegation to protect these programs so that only the heat rises this summer and not utility costs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
14-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Two R.I. bills offer a way to fund climate action. The cost of doing nothing is far greater.
That's right, ordinary Advertisement This year, the Rhode Island Legislature will consider two bills designed to rectify this situation. Both are based on a principle so simple that every kindergartener understands: If you make the mess, you clean it up. Advertisement One would think this legislation would be a slam dunk, given that two-thirds of the public believe fossil fuel companies should help pay for the carnage they have caused. But money talks, and fossil fuel companies have a lot of it. So the question becomes whether legislators and the governor have the political will needed to correct this upside-down world where the victims pay while the perpetrators make staggering profits? In 2024, ExxonMobil earned profits at $70,513 a minute and But that's an empty threat intended to scare off legislators who are concerned that rising utilities bills are a top concern for their constituents. In reality, oil and gas prices are set by global markets, not individual companies, and if a company were to raise its prices, suppliers would just buy the fuel elsewhere. In addition, the Climate Resilience Act uses a substantial portion of the money raised to provide rebates to individuals and businesses to offset any minor rate increases. While we're talking about consumers, let's not forget the staggering cost of doing nothing. I'm referring to that pesky $182 billion taxpayers spend a year to deal with climate disasters. Advertisement So why are these bills so important? * Because here in the Ocean State, we are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and the violent storms caused by climate change. * Because the bills will provide funding for projects to make our state more resilient. * Because they will help pay for the damage already caused by climate change. * Because the transition to clean energy will create hundreds, if not thousands, of well-paying jobs and boost the economy. * Because the cost of doing nothing is far greater. * Because we're on our own now. Let's face it, the federal government has abandoned us. The Trump administration is openly hostile to clean energy, has cut off all climate funding to the states, and would rather give tax breaks to the rich than protect ordinary citizens. But the most powerful reason we need to take action now is that our children's future depends on it. We inherited an enormously beautiful planet and it is our responsibility to pass on that planet —unharmed — to the people we love most. Providence-based writer Bill Ibelle is a member of and the Rhode Island chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
This is no way to run a country. DOGE's reckless actions aren't the solution
I'm angry. In Citizens Climate Lobby (an organization that I volunteer with), we play by the rules. We work with the public and with our members of Congress to find common ground so that Congress will pass laws that make our country a better place to live. Polluters pay for impacts of their pollution on others, and those impacted by the pollution are compensated with payments ultimately coming from polluters. The rules don't seem to matter anymore. The Trump administration is proceeding with its dismantling of the federal government regardless of the laws appropriating funds and directing the executive branch to implement them. They are proceeding at a pace so rapid that the courts cannot keep up with them. By the time the courts have ruled (almost always against them), the damage has been done and won't easily be repaired, even if the Trump administration complies with court rulings. So far, the record of compliance has not been encouraging. Yes, there is massive fraud in government. People cheat on taxes to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars a year. There was at least $9 billion in fraud when 4 trillion dollars was rapidly dispersed during the Covid pandemic. Yes, there is waste. The waste by the U.S. military is so great that no one knows how much it is. The solution is not to gut the government. Identifying fraud and waste is hard work. It takes skilled investigators care and time to set up processes that catch fraud and waste. Gutting government just makes it less risky to cheat on taxes, less likely to identify waste, and harder to distribute government funds to the people who need it or will deliver the services we expect. If someone claiming to be serious about fraud and waste fires the people who are skilled at identifying it, they are lying. They are inviting more fraud and waste. Moreover, federal employment is only 6.6% of federal spending. Most federal spending is on payments to those who've either paid into social security and medicare or have the unfortunate inability to support themselves, on payments for vital services such as national defense and domestic security, or on payments on the federal debt. If we automate every government function and fire every worker, government spending would decline by only 6.6%. That's not nothing, but we can't automate every government function. Further reductions in spending would require painful reductions in payments for social security, medicare, medicaid, defense, and foreign aid. Congress makes those decisions, not the Executive branch. If we are truly serious about reducing government waste and fraud and making it more efficient, let's apply the skill of a surgeon to government, investing in teams to automate processes that distribute funds and identify waste and fraud (ironically, one of the teams doing that was terminated by DOGE). But we must recognize that many of those government functions cannot be fully automated. We do have a federal deficit problem. Democrats love to spend. Republicans hate taxes. If someone claiming to be serious about the deficit focuses only on restraining spending or only on increasing taxes, they are lying. Any serious attempt to address the deficit will both reduce spending and increase taxes. Extending the 2017 tax cuts is unsustainable without very painful cuts in foreign and domestic federal spending. How much must people suffer so that we can have our beloved tax cuts? I'm angry. Our government is being dismantled, not because that is what most people voted for, not because it's reducing fraud and waste, not because it's going to reduce the federal deficit. It's being dismantled so most of us can pay 1-2% less in federal taxes and are free to pollute without paying for its impacts. Is that what you want? Tell your representatives in Congress what you want. Climate scientist Steve Ghan leads the Tri-Cities chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby.
