Conservatives Are Cutting A Clear Path To Solving Climate Change. Here’s How
December 9, 2022
Congressional leadership transitions bring forth new committee assignments, new priorities and a new energy policy vision. While some suggest a new Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives will work to undo recent efforts on addressing climate change, we disagree with that premise. Look, economic inflation, high gas and electricity prices, unrest in Eastern Europe, increasing global carbon dioxide emissions and global supply chain chaos are all realities. Combined, there is an ongoing global energy crisis. But how to solve this crisis has created false choices in Washington. Debates on renewables versus fossils, economy versus environment, or 100% global emissions reduction versus inaction in the U.S. are clouding the path forward on the global challenge.
Read MoreConservative climate groups to wield power in GOP House
December 9, 2022
Conservative clean energy groups have built considerable influence with Republican lawmakers over the last four years. Now they’re set to take a leading role as the GOP prepares to take over the House. ClearPath, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions and a coalition of similar organizations have spent millions on lobbying efforts and have consistently gotten an audience with lawmakers to make the case for the “energy innovation” agenda. They’ve become star witnesses for Republicans at hearings. They’ve also helped prod Republicans on climate change, moving the party away from outright denialism. GOP leaders have adopted many of the groups’ energy policy talking points. Leaders of the groups say their ultimate plan is to rival Democratic efforts.
Read MoreJoyce sponsors bipartisan bill to increase state grants related to carbon capture and storage
October 29, 2022
U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) on Oct. 25 sponsored a bipartisan bill that would increase the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s authorized grant funding from $50 million to $100 million to help states pay for expenses related to establishing and operating underground injection control programs for the wells they use to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2). “This bipartisan bill is proof that we can reduce emissions and ensure Americans are good stewards of the environment without sacrificing jobs, hurting our economy, or destroying our energy independence,” Rep. Joyce said. “I’m proud to introduce this legislation and will always fight for policies that allow the United States to provide cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable energy here at home and abroad.”
Read MoreOrganizations Support House Republicans Finalized Plan for Energy, Climate and Conservation Solutions
August 26, 2022
A group of 26 organizations announced their support for the policy framework finalized by the House Republican Energy, Climate and Conservation (ECC) Task Force last week as part of their Commitment with America. In a letter to Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and ECC Lead Garret Graves (R-LA) the organizations stated: “The climate is changing. Understanding the challenge is key, and it is encouraging to see you coming together to develop real solutions. As you know, efforts should not damage America’s economy especially during this period of high inflation and geopolitical instability. Your policy framework recognizes these realities, and is good for the environment, American workers and families, and global competitiveness.”
Read MoreBiden energy secretary insists nuclear essential to clean energy initiatives
August 14, 2022
Jay Faison, in a Fox News op-ed published in Jan. 2020, argued that clean energy supporters “should” support nuclear energy. “It’s easy to say nuclear power is too expensive or unsafe,” Faison wrote. “It’s simple, and the Democratic base likes this claim. However, this point generally confuses the distinction between keeping existing plants open and building new ones.” He notes that no one is advocating for building the “Gen 3” reactors first designed in the 1950s, and that “there are exciting prospects ahead thanks to nuclear innovation.”
Read MoreLow-Emissions Steel Bill Included in CHIPS & Science Act
July 28, 2022
July 28, 2022
ClearPath Action applauds the bipartisan passage of the Steel Upgrading Partnerships and Emissions Reduction (SUPER) Act of 2021 (H.R. 4599) as part of the CHIPS and Science Act. SUPER will strengthen the competitiveness of American steel manufacturing and its supply chain by starting DOE’s first-of-a-kind R&D program focused on low emissions steel production, building off the Clean Industrial Technology Act partially funded through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enacted in 2021.
Read MoreBipartisan senators introduce hydro retrofit bill
July 15, 2022
Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) yesterday introduced legislation aimed at speeding up installation of hydropower facilities at dams around the country. The bill would amend the 2014 Water Resources Reform and Development Act to expedite hydropower retrofits and encourage the Army Corps of Engineers to boost power production at existing facilities.
Read MoreDaines joins effort to bolster hydropower
July 15, 2022
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines is joining an effort to bolster hydropower across the country. Lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill on Thursday that aims to retrofit Army Corps of Engineers dams with hydropower. In a statement, Daines said increasing power at dams will strengthen the electrical grid and provide reliable energy.
Read MoreMcKinley bill would ease permitting for carbon capture
July 12, 2022
West Virginia Republican Rep. David McKinley introduced legislation last week to accelerate permitting for carbon dioxide injection wells, which are a key to enabling carbon capture technology.
Read MoreCheney co-sponsors Critical Minerals Classification Improvement Act
July 7, 2022
U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., has signed on as a co-sponsor of the Critical Minerals Classification Improvement Act. “Wyoming is home to the largest reserves of uranium in the country. It is essential that we maintain a supply of uranium and other fuel and non-fuel use minerals to sustain our economic and national security,” Cheney said in a news release.
Read MoreWhat’s on and off the table for post-SCOTUS climate action
July 5, 2022
As the smoke clears from the Supreme Court’s major climate ruling last week, legal experts and clean energy groups say the country still has many options for achieving a dramatic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Last week, the high court’s conservative majority rejected the Obama administration’s systemic approach to power plant regulation in the Clean Power Plan that it had blocked from going into effect in 2016.
Read MoreNo Air Conditioning? No Thanks.
July 4, 2022
Soaring gas prices hurt the pocketbook, but electricity blackouts could inflict real pain. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) warned in May that two-thirds of the U.S. could experience blackouts this summer. In June, power companies were forced to warn customers in places like the Midwest that they could fall short of ‘needed generation capacity’ during the summer months.
Read MoreClearPath Action Endorses Carbon Dioxide Removal RD&D Bill
June 17, 2022
ClearPath Action welcomes the introduction of the Carbon Removal and Emissions Storage Technologies (CREST) Act of 2022, bipartisan legislation which will authorize research, development, and deployment (RD&D) of innovative carbon dioxide removal and sequestration technologies crucial to meeting America’s emissions reduction goals.The CREST Act was introduced by Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).
Read MoreGOP unveils plan to tackle climate change: non-profit
June 3, 2022
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and House Select Committee on Climate GOP Leader Garret Graves (R-La.) have released a six-point proposal to address climate change and the U.S. energy crisis, according to ClearPath Action, the advocacy arm of the non-profit organization ClearPath.
Read MoreGOP Rolls out New Plan on Climate, Energy
June 3, 2022
The House GOP is rolling out a new energy and climate change plan. How does it differ from the Biden administration’s agenda, and what’s its role in the upcoming elections?
Read MoreA New GOP Climate Plan Is Long on Fossil Fuels, Short on Specifics
June 3, 2022
House Republicans unveiled the initiative in New Mexico’s Permian Basin, with one backer referring to “the awesomeness and the goodness” of the oil and gas industry. An environmentalist called it greenhouse gaslighting.
Read MoreGOP unveils climate agenda with familiar proposals
June 2, 2022
Expanding the use of natural gas and exporting it to allies and other countries is a central pillar to a climate agenda House Republicans unveiled Thursday that runs counter to the overwhelming advice from scientists. Republicans said they would unveil six elements of their energy and climate plan in the next two months in greater detail.
Read MoreHouse GOP rolling out energy and climate plan calling for more production
June 2, 2022
House Republicans will announce a new energy and climate change strategy Thursday that supporters argue can help lower consumer costs and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions while also increasing domestic energy production. The strategy was put together by the House Republicans’ Energy, Climate, and Conservation Task Force as a counter to President Joe Biden’s own climate change agenda.
Read MoreHouse GOP lays out climate strategy to expand U.S. oil and gas production
June 2, 2022
House Republicans laid out a climate strategy Thursday focused on expanding U.S. oil and gas production as a cleaner alternative to foreign suppliers, while making communities more resilient against rising temperatures and flooding.
Read MoreGOP Climate Group Targets Global Carbon Emissions Amid Record Gas Prices
June 2, 2022
A coalition of House Republicans tasked with crafting energy and climate policy are set to unveil a six-point plan Thursday to, in part, curb global greenhouse gas emissions. The plan, proposed by the Energy, Climate, and Conservation (ECC) task force and spearheaded by Louisiana Rep. Garret Graves, will seek to “unlock” American resources, position the U.S. to beat China and Russia, boost innovation and improve conservation policies, according to the conservative green energy group ClearPath Action.
Read MoreHouse Republicans Launch 6-Part Energy, Climate & Conservation Policy Platform
June 2, 2022
As part of the Commitment with America, U.S. House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), House Select Committee on Climate GOP Leader Garret Graves (R-LA), and others from their Energy, Climate, and Conservation (ECC) Task Force rolled out a six-part plan to tackle the ongoing energy crisis and the global climate challenge.
Read MoreA clean, innovative, American energy agenda
April 27, 2022
Economic inflation, post-Covid global supply chain chaos, Russia‘s war in Ukraine, and the onslaught of Chinas effort to dominate markets have combined to bring on a global energy crisis. The question is how do we address these challenges and restore American energy independence while working to solve the climate challenge?
Read MoreClearPath Action Statement on U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) Retirement
April 6, 2022
ClearPath Action released the following statement regarding the announced retirement of U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI). “U.S. Rep. Fred Upton is a true leader, and his level-headed approach to legislating will be sorely missed in Congress and on the House Energy & Commerce Committee. Throughout his tenure, he was a leading Republican voice on finding pragmatic solutions, ensuring the U.S. maintains our energy independence while safeguarding American jobs, and accelerating the competitive deployment of clean energy technologies,” said ClearPath Action CEO Rich Powell.
Read MoreEnergy security depends on modernizing a broken federal permit process
March 11, 2022
As war in Europe underscores the importance of secure energy supply chains, some good news from Nevada shows how the United States can boost domestic supplies of critical minerals and reduce dependence on foreign adversaries, such as Russia and China. Success hinges on the federal government’s capacity to unleash private-sector innovation, not restrict it.
Read MoreThree Fixes to Build Energy Projects Cleaner and Faster
February 28, 2022
Reducing carbon emissions in the U.S. to net zero is achievable. It’s economically sustainable, environmentally essential, technologically feasible and, with some work, even politically viable. But to have a good chance of reaching net zero, we must change the way we regulate the construction of clean energy projects.
Read MoreA Nuclear Energy Solution to Prevent Russian Dominance
February 25, 2022
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have created unease in global energy markets. Oil prices have been unstable, U.S. natural gas producers are watching closely, and growing electricity demand is outpacing renewable generation. In the midst of these dynamics, nuclear energy looks really appealing.
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