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Dear Friends and Colleagues,
You may have noticed some energy advocates getting ink recently conflating the bipartisan Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act with a pathway to implementing a harmful carbon tax – a criticism that shows a clear lack of understanding for what the bill actually sets out to do. These erroneous claims of the contrary are worthy of correction.
First, I’d like to highlight an informative op-ed written by my colleague, a former White House advisor to President Trump, George David Banks, in a Wyoming newspaper this week that helps set the record straight.
So here it is: CRES supports the PROVE IT Act, and CRES believes that the implementation of a carbon tax or any cap-and-trade-like policy is punitive for American industry and would benefit our economic competitors. Just last week, CRES endorsed Representative Ryan Zinke’s (R-Mont.) resolution condemning any future attempts to implement a carbon tax. We’ve supported such resolutions in the past, too, including those led by U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.). CRES has financially supported the efforts of advocates who work to stop a carbon tax, such as Americans for Tax Reform and the National Taxpayers Union. In our opinion, there are better paths to lowering emissions today for a cleaner tomorrow.
That brings us to this odd conflation of a bill to fund a government study, which the PROVE IT Act commissions, and the assumption it will lead to a carbon tax. The truth is U.S. government already has the necessary data to implement a carbon tax – of course it does. Fortunately, Congress has not authorized it. But what the U.S. government does not have are comparative datasets that capture what we already know to be true: American-produced goods create fewer emissions than goods produced by most other countries, especially our economic competitors. So, let’s prove it with our own data.
As you may know, countries and blocs of countries, such as the European Union, seek to tax U.S. imports, claiming that our products have a higher carbon intensity than their domestically-manufactured products – based on their data on our goods. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather the United States create our own comparative data on our own goods to ensure trading practices with taxing countries are fair. This protects U.S. businesses and rewards those who pollute less, which are some of the reasons why CRES supports the PROVE IT Act. And we are in good company with other PROVE IT Act supports, including the American Iron and Steel Institute, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America and the Steel Manufacturers Association.
Sincerely,
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Heather Reams
CRES President
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“Under both Democratic and Republican administrations, DOE has consistently found that U.S. LNG exports serve the “public interest” because they contribute positive economic benefits and strengthen energy security for the American people, and also have the potential to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.” – House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and dozens of other Representatives in a letter to President Biden demanding the quick approval of all pending applications to increase the global supply of natural gas.
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“Limiting U.S. LNG exports do not have any impact on the world’s demand for natural gas. Instead, countries including Russia and Iran will simply produce more energy that is subject to less stringent environmental regulations. As a result, limiting American LNG exports in the name of stopping climate change could do just the opposite and add to global emissions.” – Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and JD Vance (R-Ohio) in a letter to President Biden and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm urging the reversal of the recent LNG export decision.
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“There are a lot of people in our party who believe that climate change is not real. I’m not one of them, I believe that climate change is real, and I believe that it’s going to take an all-of-the-above type energy strategy for us to address it.” – House Commerce Environment Subcommittee Chair and Conservative Climate Caucus Vice Chair Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) on Politico's Energy Podcast about his priorities this Congress. Listen to the full podcast HERE.
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“The Lower Snake River Dams and the over three-thousand megawatts of electricity they provide, are critical to Chair Rodgers’ district, where hydropower accounts for nearly 70 percent of electricity generation; but hydropower is also critical for states and counties all over the country.” – House Energy and Commerce Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) in opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing on the plan to dismantle the Snake River Dams. Watch the full opening remarks HERE.
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About Biden’s Disruption of U.S. LNG Exports...
“The Biden Administration’s decision to put the brakes on all pending natural gas export projects weakens the United States’ national and global energy security and undercuts the pro-environment agenda he claims to champion.” – CRES President Heather Reams. Read the full statement HERE.
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About the Atomic Energy Advancement Act...
“The advancement of nuclear energy technology is key to meeting growing electricity demand around the world and ensures Americans have access to reliable, affordable and clean power.” – CRES President Heather Reams in support of Rep. Jeff Duncan’s (R-S.C.) Atomic Energy Advancement Act. Learn more about the legislation HERE, and read CRES Forum’s blog HERE.
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💖 CRES Clean Energy Candygrams 💖
Send your Capitol Hill Clean Energy Crush a CRES Candygram this Valentine’s Day! Help us spread the love to U.S. House and Senate Members and staff. You can send a CRES Candygram to your Clean Energy Crush by filling out the form HERE by Monday, February 12, at 12:00 PM EST. |
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CRES Forum hosted their first CRES Academy of the year. More than 35 congressional staffers attended the session, Clean Energy Generation 101, led by CRES Forum Senior Fellows Marty Hall and Dave Banks, as well as CRES Forum Vice President of Policy and Research Richard Campbell. Attendees learned about Republican energy priorities guided by a desire for affordability, reliability, domestic security and ever-increasing clean energy. We look forward to educating the next generation of clean energy experts at future CRES Academy events. Read more about CRES Academy HERE.
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Looking for an up-to-date 2024 congressional calendar to keep track of key dates of the House and Senate? Download the 2024 CRES Congressional Calendar HERE.
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WE’RE HIRING!
CRES is continuing to grow, and we're bolstering our team! If clean energy stirs your passion and you're keen to join a team promoting practical, conservative energy solutions, we want to hear from you! Find out more about our opportunities below and apply at [email protected].
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Tennessee Valley Authority’s All-of-the-Above Energy Approach Turns up the Heat During Winter Storms
Last month, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) avoided rolling blackouts and shattered its power demand record by over a thousand megawatts, ensuring its customers were able to stay warm despite single-digit temperatures and negative wind chills. TVA did so through embracing an all-of-the-above energy portfolio which includes nuclear, natural gas, solar and hydro power.
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Advancements by ESS Signal Energy Storage Progress
ESS Inc., a leading manufacturer of long-duration energy storage (LDES) systems for commercial and utility-scale application, recently announced several exciting updates from commissioning a new project in Missouri to expanding its footprint in California and building its first energy center.
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Bipartisan, Bicameral Congressional Panel Discusses Climate and Trade Policy
The Conservative Climate Foundation (CCF) hosted a panel entitled, “Rewarding Environmental Performance in Trade,” at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai (COP28). The session highlighted the need for the United States to ensure our world-class environmental standards are rewarded – not punished – by international trade policies. The bipartisan panel featured Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif), Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), and was moderated by CEO of Climate Leadership Council Greg Bertelsen.
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