<[link removed]> May 5, 2022 <[link removed]> Resetting the Climate Conversation Time is running out for Congress to strike a deal on a clean energy package. There are less than 30 legislative days on the Senate calendar and even less floor time. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) continues to lead bipartisan talks in the Senate on a possible climate and clean energy package to fill the void left by the failure of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Plan to gain traction in the Senate. There are also a number of Republican proposals making the rounds. For anything to get done this year, though, there will need to be legislative text by early June, which seems like a long shot. Congress needs to shift the way it thinks about the energy transition. The debate in Congress continues to center around not whether the government should intervene in the market but how much intervention is enough. What’s missing is a greater appreciation for the choices of consumers – the demand side of the equation. It’s time for a reset. Policymakers should stop trying to guess the next revolutionary technology and instead champion a market-based energy transition grounded in sound economic policies. Too often, consumers are left out of the discussion entirely. Consumers today are no longer content being the recipient of whatever power utilities send down the wires. Consumers want to be in the driver’s seat, deciding the source of the electricity and the types of services they use. Policymakers should seize the opportunity to harness the consumer power of choice and reduce regulatory obstacles to private investment that’s trying to serve the demand for clean energy and innovative services. If common ground exists between conservative Democrats like Manchin and centrist Republicans, it is around policies that lift up consumer choice and private-sector investment. Too often, though, big government solutions have acted against the interests of consumers. Progressives can argue that there’s no time to wait for the market to solve the climate challenge, but markets have proven faster and nimbler than bureaucracy for a long time now. If the current gridlock in Congress has a silver lining, it’s the opportunity to reset the public debate on energy to focus on policies that prioritize consumer preferences through competitive markets as a better way to achieve our climate goals. Morning Consult is out this morning with an update to its “Taking the Temperature” project, which tracks public opinion on energy and climate policy. The top takeaway is that only about 2 in 5 registered voters are confident that the United States will reduce its carbon emissions and slow the impacts of climate change in the next decade. Democrats who say they are very concerned about climate change are over 60 percent compared to only about 20 percent of Republicans. But actions speak louder than words. As discussed on the Energy Choice Coalition website this week, Republicans are compiling a better record on clean energy in many states than Democrats. More often than not, it’s Democrats standing with monopoly utilities in blocking competition and denying consumers the freedom to produce their electricity with clean energy options like rooftop solar. Republicans are right to reject crony capitalism in the electricity sector. Check out all of Morning Consult’s energy and climate research at morningconsult.com <[link removed]> . What we’re reading… Devin Hartman at the R Street Institute argued on Earth Day that competitive markets are the unsung hero of the clean energy transition. “Inefficient regulation deters new entrants and results in a staggering backlog <[link removed]> of clean energy development. Today’s electric grids are artificially congested because utilities shun lower-cost solutions <[link removed]> , rather than embrace them as competitive enterprises do. Injecting competitive discipline into the operation of transmission assets can <[link removed]> double renewable energy capacity, save consumers tens of billions on electric bills and achieve greater emissions cuts than BBB this decade.” Read the full commentary here <[link removed]> . Are you looking for more Distributed Energy Resource policy nerdery? Check out the DER Task Force’s new website <[link removed]> . As they say, it’s a community that’s “intellectually curious, and open… rebellious and a little bit punk.” Follow us on Twitter <[link removed]> and see up-to-date content on our website <[link removed]> . Sincerely, Robert Dillon, Executive Director <[link removed]> Join Us Join the coalition dedicated to establishing competitive electricity markets in all 50 states. We bring together advocates and stakeholders from all corners of the debate on electricity market design to engage and educate consumers, policymakers, and regulators on the value of competition. Join us in putting consumers first by emailing: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . <[link removed]> When it Comes to Rooftop Solar, Republicans Doing More to Advance Clean Energy <[link removed]> The growth of consumer-owned rooftop solar projects as a solution to decarbonizing the electricity sector has widespread bipartisan support. It’s an effective tool in helping achieve the nation’s clean energy goals while also promoting consumer choice. But if you look at what is happening across the country, it is hard not to notice that while Democrats may talk a lot about the importance of solar energy, it is Republicans who are acting. Read More <[link removed]> <[link removed]> Follow us on Twitter <[link removed]> and on the Web at EnergyChoiceCoalition.org <[link removed]> Energy Choice Coalition 25 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 820 Washington, DC 20001 United States Unsubscribe <[link removed]>