MARKEY what happened to your bill?(The American Clean Energy and Security Act)

In its current state, the bill falls far short of the policies needed to transition from a dirty energy economy to a clean energy economy. Despite the changes sought by the electorate in 2008, nothing has really changed in Washington. Lobbyists for the fuel and coal industry have been allowed to hijack the bill and include provisions that would satisfy their own interests at the expense of the public good.

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p>The Markey Waxman bill should be drastically changed or dropped.

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p>Dump the cap and trade provisions and carbon capture and sequestration provisions as they currently stand.

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p>Pass a federal Renewable Electricity Standard that mandates at least 25% renewables by 2025.

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p>Pass a federal Energy Efficiency Resource Standards that requires at least a 15% reduction in energy usage by electric utilities by 2020.

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p>Pass separate climate legislation that forces the auction of allowances or imposes a carbon tax on polluters and gives the proceeds to the public (a revenue neutral carbon tax).

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p>Here’s where the bill fails

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p>It provides $10 billion in research for carbon capture sequestration (CCS) research signaling to the coal industry that Congress envisions an energy future based on coal.

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p>The requirements that polluters create energy from renewable energy sources. They are so weak that they will make little to no difference in the deployment of renewable energy technology.

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p>The cap on emissions is too weak and loopholes further erode the ability for the US to adequately address global warming.

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p>The bill’s provisions favor the utility and oil industries over ratepayers and consumers by giving these industries hundreds of billions of dollars in carbon allowances while providing no protection for electric utility ratepayers for rate increases related to the sale and cost of allowances.

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p>The legislation provides for the appearance of a moratorium on coal plants. In reality, the bill exempts 45 coal plants that are in various stages of permitting or approval.