Press Releases

We Need CEPP to Meet Our Climate Commitments

Press Contact: Holly Burke

In response to news reports about the state of negotiations over the proposed Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP) in the Build Back Better Act, Evergreen Action Co-Director Sam Ricketts released the following statement:

“The Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP) is a central part of President Biden’s plan to fight the climate crisis. It’s the single most effective proposal to cut climate pollution in the Build Back Better Act, and it would create nearly 8 million good-paying jobs in communities across America. We need CEPP to meet the climate goals set by the president and required for a livable future. 

“Federal lawmakers in Congress and the Biden Administration must stand up and fight for budget reconciliation legislation that will meet this moment, deliver on President Biden’s plans to cut climate pollution in half by 2030, and build a just and thriving clean energy economy. CEPP is critical to that effort.”

Cleaning up the power sector, especially, through a Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP), is the most impactful climate investment under consideration in Congress. Modeling conducted by Energy Innovation found that the program would be responsible for more than a third of the total greenhouse gas pollution reductions in both the bipartisan and reconciliation infrastructure bills. CEPP is key to delivering on climate.

CEPP is an incentive-based program designed to transition America's power grid toward more carbon-free energy over the course of the decade. The program will deploy a carrot and stick approach to drive an achievable, affordable and reliable clean electricity transition. Independent economic analysis of CEPP found that it would deliver major benefits over the next decade, including: 

  • Expanding the workforce by roughly 7.7 million jobs. 

  • Injecting over $907 billion dollars into the U.S. economy.

  • Raising $154 billion in tax revenue for federal, state, and local governments. 

  • Driving economic development through the construction of over 600 GW of new solar, wind and other clean energy projects. 

 

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