Business Council for Sustainable Energy sends priorities to Congressional leaders

The Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) is reaching out to Congress members on the opportunity for clean energy and energy efficiency to provide economic stimulus.

In a letter to Congressional leaders, the group outlined what they believe should be three priorities for members of Congress on clean energy. One, they suggest enacting legislation to fund energy programs managed by federal agencies, including programs that leverage private sector capital. Two, they call for a durable and long-term clean energy tax policy. Three, they urge workforce development support to make clean energy careers accessible to more Americans and support advanced manufacturing in the U.S.

“Clean energy must be recognized as a key component to any infrastructure legislation. America’s energy system is inseparable from the rest of our country’s infrastructure. National security, climate resilience, and economic growth all depend on America’s energy system and the ongoing clean energy transformation,” BCSE President Lisa Jacobson said. “The crisis in Texas, Mississippi, and other states that began with last month’s extreme cold weather showed that the resilience of the electricity and natural gas systems protect our transportation and water infrastructure and are critical to the health and safety of every household. States and cities are on the front lines of infrastructure planning and resilience, and the federal government has a critical role in supporting investments that will serve the whole country.”

The letter was sent to Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Kevin McCarty (R-CA).

“The BCSE coalition advocates for federal funding to go towards initiatives that support new and existing research, development, demonstration and deployment efforts, and that leverage private sector capital. These recommendations are based on successful precedent and bipartisan values, we look forward to working with Congress on improving American infrastructure,” Jacobson added.

The BCSE is a coalition of companies and trade associations from the energy efficiency, energy storage, natural gas, renewable energy, sustainable transportation, and emerging decarbonization technology industries.