Pelosi: Obama Administration Takes Bold Steps to Transition to a Clean Energy Future

Pelosi: Obama Administration Takes Bold Steps to Transition to a Clean Energy
Future

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi released
the following statement on a new series of Administration clean energy
announcements, made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,
including a $3.4 billion investment in the smart energy grid; the reopening of
a former auto manufacturing plant in Delaware in order to produce electric
hybrid vehicles; and the first round of awards under the Advanced Research
Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) program.

"As the Senate moves forward in its consideration of the Kerry-Boxer clean
energy jobs legislation, the Obama Administration has taken solid steps
forward this week to move our nation toward a clean energy future. These
announcements by the Administration show that the Recovery Act is working to
create new clean energy jobs to put people back to work, revolutionize the way
we power our economy, and drive American innovation.

"The Recovery Act is giving investors the confidence they need to leverage
private funds to create even more jobs, put us on a path to energy security,
and help reduce global warming."

New Poll Highlights American Support for Clean Energy Bill

As the Senate prepares to move forward with this critical clean energy
legislation, a new poll shows six in ten Americans - including six in ten
Independents - support cap and trade proposals moving through Congress to cut
pollution and encourage investment in renewable energy sources.

On June 26th, the House passed the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES)
Act, H.R. 2454, to revitalize our economy by creating millions of new clean
energy jobs that cannot be shipped overseas, increase our national security by
reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and preserve our planet by reducing
the carbon pollution that causes global warming.

The House bill will:

CREATE AND SAVE JOBS: Moving to a clean energy economy and transitioning off
foreign oil will create whole new industries and millions of new jobs. A
recent jobs study concluded that the American Clean Energy and Security Act
and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would create 1.7 million new
clean energy jobs. [Center for American Progress]

MAKE US MORE ENERGY INDEPENDENT: The American Clean Energy and Security Act
combined with the 2007 energy bill and the Obama Administration's plan to ramp
up vehicle fuel efficiency standards will cut the use of oil by more than 5
million barrels a day in 2030. That is equivalent to all the oil we currently
import from the Middle East and Venezuela and one fourth of our nation's
current total daily consumption.

REDUCE POLLUTION/FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING: The American Clean Energy and Security
Act would reduce total global warming emissions 83 percent below 2005 levels
by 2050. The efficiency savings alone will reduce projected carbon pollution
in 2020 by the equivalent of taking 57 million cars off the road for a year.
[ACEEE]

KEEPS COSTS LOW: Transitioning from foreign oil and creating millions of jobs
will have minimal impact on average households -- just 22 to 30 cents a day --
less than a postage stamp -- or $80 to $111 per year. [EPA] The bill helps all
consumers with price spike protection, with additional monthly energy refunds
so those in need will see no cost. The bill will not increase the federal
deficit. Investing in energy efficiency technology will save the average
American household more than $4,000 by 2030. [ACEEE]

Learn more about the American Clean Energy and Security Act here.

SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House

Brendan Daly or Nadeam Elshami or Drew Hammill, +1-202-226-7616, all of the
Office of the Speaker of the House