CALLING ON CONGRESS TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL CLEAN ENERGY STANDARD

WHEREAS, diversifying our nation’s energy portfolio decreases our reliance on individual energy sources and minimizes the impact of a disruption to our energy supply; and

WHEREAS, promoting clean energy is crucial to increasing American energy independence and enhancing national security; and

WHEREAS, clean energy has the capacity to meet America’s energy needs while producing less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional energy sources; and

WHEREAS, 29 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have already developed and implemented clean energy portfolio standards on a bipartisan basis; and

WHEREAS, President Obama has set a goal of delivering 80% of the nation’s electricity from clean sources by 2035; and

WHEREAS, the lack of a national clean energy standard leaves American clean energy businesses at a disadvantage on the international market and has contributed to a growing clean energy trade deficit; and

WHEREAS, a national clean energy standard would provide the private sector with market certainty, allowing companies to invest in the development of innovative new energy technologies and leading to the creation of new, sustainable jobs in the energy sector; and

WHEREAS, over 1,050 mayors have signed The U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, pledging their commitment to reducing their communities’ greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent from their 1990 levels; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has endorsed a national goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050; and

WHEREAS, the Energy Information Administration has reported that under a clean energy standard, carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector would decrease by an estimated 43% by 2035,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors calls upon Congress to pass legislation that establishes a national clean energy standard and sets concrete clean energy goals; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this clean energy standard should allow for a diverse mix of clean energy technologies, in order to account for the regional availability of energy resources and disparities between regional electricity markets; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that clean energy legislation should provide new resources for local governments to be leaders in the growing clean energy economy, including funding for local energy efficiency and renewable energy investments.