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2009 Congressional Proposals
Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act
On September 30, 2009, Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer introduced in the Senate comprehensive legislation to create clean energy jobs, reduce pollution, and protect American security by enhancing domestic energy production and combating global climate change. The Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act is the first comprehensive energy and climate bill to be introduced in the Senate since the House’s passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454) in June 2009.
The Kerry-Boxer legislation is divided into two parts:
- Division A establishes a number of programs to promote clean energy and energy efficiency, assist communities in adapting to climate change, and provide relief for displaced workers.
- Division B creates an economy-wide global warming pollution reduction and investment program to establish a declining limit on global warming pollution and to spur private investment in technologies to reduce global warming pollution.
See the section by section summary of the bill.
American Clean Energy and Security Act
On June 26, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 219-212 to approve H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES Act). This comprehensive national climate and energy legislation calls for an economy-wide, greenhouse gas cap-and-trade system and critical complementary measures to help address climate change and build a clean energy economy.
The ACES Act was introduced on May 15 by Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey (D-MA). The Chairmen introduced an ACES Act discussion draft on March 31.
The American Clean Energy and Security Act has five titles:
- a “clean energy” title that promotes renewable sources of energy, energy efficiency, carbon capture and sequestration technologies, performance standards for new coal-fueled power plants, R&D support for new electric vehicles, and advancement of the smart grid;
- an “energy efficiency” title that increases energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, including buildings, appliances, transportation, and industry;
- a “global warming” title that creates a federal cap-and-trade program; and
- a “transitioning” title that protects U.S. consumers and industry and promotes green jobs during the transition to a clean energy economy.
- an "offsets" title that establishes an offset credit program from domestic agricultural and forestry sources
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Additional Information
For more information on federal climate legislation, see the Pew Center on Global Climate Change
