CCAGW Annual Ratings

Clean Energy Package – Passage

Description: 

Passage of the bill, as amended, that would authorize Energy Department activities and programs related to renewable and alternative energy, energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and energy infrastructure and workforce development. It would authorize or reauthorize a wide range of DOE research and development programs through fiscal 2025, including to authorize over $5.5 billion for programs related to renewable energy technologies, including solar, wind, geothermal and water power; $3.5 billion for programs to modernize and improve the national electric grid; a number of carbon reduction programs, including $3.2 billion for a carbon storage program; and a number of nuclear energy programs, including $174 million to support the availability of high-assay low enriched uranium. It would authorize $3.3 billion through fiscal 2025 for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. It would authorize $3.5 billion annually through fiscal 2025 for an expanded block grant program to help reduce industrial energy usage. It would authorize programs to promote the use and development of plug-in electric vehicles, including $2.5 billion annually through fiscal 2025 for a grant program for domestic manufacturing of electric vehicle technologies. It would authorize $20 billion over five years for the Energy Department to establish a "sustainability accelerator" to finance projects to deploy and scale new technologies to reduce U.S. emissions, including to assist communities impacted by climate change and the transition to clean energy. It would authorize a number of energy industry workforce development programs, including DOE and Labor Department programs providing grants to pay wages of employees training to work in renewable energy, energy efficiency, or grid modernization. It would reauthorize and modify the DOE weatherization assistance program to support the installation of energy efficient technologies in low-income households. It would require all federal agencies to assess public health impacts of proposed actions that may affect communities disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards; require the EPA to take actions to identify disproportionate health and environmental effects on communities of color and low-income communities; and authorize $5 billion through fiscal 2025 for grants to local governments or nonprofits for environmental justice projects. Among other provisions, it would encourage updates to building energy codes; authorize EPA programs to research and address the public health effects of wildfire smoke; require all projects funded by the bill to use iron, steel, and manufactured goods produced in the U.S; and require contractors for funded projects to meet prevailing wage requirements for laborers and mechanics.

Vote Number: 
House Vote 206
Bill Number: 
HR 4447
CCAGW Position: 
Nay
Vote Results: 
Passed 220-185: R 7-166; D 213-18; I 0-0; O 0-1.