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Energy Legislation in Congress

In October 2007, Senator Lieberman (I-CT) and Senator Warner (R-VA) introduced climate change legislation before the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works. In May 2008 California Senator Barbara Boxer introduced a substitute, S. 3036- America’s Climate Security Act -outlining a plan for massive changes to how industrial polluters manage and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.  Learn more

While serious consideration of climate legislation is itself a sign of progress, the bill falls short of achieving the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emission reduction mandates and provides outrages giveaways to the fossil fuel industries that instigated the climate crisis and the already heavily subsidized nuclear industry.

Public Citizen opposes the current bill unless it gets significantly strengthened by including a tougher emissions standard -80 percent carbon reductions by 2050- and a 100 percent auction on carbon credits- along the lines of the model legislation introduced by Rep. Markey (D-Mass).  The funds collected from the auction should be directed toward financial assistance for taxpayers struggling with ever-increasing energy bills and provide financial subsidies to help households install solar panels, make eco-friendly improvements to their home and purchase super fuel efficient hybrid vehicles.  Further, auction funds should be invested in programs to spur deployment of clean renewable energy.

Additionally, the bill needs to be stripped of nuclear power subsidies.  To view Public Citizen and five other groups (Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Beyond Nuclear, and Nuclear Information and Resource Service) statement on the Lieberman-Warner bill, click here.

»	Public Citizen Applauds House Vote to Repeal $14 Billion in Oil Subsidies

»	Op-Ed: America needs oil company windfall profits tax

»	Public Citizen's Summary of Energy Industry Giveaways in the Energy Bill

»	Learn more about the Public Utility Holding Company Act

»	Myths and Facts about Oil Refineries in the United States

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