Weekly Briefing: Energy Innovation Act, A Powerful Policy To Cut Pollution, Back In Congress
September 27, 2023
It’s a major moment, folks — the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act is back in Congress! This legislation, which CCL has enthusiastically backed since its first introduction in the 115th Congress, is a powerful policy to drive down America’s carbon pollution.
At an event in Santa Barbara, Calif., on Monday, Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) announced his plans to reintroduce the legislation. The Congressman delivered remarks alongside CCL staffer Olivia Melonas and CCL Santa Barbara volunteer Carol Schwyzer, which you can watch on YouTube. And as of today, he has officially reintroduced the bill in the House.
The Energy Innovation Act charges corporate polluters a fee for their carbon pollution, and it gives a carbon cashback to Americans so the clean energy transition is affordable for everyone. It’s the type of policy we’ve always asked Congress to pass, so we’re thrilled to see it back on the table in the House.
Plan to join us for a Zoom call tomorrow night to celebrate the reintroduction, get up to speed on the legislation, and learn what you can do to build support for this legislation in your communities.
In the meantime, make sure to add your voice to the chorus of CCL volunteers who have already sprung into action, sending 1,634 messages to members of Congress in just 24 hours. Ready to send yours?
In other news this week:
• Chart of the Week: Head to CCL’s Nerd Corner for a breakdown of the emissions cuts the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act would deliver if enacted.
• Race and Culture Conversation: Our quarterly Race and Culture Conversation series continues at 7 ET / 4 PT tonight, focusing on affirmative action and its impact on climate advocacy.
Take action this week
If you have a little time: Share social media about the Energy Innovation Act. We’re sounding off on social media about this awesome legislation! Like, share or comment on our posts on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), and LinkedIn.
If you have more time: Plan to attend CCL’s fall conference. Join us Nov. 4-5 for our free virtual conference, “Grassroots Rising: Leveling Up in the Climate Fight.” It's a great opportunity to make sure you're up to speed on where things stand with climate action in Congress and how you can push for more. Register today.
Featured chapter: CCL Hattiesburg
The CCL chapter in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, “has a core group of dedicated people who focus on grassroots outreach, speaking with neighbors on the impacts of a changing world on their local community,” says chapter leader Chris Werle.
One example of that outreach is a two-part seminar they held at the local branch of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, entitled “Climate Change: What’s Happening, and What Can We Do About It.” The chapter also connects with their community through local media. “We have been fortunate to get a valuable outlet for our message with a monthly column in our local newspaper, the Pine Belt News,” Chris says. “The audience is very diverse socially and politically, and the column has given us the chance to communicate with people that we may not otherwise have reached.”
As they build political will for climate action in their community, the chapter makes sure their members of Congress hear about it. They have been meeting consistently with members of Sen. Wicker’s (R-MS) office on Zoom. Keep it up, CCL Hattiesburg!
Have you logged your recent activities in the Action Tracker? Tell us what your chapter has been up to lately.
Want your chapter to be featured? Share your info and photos with us.
Upcoming trainings
9/28: Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act Updates - This training will cover the reintroduction of the Energy Innovation Act and how you can build support for the policy in your community and in Congress. Join us!
10/5: Energy Innovation Act Q&A - Dive deeper into the policy and get all your questions answered by CCL staff. If you are a new volunteer that has joined CCL since the last time the Energy Innovation Act was introduced in Congress, this will be an especially helpful call for you to attend. Join us!
Need training on the basics? Catch our next session of Core Volunteer Training, made for newer volunteers:
10/3: Understanding Congress Basics - Have a question about the legislative process in Congress, or what life is like for staffers on the Hill? This training explores it all, backed by research from the Congressional Management Foundation. Join us!
To see other topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.
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