US Energy Bill Expected to Die, Science Group Offers Reaction

Statement by Rob Cowin, Director of Government Affairs in the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists

Published Dec 8, 2016

WASHINGTON (December 8, 2016)—Congress is poised to adjourn without acting on an energy bill, a development the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) called  disheartening as the legislation was one of the few bipartisan measures both parties could have gotten behind.

Below is a statement by Rob Cowin, director of government affairs for the Climate and Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“The demise of the energy bill is a missed opportunity to reduce energy consumption and modernize our outdated electric grid. Senators Murkowski and Cantwell deserve high praise for doing the hard work of putting together a bill that was supported overwhelmingly by both parties in the Senate. Unfortunately the House took a much more partisan and divisive approach, with the speaker ultimately walking away from two years of bipartisan work.

“While the Senate legislation was only a modest step in the right direction on energy efficiency and clean energy infrastructure, doing absolutely nothing isn’t a defensible position; especially given the need to rapidly transition to a clean energy economy to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. This outcome is disappointing.”