Rep. Cisneros Votes to Pass Bipartisan Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act

Press Release

Today, Representative Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39) voted to pass the bipartisan Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act--long-overdue reforms to U.S. energy policy and authorizes major investments in the transition to a low-carbon future. It includes programs to develop and deploy renewable and distributed energy resources; improve the efficiency of our homes and businesses; electrify our transportation sector; modernize the grid and enhance its resiliency; prioritize the needs of environmental justice communities; reduce carbon pollution from industrial and traditional sources; and much more.

"In California and the entire West Coast, we've seen first-hand the destructive effects of climate change. Wildfires are devastating communities and upending the lives of countless families. Today, the House took a significant step in not only combating climate change, but also modernizing our energy system, creating jobs, and growing our economy," said Rep. Cisneros. "I'm proud to join my Republican and Democratic colleagues to pass this bipartisan bill to advance energy and climate innovation. Investing in clean energy and next-generation technologies is an investment in the future of our children and the United States."

During consideration of the legislation, Rep. Cisneros successfully offered an amendment with Rep. Lloyd Doggett (TX-35) directing the National Academies to conduct a study on the efficacy of carbon capture technology to increase understanding of the sectors that most benefit from the technology and how to effectively and efficiently achieve the greatest emissions reductions.

Specific provisions Rep. Cisneros helped champion include:

The bill includes language to help finance energy efficiency at schools. Rep. Cisneros is a cosponsor of H.R. 762, the Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act, which seeks to provide a coordinating structure for schools to better navigate federal programs and financing options.
The bill would establish research centers at universities to examine the effects of wildland fires on public health, and how communities can respond to the impacts of emissions from these fires. Rep. Cisneros is a cosponsor of H.R. 4924, the Smoke Planning and Research Act, to establish the four research centers at universities to research and mitigate the impacts of smoke emissions from wildland fires.
The bill would create a new program to advance research, development, and commercial application of wind energy technologies. Rep. Cisneros is a cosponsor of H.R. 3609, the Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2019, to support wind energy research that will result in the accelerated development of innovative technologies, education of local communities, creation of more American jobs, and increased economic activity in rural communities.
The bill would establish an air capture technology prize and a direct air capture test center to spur innovation and commercialization of direct air technology. Rep. Cisneros is a cosponsor of H.R. 1796, the Carbon Capture Prize Act, which would direct the Department of Energy (DOE) to create a prize competition to incentivize research, development, and commercialization of direct air capture technology to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
OTHER PROVISIONS OF THE BILL INCLUDE

Clean Energy:

Supports the transition to a low-carbon economy by investing in clean energy, distributed energy resources, energy storage systems, and microgrids -- all of which build resiliency and are crucial to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Authorizes over $4 billion for research, development, demonstration, and commercial application (RDD&CA) to advance cutting-edge renewable energy technologies, including solar, wind, geothermal, and water power.
Brings clean, reliable energy to marginalized communities, including $25 million for grants to deploy energy storage and microgrids in rural communities and $1 billion for solar installations in low-income communities.
Energy Efficiency:

Sets new energy efficiency standards for buildings, which roughly count towards 30% of greenhouse gas pollution, and provides funding for schools, homes, municipal buildings, and manufacturing facilities to improve efficiency and deploy energy-efficient technologies.
Authorizes grants to local communities to improve energy efficiency, including $500 million for workforce training and $5 billion in rebates for home retrofits.
Boosts funding for popular and proven energy efficiency programs, providing nearly $1.7 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program and $17.5 billion for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program.
Grid Modernization, Cybersecurity, and Supply Chain Security:

Includes funding and other measures to modernize the electric grid, such as programs to improve resilience and reliability, enhance cybersecurity, protect critical infrastructure and supply chains, and improve transmission planning.
Invests in grid-related RDD&CA projects, including through $3.5 billion in grants for projects that harden the grid against the effects of climate change and improve resilience and security.
Directs the Department of Energy to establish a national strategy to address issues related to the critical materials supply chain, in addition to authorizing grants for the recycling and reuse of critical materials.
Clean Transportation:

Invests in the technology and infrastructure needed to electrify and substantially reduce emissions from the transportation sector, which is the largest source of greenhouse gas pollution in the U.S.
Authorizes over $36 billion for transportation electrification, including through grants and rebates to deploy electric vehicles and related charging infrastructure.
Authorizes $650 million to deploy low- and zero-emissions school buses, $375 million for the Clean Cities Coalition Program, and $2.5 billion for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act.
Modernizes the Department of Energy's manufacturing conversion and advanced vehicle technologies grant programs to expand eligibility for certain low- and zero-emission vehicles and related technologies.
Modernizing the Federal Approach to Innovation:

Drives investment in clean energy innovation by increasing funding for the Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy, including a path to double its funding by fiscal year 2025.
Establishes programs to accelerate the transition of clean energy technologies from lab to market and to support clean energy entrepreneurs who come from underrepresented backgrounds.
Reducing Carbon Pollution and Enhancing Industrial Innovation:

Establishes new RDD&CA programs to accelerate the deployment of technologies that reduce emissions from the industrial sector, including $500 million in grants for demonstration projects.
Invests in carbon capture, utilization, and storage RDD&CA, including direct air capture, to significantly reduce net emissions from all sectors of the economy as quickly as possible, consistent with the recommendations set forth in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special report on limiting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius.
Includes a phasedown of the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a highly potent greenhouse gas, by 85 percent over 15 years. Enacting this provision could help avoid up to 0.5 degree Celsius of warming while creating American manufacturing jobs and making U.S. industry more competitive globally.
Environmental Justice:

Prioritizes the needs of those on the frontlines of climate change, including low-income communities, communities of color, and other marginalized groups.
Prioritizes clean energy projects located in low-income and marginalized communities and advances the development of technologies and practices that expand access to clean energy.
Creates new environmental justice grant and training programs to empower communities and reduce health disparities.
Workforce Development and Labor Protections:

Establishes a clean energy workforce development program to educate and train the next generation of clean energy researchers, scientists, and professionals, including through grants to eligible businesses.
Requires that any project funded under the Act to construct, alter, maintain, or repair a public building or public work only use iron, steel, and manufactured goods produced in the United States.
Includes strong prevailing wage standards and project labor agreement requirements for any project fully or partially funded under the Act.
Scientific Integrity:

Codifies scientific integrity principles across all Federal science agencies and requires agencies to implement policies and processes aligned with such principles.
Requires each agency to appoint a Scientific Integrity Officer with authority to manage scientific integrity disputes.
Rep. Cisneros has been a tireless champion of initiatives to support wider deployment of electric vehicles. He introduced bipartisan legislation, the DoD NonTactical Vehicle Reduced Petroleum Consumption Act, to reduce DoD's use of zero-emission vehicles, and successfully offered an amendment to increase funding for the Department of Transportation Low or No Emission Vehicle program by $2 million in the FY 2020 Appropriations Act.

Rep. Cisneros helped pass H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, which makes significant investments in clean energy and energy efficiency programs.

Rep. Cisneros supported H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, last year to ensure the U.S. remains a part of the global leader in the effort to protect our climate under the Paris Climate Agreement.

Rep. Cisneros helped pass H.R. 1957, the Great American Outdoors Act, to provide permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and invest in public lands.

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