05.19.21

Durbin Joins Colleagues In Introducing Electrifying America's Future Resolution

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and 14 Senate Democrats in introducing the Electrifying America’s Future Resolution to advance the vision of widespread electrification across every sector of American life.

“As we experience the disastrous effects of climate change, we know we must invest in cleaner forms of energy,” said Durbin. “With the Electrifying America’s Future Resolution, we are reaffirming our commitment to building more sustainable systems, creating millions of new jobs, and saving consumers money on their energy bills.  I look forward to a future where the modernization of our electric grid and investments in affordable, energy-efficient homes and buildings will make the U.S. a leader in clean energy.”

Joining Durbin and Heinrich to introduce the resolution are U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Angus King (I-ME).  The resolution has received widespread support from more than 100 organizations and nonprofits.

The Electrifying America’s Future resolution outlines how widespread electrification will address climate change, put millions of Americans to work, and advance an equitable economy and strong labor standards. By modernizing the power grid and building a clean and carbon-free energy economy, the United States will become a leader in advanced 21st century industries and a net exporter of clean energy.

Specifically, the Electrifying America’s Future Resolution calls for:

  • Electrifying the activities of high-emissions sectors, such as the residential and commercial construction, transportation, and industrial sectors
  • Increasing the deployment of zero-emission electricity resources
  • Expanding interregional transmission capacity and planning to promote widespread and reliable zero-emission electrification
  • Adopting and expanding the use of technologies and processes that will make the electric power grid more resilient, reliable, and efficient
  • Improving commercial, infrastructural, and manufacturing capacity for zero-emission electrification
  • Lowering total energy costs for households and businesses
  • Increasing the available financing for zero-emission electrification supporting technologies at all scales, from utility-scale power stations and transmission lines to individual homes and businesses
  • Creating accessible financing mechanisms to make electrification projects affordable for all households
  • Improving quality and access for higher education, vocational training, and certification programs for electrification workers, including low-income workers and people of color
  • Facilitating the modernization of Federal, State, and local building, electric, and other codes to encourage the adoption of low-cost zero-emission electricity resources
  • Investing in energy efficiency programs paired with electrification measures
  • Investing in achieving full access to zero-emission electricity for rural and Tribal communities through a combination of new transmission and distribution, and new generation, such as through distributed solar and microgrids
  • Pursuing a Federal Government-wide approach to zero-emission electrification
  • Increasing understanding of the health impacts of indoor and outdoor air pollution created by fossil fuel appliances and electricity generation, especially on the most vulnerable members of society
  • Investing in research, development, and demonstration on the efficient use, recycling, and waste management of materials used in clean energy technologies
  • Increasing research, development, and demonstration funding for the next generation of cutting-edge zero- emission electricity resources, deployment techniques, and grid modernization technologies

For a fact sheet on the Electrifying America’s Future resolution, please click here. For a list of supporting quotes, please click here.

Read the full text of the resolution by clicking here.

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