The Boxer-Kerry bill: the next chapter

ACCCE supports the adoption of a mandatory federal program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We believe that such a program needs to focus on three primary goals – 1) bringing new technologies to the marketplace to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 2) driving down the cost of deploying these technologies so as to protect access to affordable, reliable energy, and 3) promoting greater energy independence through use of domestic fuels like coal to meet growing energy needs. Our support for this type of bill has never wavered.

Tomorrow will be another major milestone in the journey of developing a federal climate policy. Sen. Barbara Boxer (chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee) and Sen. John Kerry (chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee) will release their proposed bill that will now begin to be considered by various Senate committees. At least six committees in the Senate will have jurisdiction over the bill.

We’ll approach tomorrow’s release of the Boxer-Kerry bill as we have with other similar proposals in the past. We’ll take the time to analyze the bill to determine if it meets our legislative principles. If there are areas where we feel that improvements to the bill are needed – we’ll work constructively with those in the Senate toward achieving the joint goal of ultimately passing a bill that will reduce emissions, ensure economic growth and prosperity, and protect America’s energy security.

You can stay informed on this debate by staying engaged here on our site, or if you want to join our advocacy army (now over 225,000 community leaders from all across the U.S.), click here.