OPINION:
As the clock wound down before Easter Recess, House Republicans, joined by four Democrats, passed an energy package that would unleash the power of American energy by freeing up domestic production and cutting red tape.
The long-anticipated Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R.1), prioritizes an all-of-the-above energy approach. In addition to expanding fossil fuel capabilities, the bill focuses heavily on clean energy production by, for example, modernizing our current permitting process, which disproportionately inhibits clean energy infrastructure. The bill also seeks to reshore the mining and refining of critical minerals. Materials like cobalt, lithium, and nickel are crucial ingredients for energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, and electric-vehicle batteries.
H.R.1 stakes a firm House Republican position on the importance of American energy, which is a crucial step toward claiming leadership on an unnecessarily partisan issue. But the job’s not done.
Realistic environmentalists know that fossil fuels aren’t going away tomorrow. In fact, their cost-effective benefits will be needed, likely for decades, to fuel economic vibrancy and a better quality of life. An all-of-the-above energy approach includes traditional energy sources, but emphasizes the importance of further developing clean energy sources for the future.
While House Republicans presented a strong case for American energy dominance in March, young Republicans want strong champions of not only American energy, but American energy that is increasingly clean.
According to polling we conducted immediately after the 2022 midterms, 80% of Republicans aged 18-29 wanted both economic and environmental issues addressed at the same time, not prioritizing one over the other. Data indicate this demographic wants more renewables, more low-emission nuclear energy, and more natural climate solutions, like planting trees or restoring ecosystems. To retain youth support, Republican policymakers should prioritize strong, actionable policies that bolster and decarbonize our economy.
Young Americans in general want an approach akin to The Climate Commitment. Based on six “big ideas,” this climate policy framework (championed by our organization) charts a path forward on effective climate action that doesn’t sacrifice human flourishing in the name of emissions reductions. In order to address climate change, we must do six things: innovate, streamline, compete, unlock, conserve, and protect.
As has been said by climate-conscious conservatives for many years now, we cannot regulate our way out of climate change; we have to innovate. The next, game-changing, emissions-reducing technologies have not been invented yet, and we need the brightest American minds working to find those solutions. From next-generation nuclear reactors, to carbon capture and sequestration technologies, to advanced battery storage, the possibilities are truly endless.
In order to innovate, we have to streamline the labyrinthine regulation of environmental and energy regulations in this country. While laws like the National Environmental Policy Act are well-intentioned, the United States is not the same country as when the legislation was passed in 1970. We must modernize our energy permitting system to unleash American energy without lowering environmental standards.
Then, we must tackle climate change in a way that strengthens America on the international stage. We must compete with authoritarian nations like China and Russia to export energy to developing nations, rather than cede the ground to nefarious actors who prioritize power over actual climate progress, or blindly trust unenforceable international agreements. We must work with our allies to develop crucial technologies such as nuclear power, carbon capture, and advanced battery storage for renewables.
If we are to compete on the world stage, we have to unlock the power of American energy. Whether we are talking about natural gas (produced more cleanly in the U.S. than anywhere else), or crucial resources for clean energy technologies, we must tap into the resources with which we have been blessed.
Unlocking our resources does not mean disrespecting our natural heritage, though. We must conserve what makes our country so beautiful by stewarding our land, managing our forests, restoring ecosystems, and empowering farmers. Harnessing nature to fight climate change could account for more than one-third of our emissions-reduction goals.
Finally, we must protect the American people and their communities by ensuring clean air and clean water for every single American. We so clearly saw this fail in East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this year. We must also adapt to the effects of climate change we’re already experiencing and prepare for what comes next, by protecting communities from extreme weather, flooding, and water shortages.
The Climate Commitment is a framework that works for all Americans, is rooted in innovation and common sense, and sets our country on a path to prosperity and safety. Together, these six big ideas represent a future that young Republicans want to see their leaders champion.
Millennials and Gen-Z will represent our country’s largest voting bloc by the 2028 presidential election. With this in mind, Republicans in the House and the Senate must not stop at H.R.1, but pursue an approach to climate issues that mirrors The Climate Commitment.
• Benji Backer is the president and founder of the American Conservation Coalition (ACC). Danielle Butcher Franz serves as ACC’s Executive Vice President. Stephen Perkins and Christopher Barnard are Vice Presidents of Grassroots Strategy and External Affairs, respectively. Follow them on Twitter @BenjiBacker, @DaniSButcher, @Stephen_Perkins, and @ChrisBarnardDL. Follow ACC at @ACC_National.
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