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CLEANENERGYJOBSANDAMERICANPOWERACT:SUMMARYOFPROVISIONS
SEIZINGTHEOPPORTUNITY
Inthistimeofeconomicchallenge,wehaveauniqueopportunitytoputAmericansbacktoworkandtakechargeofoursecurity,ourenergyfutureandthefateofourplanet.Wehavethechancetoreclaimourenergydestiny.Fortoolong,Washingtonhasletoilcompanies,lobbyists,andspecialinterestsmaximizetheirprofitsandminimizeourprogress.Ourdependenceonforeignoilhashurtoureconomy,helpedourenemies,andputournationalsecurityatrisk.It’stimetoinvestinenergysolutionsthataremadeinAmerica,andworkforAmerica.It’stimetotakebackcontrol.ThisbillwillgettoughoncorporatepollutionandputAmericaningenuitytoworktodramaticallyimproveeveryfacetofthewayAmericageneratesandusesenergy.Itwillcreatemillionsofnew,good‐payingjobs,protectourairandwaterfromdangerouspollution,andsecureourchildren’sfuturebymakingAmericaenergyindependent.Anditdoesnotraisethefederaldeficitbyonesingledime.
 ANewCongressionalApproachtoAchievingEnergySolutions
Thisbilldepartsfrompreviousinitiativesbytakingamorecomprehensiveapproachtothefundamentalproblemswefacetoday.Bythetimethisbillreachesthefloor,itwillincludetheconcerns,advice,andperspectiveofsixSenateCommittees:EnergyandNaturalResources(whichpassedthebipartisanAmericanCleanEnergyLeadershipActearlierthisyear),Finance,Agriculture,Commerce,ForeignRelations,andEnvironmentandPublicWorks.ThePresidenthasdirectednewfundsforthetaskofaddressingenergyandclimate,andthisbill’sprovisionssupportthePresident’sgoals.
Oureffortscenteraroundfoururgentnationalpriorities:puttingAmericabackincontrolofourenergyfuture,reassertingAmericaneconomicleadershipandcompetitiveness,protectingourfamiliesfrompollution,andensuringournationalsecurity.
PUTTINGAMERICABACKINCONTROLOFOURENERGYFUTURE
ThetransitiontocleanenergymeansensuringthatallofAmerica’senergysources—fromcoalandnucleartosolarandwind—areascleanandefficientaspossiblewithoutdamagingourshort‐termcompetitiveness.MakingAmericamoreenergyindependentmeansinvestinginallofthesesourcesofpoweraswellasinaboldcutting‐edgetransmissionanddistributionsystemthatreacheseverypartofAmerica.
 
 
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Coal
isanabundantenergysourcethatAmerica’sconsumersandproducersdependonfor50%ofourpower.However,whenburnedusingoldtechnology,itproducesdangerouspollutantsthatdamageourhealthandcauseclimatechange.That’swhyweneedtoinvestingame‐changingtechnologiesthatcaptureandstorecarbonpollutionbeforeitreachestheairwebreathe.Inthepast,wehadtorelyondirty,inefficientcoalasournationindustrialized.Butinthe21
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century,wecanreinventcoalasaclean,homegrownenergysourceandenableourcoalindustrytoremaingloballycompetitiveastheworldreducesitscarbonpollution.
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$10billionovertenyearstosupportresearchanddevelopmentofnewcarboncaptureandsequestrationtechnologytoadvancethenextgenerationofcoal‐firedpowerplants.
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Additionalfundingtorewardfirst‐moverswhoimplementcarboncaptureandsequestrationtechnologyonneworretrofittedplants—thehigherthelevelofcarboncapture,thegreatertheleveloffunding.
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Performancestandardstoprovidedefinitiveguidancetotheindustryonadvancedtechnologyimplementation.
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Naturalgas
isbyfarthecleanestformoffossilfuelgeneratedpower,producinglessthanhalfoftheemissionsofanequivalentplantpoweredbycoal.Currently,itprovidesnearly20%ofournation’spower.RecentdiscoverieshaveincreasedAmerica’sestimatednaturalgasreservesby35%,decreasingourneedtoimportnaturalgasfromoutsideofNorthAmerica.
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Anewfederalprogramthatencouragesinvestmentinlow‐carbonpowergenerationespeciallynaturalgas.
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Additionalincentivesthatrewardcompaniesforreducingleaksfromnaturalgaspipelines.
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Nuclearenergy
isareliableenergysourcethatvirtuallyeliminatescarbonpollutionandhasthecapacitytodeliverpowertomillionsofAmericansinthecomingyears.Already,itprovidesclean,affordableenergyallaroundtheworldandsuppliesnearly20%ofourpowerinAmerica—asmuchas50%ofelectricityinindividualstates.That’swhyDemocratsandRepublicansalikeagreethatwemusteasethewayfornuclearpowertoplayanincreasingroleinmakingAmericaenergyindependent.
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BuildonthesignificantprovisionsincludedinACELA,includingincreasedfinancing forloanguaranteesandregulatoryriskinsurance.
 
 
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Newprogramsforresearchanddevelopmentforadvancednucleartechnologyandnuclearwastemanagement.
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Trainingprogramstotrainthehighly‐skilledworkforcenecessaryfortheconstruction,operation,maintenanceandsupportofnuclearfacilities.
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Renewableenergyandenergyefficiency
arecriticaltothecleanenergyeconomywehopetobuild.Decadesago,Americanengineersandscientistsinventedthetechnologiesbehindwindandsolarpowerbutourcompetitorsadaptedthemandsurgedaheadofus.Today,justfiveoftheworld’stopthirtywind,solar,andadvancedbatterycompaniesareAmerican.It’stimeforustobecomeworldleadersagaininthesefields.Ofcourse,thecleanestandcheapestkilowattofenergyistheoneweneveruse.Theglobalconsultingfirm,McKinsey&Company,estimatesthat40%ofthepollutionreductionneededtopreventcatastrophicglobalwarmingcanbeachievedthroughefficiencyimprovementsalone.AlreadynearlyathousandU.S.citieshaveheardthismessageandadoptedambitiousenvironmentalstandardsfornewconstructionandrefittingexistingbuildings.Evenasweinvestinawiderangeofcleansourcesofenergy,everyAmericancanhelpputthecountrybackincontrolofourenergy—andsavemoneyontheirmonthlybills.Finally,aswedevelopanddeploythelatestelectricity‐generatingtechnologies,wemustensurewehavethetransmissionlinesandpowergridtocarryAmerican‐madeenergytoeverycornerofthe50states.
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BuildonthesignificantsuccessesofACELA,includingambitiousnewrenewableenergystandards,energyefficiencymeasures,andinvestmentsininfrastructure.
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Grantstocitiesandstatesthatembracecleanenergy.Substantialinvestmentstorewardcitiesandstatesforinvestinginrenewableenergy,energyefficiency,retrofitsandbuildingupgrades.
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Significantnewinvestmentsincutting‐edgeresearchanddevelopmentfundingforrenewableenergysources.CombinedwithACELA,thisbillwillsignificantlyincreasesannualinvestmentsinscientificinnovationtoadvancecleanenergytechnology.
REASSERTINGAMERICANECONOMICLEADERSHIPANDCOMPETITIVENESS
FifteenmillionAmericansareoutofworktoday,andtheAmericanpeoplearedemandingthenextgreatengineofeconomicgrowth.Thesolutionexists:thecleanenergyeconomy.It’sno
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