Republicans Propose Innovative Solutions to Promote Clean Energy
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Washington, September 11, 2019 -

WASHINGTON – Today, the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy held a hearing to examine the economic impacts of a changing climate. While proposed Democrat solutions, like the Green New Deal, would have devastating consequences for the American people and our economy, Republicans are advocating for innovative solutions that promote job creation and economic growth.

Technology plays an integral role in combating this challenge and Republicans across Congress have supported policies that ensure the United States continues to lead the world in the clean energy market. Republican leader of the subcommittee, Steve Stivers (OH-15), began the hearing by highlighting battery storage technology that would make renewable energy more impactful in our power grid.

Watch Congressman Stivers’ questioning here.

The Republican leader of the Financial Services Committee, Patrick McHenry (NC-10), went on to ask about innovative capturing technology that could take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, netting zero emissions.

Richard Powell, Executive Director of ClearPath, responded: “The use or disuse of fossil fuels doesn’t matter in the climate math. Net zero emissions is what matters in the climate math. So, we could continue to use fossil fuels, so long as we captured those emissions at that point and did something else with them… Or we could continue to use fossil fuels, allow some of those to go into the atmosphere, as long as we were capturing an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide somewhere else. And in many cases that might be the most economic thing to do.”

Watch Ranking Member McHenry’s questioning here.

Congressman Anthony Gonzalez (OH-16) exposed some of the glaring deficiencies in the current climate change policy proposals put forth by Democrats, specifically the Green New Deal, which would require retrofitting every single housing unit to meet new energy and water standards with zero emissions.