Climate Power Calls Build Back Better Act Framework A Historic Investment for Texas’ Future

AUSTIN, Texas — Today, the White House and Congressional leadership released its framework agreement for The Build Back Better Act, which includes bold action to meet the Climate Test by putting us on the path to cut pollution in half by 2030. The bill positions the United States to take on the threat of climate change, while putting Texas’s already robust clean energy industry into hyperdrive, reducing costs for families, and ensuring Texas’s frontline communities aren’t left behind as the nation builds the next generation of energy. 

In response to Congressional Democrats releasing the Build Back Better Act, Lori Lodes, Executive Director for Climate Power, released the following statement:

“This is our climate moment. The historic climate investments in the Build Back Better framework put our nation on the path to cut pollution in half by 2030. It’s a huge opportunity for Congress to take on the climate crisis and make a bold investment in our country’s future. The Build Back Better Act will keep our economy growing by creating millions of good clean-energy jobs. It will lower energy bills for families, invest in the communities who’ve borne the brunt of fossil fuel pollution and put people to work protecting our public lands and waters. 

This is a “code red” moment for humanity and the Build Back Better Act is our best, last chance to tackle the climate crisis and build the clean energy future we need. If we pass the Build Back Better Act and continue to make it a national priority to cut emissions in half by 2030, we will reach President Biden’s ambitious 2030 goal. This truly is our climate moment and it’s up to Congress to deliver for the American people today and for generations to come.”

Texans are already experiencing the devastating effects of the climate crisis, from this year’s deadly Winter Storm that killed over 700 people due to a failing power grid to Hurricane Nicolas causing power outages to over 460,000 Houston residents along Texas’s coastal region. Over the past year, communities across Texas have been hit by strong storms that have caused devastating flooding and deadly extreme heat that strained the electrical grid prompting energy conservation efforts. 

The devastation from these climate catastrophes has caused public demand for climate action to grow into a leading issue in Texas and throughout the country. Recent Yale research found that the majority of Texans want the President and Congress to do more to combat the climate crisis. And an overwhelming majority of Texans support bold policy changes such as regulating carbon emissions as pollutants, tax rebates for energy efficient vehicles or solar panels, and increased funding for research into renewables. 

Texans know they have among the most to gain — or lose — and they want their leaders to take climate action. According to recent polling

• 80% of registered voters in Texas support bold investments in clean energy jobs.
• 76% of registered voters in Texans support expanding clean energy tax credits.
• 77% of registered voters in Texas support Congressional action on climate change.

Texans know ambitious climate action will bring jobs, lower energy costs, less pollution, and a more stable climate for generations to come. This framework is a direct response to those demands for climate action and will serve as a critical foundation for more action on a local and state level in Texas during this most decisive decade for our planet.