ICYMI: Sec. Granholm, Sen. Wyden, and Gov. Whitmer Join Axios to Discuss Clean Energy Jobs and Climate Action
Washington D.C. – Today, in an event presented by Climate Power and hosted by Axios, Energy Sec. Jennifer Granholm, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer discussed the need for investments in clean energy and infrastructure to revitalize manufacturing in America, create millions of good-paying union jobs and tackle climate change. Axios Co-founder Mike Allen, Editor-in-Chief Nick Johnston, and Managing Editor for Politics Margaret Talev moderated the discussion.
During the conversation, participants emphasized America’s commitment to clean energy and job creation, highlighting the urgent need for infrastructure investments and a shift back to American manufacturing. President Biden’s American Jobs Plan will be crucial to building the clean energy economy that puts people back to work today and readies our nation to compete in the 21st century while at the same time addressing climate change.
You can watch the complete event here.
Energy Sec. Jennifer Granholm:
“The good thing about the clean energy arena is its all kinds of jobs for all kinds of people in all pockets of America.”
“We want to be able to make sure that we can rely upon ourselves to be energy independent and to be nationally secure.”
“I am super bullish on the technologies that will get us to the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.”
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden:
“I think it’s the future. If you look, for example, at my state, so much of the innovation is tied to the fact that my constituents feel so strongly about climate change and particularly reducing carbon.”
“The president campaigned on [clean energy jobs]…What I am prepared to do now as Chairman of the Finance Committee is really make a bold transformation with respect to the tax code. There are more than 40 separate tax breaks on energy. And when you add it all up, it is an outdated, crazy quilt that keeps us from having the certainty and predictability that the country needs in order to really tackle the climate challenge and produce more clean energy jobs…I am putting in place a market-oriented approach that focuses on competition and innovation with one bottom line objective, and that is reducing carbon in America.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer:
“We can be great stewards of our environment and keep people in good-paying jobs all at the same time, it’s not one or the other.” […]
“A renewed investment [in] manufacturing in the United States is so crucial on so many fronts. But the auto companies are important partners in getting to our goals and keeping people in good-paying jobs and transitioning toward the future.”
Polling released by Data For Progress and Climate Power last month revealed overwhelming and growing support for the American Jobs Plan, with 68% of Americans supporting the plan after a short description and 71% supporting the plan after additional information is presented. A majority of voters also think it is important that the American Jobs Plan includes proposals to combat climate change and create an equitable clean energy future, and 70 percent agree America should take ambitious actions to address climate change.
American voters want climate action and job creation, and as today’s event showed, the American Jobs Plan will address both the economic and climate crises. It’s time for Congress to immediately pass these crucial infrastructure investments.