Update from CE4A: The Next 105 Days
Dear CE4A Community –
“Unprecedented” feels like a word that has been used a lot this month. Yet here we are in the wake of another truly unprecedented event. Yesterday, President Biden withdrew from his re-election race – the first time in history a major candidate withdrew so late in the cycle.
And we are sure that many of you, like us here at CE4A, are feeling a mix of emotions and have questions about what comes next. With change comes opportunity, and we are seeing momentum and excitement growing around the presidential campaign. This is good for clean energy champions up and down the ballot, and we are actively looking for how CE4A and our network can play a role in building this momentum. Here is what we know:
President Biden is the clean energy President. With passage of the largest investments in clean energy our nation has ever seen and over 300 environmental actions taken to date, the BidenHarris Administration has taken history-making steps on deploying clean energy and making clean energy manufacturing an American industry. . We are forever grateful for his leadership and commitment to bolstering the clean energy workforce across the country.
The stakes of the 2024 election haven’t changed. Donald Trump and the majority of Republicans in Congress remain committed to dismantling President Biden’s clean energy legacy, repealing the Inflation Reduction Act, clawing back clean energy funding and investments, and doubling down on our nation’s reliance on fossil fuels. There are exceptions and we need to work with them. However, if Trump were to win and both chambers of Congress were under Republican leadership, the long-term certainty for clean energy under the IRA could be eviscerated in 2025.
There will be more news over the next few weeks. As noted above, we are currently in uncharted waters. The Democratic party now needs to navigate an untested process for selecting new nominees for President and Vice President ahead of their convention beginning August 19th. While Vice President Harris is picking up momentum and rapidly gathering important endorsements, there is no guarantee things will go smoothly, and pundits and media will focus on any sign of disunity. For our part, we plan to remain focused on telling the clean energy success story, communicate what’s at stake in this election, and support champions who will go to the mats to defend the progress that’s been made the past three and a half years.
We remain committed to electing a pro-clean energy President who won’t undermine democracy. Clean energy is the future of American energy. Simply put, our industry and the nation cannot afford to backslide now, and we are more determined than ever to protect the over 300,000 jobs created during President Biden’s tenure. Which is why, in addition to the nearly 100 House and Senate candidates we’ve already endorsed, CE4A Action today is officially endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for President. Vice President Harris - who cast the tie breaking vote on the IRA - is a proven champion for climate and clean energy. We are confident she will carry on President Biden’s impressive legacy and support for our industry. We are so thankful to have all of your continued support in this endeavor and will be sharing more opportunities for engagement in the coming days.
Sincerely,
Andrew Reagan, CE4A Executive Director & Alex McDonough, CE4A Board Chair & CE4A Action Treasure
