In Case You Missed It: At January Rally, Senators Said They Won’t Quit on Clean Energy, Senate Shouldn’t Either
On January 25, 2022 Clean Energy for America co-hosted with the Solar Energy Industries Association a virtual rally with Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), who championed the future of clean energy policy. The event was moderated by SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Harper.
“Let’s get after it.” At our first event of the year, a January 25th clean energy rally co-hosted with SEIA, Senators Ben Ray Luján and Senator Tina Smith urged the clean energy workforce to get loud and help secure federal investments in clean energy.
(We’re so happy and relieved to hear that Senator Luján is expected to make a full recovery. He and his family are in our thoughts, as he recovers from his stroke).
They admitted the Build Back Better Act is stalled in the Senate, but the senators said they wouldn’t quit on clean energy and neither should their colleagues. “There’s no reason that we can’t come together on this,” Senator Luján said, referring to the climate provisions of the Build Back Better Act.
In fact, they saw reasons for optimism, even if the final bill is not called the Build Back Better Act, because investments like these will be so valuable for America’s workers, families, climate, and economy.
“Clean energy jobs are always going to be United States jobs,” Senator Smith said. “This is something you can’t outsource: You can’t outsource installation, you can’t outsource energy efficiency improvements.” “Clean energy will continue to be our country’s path forward to combating climate change,” Senator Luján said, “and there is no action too little or too big that we need to be implementing right now.”
That was their vision. Their advice? They urged the clean energy workforce to make their powerful voices heard.
“Don't get discouraged. Raise your voices up,” Senator Luján said. “This is on all of us. Everyone of us has a role and a responsibility. When we all do that, we will make things better.”
Ready to get to work?
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to empower workers and families by advocating for a just, equitable and rapid decarbonization of our economy.
As Senator Luján said, “Let's get after it."
WATCH FULL EVENT: Senators Smith and Luján Discuss the Future of Clean Energy Policy
