The debt ceiling bill included measures to speed up permitting of energy infrastructure. Here’s why they could actually make things worse.
These proposed standards can reduce carbon pollution, but need to be more stringent to work.
The cars, buses, and trucks we drive are the largest source of climate damaging emissions in the region. We need bold standards to slash this pollution and slow climate change.
With your help, Vermont’s Legislature overrode Governor Scott’s veto to sign this critical bill into law.
“Vermonters are facing a climate emergency and a heating crisis, and the status quo isn’t working for anyone,” said Elena Mihaly, Vice President and Director of Conservation Law Foundation Vermont. “Governor Scott’s attempts to kill this legislation threatened to continue an irresponsible business-as-usual approach that would have left Vermonters overly reliant on polluting, expensive fossil fuels. The Legislature’s decisive override sends a clear message, and we don’t have a moment to waste implementing this new law.”
“Communities across New England have been living in the shadow of polluting fossil fuel plants for decades,” said CLF President Brad Campbell. “Slashing emissions from these power plants is an essential step to meeting our climate goals and cleaning up the air in these communities. We can’t afford to allow this damaging pollution to continue, and EPA’s approach proposes to drive down those emissions over time and will increase opportunities for proven technologies like solar and wind.”
The Advanced Clean Cars II standards will require automakers to produce more electric cars, increasing their availability for Massachusetts residents.
CLF has provided the Healey administration with steps to slash climate pollution to net zero by 2050.
“Goals and promises are meaningless without real action on the ground,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Vice President of CLF Massachusetts. “The previous administration took little actual action to meet the goals laid out in Massachusetts’ strong climate laws, we now have an opportunity to do better. If we want to leave a healthy future for the next generation, it’s time to ditch fossil fuels and electrify everything from transportation to home heating, and these petitions lay out steps Massachusetts must take to get us there.”
“It’s time to go big on offshore wind,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Vice President of CLF Massachusetts. “If we’re going to meet the state’s ambitious climate goals, we need to seriously ramp up the development of renewable energy, and responsibly sited offshore wind is crucial. Fossil fuels like natural gas pollute our air and worsen the climate crisis, and this is yet another step towards leaving them in the past where they belong.”
