Thanks again to @EnergyCommerce and @HouseCommerce for inviting us to testify yesterday! You can find all the testimony and a link to the webcast recording here. A couple of takeaways in this brief thread. 1/? energycommerce.house.gov/committee-acti…
@EnergyCommerce @HouseCommerce First, I want to reiterate our overarching message - with wind, solar, energy storage, DER, EE, and all other advanced energy technologies now the least-cost resources, transitioning to a 100% clean power sector is an economic opportunity for America, not an economic burden. 2/?
@EnergyCommerce @HouseCommerce Second, the panel was almost unanimous that we need the federal government to establish a policy objective of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050. We strongly support this announced goal of @EnergyCommerce leadership and look forward to working with them. 3/?
@EnergyCommerce @HouseCommerce There are a range of policy options that can be utilized to achieve this objective, from carbon pricing to clean energy standards to more R&D. Congress should consider them holistically; there isn't one silver bullet. @rff's Karen Palmer did a great job describing them. 4/?
@EnergyCommerce @HouseCommerce @rff Third, there was strong bi-partisan interest in the role of open competitive markets in decarbonizing the power sector. We emphasized in our testimony the near-term opportunity Congress and FERC have to lower emissions by improving wholesale market competition. 5/?
@EnergyCommerce @HouseCommerce @rff In addition, there were a number of questions about the role of consumer choice as a policy tool. Experience has shown that when consumers can choose, they choose advanced energy, lowering their costs and reducing emissions. 6/?
@EnergyCommerce @HouseCommerce @rff Texas, in particular, was a focus for multiple members of the Subcommittee. It should be - TX leads in wind and solar deployment, and in corporate procurement of renewables. Lots more to do in TX to get to 100%, but it shows how markets can facilitate the transition 7/?
@EnergyCommerce @HouseCommerce @rff Finally, the role of advanced energy as a job creator across the country, including in communities transitioning away from fossil fuels, came up. @The_UWUA's Lee Anderson described important training and assistance programs focused on that transition. 8/?
@EnergyCommerce @HouseCommerce @rff @The_UWUA There were 3.5 million advanced energy jobs in America in 2018, and we expect 6% growth this year, making it one of the fastest growing employment sectors. Every county in TX has advanced energy jobs. Again - this transition is a massive opportunity, not an economic drain. 9/9
