New Clean Energy Legislation Package Would Help Create a Safe, Clean Future for People and Wildlife
Whooping Crane. Photo: Garry Turnquist/Audubon Photography Awards
WASHINGTON – The Clean Electricity and Transmission Acceleration (CETA) Act, omnibus legislation introduced today by Representatives Mike Levin (D-CA) and Sean Casten (D-IL) in their roles as Co-Chairs of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC)’s Clean Energy Deployment Task Force, would provide much-needed resources and help streamline approval processes for the expansion of clean energy and transmission. Increasing capacity for clean energy sources like wind and solar, as well as an upgraded transmission infrastructure to deliver that energy, is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping protect wildlife and communities from climate impacts.
“We have an opportunity to take bold action to embrace a cleaner future for all, but we do not have the luxury of time if we are to prevent the worst effects of climate change,” said Felice Stadler, vice president of government affairs at the National Audubon Society. “CETA would strike a balance between the need to quickly deploy clean energy and transmission to combat the climate crisis with the need to protect public lands, wildlife, and communities. Streamlining clean energy expansion efforts must prioritize early and meaningful engagement with stakeholders and community leaders to ensure that new projects are sited responsibly for people and habitat. Audubon would like to thank Representatives Casten and Levin for their work and leadership on this important legislation.”
A 2019 Audubon report found that two-thirds of North American birds are vulnerable to extinction if global temperatures continue rising at their current rate. Reducing emissions by investing in responsibly-sited renewable energy will save billions of birds, as well as the natural habitats that we all share. Audubon’s report, Birds and Transmission: Building the Grid Birds Need, outlines the urgent need for additional transmission capacity and shares solutions for minimizing risks to birds. Audubon strongly supports clean energy that is properly sited in ways that avoid, minimize, and mitigate negative impacts on birds and other wildlife. We also advocate for strong enforcement of laws that protect birds and wildlife like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act as we build out renewable energy capacity and supporting infrastructure to meet the climate crisis.
The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.