In response to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee’s recent release of draft text on the budget reconciliation bill and clean energy provisions, Rev. Dr. Jessica Moerman, President and CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network, released the following statement: 

“The Senate’s proposed legislation makes important strides toward restoring a solid footing for clean ‘baseload’ energy to take root in the U.S. over the next decade. However, by rapidly phasing out ready-to-deploy electricity sources like solar and wind, the proposal sorely misses the mark on meeting America’s immediate energy needs and rising home energy costs that are straining household budgets across the country. Indeed, American families, houses of worship, schools, and towns remain the biggest losers in the budget bill’s clean energy revisions. Household clean energy tax credits, direct rebates, and leasing provisions made home solar and energy efficiency upgrades accessible to millions of low and middle-income families, providing critical relief from rising electrical bills and other energy burdens. The near-immediate elimination of household energy incentives will send us back to a time when only the wealthy could enjoy these benefits. This blow to American families is further compounded by the bill shifting health and cost burdens of oil and gas production to taxpayers and individuals with the repeal of billion-dollar revenue raisers, including the fee on wasted methane gas and increased royalty rates to drill on public lands. 

“The good news is there is still time to correct these shortfalls. On behalf of the more than 100,000 pro-life Christians who support preserving clean energy tax credits and other pollution reduction measures, we look forward to working with Senate to build on the improvements made and unleash clean, abundant energy that decreases negative impacts on human life, lowers costs, creates local family-sustaining jobs, and puts American families back in the driver seat to make their own energy choices.”