Waxman-Markey ACES Information

American Clean Energy & Security Act

This Congress, House Democrats stood with the overwhelming majority of Americans who support action on clean energy jobs and demand an end to foreign oil from dangerous parts of the world.

With bi-partisan support, House leadership passed the historic Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy & Security Act, bringing together an unprecedented coalition of support, including; the business community, national security leaders, consumer groups, labor, the agricultural & farming community, environmental organizations and the faith community.

This legislation will move America forward on clean energy, away from the failed energy policies of the George Bush and Dick Cheney that increased our dependence on foreign oil. It provides the single largest investment in advanced coal technology in US history ($60 billion) and received a letter of support from the Nuclear Energy Institute.

The American Clean Energy & Security Act will:

1. Create clean energy JOBS and technology that are Made in the USA. Allowing other nations to beat the United States in clean energy manufacturing is unacceptable. ACES invests $190 billion into domestic wind, solar, geothermal, electric vehicles and advanced coal technology, and it provides the regulatory certainty necessary to attract trillions of dollars in private investment -- money that is currently flowing to China.
   
2. End our Addiction to Foreign Oil:  Every day that Republican obstructionists in the U.S. Senate hold clean energy legislation hostage, US consumers will send half a billion dollars to foreign nations to buy oil -- many of whom harbor terrorists. That staggering figure represents ½ our trade deficit and experts say that a strong cap on carbon pollution would cost Iran up to $100 million a day in oil profits.
   
   Combined with the Recovery Act and strengthened fuel economy and renewable fuel standards passed by Democrats in 2007, ACES will help Americans save more than 5 million barrels of oil a day, more than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined.
   
3. Save Consumers Money: Cutting energy waste is one of the fastest ways to save families and small businesses money on electricity bills. It also creates jobs. The building and appliance efficiency measures in ACES will save consumers $69 billion annually by 2030.
   
   House Democrats also passed the Home Star bill that will create or save 168,000 construction and manufacturing jobs. Home Star is supported by the Chamber of Commerce, labor, environmental organizations and the National Association of Manufacturers.
   
4. Be Fiscally Responsible: ACES is NOT a new tax. It actually REDUCES the deficit. That is because ACES makes polluters pay while providing incentives for clean, efficient and innovative companies to prosper. ACES uses the same proven, free market solution first used by a Republican President to fight Acid Rain in 1990 -after which time electricity rates fell, and the U.S. economy added 16 million new jobs.

More Information
Top Ten Provisions in ACES
Full List of Supporters of ACES
Full Waxman-Markey ACES packet 

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