The Trump administration’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’, which has now been passed by the US Senate and House of Representatives, cuts off any chance of limiting global warming to below 1.5°C, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute has said.
Responding to the Bill, which promises to phase out tax credits for renewables and ramp up support for fossil fuel producers, EESI president Daniel Bresette said, “A little less than three years ago, we applauded the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act because of all the benefits it promised to deliver.
“Unfortunately, the opposite applies to the reconciliation bill just passed by the Senate and House of Representatives, so we have to condemn it. This legislation will increase household energy bills, put people out of work, and stall investments in clean energy technologies. Greenhouse gas emissions will increase as a result of this bill becoming law, essentially closing off the few remaining pathways to limit global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F) to avoid the worst outcomes of climate change.”
‘An irresponsible plan’
His sentiment was echoed by Joanna Slaney, vice president for political and government affairs at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDA), who said that the Bill “will raise household utility bills, take away job opportunities and threaten people’s health with more pollution”.
Describing the Bill as “an irresponsible plan hatched at Mar-a-Lago banquet tables”, Slaney said that by making it “much, much harder to build new clean energy projects, the bill is effectively cutting off supply of cheap energy right when the U.S. needs it the most. It’s families and small businesses who will pay the price.
“The largest polluting oil and gas companies, meanwhile, would receive a 10-year reprieve from paying a fee on wasteful methane pollution, which would cause irreversible harm to our climate and public health. It’s clear that this deeply unpopular bill favours burning more fossil fuels while ignoring the damage it will do to people’s lives. That’s a strategy from the 1950s. We have different problems now – and better solutions.”
‘Environmentally destructive’
Elsewhere, Collin Rees, United States campaigns manager at Oil Change International, said that in passing the Bill, “Congress has betrayed the working people of this country. This budget bill is the largest-ever transfer of wealth from working families to the ultra-rich and one of the most environmentally destructive pieces of legislation in US history.
“Every member of Congress who voted to prioritise giveaways to Big Oil over meeting the needs of working families struggling to afford groceries, healthcare, and electricity bills should be held accountable for their monstrous actions. Voters will not forget who sold them out to Big Oil billionaires.”
‘A step backwards’
Dr. David Widawsky, director, World Resources Institute US, added that while other countries are “benefitting from accelerated investment in the clean energy economy, the US is taking a step backwards.
“Working families, business owners and local governments will bear the brunt through higher electricity bills, fewer jobs, and reduced energy resilience to extreme weather. Billions of dollars of investment in infrastructure, manufacturing, energy savings will be lost; failure to keep pace with growing energy demand will make brownouts and blackouts more likely; air will become less breathable; and American economic growth will be at risk.”
Widawsky added, however that cities, states and the business community – which “have become labs for innovation in recent years” – need to step up to ensure the United States remains on-track for a clean energy future.
“While this bill throws up many roadblocks to progress, these innovators can and must continue driving the country’s energy economy forward,” he commented. “Opportunities remain for them to do so through coalition building, providing innovative financing and policy solutions, and facilitating infrastructure development for critical projects that serve their communities.”
‘Personality cult’
Earlier in the week, Greenpeace USA deputy climate program director, John Noël, described the Senate’s vote on the Bill as one that will “live in infamy”, adding “This bill is what happens when a major political party, in the grips of a personality cult, teams up with oil company CEOs, hedge fund donors, and climate deniers.
“The megabill isn’t about reform—it’s about rewarding the super rich and doling out fossil fuel industry handouts, all while dismantling the social safety nets on which millions depend for stability. It is a bet against the future.” Read more here.
