Clean Energy Standards Capitol Hill Briefing

On October 30, 2019, Resources for the Future (RFF) held a lunchtime discussion on the effects of and policy considerations for Clean Energy Standards. The event included remarks from Senator Tina Smith and Congressman Ben Ray Luján, a presentation from RFF comparing the effects of clean energy standards with other proposed policy approaches, and a panel discussion with a number of energy policy experts.

During the 116th Congress, a number of policy proposals have been put forward to address climate change. One policy option to promote clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector is a clean energy standard. A clean energy standard is a market-based, technology-inclusive policy mechanism that requires a certain percentage of retail electricity sales come from non-emitting or low-emitting sources. Clean energy standards have previously been proposed by both Republican and Democratic legislators and have been shown to provide a cost-effective alternative to pricing carbon in the electricity sector.

Featured speakers include:

• Senator Tina Smith (D-MN)
• Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-NM)
• Paul Picciano, Senior Research Assistant, Resources for the Future
• Kevin Rennert, Fellow and Director, Social Cost of Carbon Initiative, Resources for the Future
• Dan Shawhan, Fellow, Resources for the Future
• Steve Clemmer, Director of Energy Research & Analysis, Climate & Energy Program, Union of Concerned Scientists
• Ben Longstreth, Senior Attorney & Deputy Director, Federal Policy Group, Climate & Clean Energy Program, Natural Resources Defense Council
• Kathleen Spees, Principal, The Brattle Group
• Conrad Schneider, Advocacy Director, Clean Air Task Force
• Sam Thernstrom, Founder and CEO, Energy Innovation Reform Project

Learn more about clean energy standards here and here.

A presentation given during this event, and a subsequent version of the presentation used in the Fall of 2020, can be found below.