Photo: Democratic candidate for congress Gray announces her Federal Climate Agenda. Courtesy photo.
Vermont Business Magazine Today, Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives Molly Gray unveiled her Federal Climate Agenda. Gray announced the Agenda at a press conference in Montpelier.
“There is decisive, climate-focused action that can be taken today to fundamentally change how America produces, taxes, and distributes our energy,” Gray said. “As we do this, we must bring our working families and every Vermont community along into a clean energy future.”
“We need to completely rethink our economic relationship with carbon emissions,” Gray said. “If we end handouts to fossil fuel polluters, make the investments necessary for a clean electric grid, bring working families along on weatherization and home heating improvements, and hold our elected officials to account, America will be a model to the world for decisive climate action.”
Lt. Governor Gray’s Federal Climate Agenda
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End fossil fuel subsidies.
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Revamp sections of the tax code that incentivize fossil fuel production. Instead, make tax incentives emissions-based, steering the industry towards clean electricity, clean transportation, and energy efficiency
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Action item: Pass the Clean Energy for America Act.
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Redouble investment in weatherization and clean heat.
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The Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program works to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families. At current funding levels, only about 2% of the 38.6 million eligible low-income homes across the country are weatherized each year.
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Action item: Invest an additional $3.5 billion over 10 years in the program
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Fully decarbonize the American electric grid.
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Implement a system of incentives and fines to steer electricity producers towards zero-carbon technologies; fulfill President Biden’s goal to have the grid be 100% clean by 2035.
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Action item: Implement the Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP).
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Hold our elected officials accountable.
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Implement Congressional ethics rules to prevent Members of Congress from voting on legislation related to the energy sector if their earnings from fossil fuels exceed their congressional salary.
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Photo: Democratic candidate for congress Gray announces her Federal Climate Agenda. Courtesy photo.
Earlier this month, Gray announced her Federal Workforce Agenda, a plan to bring federal backing to job-training programs that have been proven to work in Vermont.
Gray announced her run for the U.S. House of Representatives on December 6, 2021. If elected in 2022, she will be the first woman in Vermont’s history to hold federal office. More information about Gray’s campaign for Congress can be found here.