Press Release: 250 Business Leaders Call for Clean Energy in COVID-19 Response

August 10, 2020 | Andy Barnes, Program Manager

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 10, 2020

CONTACT:

Andy Barnes, abarnes@cebn.org

Business Leaders Call for Building a Stronger, Healthier, More Resilient Future for Our Nation

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Two hundred fifty clean energy business leaders from across the nation have signed onto a letter urging Congress to include clean energy measures in an upcoming COVID-19 response or stimulus bill.

Prior to March 2020, over 3.2 million Americans worked in clean energy, more than any other energy sector. Clean energy industries have been the growth sectors of the U.S. energy economy over the past decade, and wind and solar accounted for the fastest-growing occupations in America.

Like so many sectors, the clean energy industry has been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with half a million jobs lost from March-June 2020. As we rebuild our economy, is important that taxpayer funds be directed to generate both immediate and long-term benefits.

CEBN President Lynn Abramson said, “Supporting the clean energy industry would provide swift and lasting benefits to the American economy, generating well-paid manufacturing and construction jobs in every part of the country while creating a stronger, healthier, and more resilient future for our nation.”

The letter was spearheaded by the Clean Energy Business Network and its partners. It was delivered Monday, August 10, 2020 to the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, along with the Chairmen and Ranking Members of key committees involved in appropriations, taxes, and energy policy. It calls for leveraging federal tax investments to put clean energy workers back on the job; bolstering federal research, development, and deployment to restart our nation’s innovation engine; and promoting strategic investments in resilient infrastructure.

View the House and Senate versions below:

The initial letter closed on August 10, 2020, but we will continue to add new signatures and resend the letter periodically until Congress takes action on an economic recovery package. Add your name to the letter here!

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CEBN is the small business voice for the clean energy economy, working to enhance opportunities for clean energy providers through policy support, market and technology education, and business development assistance.