Washington, D.C.—The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released the following statement from Steven Nadel, its executive director, after major news organizations projected Joe Biden to be the winner of the presidential election.
“We congratulate Vice President Joe Biden on his 2020 presidential victory and welcome his commitment to scale up energy efficiency and confront the climate crisis.
His election offers the United States a historic opportunity to use energy efficiency to deliver the urgent and bold action needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions. With robust investments, efficiency can halve U.S. carbon emissions by midcentury and buoy economic recovery by creating good-paying local jobs.
We urge the Biden administration to work together with a closely divided Congress to incorporate energy efficiency into a recovery package, to invest in weatherizing homes and in the research and development of energy-saving technologies, and to pursue new bipartisan transportation and energy legislation. We also urge the Biden administration to adopt strong energy-saving standards for light bulbs, appliances, equipment, cars, trucks, and other vehicles.
We cannot stop there. ACEEE’s Call to Action, released this year as part of our 40th anniversary, offers a roadmap for ambitious, equitable action that shares elements of Biden’s climate plan. We urge President-elect Biden to make his efficiency and clean energy proposals a top priority, including the retrofit of four million buildings, as well as investments in half a million electric vehicle charging stations and research to decarbonize key industrial processes.
We recognize that there will be challenges ahead, but the rapid transformation needed to address the climate crisis is achievable. It will make our economy stronger, our air cleaner, and our communities healthier and more resilient. We must do this and much more. We have no other choice.”
