Energy

Some legislators are calling for action in the wake of a federal report on the apparent sabotage of an oil train north of Bellingham last year. That train derailed and caught fire after it split apart, then slammed into itself. A Federal Railroad Administration investigation published last week found that the train’s brakes and couplers had apparently been tampered with. Democratic Congresswoman Suzan DelBene says she’s demanding answers from BNSF Railway. “This impacts all of our communities w... Read more

Today, U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA) and Don Beyer (D-VA) introduced the Negate Emissions to Zero (NET Zero) Act, legislation that would substantially increase tax incentives to boost the developing direct air capture industry. DelBene and Beyer serve on the House Committee on Ways and Means, which has jurisdiction over tax policy in the House of Representatives, and which is currently writing clean energy tax incentive provisions in the Build Back Better Act. “Climate change is an e... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) introduced a resolution with Representatives Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Don Beyer (VA-08), Terri Sewell (AL-07), and Ron Kind (WI-03) to direct the Biden administration to restart and conclude negotiations on the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA). The EGA negotiations are designed to incentivize a greener global economy by eliminating tariffs globally on a range of environmental products, like wind turbines, solar water heaters, and bicycles. These negoti... Read more

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a clean energy bill that will make long-overdue reforms to U.S. energy policy and is a major step forward in addressing the growing climate crisis. The Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act (H.R. 4447) makes new investments in clean energy, improves the efficiency of our homes, schools, and businesses, modernizes outdated infrastructure, reduces our carbon footprint, and prioritizes environmental justice. “Addressing the climate crisis, updating ou... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ahead of the Interior Department’s public meeting in Tacoma, Washington on February 5, Washington, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Maria Cantwell (D-WA), led a bicameral, bipartisan group of 16 Pacific Northwest lawmakers in a letter to Secretary Zinke calling for the removal of the Washington/Oregon planning area from the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2019-2024. The bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote, “We... Read more

Today, Pacific Northwest Members of Congress voiced their opposition to a proposal in the President’s budget to sell off the Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA) assets. In their letter to Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, fifteen Members of Congress – U.S. Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Denny Heck (D-WA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA),... Read more

BOTHELL – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today issued the following statement after reports that President Trump plans to announce he will withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord – an international climate change action plan signed by more than 190 countries: “If President Trump withdraws from the Paris Climate Accord, it would endanger our children’s health, their futures and the planet. This reckless decision would also harm the reputation of our country, jeopardizing our... Read more

Representatives Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Jared Huffman (CA-02), and Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today led a group of 18 other West Coast members of the U.S House of Representatives in calling on the Governors of Oregon, California, and Washington to continue their climate leadership and to uphold the core tenets and goals of the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change. The letter to Governors Kate Brown, Jerry Brown, and Jay Inslee follows reports that Donald Trump is planning to withdraw the Unit... Read more

Reps. Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-05) and Derek Kilmer (WA-06) today introduced bipartisan legislation that would open up new markets and create jobs for rural economies by providing research, assistance and incentives for the construction of tall wood buildings throughout the United States. The Timber Innovation Act (H.R. 5628) would spur the use of tall wood building construction – those above 85 feet or seven stories – through the use of les... Read more

Dear Friend, Last week, I had the opportunity to visit the Seattle Aquarium to discuss why it’s so important to protect our oceans. The Aquarium uses water from the Puget Sound and helps rehabilitate animals affected by oil spills, which are a significant threat to sea otter populations. Climate change is a serious threat to our way of life, our economy and our children – not to mention these wonderful animals. We should not risk the habitats and the environment along the West Coast by drilling ... Read more