Teresa Werner: Working toward a renewable energy future is one of 21st Century's greatest opportunities - NKyTribune

Working together towards a renewable energy future is one of the greatest economic opportunities of the 21st century

Thank you to Representative John Yarmuth from Kentucky (KY-03) who just co-signed the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, H.R. 763.

H.R. 763 is a bill before Congress that uses market-based principles to help us transition to a carbon-free economy. This bill has many forward-thinking elements:

Local CCL members tour a solar panel farm.

• H.R. 763 incorporates values from both sides of the aisle; it is both pro-economy and pro-environment without using cumbersome government regulation.

• It assists every community in providing cleaner air, safer water and a healthier environment.

• A fee that increases over time is added to all fossil fuels. As demand for renewable energy increases, economies of scale will decrease the costs of renewable energy making it more affordable.

• The “Dividend” in the Carbon Dividend Act distributes the revenue collected by the fee to each and every American family who can then spend as they deem best.

The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, H.R. 763, is one of the best ways to encourage all companies and households to become more energy conscious. We could burden them with regulations that are slow to implement and require government agencies to enforce.

Instead, by recognizing and applying the hidden, long term costs of fossil fuels, a price signal is given to find alternative energy sources and ways to reduce energy consumption. While the dividend creates jobs and helps households transition. Over 3,500 economists agree that this type of solution is the best economic way to reduce carbon emissions quickly.

Thanks again to Rep. Yarmuth for helping lead the way.

You can read more about the bill here and then encourage our other elected Kentucky representatives to join in this collaborative effort.

Teresa Werner of Villa Hils is a member of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL), a nonpartisan nonprofit advocacy group with 500,000 members across the U.S. and chapters in NKY, Lexington, Louisville, Danville, Bowling Green and Cincinnati.