Category: Press Releases

Hundreds of landowners, businesses, faith leaders and community organizations who have spent three years fighting the proposed fracked-gas Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) are vowing to continue pressing federal, state, and local officials to reject the project, notwithstanding a certificate issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission late Friday.
The agency has utterly failed to account for the harmful impacts to water resources, private property, local economies and the climate from the proposed pipeline, the groups say. In fact, FERC has yet to competently assess whether the pipeline is even needed.
“This project is far from a done deal. With the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and other agency permitting still necessary, we’ve now begun a new phase of our challenge in protecting our waters, farms and businesses, and our future,” said Roanoke County resident Roberta Bondurant of POWHR, a bi-state coalition of community groups along the path of the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline.
The pipeline, proposed by a consortium of natural gas companies led by Equitrans, would run 300 miles from Wetzel County, West Virginia, through Southwest Virginia and connect with the existing Transco line in Pittsylvania County. It would cross streams, wetlands and other water bodies more than 1,000 times in the two states, many of those in extremely  steep mountain terrain susceptible to earthquakes and landslides.
The project still requires numerous local, state and federal sign-offs. Importantly, both Virginia DEQ and West Virginia DEP must still certify that the project would not harm or degrade water resources. West Virginia issued its certification earlier this year, but recently asked the court to remand the permit back to the state for further consideration after a challenge brought by Appalachian Mountain Advocates on behalf of several community groups. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is now reviewing tens of thousands of public comments on its draft water quality certificate.  
The U.S. Forest Service, the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Virginia Marine Resources Commission, and state and local health and zoning departments are among the other government entities that still must also weigh in.
In addition, landowners along the proposed pipeline route have filed two lawsuits against FERC challenging the constitutionality of the use of eminent domain — the taking of private land — by a private company for private gain. (See more background in this fact sheet.)  Attorneys have requested that all activity on the project be suspended until those pivotal questions are resolved.
“We cannot trust FERC to act in our best interests, so we continue to urge state leaders to exercise their right to thoroughly scrutinize this project,” said Lara Mack, Virginia field organizer with Appalachian Voices.  “Scientists have repeatedly warned that impacts to our waters and other natural resources will be permanent. If the MVP is built, communities in its path will suffer the consequences for generations,” said Mack.
“We are living in a climate emergency. In just the past several weeks we’ve seen the tragic consequences of a warmer world, from devastating hurricanes to raging wildfires. Now is the time to move to renewable energy, not build new pipelines that would lock us into climate-warming infrastructure for generations to come,” said Anne Havemann, General Counsel at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
“Here along the proposed path of Mountain Valley Pipeline in Giles County, we’ve had yet another earthquake,” said Russell Chisholm, an Army veteran of Desert Storm. “Mountain Valley Pipeline, a newly formed LLC with no experience building a line this massive, expects us to believe they can safely blast, trench and build though an active seismic zone in Giles. Communities are right to be angry that FERC will allow them to do it on the backs of law abiding, tax-paying residents, many of whom are elderly, served in our armed forces, or worked as public servants in our schools, police and fire departments. It would be a bitter injustice to have these citizens displaced–either literally or effectively– by eminent domain for private gain.”
“Localities face the prospect of whole communities in water crises, disasters that no amount of bonding could compensate,” said Bondurant. “Permitting MVP would be antithetical to our region that boasts clean air, pristine waters, outdoor adventure, scenic byways, fertile farming, and economies of health care, education and burgeoning breweries and distilleries dependent on clean water. That would be a shameful legacy for Governor McAuliffe.”    
“This project poses unprecedented economic and environmental threats,” Chisholm said. “We encourage all Virginians to stand with us and call on Governor McAuliffe and his Department of Environmental Quality to reject this ill-conceived and unneeded project.”

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Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights (POWHR) is a member of Virginia Organizing, a 501(c)3, with member nonprofit and citizen groups spanning from Franklin County, Virginia through Greenbrier and Lewis Counties, West Virginia. For more information on our programs and initiatives, or on how to donate please go to www.powhr.org.
 

Largest Action To-Date Against Eastern Panhandle Expansion Included Songs, Flower Drop  

SHARPSBURG, MD- On Saturday, October 14, more than 300 concerned West Virginia and Maryland residents joined hands over a key Potomac River bridge to send a powerful message urging Governor Hogan stop TransCanada from building a fracked-gas pipeline underneath the treasured river. Click here for a photo album on Flickr and here for videos on Twitter.
The group of elected leaders, environmental and social justice advocates, landowners and concerned citizens stood hand-in hand to span the James Rumsey Bridge over the Potomac River in Western Maryland. By connecting the Maryland side of the river to West Virginia, the group showed that they stand as a united front in protesting this pipeline.
Patricia Kesecker, West Virginia landowner who is currently being sued by Mountaineer Gas, said: “when you have put your blood, sweat and tears into the land for almost 50 years and someone can come and take it against your wishes, that is heartbreaking.  When the judge granted Mountaineer Gas the right to our property, she not only robbed us, but she also robbed our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of their heritage.”
The pipeline is being proposed by TransCanada, the company infamous for pushing the Keystone XL Pipeline, and Mountaineer Gas. It would ship fracked gas from Pennsylvania to West Virginia, passing through the town of Hancock, Maryland and underneath the Potomac River. This pipeline would not benefit Marylanders in any way, yet it would pose a grave threat to their drinking water and deepen dependence on dirty fossil fuels for years to come.
Brooke Harper, Maryland & DC Policy Director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said: “This is my home. I’ve worked relentlessly for years to protect my community from the dangers of fracking. Now, TransCanada wants to threaten us yet again with this fracked-gas pipeline, which would increase our dependence on fossil fuels and endanger our water. Governor Hogan needs to say no.”
Over the past few months, a growing coalition of legislators, environmental activists. and concerned landowners has been speaking out against the pipeline. From paddling against the pipeline, to a months-long encampment in the spirit of Standing Rock, the coalition has built a massive movement and drawn national attention to the harms that this project could cause.
Mary Mattlage, spokesperson for Eastern Panhandle Protectors, said: “In the light of the recent and unprecedented storms, wildfires, and other natural disasters affecting our planet, we should not be supporting projects such as the Eastern Panhandle Expansion and Potomac pipeline which we know will contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and threaten the water supply for millions of people.”
Josh Tulkin, Director of the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter, said: “Maryland understood that fracking posed a threat to our air, water, and the natural spaces that we hold dear. This proposed pipeline poses the same threat.” said Josh Tulkin, Director of the Maryland Sierra Club. If Governor Hogan is serious about protecting environmental and human health from the dangers of fracking, he will complete the fracking ban by rejecting this pipeline.”
Brent Walls, Upper Potomac Riverkeeper, said: “All pipeline projects have an inherent risk to water quality, but the Potomac Pipeline will cross streams and go through several miles of sensitive karst geology; which magnifies the risks of contaminating the Potomac River and the source of drinking water for millions of people.”
Organizations participating in the action included the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Eastern Panhandle Protectors, Potomac Riverkeepers, Waterkeepers Chesapeake, and the Sierra Club MD Chapter.

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CONTACT:
Denise Robbins; Chesapeake Climate Action Network; denise@chesapeakeclimate.org; 608-620-8819
Brooke Harper; Chesapeake Climate Action Network; brooke@chesapeakeclimate.org; 301-992-6875;
Brent Walls; Upper Potomac Riverkeeper; Brent@upperpotomacriverkeeper.org; 443-480-8970

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After devastating hurricanes, two days of prayer vigils and protests in Richmond, Roanoke, Harrisonburg, Woodbridge, Virginia Beach, Glen Allen and Abingdon culminated on Thursday September 14 with a peaceful sit-in in Richmond. The first-of-its-kind statewide protest connected extreme weather with fossil fuel policies. Protesters showed compassion for storm victims and growing opposition to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Mountain Valley Pipeline in call for Virginia Governor to reject the pipelines.

RICHMOND, Virginia– On September 14, hundreds of citizens across Virginia gathered for the final day of the “People’s Pipeline Protest,” two days of action at all seven of Governor Terry McAuliffe’s controversial Department of Environmental Quality offices. During the protest in Richmond, activists engaged in a peaceful sit-in at the Richmond DEQ office, effectively blocking the office entrance for over an hour, and resulting in 19 arrests.

Those arrested today included landowners, physicians and faith leaders opposed to the pipeline. Governor McAuliffe plans to make a final decision on water permits for the controversial pipelines this autumn. He has the full legal authority, under the Clean Water Act, to stop them based on the massive impact the pipelines would likely have on drinking water and rivers and wetlands across 1000 miles of their proposed pathways. Protesters today asked the Governor to deny the water permits sought by Dominion Energy and other energy companies. The sit-in arrestees were released by Richmond city police after receiving misdemeanor tresspassing charges.

The protests and vigils this week aimed to honor the victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma while protesting the pro-fracking and pro-pipelines policies of Governor Terry McAuliffe that make climate change worse. Opponents of two controversial gas pipelines called the events the most ambitious and creative environmental protests ever organized in Virginia’s history.

Harrison Wallace, Virginia Policy Coordinator for CCAN Action Fund, said, “​Our human rights to clean air, clean water, and a livable climate are threatened by the dangerous Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines for fracked gas. Today, sat on the frontlines of the Richmond DEQ offer to amplify the pleas of frontline Virginians who are urging Governor McAuliffe to do the right thing.”

Russell Chisholm, Vice-Coordinator of Preserve Giles County along the path of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and US Army Veteran of Desert Storm, said: “Let DEQ Director David Paylor’s legacy be one of protecting Virginia’s water for generations, especially in vulnerable rural areas like Giles County where we rely on springs and wells. The thousands of people served by the Roanoke river depend on McAuliffe and the DEQ to protect their drinking water. It’s time to reject these pipelines once and for all.”

The seven DEQ offices run from NoVA to Virginia Beach and from the Tennessee border to Harrisonburg. Focused on stopping the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley Pipelines, these historic protests took place simultaneously on September 13 and 14 as the nation recovers from massive hurricanes and while McAuliffe contemplates a final decision on whether to approve the destructive fossil fuel pipelines.

Faith leaders, students, and others are asking the Governor to consider the growing harm of hurricanes and accelerating  climate change — and to reject the specific water permits needed by pipeline companies, including Dominion Energy. These harmful pipelines for fracked gas would cause the destruction of entire mountain ridgetops, threaten citizens’ property rights, and harm valuable drinking water resources — in addition to exacerbating climate change. The pipelines would trigger new greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to building 46 new coal-fired power plants in Virginia.

April Moore, member of Climate Action Alliance of the Valley, said: “It is moving to me to see many people of different faith traditions demonstrating that the stewardship of our water—on which all life depends—is a sacred duty. We cannot let Dominion Power and other purveyors of dirty fossil fuels rob us of our birthright: clean water for all. Especially when renewable energy sources can provide us with the energy we need now, while also providing an abundance of good jobs.”

Amanda Tandy of 350 Loudoun, said, “These pipelines would harm us all. In addition to the global climate change the pipelines would accelerate, Northern Virginians would be impacted by loss of recreation areas, impacts to the Appalachian Trail, a reduction in water and air quality and our tax dollars going towards any disasters, such as blowouts or leaks, that may occur over the hundreds of miles of these pipelines. Virginians deserve better governance than their executive and his agencies putting the interests of corporate polluters over the interests of the living, taxpaying, voting citizens. New York, West Virginia and Minnesota have pushed back against pipeline construction through their states. Virginia, through its DEQ, needs to do the same.”

Kim Williams, operator of the Norfolk Catholic Worker House, said: “The devastating storms of the past two weeks in Houston and in Florida are a painful reality check. Climate change is now and climate change is here. We need to do everything we can to move immediately off of fossil fuels and to move our energy source to renewables. The climate has changed. Now, the thinking of our Governor and the officials at the DEQ needs to change as well. They need to think beyond the next election cycle. They need to think long-term about what these pipelines would do to cause irrevocable harm to our planet.”

Jason Von Kundra, local Washington County farmer and Virginia Organizing member, said: “These pipelines threaten our our natural resources and health. As farmers, we understand the importance of using the land responsibly. For the sake our next generations, we call on Governor McAuliffe to do the right thing.”

Twenty-five groups endorsed the “People’s Pipeline Protest,” including the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, 350 Loudon, Divest RVA, RVA Interfaith Climate Justice League, Preserve Franklin, Norfolk Catholic Workers, Beyond Extreme Energy, Fort Valley Voices for Action, 350 Central Virginia, Indivisible Midlothian, Friends of Buckingham, Yogaville Environmental Solutions, Interfaith Power & Light, Virginia River Healers , 350 Fairfax, Friends of Augusta, Tidewater Pax Christi Community, C-Ville Rising, Preserve Giles County, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, Oil Change International, Wild Virginia, Virginia Organizing, Friends of Nelson, and the Interspiritual Empowerment Project.

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CONTACTS:
Denise Robbins, CCAN Action Fund, denise@chesapeakeclimate.org, 608-620-8819;
April Moore, Climate Action Alliance of the Valley, april@shentel.net, 540-333-5497;
Brian Johns, Virginia Organizing, bjohns@virginia-organizing.org, 276-619-1920;

Faith, Community and Climate Leaders Announce Campaign To Double Wind and Solar Energy in Maryland

Baltimore, MD –On Wednesday, September 13, at 10:00 a.m. at the Episcopal Diocesan Center, 4 East University Parkway in Baltimore City, Maryland faith, community and climate leaders will announce a new campaign to require that 50 percent of Maryland’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2030. The campaign will unveil a legislative proposal that calls for expanding and strengthening Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which requires utilities to buy a certain percentage of renewable energy each year, from the current target of 25% by 2020. The campaign will also call for a substantial investment in training for good clean energy jobs with a livable wage and assistance for minority and women owned businesses working in this field.

Campaign leaders will lift up the more than 300 faith, community, labor, business, climate and environmental groups from across Maryland that have already endorsed this proposal. The Campaign also plans to have hundreds of additional groups endorse in the next few months and will call on Maryland groups to join by going to www.cleanenergyjobs.org/sign.

In addition to being endorsed by the Ecumenical Leaders Group of Maryland and many Maryland faith groups, the Campaign is endorsed by the Maryland State Conference of NAACP Branches and is a priority campaign for the Maryland Climate Coalition, whose groups include the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, Interfaith Power and Light (DC, MD, NoVA), SEIU 1199, and the Maryland Environmental Health Network.

Quotes from Maryland Leaders:

“We call on the Maryland General Assembly to double our goals for renewable energy during the 2018 Session so we can save lives and transition our energy sector away from harmful fossil fuels and toward a clean energy economy,” said Public Health Advocate Vincent DeMarco, who recently formed a new nonprofit, the Maryland Clean Energy Jobs Initiative, Inc., whose goal is to elevate climate issues in the electoral process. “There is no time to waste, so our organization will put all we have into making renewable energy and clean energy jobs one of the top issues in the 2018 state elections.”

“As the federal government moves backwards on climate, Maryland is moving forward,” said Karla Raettig, Executive Director of Maryland League of Conservation Voters. “We believe that committing to a 50% RPS is a reachable and meaningful stepping stone to eventually achieving 100% clean energy in Maryland.”

“The Maryland faith community strongly supports the goal of making sure that by 2030, 50 percent of Maryland’s electrical energy is renewable,” said Rev. Mary Gaut, Chair of the Maryland Ecumenical Leaders Group. “We have a moral imperative to enact this social justice proposal that will help save us from the ravages of climate change and ensure clean energy jobs for our people.”

“The NAACP is committed to making the Maryland Clean Energy Jobs Campaign one of their top priorities,” said Gerald Stansbury, President of the Maryland State Conference of the NAACP “We know that all Marylanders, particularly disadvantaged communities, will benefit from from protecting our climate and ensuring good quality jobs.”

Contact: Vinny DeMarco, Founder, MD Clean Energy Jobs Initiative, demarco@mdinitiative.org, (410) 591-9162
Brooke Harper, MD & DC Policy Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, brooke@chesapeakeclimate.org, (301) 992-6875

After years of staunch support for offshore oil drilling off the coast of Virginia, Governor Terry McAuliffe today for the first time declared his opposition to this dangerous practice. The Governor suggested that weak environmental regulation and enforcement under Donald Trump’s federal agencies drove his decision to finally oppose the practice.

Statement from CCAN’s Virginia Policy Coordinator Harrison Wallace:

Citizens across Virginia were relieved today to hear Governor McAuliffe finally opposes the dangerous practice of offshore drilling off the coast of Virginia. While this decision was long overdue, it is nonetheless the responsible course to protect Virginia’s environment and coastal economy. We applaud the governor on this change of policy.

However, Governor McAuliffe still staunchly supports two proposed massive pipelines for fracked gas across Virginia: the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines. If the governor applied the same concerns over weak Trump administration enforcement to these pipelines, he would also declare his opposition. The fact is these controversial pipelines will be built and regulated with oversight from Trump’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency, Trump’s Department of Energy, and Trump’s U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

If federal agencies under Trump can’t be trusted to keep Virginians safe from offshore drilling, they certainly can’t be trusted to keep Virginia’s water, environment, farmland, and economy safe from fracked-gas pipelines. Governor McAuliffe should reject these pipelines today.

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CONTACT: Denise Robbins, Communications Director, denise@chesapeakeclimate.org, 608-620-8819;
Harrison Wallace, Virginia Policy Coordinator, harrison@chesapeakeclimate.org, 804-305-1472

 

Protest Encampment Inspired by Standing Rock Reaches Its Culmination

SHARPSBURG, MD — On Friday, August 11 at 1:00 pm, dozens of activists — many in kayaks — spanned the Potomac River in a powerful showing of opposition to TransCanada’s proposed pipeline under the Potomac. Activists paddled down the Potomac with large protest banners, drawing attention to the treasured river through which the pipeline is proposed to be constructed. The group called on Governor Larry Hogan to complete the statewide fracking ban by stopping fracked-gas infrastructure and ultimately reject the project.
Sen. Richard Madeleno (D-18), who supported the recently-passed statewide fracking ban, stated: “At long last, Governor Hogan supported our groundbreaking ban on fracking, but fracking infrastructure still threatens the drinking water of Maryland citizens. For the water and health of all Marylanders, Hogan must complete the ban and reject TransCanada’s fracked-gas pipeline.”
The “kayaktivist” action was among the latest actions of a months-long rolling encampment titled “Standing Rock to Hancock: Camp Out to Stop the Potomac Pipeline,” which has been taking place throughout the summer with camp-outs along the C&O canal near Hancock, Maryland. This is the first extended encampment of its kind used to protest fossil fuels in Maryland history.
Momentum is building and the encampment is growing as part of efforts to urge Gov. Hogan to reject the Eastern Panhandle Expansion Project. When TransCanada held a forum about the pipeline in February, more than 100 residents of Maryland and West Virginia showed up to oppose its construction. Now, dozens of activists have camped out each weekend since the protest encampment launched July 30, and hundreds of calls and comments have been sent to Governor Hogan and the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE), which has the authority to deny the permit necessary for the pipeline’s construction.
Patricia and Dean Kesecker, West Virginia landowners whose land was forcefully claimed by Mountaineer Gas to build the pipeline were also present. Patricia Kesecker stated: “Mountaineer Gas has wrongly taken our land for eminent domain, a process meant to be used for public good. But no good will come of this pipeline. They have taken our rights to our own land, and threaten the rights of everyday citizens to access healthy land and clean drinking water. Mountaineer and Transcanada are trampling on those rights for the sake of their pocketbooks.”
Tracy Cannon, organizer with Eastern Panhandle Protectors, stated: “A leak or spill from this pipeline would result in catastrophe. As we’ve seen in Ohio with the ETP’s Rover Pipeline and even more recently in Pennsylvania with Sunoco’s Mariner East Pipeline, blowouts and leaks of drilling mud during horizontal directional drilling are not uncommon. Tourism is the economic driver in the Eastern Panhandle. We cannot afford to damage our pristine environment for the sake of a pipeline that would bring more harm to our neighbors.”
The proposed Eastern Panhandle Expansion Project is three-mile long pipeline that would carry dangerous fracked gas from Pennsylvania through Maryland and into West Virginia. It would threaten millions of residents in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. who rely on the Potomac river for drinking water.
In order for the proposed Eastern Panhandle Expansion Project to move forward, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) would need to grant the 401 Water Quality Certificate under the Clean Water Act. Hogan has the ability to direct the MDE to reject this certificate. The MDE has stated that it will hold a public hearing on the permit application in coming weeks.
Brooke Harper, Maryland Policy Director with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Environmental Chair for the Maryland State Conference NAACP, stated: “This pipeline would bring no benefits whatsoever to the state of Marylanders, only risks. the pipeline would deepen our dependence on dirty fossil fuels for years to come. With the impacts of global warming accelerating, we cannot afford to wait any longer to switch to clean energy. Instead, TransCanada wants to threaten the public health and drinking water of our communities.”
Before the press conference, campers joined a cave tour at Crystal Grottoes to view the region’s fragile karst geology, which is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves and is easily susceptible to transmission of pollutants through connected underground aquifers. The pipeline could degrade pristine streams and further threaten public and private water supplies. Using hydraulic directional drilling under streams in karst geology would create pathways for water to drain down the bore holes and dissolve the limestone around the piping. This activity can create sinkholes that could impact the integrity of the pipeline, causing subterranean ruptures and even explosions, further threatening the Potomac River.
Organizations participating in the encampment include the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Eastern Panhandle Protectors, Potomac Riverkeepers, Food & Water Watch, Waterkeepers Chesapeake, and the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter.
 

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To view more photos from this event, check out our photos of the Kayak Action and the Crystal Grottoes Tour

CONTACT:
Denise Robbins; Chesapeake Climate Action Network; denise@chesapeakeclimate.org; 608-620-8819
Brooke Harper; Chesapeake Climate Action Network; brooke@chesapeakeclimate.org; 301-992-6875

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, July 27, a new draft study detailed how a carbon fee-and-rebate policy would benefit the local economy of Washington, DC. According to the study’s findings, the policy — being proposed by the “Put A Price On It, D.C.” coalition — can effectively reduce carbon emissions in the District while maintaining economic growth and job creation, and putting more money in the pockets of DC residents.
The independent analysis, titled “Assessing Economic Impacts of a Carbon Fee & Dividend for DC,” was carried out by the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) and shared at an event hosted by Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI). The draft study found that the policy would result in a steady boost in jobs — particularly in the construction sector — and stable economic growth, while reducing planet-warming carbon emissions 23 percent by 2032 for electricity, natural gas, and home-heating oil consumed in the District. Transportation emissions also fall under this examined policy.
Roger Horowitz, Co-Founder of Pleasant Pops, stated: “With the carbon fee-and-rebate policy, DC has the opportunity to become a national leader on climate action in a way that is equitable and just — and good for our business. Putting a price on global warming pollution and rebating the revenue to families will keep our business going and improve the health of our community.”
“Zenful Bites is proud to be part of the ‘Put a Price on It D.C.’ coalition. This policy will expand our customer base and make our city a healthier, safer place to live. We’re happy to help move this campaign forward for a more sustainable economy,” said Josephine Chu, Co-Founder of Zenful Bites.
The study modeled the indirect and induced changes that occur throughout all sectors of the DC economy as businesses, households and the government respond – not only to the fee itself, but also to the newfound money available from the return of that fee every month. The analysis projects that, by 2032, the policy would generate a rebate of $170 per month for the average family of four and $294 per month for a low-income family of four. This gradually rising rebate would increase residents’ support, thereby increasing the policy’s durability.
“We support this because it would spur companies like ours to dramatically increase their investments in clean energy, while leaving more money in the pockets of DC residents to reinvest in local businesses, restaurants and services,” said Tom Matzzie, Founder and CEO of CleanChoice Energy.
The proposed policy would redirect a portion of the revenue raised as tax relief to small businesses. This will total $30 million per year by 2032, thus enhancing the ability of local businesses to remain competitive in the region and to maintain a permanent and robust presence in the city.
“The numbers clearly show that a carbon fee-and-rebate policy is not only the best option to reduce D.C. carbon emissions, but also a sound mechanism for growing a robust economy powered by clean energy,” said Mishal Thadani, Co-Founder of District Solar. “This policy is simple, fair for every stakeholder, and will ultimately attract many new and innovative companies to the District.”

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CONTACT:
Denise Robbins, CCAN Communications Director, denise@chesapeakeclimate.org, 608-620-8819;
Camila Thorndike, CCAN Carbon Pricing Coordinator, camila@chesapeakeclimate.org, 541-951-2619