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Resolution Urging United States Congress to Pass the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763)

↑Meetings/Resolutions/93-2019
One-time (complete)formal_resolutionone_timeThe Town of Red Hook endorses a carbon fee and dividend policy and urges Congress to enact the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act; copies to be sent to federal and state elected representatives.
First seen
2019-09-25
Latest event
2019-09-25
adopted
Expires
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Resolution text

RESOLVED

  1. by the Town Board of the Town of Red Hook, on the recommendation of the Town's Conservation Advisory Council, the Town of Red Hook endorses a carbon fee and dividend and urges our representatives in the United States Congress to enact it into law
  2. copies of the resolution be sent to President Donald Trump, Vice-President Michael Pence, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, Representative Antonio Delgado, New York State Senator Sue Serino, New York State Assembly Member Kevin Cahill, and the New York Association of Towns.
Show preamble — 12 WHEREAS clauses
  • WHEREAS, climate scientists worldwide are in near-unanimous agreement that the planet Earth is warming rapidly and to a degree that is perilous to human civilization, to numerous species, and to the global ecosystem
  • WHEREAS, human activity is a significant contributor to global warming, especially through the accelerating combustion of fossil fuels that create carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as a byproduct
  • WHEREAS, the Town of Red Hook developed an Energy and Climate Action Plan in 2012 and has implemented several initiatives in support of its goals
  • WHEREAS, a prompt and major shift away from fossil fuels is a necessary cornerstone to any meaningful response to climate change
  • WHEREAS, the recently published Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SR1.5 Report states that, "Policies reflecting a high price on emissions are necessary" as a key component of any effort to limit global temperatures increases to 1.5 degree centigrade
  • WHEREAS, this IPCC report also suggests that any carbon pricing policy should be designed to, "balance between incentivizing low-carbon behavior and mitigating the adverse distributional consequences of higher energy prices"
  • WHEREAS, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763) has been introduced in Congress and would establish a steadily increasing fee on fossil fuels at the point of their entry into the economy; such a fee would be straightforward and make effective use of free-market mechanisms to promote the transition to greater energy conservation and renewable sources of energy
  • WHEREAS, the act would return all revenues (minus 3% for administration) to each American as a monthly dividend, to offset expected higher prices for goods and services
  • WHEREAS, this revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend is an effective method to reduce carbon emissions for the following reasons: (1) The fee would motivate everyone to conserve and adopt renewable energy without the need for extensive governmental regulatory controls or infrastructure, encouraging consumers and the market to replace consumption of carbon-based energy with innovative, sustainable energy sources, whether by being more efficient or choosing other, less carbon intensive energy sources; (2) The fee would employ a market approach to encourage innovative processes, not only in energy production, but also in every field in which energy is consumed, e.g. electric cars, mass transportation, architectural planning and construction, water heating, lighting, and air conditioning in residential and commercial buildings; (3) Levying the fee at the point of production would be more efficient, less expensive and provide more accurate signals than would doing so at the point of consumption; (4) The fee would incentivize the development and use of alternative energies and attendant technologies, eliminating the need for government subsidies that attempt to forecast alternative energy winners and losers; (5) Because the fee is levied on the same basis on all businesses, it is fairer to every business and easier to administer than alternatives, such as a cap and trade system; (6) A border adjustment would assess a fee on goods traded with countries without a comparable carbon price, thereby maintaining the competitiveness of US businesses and discouraging relocation to such countries and also encouraging other countries to price carbon.
  • WHEREAS, such a policy would protect lower and middle-income households, as the dividend would allow more than 70% of American households to benefit financially, break even, or have only minimal increased costs (<0.2% income) from this policy; the policy would also create jobs, as the dividend puts money back into local economies
  • WHEREAS, further delay in responding to this crisis increases the risk of catastrophic climate change, imminently threatens low-lying coastal areas and land and sea species, threatens water supplies, increases the frequency of severe weather events, increases the cost of undertaking adequate responses, and increases risks to the global economy
  • WHEREAS, the Town has determined that the proposed action is best described as a local legislative decision concerning routine administration and management considered a "Type II" action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act ("SEQRA")

Lifecycle (1 event)

2019-09-25adoptedvote: 4-0
Endorse a carbon fee and dividend and urge United States Congress to pass the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763).
moved by McKeon · seconded by Imboden
Show text snapshot for this event
Resolved
  1. by the Town Board of the Town of Red Hook, on the recommendation of the Town's Conservation Advisory Council, the Town of Red Hook endorses a carbon fee and dividend and urges our representatives in the United States Congress to enact it into law
  2. copies of the resolution be sent to President Donald Trump, Vice-President Michael Pence, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, Representative Antonio Delgado, New York State Senator Sue Serino, New York State Assembly Member Kevin Cahill, and the New York Association of Towns.
Whereas
  • WHEREAS, climate scientists worldwide are in near-unanimous agreement that the planet Earth is warming rapidly and to a degree that is perilous to human civilization, to numerous species, and to the global ecosystem
  • WHEREAS, human activity is a significant contributor to global warming, especially through the accelerating combustion of fossil fuels that create carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as a byproduct
  • WHEREAS, the Town of Red Hook developed an Energy and Climate Action Plan in 2012 and has implemented several initiatives in support of its goals
  • WHEREAS, a prompt and major shift away from fossil fuels is a necessary cornerstone to any meaningful response to climate change
  • WHEREAS, the recently published Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SR1.5 Report states that, "Policies reflecting a high price on emissions are necessary" as a key component of any effort to limit global temperatures increases to 1.5 degree centigrade
  • WHEREAS, this IPCC report also suggests that any carbon pricing policy should be designed to, "balance between incentivizing low-carbon behavior and mitigating the adverse distributional consequences of higher energy prices"
  • WHEREAS, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763) has been introduced in Congress and would establish a steadily increasing fee on fossil fuels at the point of their entry into the economy; such a fee would be straightforward and make effective use of free-market mechanisms to promote the transition to greater energy conservation and renewable sources of energy
  • WHEREAS, the act would return all revenues (minus 3% for administration) to each American as a monthly dividend, to offset expected higher prices for goods and services
  • WHEREAS, this revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend is an effective method to reduce carbon emissions for the following reasons: (1) The fee would motivate everyone to conserve and adopt renewable energy without the need for extensive governmental regulatory controls or infrastructure, encouraging consumers and the market to replace consumption of carbon-based energy with innovative, sustainable energy sources, whether by being more efficient or choosing other, less carbon intensive energy sources; (2) The fee would employ a market approach to encourage innovative processes, not only in energy production, but also in every field in which energy is consumed, e.g. electric cars, mass transportation, architectural planning and construction, water heating, lighting, and air conditioning in residential and commercial buildings; (3) Levying the fee at the point of production would be more efficient, less expensive and provide more accurate signals than would doing so at the point of consumption; (4) The fee would incentivize the development and use of alternative energies and attendant technologies, eliminating the need for government subsidies that attempt to forecast alternative energy winners and losers; (5) Because the fee is levied on the same basis on all businesses, it is fairer to every business and easier to administer than alternatives, such as a cap and trade system; (6) A border adjustment would assess a fee on goods traded with countries without a comparable carbon price, thereby maintaining the competitiveness of US businesses and discouraging relocation to such countries and also encouraging other countries to price carbon.
  • WHEREAS, such a policy would protect lower and middle-income households, as the dividend would allow more than 70% of American households to benefit financially, break even, or have only minimal increased costs (<0.2% income) from this policy; the policy would also create jobs, as the dividend puts money back into local economies
  • WHEREAS, further delay in responding to this crisis increases the risk of catastrophic climate change, imminently threatens low-lying coastal areas and land and sea species, threatens water supplies, increases the frequency of severe weather events, increases the cost of undertaking adequate responses, and increases risks to the global economy
  • WHEREAS, the Town has determined that the proposed action is best described as a local legislative decision concerning routine administration and management considered a "Type II" action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act ("SEQRA")
Subject key: climate_advocacy_federal_legislation