Senate Environment Committee Holds Hearings on Climate Legislation

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee this week conducted three days of legislative hearings with over 50 witnesses providing testimony on S. 1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, introduced by EPW Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). The bill proposes to create a "cap and trade" regulatory program to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to address global climate change concerns.  The legislation aims to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. The U.S. House of Representatives passed its comprehensive energy and climate change legislation, H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, in June. Proponents of climate change legislation in the Senate are coordinating at least five committees with jurisdiction over the issue and have signaled their intent to bring a comprehensive bill to the Senate floor as soon as possible following the debate on health care legislation.  AGC has been working with stakeholders in the real estate, design, and construction industry to communicate the industry's concerns with energy and cap and trade legislation.  AGC is largely concerned that cap and trade would increase the cost of construction and that its impact on the economy would reduce demand for construction services.  AGC is also concerned with the transportation planning provisions in s. 1733 that would make planning for and building highway capacity projects more difficult. AGC has prepared a document Top Ten Things Contractors Need to Know about Climate Change  that summarizes AGC's concerns with energy and climate change legislation.  AGC encourages members to express their concerns with the Senate climate change bill by contacting their senators using AGC's Legislative Action Center .