Press Releases

WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), secured key provisions important to Delaware in the recently-introduced Democratic Clean Energy Package, the CLEAN Future Act of 2021. On March 2, 2021, Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Energy Subcommittee Chairman Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), and Environment and Climate Change Chairman Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) introduced the CLEAN Future Act of 2021. The new legislation creates a roadmap for the United States to aggressively tackle the climate crisis and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

“As we rebuild our economy in the wake of COVID, one of our priorities must be to create a more sustainable and cleaner future. I am proud to join with my colleagues on the Energy & Commerce Committee in introducing the CLEAN Future Act and pleased that I was able to secure key provisions that would benefit Delaware,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “From investing in our state energy programs, to reducing carbon emissions at our nation’s ports, to monitoring and improving air quality across the country - the CLEAN Future Act will help us combat climate change and build a better and brighter future.” 

The CLEAN Future Act includes the following provisions lead by Blunt Rochester:

• The Open Back Better Act – Invests in upgrades to public building infrastructure, like hospitals and schools, making it more energy efficient and resilient. Forty percent of funding must be used toward projects in Environmental Justice or low-income communities.
• The Public Health Air Quality Act – Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to implement immediate fenceline monitoring for toxic air pollutants at facilities contributing to high local cancer rates and other health threats from dangerous pollutants.
• Investing in State Energy Act – Requires the Department of Energy to distribute funds for the Weatherization Assistance Program and the state energy assistance program within 60 days of Congress making the funds available for such programs.

• The Climate Action Planning for Ports Act – Creates a competitive grant program at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that incentivizes ports to create and implement climate action plans to reduce GHG emissions and other air pollutants. The grants will be prioritized based on several factors: regional collaboration, engagement of environmental justice communities and near-port communities. 
• The Mitigate Methane Now Act – Incentivizes replacing old, leak-prone infrastructure in the natural gas distribution system, which will protect our communities from potentially dangerous explosions, save consumers money, and reduce potent methane emissions that fuel climate change.

Bill text for the CLEAN Future Act can be found HERE and a section-by-section can be found HERE.

###