King, Colleagues Push to Set 50% Renewable Electricity Nationwide Standard by 2035

Statement

Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I--Maine) joined a group of his colleagues to introduce legislation to achieve at least 50 percent renewable electricity nationwide in just 15 years -- putting the U.S. on a trajectory to decarbonize the power sector by 2050. Starting in 2020, the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) Act of 2019 would require electricity providers across the country to increase their supply of renewable energy each year. The senators' RES Act meets the recommendations of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1.5 C Special Report, which outlines the standards that must be met worldwide to respond to the existential threat of climate change.

"Climate change is an urgent threat to our planet that can dramatically alter ecosystems, threaten our national security, and cause major damage to local economies. Maine people are seeing its impacts in our waters, forests and lands, and understand that to respond to a crisis of this magnitude, we need a serious emphasis on renewable energy," said Senator King. "By setting aggressive but realistic targets, we have an opportunity to mitigate the impacts of this phenomenon, and create good, high-paying jobs in the process. This will create new economic opportunities, and fulfill our responsibility to preserve this world for the next generation. In short: it's the right thing to do."

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