WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), announced her co-sponsorship of the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) Act of 2019 (S. 1974). This legislation, introduced by Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), would set a federal standard to for renewable electricity generation, requiring states to obtain at least 50% of their electricity from renewables by 2035.
“We must take bold action in order to address the threat that climate change poses to our country,” said Senator Rosen. “This legislation would create a framework for progress by incentivizing strong investments in solar and wind technologies and setting a goal for the U.S. to achieve at least 50% renewable electricity nationwide by 2035. I will continue to support forward-thinking solutions to this serious issue, and work to grow our clean energy economy in Nevada.”
BACKGROUND: The Renewable Electricity Standard Act of 2019 would, beginning in 2020, require that every electricity provider increase its supply of renewable energy by a percentage of total retail sales each year, with the intended goal of achieving at least 50 percent electricity from renewables in the U.S. by 2035. Each kilowatt hour of electric energy generated by a new renewable resource would be entitled to a Renewable Electricity Credit (REC), which would be turned in for compliance. States with Renewable Electricity Standards or Low Carbon Energy Standards at or above the federal floor could opt-out, as could states with generation mixes of at least 60% renewable energy.
This bill would complement Nevada’s new RES, which seeks to achieve 50% electricity from renewables by 2030 and 100% from renewables by 2050.
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