The signers wrote that the Climate Stewardship Act "would bring U.S. levels of global warming pollution to year 2000 levels by 2010 [and would] yield real benefits for domestic energy efficiency and renewable power initiatives."

WASHINGTON DC -- In a letter delivered to all members of the U.S. Senate, 27 member groups of the Sustainable Energy Coalition have urged their support for the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act (S.139).

The signers wrote that the Climate Stewardship Act "would bring U.S. levels of global warming pollution to year 2000 levels by 2010 [and would] yield real benefits for domestic energy efficiency and renewable power initiatives."

They added that "domestically produced renewable energy sources such as biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind are well situated to supply clean electricity that will help meet the Climate Stewardship Act's greenhouse gas emissions cap. [Moreover], by encouraging more efficient use of energy and the growth of renewable power, the Climate Stewardship Act will help reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy."

The full text of the letter and the list of signing organizations follows.

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The Sustainable Energy Coalition is a coalition of more than 90 national and state business, consumer, environmental, and energy policy organizations which collectively represent several thousand companies and community organizations. Founded in 1992, the Sustainable Energy Coalition promotes the increased use of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies.

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SUSTAINABLE ENERGY COALITION
1612 "K" Street, N.W.; Suite #202-A
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 293-2898 ext. 201

June 14, 2004

Dear Senator:

We the undersigned business, consumer, religious, environmental and energy policy organization members of the Sustainable Energy Coalition are writing to encourage you to support the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act (S.139).

The Climate Stewardship Act would bring U.S. levels of global warming pollution to year 2000 levels by 2010. This is an achievable and realistic first step for the U.S. It would do so by capping only the most intensive-polluting sectors of the economy - the industrial, commercial, transportation, and utility sectors - which account for 80% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The Act establishes a market-based emissions trading program, similar to the successful acid-rain trading program, to keep costs of reductions low and achievable, and allows the capped sectors to get up to 15% of their reductions from outside sectors, including international projects, or carbon sequestration projects from the agricultural sector, for instance.

Even a modest cap on greenhouse gas emissions, such as contained in the Climate Stewardship Act, will yield real benefits for domestic energy efficiency and renewable power initiatives. For instance, companies like DuPont and BP have reaped hundreds of millions of dollars in energy savings from cutting their carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, domestically produced renewable energy sources such as biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind are well situated to supply clean electricity that will help meet the Climate Stewardship Act's greenhouse gas emissions cap. Finally, by encouraging more efficient use of energy and the growth of renewable power, the Climate Stewardship Act will help reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy.

The Climate Stewardship Act benefits the environment, domestic clean energy industries and U.S. energy security. We urge your support for this important legislation.

Sincerely,

Alliance for Affordable Energy
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy American Solar Energy Society American Wind Energy Association Biomass Coordinating Council Bob Lawrence and Associates Calpine Geothermal Cascade Associates Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future City & County of San Francisco Colorado Energy Group Environmental and Energy Study Institute Geothermal Energy Association Geothermal Resources Council Global Green USA International District Energy Association National Environmental Trust National Hydropower Association Natural Resources Defense Council New Community Project New Uses Council Potomac Resources, Inc.
Solar Energy Industries Association
Solena Group, Inc.
The Stella Group, Ltd.
Union of Concerned Scientists
U.S. Public Interest Research Group