New Report: A dead CEPP is better than another fossil fuel giveaway
WASHINGTON – Friends of the Earth released a report today analyzing different proposals from fossil fuel interests to weaken the Clean Electricity Payment Program (CEPP). This follows recent news that the CEPP is potentially being dropped from Build Back Better Act negotiations. The report finds that previous demands for the CEPP from Senator Joe Manchin and fossil fuel interests–including eliminating the penalty structure and allowing fossil gas to qualify as “clean”–would have drastically reduced and even eliminated the climate efficacy of the program.
“Senator Manchin and his fossil fuel cronies were demanding changes to the CEPP that would have turned it into a climate nightmare,” said Sarah Lutz, Climate Campaigner for Friends of the Earth. “Letting the CEPP die is better than allowing it to become a vehicle for billions in new fossil fuel giveaways.”
Key findings in the report include:
- The current House version of the CEPP would only reduce fossil gas in the power sector to 2017 levels and will fall short of its target of 80% clean energy
- Much of the emission reductions anticipated in the current program would be driven by the penalty structure, making proposals to eliminate it especially dangerous
- Allowing fossil gas to qualify as “clean energy” would virtually eliminate prospective emissions reductions under the program
- Even a partial credit for fossil gas as low as $15/MWh would significantly harm the uptake of clean renewables
“Some of the revisions proposed by fossil fuel interests would render the CEPP not worth doing,” said Bruce Buckheit, former Director of Air Enforcement at EPA and author of the report. “Weakening the penalty structure or opening the door for fossil gas should be poison pills for the Biden Administration.”
Communications contact: Brittany Miller, (202) 222-0746, [email protected]