Clean Energy
A Champion for Clean Energy
Advancing a clean energy economy to create quality, high-paying jobs and lower energy costs is not only a goal for Senator Schatz, it’s his passion. In the United States Senate, he has emerged as a leading national voice on clean energy and protecting our communities from climate change, bringing to bear his experience helping lead the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative as Lieutenant Governor.
Senator Schatz’s leadership on clean energy and climate change has been praised as “a breath of fresh air” by luminaries such as Al Gore. He was the lead organizer of Up4Climate, a rare all-night session on the Senate floor in which 31 U.S. Senators called for action on climate change. He has partnered with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Henry Waxman on draft legislation that would require large polluters to pay for the pollution they emit, helping to combat climate change and clear the way for a clean energy future.
Since early in his career, Senator Schatz has supported energy efficiency standards and tax incentives for improvements. He was a co-sponsor of the state’s net energy metering legislation, which since passing in 2001 has helped encourage residential and small commercial customers to install the more than 40,000 solar photovoltaic systems now connected to the utility grid.
Senator Schatz also believes that government should lead by example. In Hawai‘i he supported legislation that called on state agencies to purchase the most energy efficient vehicles that meet the needs of their programs, required new government buildings to be up to LEED standards, and mandated state agencies to use ENERGY STAR equipment. Today, Hawai‘i is on track to achieve the greatest percentage of renewable energy in the nation, 40% by 2030.
His record has earned him the endorsements of prominent environmental organizations like the Sierra Club, Ocean Champions, and League of Conservation Voters — which gave Senator Schatz a 100% score for his voting record.
Today, Senator Schatz aims to continue this record of environmental protection while serving as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Water and Power on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. In this leadership position, he is helping make Hawai‘i more sustainable and protect Hawai‘i’s water resources. The former Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senator Ron Wyden, commended Senator Schatz because of his demonstrated leadership and drive on clean energy.
Senator Schatz is dedicated to moving us toward a clean energy economy, both to create good, high-paying jobs in Hawai‘i and across the country, and to leave a better future for our children.