Our 2024 Platform the big three

Summary

America’s clean energy industry is ready to build, but outdated government regulations often add years of delays and extra costs to projects. ​Take the TransWest Express transmission line, adding 3,000 MW of new clean energy capacity to the grid.  Originally proposed in 2007, it was delayed by 15 years due to red tape. By getting unnecessary government regulations out of the way, we will allow America’s entrepreneurs to build cleaner and faster. We can do this while maintaining high environmental standards and protecting our beautiful landscapes.

Policy Pathways

• Streamline permitting processes for all energy sources while maintaining strong environmental standards.
• Reduce the regulatory barriers standing in the way of critical transmission and grid enhancement projects that are key to providing affordable, reliable grid.
• Streamline approval for nuclear energy projects to address the fact that the U.S. has one of the most expensive and time-consuming processes for approving new nuclear projects.
• Simplify the permitting process for critical mineral mining projects to ensure we secure America’s manufacturing future with better environmental safeguards than mining overseas.
• Cut red tape that unnecessarily prevents the implementation of ecosystem restoration projects, such as prescribed burns or wetland restoration, on public lands.
• Reform regulations that unfairly prevent consumers from powering their homes with the energy of their choice, including clean energy.

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Build Clean Energy Faster

Summary

Our energy should be made in America. From natural gas to nuclear to renewables, we have the resources at home to ensure our energy supply is reliable, secure, affordable, and increasingly clean. Today, China is responsible for 60% of the world’s production of rare earth elements, and Russian nuclear fuel powers 1 in 20 American homes and businesses. Rather than relying on foreign competitors for the building blocks of the clean energy economy, we should sustainably develop American natural resources while maintaining the highest environmental standards in the world.

Policy Pathways

• Expand environmentally-friendly, domestic mining to supply our economy’s needs. We must also work with allies to reduce reliance on adversaries like China and Russia.
• Reduce our reliance on China for solar panel manufacturing by supporting the domestic solar industry through investment, clear regulations, and public-private partnerships.
• Responsibly produce cleaner American natural gas to power our economy, reduce emissions, and ensure energy security at home and abroad.
• Increase uranium mining domestically and work with our allies to strengthen supply chains.
• Further unlock additional sources of clean energy such as hydropower, advanced geothermal, and hydrogen through greater investments and regulatory certainty.

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Put American Energy First

Summary

American industry has some of the highest environmental standards and most efficient manufacturing practices in the world. The United States cannot afford to rely on China and Russia, which are both actively committing human rights abuses and destroying environments around the world. By bringing industry home to America, we will build cleaner products and create jobs simultaneously. Building clean energy technologies here in the United States will make America energy dominant in the 21st-century economy.

Policy Pathways

• American natural gas is much cleaner than natural gas from Venezuela or Russia and produces far fewer emissions than coal, which is still used by many developing and developed nations. By selling natural gas to the world, we will lower global emissions and support jobs at home.
• China and Russia are building dozens of nuclear reactors around the world. We must work with our allies to invest in nuclear energy innovation, share R&D, and safely export technology.
• By working with our allies to reduce barriers to trade, we can ensure that clean, American-made technologies are sold around the world.
• Prioritize strong domestic industrial policy to onshore manufacturing, supply chains, and innovation.

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Stand Up to China

Produce in the U.S. Critical Minerals

Summary

America is the most beautiful country on Earth. From the Grand Canyon to the Everglades, our natural landscapes and wildlife define our shared sense of home. At the same time, hunters, farmers, and Indigenous peoples have always served as stewards of the land. Now, they have a vital role to play in fighting climate change. Conserving and restoring natural ecosystems can get us one-third of the way to our climate goals.

Policy Pathways

• Continue to invest in our public lands and national parks, which sustain wildlife and local economies to preserve our natural heritage for future generations.
• Support public and private initiatives to plant millions of trees, which will sequester emissions and provide timber for sustainable building materials.
• Empower local farmers and ranchers to adopt practices that make their production more efficient, our communities more resilient, and reduce emissions.
• Implement responsible forest management practices, including prescribed burns and forest thinning, to reduce the risk of extreme wildfires.
• Invest in the conservation and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems that can sequester emissions and enhance climate resilience.

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Support Farmers & Ranchers

Protect Our National Parks

Stand Up for Sportsmen & Wildlife

Summary

All Americans deserve clean air, clean water, and a safe environment. When we protect our environment today, our communities will thrive. Dangerous air pollution in the United States has decreased by 73% since the 1970s. While significant progress has been made, the work is not done. Now is the time to invest in modern infrastructure, clean technologies, and local resilience to reduce the impacts of climate change.

Policy Pathways

• Invest in 21st-century infrastructure that ensures clean water and clean air for all Americans.
• Protect and restore ecosystems, which help reduce emissions as well as flooding and other climate impacts on local communities.
• Fund R&D of technologies that will help communities identify potential threats to their well-being and prepare for extreme weather events.
• Build modern water storage infrastructure to capture and store more clean water, support urban & rural development, and make American communities less vulnerable to drought.

Take Action

Tell Congress to Secure Our Water

Manage Our Forests & Prevent Wildfire