Casten Pushes Secretary of Energy Granholm to Do What’s Scientifically Necessary to Protect Americans Against Climate Crisis
Washington, DC – U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) questioned Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm during today's Science, Space, and Technology hearing on Science and Energy Research at the U.S. Department of Energy.
In his questioning, Casten reiterated the importance that policies included in the President's American Jobs Plan meet the ambitious and necessary emissions reduction goals the Administration has issued. Casten asked Granholm if the President's plans were ambitious enough to meet what was scientifically necessary, drawing comparisons to a recent report from IEA that claimed that "the path to net-zero emissions is narrow: staying on it requires immediate and massive deployment of all available clean and efficient energy technologies."
Casten said, "In this line of work, we're always trying to grapple with the need for political compromise. But, the laws of physics win every time. To protect communities and prevent economic catastrophe, we've to do what's scientifically necessary, even when it's hard politically. As the report published last week by the IEA points out, it's necessary but not sufficient to have ambitious goals - we have to do the hard work of creating the policy that achieves those goals."
Click here or on the image below to watch Casten's questioning:
Find a Transcript of the questioning below:
SST Granholm hearing
Rep. Casten
Secretary Granholm, so nice to see you again. I know I've always been impressed by you, but my goodness your patience and your knowledge in this hearing is, it's astounding so thank you so much. And I think also as a child of the 80s I think this is a Clash song, some of my older colleagues may think of it as the crickets but you know when you fight the law the law wins and it is so refreshing to have a Secretary at the Department of Energy, who is not trying to fight the laws of physics and win.
Secretary Granholm
We will do our best not to violate the laws of physics.
Rep. Casten
Well, not to fight them, right, you can't violate them. I want to ask you a couple of questions, sort of, more in the context of your position, you know, as one of the senior advisors to the President on our climate policy, maybe beyond your role at the DOA, but certainly including. I'm so impressed by the seriousness with which the Biden White House has addressed climate change, you know, recognizing that what's necessary may exceed what's politically possible and the laws of physics well when. The goals as I understand it, 50% reduction by 2030 net zero by 2050. And, you know, and here's I know you know last week IEA, which I don't think anybody would think of as some, you know, lefty uber progressive organization came out and said, the path to net zero was narrow, staying on it requires immediate and massive deployment of all available clean and efficient energy technologies, and that a large, there's a large and growing gap between the stated goals of nearly every nation and their actual policies. And so my question, and I think I know the answer to this, I don't want to put you in a difficult point but I would love to get you on the record. As ambitious as the Biden, White House goals are, do you think they are more or less ambitious than what the IEA is saying we must do?
Secretary Granholm
Well I would say our goals for our, you know, for our commitments are extremely ambitious, but we also have to lead in a way that holds other countries to their goals, right? I mean we have to make sure that everybody has equally ambitious goals, not equally because everybody's at a slightly different place, but that we hold these countries to the goals of getting to the over, I mean the reason why they signed on, I mean 196 countries signed on to the Paris Climate Accord is because everybody agrees to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and that's the way we're going to hold you know, climate change down. So you know I think that many components of the report that the International Energy Agency discussed were really helpful because it did set people's hair on fire, as you alluded to, you know the mirror the priorities you that you see in this administration's approach is why, I mean John Kerry has been going all over the world to hold other countries feet to the fire. It's why when the President held the Leaders Summit here, I mean he did it as a way of saying yes, America is back, and we're serious, and we want you to be serious too and we want as many of you to articulate goals and then show us how you are going to achieve those goals. And, you know, 100% zero carbon electricity is the basis for getting to a net zero economy is a big lift. We know, we also know that the technologies exist today to be able to get there and so it's an exciting time to be for the United States to be at the helm of this pushing other countries because in addition to the climate goals, there's also the economic opportunities that go with it, and the President is focused on both.
Rep. Casten
And I guess I'm maybe I'm in-artfully asking the question but I just, it strikes me that we are always in this line of work that that you know all of us on this call have, having to grapple with political, the need for political compromise, and the laws of physics will win every time. And, and, you know, if your view is that we are being way more ambitious than we need to be in your plan, and we have room to compromise, you know, let us know my sense is that we need to at least to do what's in that plan. And, yes, then make sure our international partners do as well.
Secretary Granholm
Yeah. And yes, I'm sorry I should have just said yes to your question.
Rep. Casten
Well, you know, I had some other stuff I wanted to talk about and we're running to the end of the time but I would, I would just ask you I hope you know we can continue to not fight the laws of physics and doesn't matter why we fight the laws of physics, maybe we fight them to appease our donors, maybe we fight them to appease our voters, maybe we fight them in the name of finding room for bipartisan compromise. It doesn't matter why we fight them. The laws of physics are going to win every time and stay strong, we've got your back and let us know how we can help.