Residents from across Washington state and south King County shared compelling stories and perspectives with members of Congress this month.
Over 30 people from the Seattle area and beyond, all volunteers with Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL), joined a nationwide lobbying push the week of Nov. 17–21 to urge support for affordable clean energy and promote a policy that combats wildfire risk. CCL is a national, nonpartisan, grassroots nonprofit dedicated to growing the political will for a liveable world.
Americans, including households in Washington State, are increasingly experiencing rising electricity costs driven by escalating climate extremes and the rapid growth of energy-intensive data centers.
At the same time, we have seen firsthand the impacts of a changing climate – forest fires making the air unhealthy to breathe, unprecedented heat waves, impacts on seasonal rainfall and snow pack, droughts in key agricultural regions, and flooding—underscoring the need for policies to address the climate crisis.
During meetings with the offices of Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell as well as 9 out of 10 Washington Representatives, citizen lobbyists from across the state appealed for Congressional action to fast-track comprehensive, bi-partisan energy permitting reform to get more affordable clean electricity onto the grid as the cost of living skyrockets. More than 95% of the projects awaiting permits are clean energy.
According to the Clean Energy Power Association:
“Today, the average timeline for a project to obtain necessary National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews is 4.5 years. For transmission projects, the average timeline is even longer – 6.5 years.”
CCL advocated for comprehensive, bipartisan, permitting reform and pointed to the Problem Solvers Caucus’ Framework for Permitting Reform as a good start on the policies that could be in such a bill.
CCL volunteers also promoted the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA, S.1462), a bill that recently passed the Senate Agriculture Committee on a strong bipartisan vote of 18-5. It would ensure U.S. forests are well-maintained and resilient in the face of increasing wildfires. Wildfire smoke contributes to the deaths of about 40,000 people a year in the U.S., according to a study by Nature. Alarmingly, that number is projected to rise to 70,000 people by 2050.
A previous version of FOFA passed the House (H.R.471) 279-141 in January. CCL believes that the Senate version is even stronger and has earned the endorsements of important environmental groups, including National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, and of course, CCL. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), one of the Senate bill’s co-sponsors said, “As increasingly frequent and catastrophic wildfires in California make clear, we need durable solutions to confront the growing impacts of the wildfire crisis.”
“Burien and every local neighborhood will benefit if Congress passes bi-partisan permitting reform and forest health laws that lead to more affordable electricity and air less polluted by wildfire smoke,” said Larry Steele, a CCL liaison to Senator Murray who lives in Des Moines and who met with her staff this week.
“These issues make sense to a lot of people, so support is growing for bi-partisan action in Congress. This is a great time for people to message our Senators and Representatives to show support for cheaper energy, clean air, and protection for the forests we love.”
“It’s exciting to exercise the skills of democracy at such a turbulent time,” Steele added. “The opportunity to talk directly with our representatives and their staff feels very empowering. I was amazed that CCL can take ordinary concerned citizens like me and train them to do something so important.”
Prior to lobby meetings, local volunteers with Citizens’ Climate Lobby attended CCL’s virtual Fall Conference on Nov. 14–15, featuring empowering speakers and training opportunities to build common ground across political divides.
“CCL’s willingness to reach across divides and build bridges is what sets us apart, and we’re needed more than ever these days,” said Ricky Bradley, CCL’s Interim Executive Director. “I’m excited about the ways we will help move the conversation forward on clean energy through federal permitting reform, and I’m proud of our ongoing commitment to do this work in a nonpartisan way.”
Nationwide, CCL volunteers have generated tens of thousands of messages and calls this year urging Congress to advance durable, bipartisan climate policies.
