New Clean Energy Legislation Package Would Help Create a Safe, Clean Future for People and Wildlife

WASHINGTON – The Clean Electricity and Transmission Acceleration (CETA) Act, omnibus legislation introduced today by Representatives Mike Levin (D-CA) and Sean Casten (D-IL) in their roles as Co-Chairs of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC)’s Clean Energy Deployment Task Force, would provide much-needed resources and help streamline approval processes for the expansion of clean energy and transmission. Increasing capacity for clean energy sources like wind and solar, as well as an upgraded transmission infrastructure to deliver that energy, is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping protect wildlife and communities from climate impacts.  

“We have an opportunity to take bold action to embrace a cleaner future for all, but we do not have the luxury of time if we are to prevent the worst effects of climate change,” said Felice Stadler, vice president of government affairs at the National Audubon Society. “CETA would strike a balance between the need to quickly deploy clean energy and transmission to combat the climate crisis with the need to protect public lands, wildlife, and communities. Streamlining clean energy expansion efforts must prioritize early and meaningful engagement with stakeholders and community leaders to ensure that new projects are sited responsibly for people and habitat. Audubon would like to thank Representatives Casten and Levin for their work and leadership on this important legislation.” 

A 2019 Audubon report found that two-thirds of North American birds are vulnerable to extinction if global temperatures continue rising at their current rate. Reducing emissions by investing in responsibly-sited renewable energy will save billions of birds, as well as the natural habitats that we all share. Audubon’s report, Birds and Transmission: Building the Grid Birds Need, outlines the urgent need for additional transmission capacity and shares solutions for minimizing risks to birds. Audubon strongly supports clean energy that is properly sited in ways that avoid, minimize, and mitigate negative impacts on birds and other wildlife. We also advocate for strong enforcement of laws that protect birds and wildlife like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act as we build out renewable energy capacity and supporting infrastructure to meet the climate crisis. 

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About Audubon   
The National Audubon Society is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects birds and the places they need today and tomorrow. We work throughout the Americas towards a future where birds thrive because Audubon is a powerful, diverse, and ever-growing force for conservation. Audubon has more than 700 staff working across the hemisphere and more than 1.5 million active supporters. North America has lost three billion birds since 1970, and more than 500 bird species are at risk of extinction across Latin America and the Caribbean. Birds act as early warning systems about the health of our environment, and they tell us that birds – and our planet – are in crisis. Together as one Audubon, we are working to alter the course of climate change and habitat loss, leading to healthier bird populations and reversing current trends in biodiversity loss. We do this by implementing on-the-ground conservation, partnering with local communities, influencing public and corporate policy, and building community. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety. 

Media Contact: Robyn Shepherd, robyn.shepherd@audubon.org