WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement after the announcement from President Obama and other world leaders that the United States will double its commitment to clean energy research within the next five years.
“I applaud President Obama, President Hollande, and the 18 other world leaders who have pledged their support for Mission Innovation, which will catalyze and accelerate public and private global clean energy investment. It is unrealistic for any nation, large or small, to make substantial reductions in carbon emissions without clean and viable alternative energy sources. While the success of Mission Innovation will require the participating nations to see their commitments through, I am proud that the United States is leading this important effort by committing to increase our investment in global clean energy research and development to $10 billion within five years.
“More broadly, it is fitting that world leaders have announced this commitment to global clean energy innovation at the same time that business leaders have formed the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, which will enable private investors to help shoulder the risk burden that energy innovators often face. These complementary announcements reflect the fact that developing clean energy technologies and stemming the impacts of climate change will require continued partnerships between the public and private sectors.
“In this same collaborative spirit, earlier this year I introduced two bipartisan proposals, the Energy COMPETES Act and the America INNOVATES Act, which together will authorize an increase in federal investments in clean energy research and strengthen the pipeline that brings groundbreaking research in our national laboratories to innovative businesses across the United States. Mission Innovation and the Breakthrough Energy Coalition are built on the same basic understanding on which Energy COMPETES and America INNOVATES are based: our nation is stronger when public and private sector leaders are working together.
“While today’s announcements will not singlehandedly address the crisis of climate change, they represent a positive start to the two-week United Nations conference. I look forward to joining the negotiators in Paris on Friday to help ensure that the United States continues to lead by example when it comes to making public investments in clean energy research and development.”
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