Photo by Dennis Schroeder / NREL
By Robin Bravender and Jim Small | Arizona Mirror
***UPDATED: This story has been updated to included comments from Rep. Tom O’Halleran and Rep. Greg Stanton.
Four Arizona Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors of ambitious legislation that would commit the United States to achieve a 100% clean energy economy by 2050.
The bill would require economy-wide net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and would also direct federal agencies to draft plans to clamp down on emissions that contribute to climate change. The Arizona Democrats are among the more than 150 Democratic co-sponsors to the bill, which was introduced this week by Rep. Don McEachin (D-Va.) and has the backing of national environmental groups.
The Arizona co-sponsors are Reps. Ruben Gallego, Raúl Grijalva, Ann Kirkpatrick and Greg Stanton. The other Democrat in Arizona’s delegation to the U.S. House, Rep. Tom O’Halleran, did not join as a co-sponsor, but a spokeswoman said he supports its goals and wants to see steps taken toward a clean-energy economy.
No Republicans, including the four from Arizona, are co-sponsoring the legislation.
Kirkpatrick said climate change “is the greatest threat we face,” and it has put Arizonans at danger of floods and wildfires.
