New Dems Hit Fifth Stop of the On the Road Tour with Clean Energy Roundtable in North Carolina
Today, New Dem Members completed the fifth stop on the New Dems on the Road Tour, an initiative spearheaded by Vice Chair for Policy Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) to get New Dem Members out of DC to hear from American workers, businesses, industry experts, nongovernmental organizations and local leaders about how to improve policy in Washington.
New Dem Clean Energy Deployment Task Force Chair Deborah Ross (NC-02) hosted New Dem Member Nikema Williams (GA-05) and Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, in Garner, North Carolina for a roundtable discussion about the impacts of Congressional Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill on the clean energy economy, including its potential to increase energy prices and eliminate good-paying jobs. New Dem Members held the discussion with industry representatives, utility providers, advocacy organizations, and local leaders.
“New Dems know that investing in clean energy technologies and the grid infrastructure needed to sustain them is the best way we can ensure long-term energy security and affordability in North Carolina and the Southeast,” said Task Force Chair Deborah Ross. “I’m grateful to my colleagues for visiting my district this morning to tackle this issue, and to the members of my community for sharing their experiences, knowledge, and concerns with Republicans’ backwards agenda. New Dems will continue to engage with stakeholders across the country as we work to advance commonsense policies in Congress to lower costs and accelerate much-needed energy development.”
“Today’s roundtable made it clear: Republicans’ attacks on clean energy are already hurting families in the South. In Georgia, contractors are pausing hiring, developers are stalling projects, and homeowners are bracing for higher utility bills—on top of rising insurance costs and extreme weather that’s getting worse every year,” said Rep. Nikema Williams. “We need solutions that meet the moment, not political games that roll back progress. I’m grateful to Congresswoman Ross for bringing us together and proud to stand with my New Dem colleagues as we fight for a clean energy future that lowers costs, creates jobs, and protects our communities from the climate crisis.”
Attendees discussed how the Big, Ugly Bill’s claw back of the Inflation Reduction Act’s generational clean energy investments, coupled with incentives for outdated and expensive fossil fuels like coal, will hurt American energy security and independence, ultimately raising energy prices on the American people. New Dems hosted this roundtable following the release of its Framework to Achieve Energy Independence, Security, and Affordability earlier this week, a comprehensive list of concrete steps Congress can take to invest in building out the clean energy infrastructure we need to power the economy, lower prices, and cut through red tape to accelerate development.
Background
Through New Dems on the Road, New Dem Members are holding conversations across the country to hear from the American people, with each meeting organized under the policy goals of one of the Coalition’s nine Working Groups. New Dems are meeting with local leaders, stakeholders, small business owners, industry experts, and more to hear about the cost of President Trump’s chaos and what New Dems can do to fight back and make progress on the issues that really matter to the American people.
The first New Dems on the Road event was held on April 23rd in Phoenix, AZ, where New Dem Immigration and Border Security Working Group Members Reps. Greg Stanton (AZ-04) and Lou Correa (CA-46) held an immigration roundtable discussion with industry and union representatives, members of the Arizona business community, and DACA recipients.
The second event was held on May 9th in Metro East, IL, where Vice Chair Nikki Budzinski hosted Environment, Climate, & Clean Energy Working Group Chair Scott Peters (CA-50) and Rep. Wesley Bell (MO-01) for a clean energy roundtable discussion with business owners, industry and union representatives, academic researchers, and utility service providers.
The third event was held on May 22nd in Wilmington, DE, where New Dem Care Economy Task Force Chair Sarah McBride (DE-AL) hosted House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05) and Economic Growth & Cost of Living Working Group Chair Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) in her district for a care economy roundtable discussion with medical professionals, advocates, non-profit leaders, labor representatives, and care providers.
The fourth event was held on June 23rd in Frederick County, MD, where New Dem Rural Broadband Task Force Chair April McClain Delaney (MD-06) hosted Vice Chair for Policy Nikki Budinski in Frederick County, Maryland to tour a local broadband construction site and hold a roundtable discussion on rural broadband.
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