Clean Energy Jobs (HB 2020): Comments Guide

Providing personal comments in support of Clean Energy Jobs is one of the most powerful ways

you can let lawmakers know that the bill is important to you. It doesn’t have to be long or formal and

you don’t have to be a policy expert–your heartfelt words in just a few paragraphs make a difference.

Address your comments individually to the committee members

Section 1:

Write 1-2 sentences to identify yourself, where you’re from, and that you are writing in support of HB 2020 establishing the Oregon Climate Action Program.

Section 2:

Remind lawmakers that this is a benefit to both our economy and climate.

Write 2-3 sentences on why you support HB 2020 that establishes the Oregon Climate Action Program.

Weave in some of these messages:

Bold Solutions

  • An independent economic study presented to the legislature in 2019 shows HB 2020 will benefit our economy. It will add to household income across all tax brackets because it will create more than 50,000 good-paying jobs and the transition to cleaner energy will lower costs for people and businesses.
  • Oregon has the opportunity to lead and position our state to be a clean energy economic engine in the 21st century.
  • The declining cap guarantees a reduction of around 2 million metric tons of pollution every year, the equivalent of taking 425,000 cars off the road.

Jobs and Investments

  • Major investment will go to reduce pollution and grow opportunities for low-income and rural communities, tribes, communities of color, and for training workers in Oregon.
  • Hundreds of millions of dollars per year in proceeds from Clean Energy Jobs will be reinvested in clean energy solutions — putting Oregonians to work by making clean power like solar available to more people, improving energy efficiency in homes and businesses to save people money, building affordable housing near transit and investing in more transportation options.

It’s Working Elsewhere

  • 10 states already have successful cap-and-invest programs running now. All of them have: growing economies, reductions in targeted greenhouse gas emissions, stable energy prices, and thousands of jobs created. Oregon should be next.
  • Since cap-and-trade, California has outperformed Texas and the rest of the U.S. in manufacturing output, growing in real terms by 26%. California’s greenhouse gas emission price has also created good, union manufacturing jobs in the poorest parts of the state.

Section 3:

List why you are concerned about climate change and convey the urgency.

  • Your personal story: Are you a parent or grandparent? Have you experienced Oregon’s climate change in your lifetime, or lived through Oregon’s most recent summers when the state was inundated with wildfire smoke?
  • Urgency: Scientists agree we have 11 years to drastically reduce emissions if we want to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. Clean Energy Jobs is a policy that has been in the making for over a decade. We must act now and pass HB 2020 this year.

Need help? Email alan@socan.info