Bill Text: IA HR115 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution urging the Governor of Iowa to take all necessary actions for the State of Iowa to become a member of the United States Climate Alliance.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (N/A - Dead) 2018-04-17 - Laid over under Rule 25. H.J. 804. [HR115 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-HR115-Introduced.html
House Resolution 115 - Introduced PAG LIN HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. BY ISENHART, GASKILL, NIELSEN, OLDSON, STAED, and PRICHARD 1 1 A Resolution urging the Governor of Iowa to take all 1 2 necessary actions for the State of Iowa to become a 1 3 member of the United States Climate Alliance. 1 4 WHEREAS, 195 countries signed the Paris Agreement 1 5 on Climate Change, which aims to strengthen the global 1 6 response to the threat of climate change, including by 1 7 holding the increase in the global average temperature 1 8 to less than 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial 1 9 levels; and 1 10 WHEREAS, the United States signed the Paris 1 11 Agreement, which builds upon the United Nations 1 12 Framework Convention on Climate Change and recruits 1 13 governments to the common cause of ambitiously 1 14 combatting climate change by limiting global 1 15 temperature increases, by dealing with climate impacts, 1 16 and by adapting to its effects; and 1 17 WHEREAS, the current presidential administration has 1 18 announced its intent to withdraw the United States from 1 19 the Paris Agreement; and 1 20 WHEREAS, only international cooperation to reduce 1 21 greenhouse gas emissions can mitigate climate 1 22 impacts; and 1 23 WHEREAS, 15 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto 1 24 Rico have joined the United States Climate Alliance, 1 25 committing to the goal of reducing greenhouse gas 1 26 emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris 1 27 Agreement; and 2 1 WHEREAS, the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council, 2 2 which was created by the Iowa Department of Natural 2 3 Resources, submitted proposals to the Governor and the 2 4 General Assembly addressing a full range of policies 2 5 and strategies, including the cost=effectiveness of the 2 6 strategies and multiple scenarios designed to reduce 2 7 statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent or 2 8 more by 2050; and 2 9 WHEREAS, since the council's report, researchers and 2 10 educators from nearly every Iowa college and university 2 11 have jointly produced annual statements on the impact 2 12 of climate change on Iowans; and 2 13 WHEREAS, the United States Climate Alliance agenda 2 14 includes addressing matters critical to Iowa's future, 2 15 including advanced transportation, natural and working 2 16 lands, the role of utilities, appliance efficiency 2 17 standards, the competitiveness of renewable energy, 2 18 clean energy financing, insurance risk, pollution 2 19 control, and community resilience; and 2 20 WHEREAS, Iowa's participation in the United States 2 21 Climate Alliance will help the state achieve the goals 2 22 of the Iowa Energy Plan developed under the leadership 2 23 of then Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds by the Iowa 2 24 Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Department 2 25 of Transportation, which aspires to collaborate 2 26 locally, grow sustainably, and lead nationally, 2 27 consistent with the aspiration that now is the time to 2 28 continue to build on Iowa's energy=related successes 2 29 by charting a sustainable and predictable course for 2 30 tomorrow; and 3 1 WHEREAS, the General Assembly and former Governor 3 2 Terry E. Branstad approved legislation moving the 3 3 Iowa Energy Center to the Iowa Economic Development 3 4 Authority, strengthening the capacity of state 3 5 government to implement the Iowa Energy Plan and 3 6 to provide national leadership in the modern energy 3 7 sector; and 3 8 WHEREAS, the Iowa Economic Development Authority's 3 9 City Energy Management Program works with participating 3 10 communities to create energy action plans, establish 3 11 the financial case to invest in energy efficiency, 3 12 and develop a steady source of funding for energy 3 13 efficiency projects; and 3 14 WHEREAS, the Iowa Utilities Board and Office of 3 15 Consumer Advocate have maintained an ongoing Energy 3 16 Efficiency Collaborative, and the board has opened 3 17 an inquiry into the potential for widespread use of 3 18 distributed energy resources in Iowa; and 3 19 WHEREAS, Iowa's public universities have engaged 3 20 in a five=year project funded by the National Science 3 21 Foundation to build Iowa's research capacity in 3 22 sustainable energy systems, supporting studies in 3 23 bioenergy, wind energy, energy utilization, and energy 3 24 policy in partnership with the state's community 3 25 colleges, private colleges, school districts, 3 26 government agencies, and industries; and 3 27 WHEREAS, Iowa State University's Bioeconomy 3 28 Institute, which supports Iowa agriculture in the 3 29 state's quest for sustainable sources of fuel, energy, 3 30 chemicals, and material, and other researchers are part 4 1 of the New Carbon Economy Consortium launched by the 4 2 Center for Carbon Removal, a partnership of research 4 3 institutions with the goal of removing carbon dioxide 4 4 from the atmosphere and converting it into valuable 4 5 products and services; and 4 6 WHEREAS, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources 4 7 has successfully led an interagency, public=private 4 8 stakeholder group to coordinate development of efforts 4 9 to reduce carbon emissions in Iowa and regionally in 4 10 accordance with the federal Clean Power Plan; and 4 11 WHEREAS, as elected officials representing 4 12 legislative districts, members of the House of 4 13 Representatives are willing to convene constituents and 4 14 stakeholders to collaborate locally and are willing 4 15 to partner with the executive branch to make the Iowa 4 16 Energy Plan a reality, thereby helping Iowa do its 4 17 part to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement; NOW 4 18 THEREFORE, 4 19 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 4 20 That the House of Representatives urges Governor 4 21 Kim Reynolds to take all necessary actions for the 4 22 State of Iowa to become a member of, participate in, 4 23 and maintain membership in the United States Climate 4 24 Alliance. LSB 6200YH (6) 87 js/rn
