I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1971 

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the climate. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 22, 2015 

Mr. TED LIEU of California (for himself, Mr. QUIGLEY, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 

BEYER, Mr. HONDA, Ms. LOFGREN, Ms. LEE, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. 

GRIJALVA, Mr. COHEN, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mr. PETERS, Mr. 

HASTINGS, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 

TAKANO, Mr. NADLER, Mr. DESAULNIER, Ms. HAHN, Mr. BLUMENAUER, and Mr. CARTWRIGHT) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition 

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the climate. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Climate Solutions Act 

5 of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as follows: 


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1 (1) The United States has the objective of sta2 bilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmos3 phere at a level that would prevent ‘‘dangerous an4 thropogenic interference’’ with the climate system by 

5 becoming a party to the 1992 United Nations 

6 Framework Convention on Climate Change, pledging 

7 to China to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 28 

8 percent of their 2005 levels by 2025, and regulating 

9 greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources, 

10 mobile sources, and electrical power suppliers. 

11 (2) To achieve this objective, the increase in 

12 global mean surface temperature should not exceed 

13 2°C (3.6°F) above preindustrial temperature, much 

14 of which is already projected to occur by the Inter15 governmental Panel on Climate Change. 

16 (3) The risks associated with a temperature in17 crease above 2°C (3.6°F) are grave, including the 

18 disintegration of the Greenland ice sheet, which, if 

19 it were to melt completely, would raise global aver20 age sea level by approximately 23 feet, devastating 

21 many of the world’s coastal areas and population 

22 centers. 

23 (4) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 

24 Change projects that temperatures will rise between 

25 1.8°C to 4.0°C (3.2°F to 7.2°F) by the end of the 


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1 century, under a range of expected emissions trends, 

2 but if there are common goals to limit greenhouse 

3 gas emissions, the temperature increase can be lim4 ited to 2°C (3.6°F) or less. 

5 (5) Serious global warming impacts have al6 ready been observed in the United States and world7 wide, including— 

8 (A) increases in heat waves and other ex9 treme weather events; 

10 (B) rise in sea level, retreat of glaciers and 

11 polar ice; 

12 (C) decline in mountain snowpack, in13 creased drought (including droughts in the 

14 West and South United States) resulting in 

15 damage to our economy and property; 

16 (D) extreme weather conditions resulting 

17 in wildfires, stronger hurricanes and polar vor18 tex occurrences resulting in further damage to 

19 property and our economy; 

20 (E) damage to our environment such as 

21 ocean acidification, extensive coral bleaching, 

22 migrations, and shifts in the yearly cycles of 

23 plants and animals; and 

24 (F) effects on human population including 

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1 fects such as the spread of infectious diseases 

2 and climate-related conditions such as asthma. 

3 (6) Scientists project that under a midrange es4 timate of global warming, by 2050, roughly 25 per5 cent of animal and plant species will be committed 

6 to extinction. 

7 (7) Decisive action is needed to minimize the 

8 many dangers posed by global warming. 

9 (8) The timing of such action is critical, given 

10 that greenhouse gases can persist in the atmosphere 

11 for more than a century. 

12 (9) The International Energy Agency has 

13 warned in its most recent World Energy Outlook re14 port that, unless there is a serious commitment to 

15 investing in zero carbon renewable energy resources, 

16 much of the amount of projected limits necessary to 

17 avoid greenhouse-gas-emission-caused dangerous an18 thropogenic interference with the climate system will 

19 be locked in and exceeded. 

20 (10) PricewaterhouseCoopers Low Carbon 

21 Economy Index Report estimates that carbon-based 

22 fuel use needs to be reduced 6.5 percent per year 

23 through the year 2100, nearly six times the current 

24 rate, to avoid dangerous anthropogenic interference 

25 with the climate system. 


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1 (11) With only 5 percent of the world popu2 lation, the United States emits approximately 20 

3 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions 

4 and must be a leader in addressing global warming. 

5 (12) The State of California, the 8th largest 

6 economy in the world, has shown that renewable en7 ergy standards and greenhouse gas emissions regula8 tion can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while fos9 tering significant economic growth. 

10 (13) Existing energy efficiency and clean, re11 newable energy technologies can reduce global warm12 ing pollution, while saving consumers money, reduc13 ing our dependence on oil, enhancing national secu14 rity, cleaning the air, and protecting pristine places 

15 from drilling and mining. 

16 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the 

17 Congress that the United States should participate in ne18 gotiations under the 1992 United Nations Framework 

19 Convention on Climate Change and honor its commit20 ments therefrom with the objective of securing United 

21 States participation in agreements that— 

22 (1) establish mitigation commitments by all 

23 countries that are major emitters of greenhouse 

24 gases, consistent with the principle of common but 

25 differentiated responsibilities; 


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1 (2) achieve reductions in global greenhouse gas 

2 emissions at a pace and level sufficient to avoid dan3 gerous interference with the Earth’s climate; and 

4 (3) advance and protect the economic and na5 tional security interests of the United States. 

6 TITLE I—RENEWABLE ENERGY 

7 SEC. 101. NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD. 

8 Title VI of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act 

9 of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 824a–4 et seq.) is amended by adding 

10 at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘SEC. 610. NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD. 

12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall promulgate 

13 regulations requiring that— 

14 ‘‘(1) beginning in calendar year 2020, the per15 centage of electric energy generated from renewable 

16 sources that is sold at the retail level in the United 

17 States shall increase each year; 

18 ‘‘(2) in calendar year 2030 and each subse19 quent calendar year, such percentage shall be not 

20 less than 40 percent of the total electric energy sold 

21 at the retail level in the United States; and 

22 ‘‘(3) in calendar year 2050 and each subse23 quent calendar year, such percentage shall not be 

24 less than 80 percent of the total electric energy sold 

25 at the retail level in the United States. 


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1 ‘‘(b) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall carry out 

2 this section in consultation with the Administrator of the 

3 Environmental Protection Agency. 

4 ‘‘(c) SUBSEQUENT INCREASES.—Upon petition or 

5 upon the Secretary’s own initiative, the Secretary may in6 crease the percentage required by subsection (a)(2). 

7 ‘‘(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec8 tion shall be construed to preempt or limit State actions 

9 to enhance renewable energy generation or energy effi10 ciency.’’. 

11 TITLE II—ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

12 SEC. 201. NATIONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARD. 

13 Title VI of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act 

14 of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 824a–4 et seq.), as amended by sec15 tion 101 of this Act, is amended by adding at the end 

16 the following: 

17 ‘‘SEC. 611. NATIONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARD. 

18 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall promulgate 

19 regulations in accordance with this section setting end20 user savings targets for retail electric energy and natural 

21 gas suppliers. 

22 ‘‘(b) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall carry out 

23 this section in consultation with the Administrator of the 

24 Environmental Protection Agency. 


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1 ‘‘(c) REQUIREMENTS.—With respect to targets under 

2 subsection (a): 

3 ‘‘(1) The targets shall require each supplier to 

4 secure annual savings of a set percentage of the sup5 plier’s most recent year’s sales to retail customers. 

6 ‘‘(2) The savings shall be achieved through end7 use efficiency improvements at customer facilities. 

8 ‘‘(3) The targets— 

9 ‘‘(A) for retail electric energy suppliers 

10 shall increase gradually from 0.25 percent of 

11 sales in 2018 to 1.5 percent of sales in 2023 

12 and each year thereafter through 2028; and 

13 ‘‘(B) for retail natural gas suppliers shall 

14 increase gradually from 0.25 percent of sales in 

15 2018 to 0.5 percent of sales in 2023 and each 

16 year thereafter through 2028. 

17 ‘‘(4) The targets are cumulative. Each year’s 

18 savings shall be achieved in addition to the previous 

19 years’ savings. 

20 ‘‘(d) REQUIRED PERCENTAGES AFTER 2028.—The 

21 Secretary may, upon petition or upon the Secretary’s own 

22 initiative, increase the required percentage of end-user 

23 savings for years after 2028. 


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1 ‘‘(e) MARKET-BASED TRADING SYSTEM.—The Sec2 retary shall allow suppliers to achieve the targets under 

3 subsection (a) through a market-based trading system. 

4 ‘‘(f) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec5 tion shall be construed to preempt or limit State actions 

6 to enhance renewable energy generation or energy effi7 ciency.’’. 

8 TITLE III—SCIENCE-BASED 

9 REDUCTIONS 

10 SEC. 301. EMISSION REDUCTION TARGETS. 

11 Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 

12 of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Pro13 tection Agency (in this title referred to as the ‘‘Adminis14 trator’’) shall promulgate annual emission reduction tar15 gets for each of calendar years 2030 through 2050, so as 

16 to ensure that the quantity of United States greenhouse 

17 gas emissions— 

18 (1) in 2035, is at least 40 percent below the 

19 quantity of such emissions in 1990; and 

20 (2) in 2050, is at least 80 percent below the 

21 quantity of such emissions in 1990. 

22 SEC. 302. NATIONAL ACADEMIES REVIEW. 

23 Not later than 5 years after the date of the enact24 ment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the Admin25 istrator shall enter into an arrangement with the National 


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1 Academies (or, if the National Academies decline to enter 

2 into such arrangement, another appropriate entity) under 

3 which the National Academies, acting through the Na4 tional Academy of Sciences and the National Research 

5 Council, will submit a report to the Administrator and the 

6 Congress on the prospects for avoiding dangerous anthro7 pogenic interference with the climate system and the 

8 progress made to date. Each such report shall— 

9 (1) evaluate whether the emission reduction tar10 gets promulgated pursuant to section 301 and the 

11 policies to reduce United States greenhouse gas 

12 emissions under this Act, the amendments made by 

13 this Act, and other provisions of law, including the 

14 Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.), are likely 

15 to be sufficient to avoid dangerous climate change, 

16 taking into account the actions of other nations; and 

17 (2) if the National Academies concludes that 

18 such targets and policies are not likely to be suffi19 cient to avoid dangerous climate change— 

20 (A) identify the needed amount of further 

21 reductions in atmospheric greenhouse gas con22 centrations; and 

23 (B) recommend additional United States 

24 and international actions to further reduce at25 mospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. 


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1 SEC. 303. REGULATIONS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall— 

3 (1) not later than 7 years after the date of en4 actment of this Act, promulgate final regulations to 

5 implement the emission reduction targets under sec6 tion 301; and 

7 (2) not less than every 5 years thereafter— 

8 (A) review such regulations, taking into ac9 count the reports under section 302; and 

10 (B) revise such regulation as necessary to 

11 implement such emission reduction targets. 

12 (b) RULEMAKING ON RECOMMENDATIONS OF NA13 TIONAL ACADEMIES.—If any report under section 302 in14 cludes a recommendation under section 302(2)(B) for reg15 ulatory action by a Federal department or agency, and 

16 such regulatory action is within the authority of such de17 partment or agency (under law other than this sub18 section), the head of such department or agency shall, not 

19 later than 2 years after the submission of such report, fi20 nalize a rulemaking— 

21 (1) to carry out such regulatory action; or 

22 (2) to explain the reasons for declining to act. 

23 (c) ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS.—The regulations 

24 promulgated under subsection (a) may include additional 

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1 tions that address sources whose greenhouse gas emissions 

2 are regulated pursuant to section 111(d) of the Clean Air 

3 Act (42 U.S.C. 7411(d)) shall account for the compliance 

4 schedule promulgated pursuant to such section 111(d). 

5 Regulations under this section may include market-based 

6 measures, emissions performance standards, efficiency 

7 performance standards, best management practices, tech8 nology-based requirements, and other forms of require9 ments. 

10 (d) RELATION TO OTHER AUTHORITY.—The author11 ity vested by this title is in addition to the authority to 

12 regulate greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to other pro13 visions of law. 

14 SEC. 304. SAVINGS CLAUSE. 

15 Nothing in this title shall be interpreted to preempt 

16 or limit State actions to address climate change. 

17 SEC. 305. DEFINITIONS. 

18 In this title: 

19 (1) GREENHOUSE GAS.—The term ‘‘greenhouse 

20 gas’’ means— 

21 (A) carbon dioxide; 

22 (B) methane; 

23 (C) nitrous oxide; 

24 (D) hydrofluorocarbons; 

25 (E) perfluorocarbons; 


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1 (F) sulfur hexafluoride; or 

2 (G) any other anthropogenically emitted 

3 gas that is determined by the Administrator, 

4 after notice and comment, to contribute to glob5 al warming to a non-negligible degree. 

6 (2) UNITED STATES GREENHOUSE GAS EMIS7 SIONS.—The term ‘‘United States greenhouse gas 

8 emissions’’ means the total quantity of greenhouse 

9 gas emissions calculated by the Administrator on an 

10 annual basis and reported to the United Nations 

11 Framework Convention on Climate Change Secre12 tariat. 

Æ 


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