I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6351 

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the climate. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 30, 2021 

Mr. LIEU introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce 

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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Climate Solutions Act of 2021’’. 

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

7 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Findings. 

TITLE I—RENEWABLE ENERGY 

Sec. 101. National renewable energy standard. 

TITLE II—ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

Sec. 201. National energy efficiency standard. 


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TITLE III—SCIENCE-BASED REDUCTIONS 

Sec. 301. Net emissions reduction targets. 

Sec. 302. National Academies review. 

Sec. 303. Regulations. 

Sec. 304. Savings clause. 

Sec. 305. Definitions. 

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds as follows: 

3 (1) The United States has the objective of sta4 bilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmos5 phere at a level that would prevent ‘‘dangerous an6 thropogenic interference’’ with the climate system as 

7 demonstrated by becoming a party to the 1992 

8 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate 

9 Change, pledging to China to reduce greenhouse gas 

10 emissions to 28 percent of their 2005 levels by 2025, 

11 and regulating greenhouse gas emissions from sta12 tionary sources, mobile sources, and electrical power 

13 suppliers. 

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

15 global mean surface temperature should not exceed 

16 2°C (3.6°F) above preindustrial temperature by 

17 2100 consistent with the Paris Agreement that en18 tered into force in 2016. 

19 (3) The risks associated with a temperature in20 crease above 2°C (3.6°F) are grave, including the 

21 disintegration of the Greenland ice sheet, which, if 

22 it were to melt completely, would raise global averVerDate Sep 11 2014 17:23 Dec 30, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6351.IH H6351

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1 age sea level by approximately 23 feet, devastating 

2 many of the world’s coastal areas and population 

3 centers. 

4 (4) A 2018 report by the Intergovernmental 

5 Panel on Climate Change demonstrated that limiting 

6 the temperature increase to 1.5°C will result in still 

7 harmful, but significantly less severe outcomes than 

8 a 2°C increase. 

9 (5) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 

10 Change projects that temperatures will rise 1.5°C 

11 between 2030 and 2052. In order to limit the tem12 perature increase to 1.5°C, global net anthropogenic 

13 carbon dioxide emissions must reach net zero by 

14 2050. 

15 (6) The 2018 National Climate Assessment, au16 thored by more than 300 experts and released by the 

17 United States Global Change Research Program, 

18 makes clear that the present unprecedented rises in 

19 global temperature are primarily due to human ac20 tivities. The changing climate will devastate all sec21 tors of society and disproportionately harm the most 

22 vulnerable communities. 

23 (7) Serious global warming impacts have al24 ready been observed in the United States and world25 wide, including— 


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1 (A) increases in heat waves and other ex2 treme weather events; 

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

4 polar ice; 

5 (C) decline in mountain snowpack, in6 creased drought (including droughts in the 

7 West and South United States) resulting in 

8 damage to our economy and property; 

9 (D) extreme weather conditions resulting 

10 in wildfires, stronger hurricanes, and polar vor11 tex occurrences resulting in further damage to 

12 property and our economy; 

13 (E) damage to our environment such as 

14 ocean acidification, extensive coral bleaching, 

15 migrations, and shifts in the yearly cycles of 

16 plants and animals; and 

17 (F) effects on human population, including 

18 population displacement and adverse health ef19 fects such as the spread of infectious diseases 

20 and climate-related conditions such as asthma. 

21 (8) Scientists project that under a midrange es22 timate of global warming, by 2050, roughly one23 third of animal and plant species will be committed 

24 to extinction. 


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1 (9) After remaining steady from 2014 to 2016, 

2 global carbon dioxide emissions increased 1.4 per3 cent in 2017. 

4 (10) Decisive action is needed to minimize the 

5 many dangers posed by global warming. 

6 (11) The timing of such action is critical, given 

7 that greenhouse gases can persist in the atmosphere 

8 for more than a century. 

9 (12) With less than 5 percent of the world pop10 ulation, the United States emits approximately 15 

11 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions 

12 and must be a leader in addressing global warming. 

13 (13) The State of California, the 5th largest 

14 economy in the world, has shown that renewable en15 ergy standards and greenhouse gas emissions regula16 tion can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while fos17 tering significant economic growth. 

18 (14) Existing energy efficiency and clean, re19 newable energy technologies can reduce global warm20 ing pollution, while saving consumers money, reduc21 ing our dependence on oil, enhancing national secu22 rity, cleaning the air, and protecting pristine places 

23 from drilling and mining. 


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1 TITLE I—RENEWABLE ENERGY 

2 SEC. 101. NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD. 

3 Title VI of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act 

4 of 1978 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

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

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

7 regulations requiring that— 

8 ‘‘(1) beginning in calendar year 2022, the per9 centage of electric energy generated from renewable 

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

11 States shall increase each year; and 

12 ‘‘(2) in calendar year 2035 and each subse13 quent calendar year, such percentage shall not be 

14 less than 100 percent of the total electric energy 

15 sold at the retail level in the United States. 

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

17 this section in consultation with the Administrator of the 

18 Environmental Protection Agency. 

19 ‘‘(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec20 tion shall be construed to preempt or limit State actions 

21 to enhance renewable energy generation or energy effi22 ciency.’’. 


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1 TITLE II—ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

2 SEC. 201. NATIONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARD. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title VI of the Public Utility Reg4 ulatory Policies Act of 1978, as amended by section 101 

5 of this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the 

6 following: 

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

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

9 regulations in accordance with this section setting end10 user— 

11 ‘‘(1) electricity savings targets for retail electric 

12 energy suppliers; and 

13 ‘‘(2) natural gas savings targets for retail nat14 ural gas suppliers. 

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

16 this section in consultation with the Administrator of the 

17 Environmental Protection Agency. 

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

19 subsection (a): 

20 ‘‘(1) The targets shall require each retail elec21 tric energy supplier to secure annual electricity sav22 ings, and each retail natural gas supplier to secure 

23 annual natural gas savings, of a set percentage of 

24 the quantity of electricity or natural gas sold in the 

25 most recent year to retail customers. 


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1 ‘‘(2) The electricity savings and natural gas 

2 savings shall be achieved through end-use efficiency 

3 improvements at customer facilities. 

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

5 electricity savings or natural gas savings shall be 

6 achieved in addition to the previous years’ savings. 

7 ‘‘(4) For each of calendar years 2022 through 

8 2030, the targets are as follows: 

‘‘Calendar Year Cumulative Electricity 

Savings Percentage 

Cumulative Natural Gas 

Savings Percentage 

2022 0.375 0.25 

2023 1.125 0.60 

2024 2.25 1.05 

2025 3.75 1.55 

2026 5.25 2.05 

2027 6.75 2.55 

2028 8.25 3.05 

2029 9.75 3.55 

2030 11.25 4.05 

9 ‘‘(d) REQUIRED PERCENTAGES AFTER 2030.—The 

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

11 initiative, increase the required percentage of end-user 

12 electricity savings or natural gas savings for years after 

13 2030. 

14 ‘‘(e) MARKET-BASED TRADING SYSTEM.—The Sec15 retary shall allow suppliers to achieve the required per16 centage of end-user electricity savings or natural gas savVerDate Sep 11 2014 17:23 Dec 30, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6351.IH H6351

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1 ings under this section through a market-based trading 

2 system. 

3 ‘‘(f) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec4 tion shall be construed to preempt or limit State actions 

5 to enhance renewable energy generation or energy effi6 ciency.’’. 

7 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con8 tents for the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 

9 1978 is amended by inserting after the item relating to 

10 section 608 the following: 

‘‘Sec. 609. Rural and remote communities electrification grants. 

‘‘Sec. 610. National renewable energy standard. 

‘‘Sec. 611. National energy efficiency standard.’’. 

11 TITLE III—SCIENCE-BASED 

12 REDUCTIONS 

13 SEC. 301. NET EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGETS. 

14 Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

15 of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Pro16 tection Agency (in this title referred to as the ‘‘Adminis17 trator’’) shall promulgate annual net emissions reduction 

18 targets for each of calendar years 2030 through 2050, so 

19 as to ensure that the quantity of United States net green20 house gas emissions— 

21 (1) in 2035, is at least 52 percent below the 

22 quantity of such emissions in 2005; and 

23 (2) in 2050, is zero. 


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1 SEC. 302. NATIONAL ACADEMIES REVIEW. 

2 Not later than 5 years after the date of the enact3 ment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the Admin4 istrator shall enter into an arrangement with the National 

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

6 into such arrangement, another appropriate entity) under 

7 which the National Academies, acting through the Na8 tional Academy of Sciences and the National Research 

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

10 Congress on the prospects for avoiding dangerous anthro11 pogenic interference with the climate system and the 

12 progress made to date. Each such report shall— 

13 (1) evaluate whether the net emissions reduc14 tion targets promulgated pursuant to section 301 

15 and the other policies to reduce United States net 

16 greenhouse gas emissions under this Act, the amend17 ments made by this Act, and other provisions of law, 

18 including the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et 

19 seq.), are likely to be sufficient to avoid dangerous 

20 anthropogenic interference with the climate system, 

21 taking into account the actions of other nations; and 

22 (2) if the National Academies concludes that 

23 such targets and policies are not likely to be suffi24 cient to avoid dangerous anthropogenic interference 

25 with the climate system— 


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1 (A) identify the needed amount of further 

2 reductions in atmospheric greenhouse gas con3 centrations; and 

4 (B) recommend additional United States 

5 and international actions to further reduce at6 mospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. 

7 SEC. 303. REGULATIONS. 

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

9 (1) not later than 7 years after the date of en10 actment of this Act, promulgate final regulations to 

11 implement the net emissions reduction targets under 

12 section 301; and 

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

14 (A) review such regulations, taking into ac15 count the reports under section 302; and 

16 (B) revise such regulations as necessary to 

17 implement such net emissions reduction targets. 

18 (b) RULEMAKING ON RECOMMENDATIONS OF NA19 TIONAL ACADEMIES.—If any report under section 302 in20 cludes a recommendation under section 302(2)(B) for reg21 ulatory action by a Federal department or agency, and 

22 such regulatory action is within the authority of such de23 partment or agency (under law other than this sub24 section), the head of such department or agency shall, not 


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1 later than 2 years after the submission of such report, fi2 nalize a rulemaking— 

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

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

5 (c) ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS.—The regulations 

6 promulgated under subsection (a) may include additional 

7 requirements to reduce United States net greenhouse gas 

8 emissions from any source or sector. Any such regulations 

9 that address sources whose greenhouse gas emissions are 

10 regulated pursuant to section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act 

11 (42 U.S.C. 7411(d)) shall account for the compliance 

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

13 Regulations under this section may include market-based 

14 measures, emissions performance standards, efficiency 

15 performance standards, best management practices, tech16 nology-based requirements, and other forms of require17 ments. 

18 (d) RELATION TO OTHER AUTHORITY.—The author19 ity vested by this title is in addition to the authority to 

20 regulate greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to other pro21 visions of law. 

22 SEC. 304. SAVINGS CLAUSE. 

23 Nothing in this title shall be interpreted to preempt 

24 or limit State actions to address climate change. 


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1 SEC. 305. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this title: 

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

4 gas’’ means— 

5 (A) carbon dioxide; 

6 (B) methane; 

7 (C) nitrous oxide; 

8 (D) hydrofluorocarbons; 

9 (E) perfluorocarbons; 

10 (F) sulfur hexafluoride; or 

11 (G) any other anthropogenically emitted 

12 gas that is determined by the Administrator, 

13 after notice and comment, to contribute to glob14 al warming to a non-negligible degree. 

15 (2) UNITED STATES NET GREENHOUSE GAS

16 EMISSIONS.—The term ‘‘United States net green17 house gas emissions’’ means net greenhouse gas 

18 emissions, as calculated by the Administrator on an 

19 annual basis and reported to the United Nations 

20 Framework Convention on Climate Change Secre21 tariat. 

Æ 


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