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“Raise a toast to yesterday’s achievements and tomorrow’s brighter future.” – Anonymous
It’s hard to imagine a more successful close to a year than we had in in the waning weeks of 2015.
Consider:
*On Dec. 12 in Paris, more than 190 countries agreed to the most far-reaching climate treaty in history. Businesses were at the forefront of advocating for the historic international agreement that will move our economy and our environment forward like never before on renewable energy, energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. E2 and its members were there, and their voices were heard in Paris and around the world in media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and newspapers stretching from Virginia Beach to Silicon Valley to Denver and across our nation’s heartland.
*Less than a week later, Congress passed five-year extensions of tax credits for solar, wind and other renewable energy investments, providing long-awaited market certainty for the renewables industry. E2 and its members have advocated for extensions of these crucial clean energy credits for years – most recently during our successful meetings with dozens of lawmakers during our E2 Washington DC forum in November.
*In California and New York – lawmakers ended the year with new policies to get 50 percent of the energy in those states from renewables, answering the appeals of E2 members and others on either side of the continent.
A banner year no doubt – one that truly illustrated the reach of E2 at the state, federal and even international levels.
As we head into 2016 and toward tomorrow’s brighter (clean energy-powered!) future, we aren’t resting.
With the generous continued support of members nationwide, we’ll continue to bring the voice of business to push for policies that are good for our economy and our environment.
We’ll continue to defend our nation’s most important climate policy – the federal Clean Power Plan – in Washington D.C. and in the states as implementation of the plan to cut carbon emissions from power plants begins in 2016.
We’ll continue to bring E2 members to statehouses stretching from the Northwest to New England and from the Midwest to the Rocky Mountains to make the business case for more clean energy and less pollution, and the new innovation, investment and jobs that come with it.
And we’ll continue to expand into new arenas where business voices are badly needed, whether it’s pushing for policies to expand low-carbon agriculture in our rural communities or reduce traffic congestion and building energy waste in our nation’s urban centers.
Rest assured: You – and every other E2 member – made a difference in our world, and your support led to some incredible achievements in 2015.
With your continued support , together we’ll help shape an even brighter tomorrow in 2016.
Cheers – and thanks,
Bob Keefe
Executive Director, E2
Pictured upper right: E2's Paris contingent at COP 21