Udall Calls for a Strong Deal to Combat Climate Change, Build NM’s Clean Energy Economy

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall spoke on the Senate floor about the importance of U.S. action on global warming and international collaboration as negotiators near a deal to reduce global emissions. Udall, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and attended the United Nations climate talks (COP21) last weekend, said that an international agreement to fight climate change will spur clean energy innovation.

"We're close to a deal that will fight global warming and help New Mexico build its clean energy economy," Udall said. "Now we need to keep up the momentum. There are two things we can do right now to signal to the world that the United States is committed to tackling climate change. First, we need to drive capital to new energy efficient technology. That means renewing the Production Tax Credit for renewables. And second, we need to send a positive signal to the markets by stopping efforts to turn back progress toward meeting our climate goals. That will also drive investment in sustainable energy, spurring job growth in New Mexico and across the nation."

Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) joined Udall on the Senate floor in support of the climate negotiations.

Below are Udall's remarks as delivered:

Let me first say to Senator Cardin - who led our delegation. Senator Cardin's the ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee. Foreign Relations has a lot to do with this issue. He showed great leadership, and I believe he's passionate about this issue in finding solutions.

And so we were somewhat disappointed that 10 of us that went - all Democrats. We were disappointed that Republicans didn't join us. This is an issue that really needs bipartisanship. We need to join Republicans and Democrats to an issue that threatens our national security, threatens our economy, threatens our environment. It is an issue that is looming out there and needs attention. And so we look forward to working with our friends on the other side of the aisle to move forward on this issue.

As I looked over there and saw what was happening, I remembered many of the briefings we've had and everyone that has looked at this challenge - of global warming, of climate change - says that we need to do two things.

One, is that we need to drive capital to new energy. To new energy sources. To clean energy sources. We need to innovate - that's what they're talking about. If you get the capital there and you get the private sector working, you can come up with the solutions.

And secondly, we need to put a signal in the marketplace to invest in clean energy and renewable energy. And I was so proud of what had happened over there in terms of the world joining together. More than 184 countries came together and we're going to see the conclusion of it - of their action this week. But they have stepped forward and said we are going to have targets. We're going to have goals. We're going to be transparent. We're going to let people know we're moving in the direction of solutions and doing something about this immense problem.

So it was a major step forward to see those 184 countries step up and decide to do something.

In addition, Bill Gates led a group of entrepreneurs over to Paris to announce and to challenge the world about energy research and development. We had, as everyone knows - Bill Gates is one of our great entrepreneurs. He and his wife are also philanthropists. He stepped up with 27 other billionaires to say we're going to put billions into research and into development. And we're going to put it into innovation. And they call this project Mission Innovation. And they challenged other countries around the world to do the same thing. Double their energy research and budgets.

And so seeing those two things together - first of all, seeing 184 countries step up to the plate and say we're going to do this (and I think we're going to see those announcements in the next couple of days) and seeing these entrepreneurs step forward, I think was a signal and a bold signal to the marketplace that we're changing and moving in a new direction. And that we're going to get this done.

Now, my state of New Mexico - I'm very proud of my state because we have all sources of energy. We have uranium, we have coal, we have oil, we have gas. And we have many renewable sources: wind, biomass, solar, geothermal.

But we've taken a strong step in New Mexico to push for renewable resources. In our statutes in the state, we push for a renewable electricity standard of 10 percent by 2010. We met that early, and so we put another standard in place of 20 percent by 2020.

And we're really in the bull's eye in terms of climate change in New Mexico. Because of what we see and what we know is that what happens in the Southwest, the temperatures are twice as high. And we've seen it, those temperatures increase over the last 50 years.

So we know there's a crisis. We know there's an issue. We know we need to do something about this. And we are very, very willing to step forward.

And I see my colleagues have joined me on the floor - Senator Schatz, Senator Shaheen, Cory Booker - are down here, have done excellent work. I would yield at this time to Senator Schatz and say by introduction, I am so impressed with his state. Hawaii is going to be a 100 percent renewable state in 2040. A lot of that is due to his leadership and his legislature and his governor stepping up to the plate. With that, Senator Schatz.