J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., talks to reporters about plans to pass President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda as the House meets to debate the Build Back Better Act, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021.
Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021 | 2 a.m.
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Last month, the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act, voting to deliver for Nevada’s communities. This is the most significant climate and jobs legislation in our nation’s history and represents a historic moment for our country to finally see real federal climate action.
This bill earned the support of Reps. Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steven Horsford because they understood that we cannot wait any longer to invest in clean energy, energy savings, well-paying union jobs, and clean air and water for everyone. Now, Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen have the chance to help pass this vital bill — and Nevadans are counting on them to vote yes.
We know families across our state are struggling to make ends meet. Far too many people have not recovered from this pandemic, and we must do everything we can to not only recover but come back stronger.
The Build Back Better Act will save the average family $500 a year on energy bills, with major investments in energy efficiency and clean energy. This is a game-changer for Nevada’s low-income families who on average spend 6-8% of their income on home energy costs, forcing them to decide between energy bills or groceries, medicine and other essentials. Other provisions in the bill — expanding the Child Tax Credit, capping the cost of child care, expanding the Affordable Care Act, and closing the Medicaid coverage gap — will help bring down people’s everyday costs, saving the average family of four up to $7,400 a year in tax cuts and lower costs.
The Build Back Better Act also makes vital investments to modernize our economy and create millions of well-paying jobs. Together with the recently passed Infrastructure and Jobs Act, these bills would add nearly $3 trillion to the U.S. economy and create 1.5 million jobs a year for the next decade. That includes $110 billion in domestic manufacturing for clean energy technology, preparing America to lead the global clean energy market.
That means real jobs right here in Nevada. This could dramatically increase our already-growing clean energy industry. As of 2019, nearly 34,000 Nevadans were working in clean energy. As a state with some of the best solar, geothermal and wind energy resources in the nation, we only expect the number of clean energy jobs to grow.
Nevadans know the impacts of climate change; we feel them every day. Deadly record-breaking temperatures have become the new normal. Massive wildfires have destroyed 122,902 acres throughout the state and the smoke has made Nevada home to some of the worst air quality on record.
Latino communities were hit even harder by dangerous air quality and pollution. In the past decade, extreme weather events have cost Nevada up to $1 billion in damages.
It’s not enough to just respond to extreme weather — we need to cut the pollution driving it in the first place. By investing in clean energy, electric vehicles and more energy-efficient homes and businesses, we can stop making the problem worse and avoid a growing disaster. We don’t have time to wait. Nevada voters want to see climate action now.
Sixty percent of Nevada voters support the complete Build Back Better Act, with more supporting bold investments into clean energy resources. And 64% of Nevada voters want their senators to support this legislation.
The Build Back Better Act takes bold steps to dramatically reduce climate pollution for everyone. But it also begins to address decades of unchecked environmental injustice, ensuring at least 40% of the benefits of this bill go to those communities hardest hit by pollution and climate change.
The stakes could not be higher. Titus, Lee and Horsford understand that we have to respond to this crisis with bold investments in our future. And we know we can do it while reducing costs for everyday people and creating millions of well-paying, clean energy jobs. This is a win-win-win for Nevada’s future.
Cortez Masto and Rosen have a chance to deliver for every single Nevadan. It’s time to pass the Build Back Better Act and get the job done.
Verna Mandez is the deputy director of the Nevada Conservation League.
