American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 Definition

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 is an energy bill that came into existence in the 11th United States Congress. Its creation was to help establish energy policy and an economy-wide climate to assist in addressing climate change issues. The United States House of Representatives approved the act with 219-212 votes on June 26, 2009. Nonetheless, the bill did not reach the Senate House for the members to vote and discuss.

A Little More on What is the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009

Waxman-Markey bill was another name for this bill. The origin of the name was from its authors Henry A. Waxman Representative of California and Edward J. Markey the Representative of Massachusetts (both democrats). During the creation of this bill, Waxman was serving as the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Markey was serving as the chairman of that committees Energy and Power Subcommittee.

What did the ACES 2009 Act Target?

The Act had a cap and trade system that set targets for emissions. The targets in this act paralleled that proposed by President Barack Obama on cutting down greenhouse gases by 17% between 2005-2020. The act had a market-based incentive geared towards reducing carbon emissions. It mandated combined energy efficiency standards and renewable electricity requiring that by 2020, 20% of electricity sales be met by energy efficiency and renewable energy. There was a series of policies in the ACES bill whose aim was to promote increased energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, improved standards for appliances and light fixtures, and changes to building codes. Also, allowance from carbon credits sale would provide funding for a number of energy efficiency initiatives. The bill was believed to help businesses and people to become extra efficient as well as encourage the adoption of energy-efficient technologies. The bill was seen to stimulate energy-saving investments, hence benefiting the economy. There was a projection that by 2030, the bill could deliver net energy bill savings worth $350 billion while generating additional job opportunities amounting to 424,000. In addition, improvement to the bill was seen to encourage high levels of investment in energy efficiency hence delivering net energy bill savings worth $4000 billion by 2030 and about $470 billion by 2050. It would also generate over 2 million additional job opportunities by 2050.

Supporters of the Bill vs. Dictators

The bill received support, especially from major environmental organizations such as the Audubon Society, Sierra Club, and the National Wildlife Federation. These organizations rallied their support behind this bill in their effort to protect the environment by limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Support for this bill also came from the corporate. Companies such as Dow Chemicals, Pacific Gas, and General Electric gave their letters of support, to show their solidarity. Although the two Democrat representatives wrote the bill, it got the support of a group of Republican representatives that were in full support of environmental protection. However, even though the bill got much support, as you will expect, it also received opposition from individuals and organizations. For instance, Greenpeace did not support it, claiming that it had no adequate protection for natural resources or climate. Other individuals and organizations that opposed it expressed their concern over its cost. They saw the cost of the bill to be higher than the benefits it is supposed to bring.