Broad coalition comes together to press for climate action

This week U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) was supposed to introduce climate legislation she's been writing with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) as a companion bill to the American Clean Energy and Security Act approved by the House in June. But last week the two Senate leaders announced they were delaying action so they could further consult with experts about costs and impacts.



Meanwhile, a new broad-based coalition has stepped forward to push for the legislation's passage.

Clean Energy Works brings together 63 groups with a hub in Washington, D.C. and organizers in 28 key states, according to the Washington Independent. The targeted states are in the South, Midwest and West, Politico reports:

The coalition is headed up by veteran political strategist Paul Tewes, known for his work in national political organizing. Tewes is credited with President Barack Obama's surprise win in Iowa, where he worked as state director for the Obama campaign.

Not surprisingly, CEW includes large environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters. But it also involves unions including the United Steelworkers and the American Federal of State, County and Municipal Employees; justice groups including the NAACP; and faith groups such as Catholics United and the Union for Reform Judaism.

Another group involved in the coalition is VoteVets, who will be taking part in Operation Free to link climate action and national security.

Clean Energy Works has already launched a web campaign targeting members of Congress who voted against the House climate bill, calling them members of the "Caveman Energy Caucus." The photo above is a still from their website video titled "Solar Panel Smackdown," which shows a caveman assaulting solar panel installers.

CEW's initiative comes as polluting interests including the American Petroleum Institute and the National Association of Manufacturers have intensified efforts to block action on greenhouse gas regulation, while the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called for what it dubbed a 21st century "Scopes monkey trial" to force the Environmental Protection Agency to make the case that human-caused climate change is a real danger.

But it also comes as some polluter lobby groups are getting push-back from their own members over climate legislation, showing just how complicated the politics around the issue are.

Last week, for example, Duke Energy -- a North Carolina-based company that serves 4 million customers in the South and Midwest -- quit the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity over what it said were differences with "influential member companies who will not support passing climate change legislation in 2009 or 2010," the National Journal reports. Earlier this year, Duke Energy also quit the National Association of Manufacturers over "diverging perspectives" on climate legislation.

Duke's approach to climate regulation, more nuanced than that of many polluters, comes as the company is under fire in North Carolina over plans to raise residential rates by 13.5% to help cover the costs of constructing a polluting new coal-burning power unit at its Cliffside plant in the western part of the state. That rate increase would come atop a recently approved 4.5% rate increase to cover the company's increased coal costs.

A coalition of 25 environmental, consumer, health and justice groups has come together in North Carolina to urge the state Utilities Commission to deny the rate hike and halt construction at Cliffside. It's also encouraging people to attend public hearings planned for this month and next to protest the proposed rate increase.