Letter: Energy modernization act shows partisan politics can be put aside

I applaud the U.S. Senate for its April 20 passage of the Energy Policy Modernization Act by a vote of 85-12. This shows that partisan politics can be put aside to solve challenging national problems.

The act improves the stability and resilience of our nation’s electrical grid against cyberattacks and fluctuations in supply and demand, triples investment in energy storage technology, develops energy efficiency technology for buildings (which use 40 percent of our energy), and invests in new energy technologies that continue to lower the cost of renewable energy.

Beyond measures to reduce carbon emissions that drive climate change, the legislation also permanently reauthorizes the National Parks Maintenance and Revitalization Fund to address long-overdue maintenance in our national parks, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which uses royalties from offshore oil leases to fund parks and recreation programs.

If the same bipartisan cooperation and compromise could be applied to shift taxes from what we want (income and profit) to what we don’t want (carbon emissions that drive climate change), we could spur the economy and stop climate change at the same time. I urge Rep. Newhouse and Sens. Cantwell and Murray to continue to reach across the isle.

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 1:28 AM with the headline "Letter: Energy modernization act shows partisan politics can be put aside."