Third Way Statement on Trump's Harmful Executive Order on Energy and Climate

WASHINGTON—Third Way released the following statement from Josh Freed, Vice President for the Clean Energy Program:

Based on media reports, the Trump executive order that withdraws from the Clean Power Plan is just stupid for the American economy. It’s the equivalent of trying to roll us back to the era of driving cars that use leaded fuel and watching movies on VCRs.

• It’s not going to bring any substantial number of coal jobs back. Natural gas is the big killer of coal, and the Trump plan wants more natural gas not less.
• It wastes an opportunity to unlock energy innovation across the U.S., encourage more efficient coordination between state policies, and make every region of the country more competitive in the $1.4 trillion clean energy economy.
• It forces businesses that make multi-decade capital investment decisions to plan on the equivalent of a moving roller coaster. The rest of the world is moving to zero emissions electricity. At some point the U.S. will return to that path as well, but it makes planning for that reality extremely difficult for companies.

There is a lot that can be done to help create jobs and grow the economy in coal country, and help American businesses. This executive order isn’t it.