Clean Capitalist Coalition Launches During National Clean Energy Week

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today a broad group of advanced energy and free-market organizations, scholars and experts launched the Clean Capitalist Coalition to focus on creating and promoting innovative policy ideas that reduce barriers to clean free enterprise and conservation while increasing prosperity and freedom.

The 14 initial members of the Clean Capitalist Coalition are Advanced Energy Economy, American Conservation Coalition, American Council for Capital Formation, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, American Renewable Energy Institute, ConservAmerica, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Forum, Clean Capitalist Leadership Council, ClearPath Foundation, Conservative Energy Network, Earth and Water Law Group, EarthX, Grace Richardson Fund, and the Ocean Recovery Alliance/ Plasticity Forum. Several individuals have also joined the Coalition, including Wayne Winegarden, PhD. Senior Fellow in Business and Economics, Pacific Research Institute, Meredith Walker, Chief Economist, EarthX, and Michael A. Mehling, Deputy Director, MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research.

"In recent years, conservatives haven't prioritized policies to advance clean free enterprise while protecting the environment. Conservatives need to work together developing new solutions based on free-market principles, even if they don't agree on every policy," said CRES Forum Managing Director Heather Reams.

"Barrier-free clean capitalism offers a fresh conservation-rooted paradigm, with no sticks, and barrier-removal as a healthier kind of carrot," said Rod Richardson, President of the Grace Richardson Fund. "It is my hope that the Coalition helps to shape a new consensus – and underlying policies – capable of transcending partisan lines – that accelerate all low-to-zero pollution technologies. Cleaner, healthier, freer markets will create a freer, healthier, cleaner world – more peaceful and safe too, as an added bonus."

The Coalition is structured around four principles applied to the most harmless and beneficial of solutions that reduce or eliminate pollution. So for these most beneficial activities:  

• Remove regulatory, tax, and trade barriers to increase market participation and competition by large- and small-businesses and individuals; 
• Establish and maintain a level playing-field for clean technologies, products, and services characterized by diminishing pollution and harm; 
• Expand economic rights and freedoms, especially for activities that conserve and reduce harm; and
• Build a bigger, more powerful, more open, global clean free market.

The Coalition notably includes the Clean Capitalist Leadership Council – a group of clean capitalist investors, business leaders and philanthropists such as Andy Sabin, Sabin Metal Corporation; Trammell Crow, EarthX; Rod Richardson, Grace Richardson Fund; and Matthew Patsky, Trillium Asset Management.

Members of the Coalition will benefit from a constructive, impact-oriented collaboration. The Coalition has begun to explore Clean Tax Cuts, Voluntary Emissions Reporting, Clean Asset Bonds, and Technology Neutral Tax Credits.

"Empowering American innovators to reduce the cost of clean energy technologies and reducing unnecessary government barriers to deployment can unlock billions of dollars of private sector investment in new clean energy projects," said ClearPath Managing Director-Policy Jeremy Harrell. "By exploring common-sense free market policy solutions rooted in these principles, the Clean Capitalist Coalition intends to elevate the energy policy debate in Washington and ultimately bolster long-term American clean energy growth."

"The Conservative Energy Network is excited to join the Clean Capitalist Coalition and work with fellow conservative organizations to seek smart, conservative solutions to the pressing energy and environmental issues facing our nation. We believe that a free market, unencumbered by regulatory barriers and artificial monopolies, will create a level playing field and increase access for clean energy companies, improving competition and ensuring Americans have the most affordable, clean, and reliable energy available," said Mark Pischea, president of the Conservative Energy Network.

"Unleashing the power of the free-market is the most effective and efficient way to address the challenges posed by climate change. We need to signal to the markets that investment in innovation and clean energy technologies is a win-win. I look forward to working together with the Clean Capitalist Coalition to promote policies that achieve this goal," said Drew Bond, senior fellow and director of energy innovation programs at ACCF.

"As an organization focused on free-market environmental solutions, we fully understand climate solutions are going to come from bold ideas that provide environmental and economic successes. The Clean Capitalist Coalition follows that much-needed model. With the innovative organizations participating, I am certain we will shift the dialogue on these issues," said Benji Backer, president, American Conservation Coalition.

"The best way to achieve long-term, lasting solutions to environmental problems is to harness the power of capitalism. ConservAmerica is proud to be a founding member of the Clean Capitalist Coalition," said ConservAmerica President Rob Sisson.

"As the advanced energy industry continues to thrive, policies rooted in the principles of reducing unnecessary barriers to innovation can further unlock the power of advanced energy technologies. AEE is proud to join this Coalition of organizations committed to the principles of market-based solutions for advanced energy growth. Together, we can expand the current policy debate to ensure growth of advanced energy to provide secure, affordable and reliable energy to all Americans, while bolstering the job growth beyond the 3.4 million jobs in the sector today," said Dylan Reed, Head of Congressional Affairs, Advanced Energy Economy.

"Clean tax cuts offer the single biggest opportunity our country has seen for the 'on-shoring' and retooling of our much needed capacities in plastic recycling and recovery for all of our communities," said Doug Woodring, the Founder and Managing Director, Ocean Recovery Alliance.

"At EarthX in Dallas we want to take the lead in growing the Clean Capitalist Coalition in the US and around the world. We need powerful new green conservative ideas," said Founder and Chairman, Trammell S. Crow. "We have a lot of conservatives and Republicans in Texas and across the region, who have a lot of power locally and nationally. They want to hear powerful new green conservative ideas when they come to EarthX, from the greatest conservative thinkers we can find from around the world. We have oil and gas under farms and pastures, and wind and sun over all of it. We can move Texas, the nation and the world if we can show Texans great conservative, clean capitalist ideas on how we can make money on all of it, while keeping Texas clean and wild, and our families healthy and safe from disaster."

Further information about the Clean Capitalist Coalition can be found at www.CleanCapitalistCoalition.org.

SOURCE Clean Capitalist Coalition

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http://www.CleanCapitalistCoalition.org