By Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic governors of two U.S. states vowed on Friday to continue developing renewable energy programs and curbing climate change after President-elect Donald Trump’s victory this week.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
The comments are an early indication that Democratic governors plan to go ahead and fight climate change.
Trump, a Republican, has said he may revoke electric vehicle subsidies, a core provision of President Joe Biden’s signature climate bill, the Inflation Reduction Act. The IRA contains billions of dollars in clean energy subsidies, including for wind and solar power, and batteries. It is unclear whether Trump also wants to focus on that.
KEY QUOTES
“We are moving forward across the United States, state by state, county by county, city by city, in continuing our tremendous dynamic growth of our clean energy economy,” Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee told reporters.
Inslee is a founding member of the US Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 24 governors of states and US territories, which he says represents 57% of the US economy.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said governors have a responsibility to remind people in the United States and around the world that they act as “subnationals, regardless of what the agenda of the White House leadership is.” Her state is a major oil producer, but also produces large amounts of wind, geothermal and solar energy.
BY THE NUMBERS
Washington state voters easily defeated an effort to abolish the state’s carbon market, which has raised more than $2 billion since its launch in 2023 for programs such as innovative public transportation, wildfire protection and salmon conservation .
“I believe this will serve as further inspiration to America’s legislators and governors to continue our efforts to curb climate emissions and build our economy,” Inslee said.
