This month’s CRESponsible Leader is Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)! Sen. Tillis has long been a vocal advocate for clean energy and its potential to drive economic growth in his home state and takes a pragmatic approach to policymaking that reduces emissions both at home and abroad.
For starters, Sen. Tillis supports legislation that, among other provisions, directs the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to work collaboratively across its offices, creating a five-year plan to research, demonstrate, develop and commercialize new production methods to produce cement, concrete and asphalt. Behind only water, concrete is the second most used product in the world. Finding responsible solutions to decarbonize ubiquitous sectors like building materials is crucial to reducing global emissions.
Sen. Tillis also understands that heavy-handed mandates and putting America last always fails. So, when the Biden Administration paused approvals of pending applications for American liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports early this year, Sen. Tillis helped lead the legislation to depoliticize the export approval process. Just last month, Sen. Tillis cosponsored legislation to nullify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan 2.0, which will drive more plants that provide reliable, affordable baseload energy into early retirement.
Back in his home state, he is working to promote policies that incentivize the use of clean energy technologies, recognizing their potential to create jobs, boost local economies, and reduce emissions. In North Carolina, solar energy powers over 500,000 homes, supports more than 7,500 jobs and provides a significant economic impact, much of which was made possible from Senator Tillis’ work as a clean energy advocate.
In recognition of his leadership, Sen. Tillis was named a “Clean Energy Champion” by CRES in 2017. The award recognizes his efforts to promote the growth of clean energy and his commitment to an all-of-the-above energy approach.
But don’t just take our word for it! We interviewed Senator Tillis to learn more about his work in promoting American-made clean energy, boosting North Carolina’s economy and reducing global emissions.
READ FULL INTERVIEW HERE.
As we look to the future, it’s clear that our CRESponsible Leader, Senator Thom Tillis, will continue to be a driving force in the clean energy movement in North Carolina and beyond.