Clean Future Act: A Cross-Sectoral Plan to Combat Climate Change

This briefing describes the draft Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s (CLEAN) Future Act, a legislative proposal by Democratic leaders on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to achieve a net-zero greenhouse gas pollution economy by 2050 through cross-sectoral policies.

• The CLEAN Future Act proposes a national goal of achieving a 100 percent clean economy by 2050, utilizing a combination of long-term zero-emissions targets and near-term emissions reductions across nearly every sector of the U.S. economy, with a specific focus on environmental justice and the role of state and local entities.
• In the power sector, the bill identifies the industry as a "linchpin for deep decarbonization" and proposes a national Clean Electricity Standard starting in 2022 to increase clean energy percentages. It also seeks to upgrade the energy grid's security, resilience, and storage, provide federal assistance to rural electric cooperatives, and direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to regulate the expansion of clean energy.
• The act targets the building sector by requiring zero energy ready buildings—defined as highly efficient structures meeting energy needs from non-greenhouse gas sources—by 2030. It proposes increasing funds for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) for state and local retrofits, supporting retrofits for schools, homes, and public buildings, and creating a Buy Clean Program for low-carbon construction materials.
• Transportation decarbonization strategies in the bill include directing the EPA to set ambitious vehicle performance standards and emissions standards for aircraft, alongside significant investments in electric vehicles and the necessary infrastructure.
• The bill includes economy-wide policies such as requiring states to create State Climate Plans, establishing a National Climate Bank for project financing, and creating the Energy Workforce Grant Program to fund renewable energy job training with wages at least equal to the local prevailing wage. Additionally, it mandates that the federal government integrate climate change considerations into all national security decisions.

APA

Neal, A. (2020). Clean Future Act: A Cross-Sectoral Plan to Combat Climate Change. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/clean-future-act-a-cross-sectoral-plan-to-combat-climate-change

Chicago

Neal, Abby. Clean Future Act: A Cross-Sectoral Plan to Combat Climate Change. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2020. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/clean-future-act-a-cross-sectoral-plan-to-combat-climate-change.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Neal |first1=Abby |title=Clean Future Act: A Cross-Sectoral Plan to Combat Climate Change |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=28 February 2020 |url=https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/clean-future-act-a-cross-sectoral-plan-to-combat-climate-change |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{neal2020clean, author = {Neal, Abby}, title = {{Clean Future Act: A Cross-Sectoral Plan to Combat Climate Change}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2020}, month = feb, url = {https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/clean-future-act-a-cross-sectoral-plan-to-combat-climate-change}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }