Unpacking the US CLEAN Future Act

The CLEAN Future Act, introduced on March 2, 2021, by U.S. Representative Frank Pallone and other House Energy and Commerce Committee leadership, proposes a framework to achieve a 100% clean economy in the United States by 2050. The briefing outlines the bill's targets for emissions reduction, its approach to climate federalism, investments in transportation and power, and provisions for environmental justice and worker transitions.

• The CLEAN Future Act establishes a national goal for a 100% clean economy by 2050, defined as net-zero or negative greenhouse gas emissions, and introduces an interim target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.
• The legislation implements a model of climate federalism requiring states to develop State Climate Plans to meet EPA-set interim and midcentury goals. If a state fails to submit an adequate plan, the EPA would set a carbon fee to put the state back on track.
• The bill proposes a federal Clean Electricity Standard (CES) requiring retail electric providers to generate 80% of their power from zero-emissions sources by 2030, increasing to 100% by 2035.
• The CLEAN Future Act authorizes over $100 billion over ten years for transportation electrification, including $50 billion for charging infrastructure, $25 billion for port cleanup, $25 billion for zero-emission school buses, and $25 billion for retooling electric vehicle manufacturing plants.
• Environmental justice is addressed through a $1 billion annual climate justice grant program from 2022 to 2031, increased air quality monitoring in burdened communities, a 10-year deadline for cleaning up federal Superfund sites, and funding to replace lead water service lines.
• To support workers in the fossil fuel industry, the bill would create an Office of Energy and Economic Transition in the White House and establish 'community-based transition hubs' to provide displaced workers with training and employment assistance.
• The bill targets building energy use by aiming for new buildings built by 2029 to use 50% less energy than current codes and requiring buildings built in 2030 and after to be 'zero energy ready.' It also provides $35 billion for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program and a home energy savings rebate of up to $4,000 for specific upgrades.
• The legislation aims to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations to 65% below 2012 levels by 2025 and 90% by 2030.

APA

World Resources Institute (2021). Unpacking the US CLEAN Future Act. https://www.wri.org/insights/unpacking-us-clean-future-act

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Unpacking the US CLEAN Future Act. 2021. https://www.wri.org/insights/unpacking-us-clean-future-act.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Unpacking the US CLEAN Future Act |date=12 March 2021 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/unpacking-us-clean-future-act |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2021unpacking, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Unpacking the US CLEAN Future Act}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/unpacking-us-clean-future-act}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }