Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2019
The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2019 is a bill in the United States House of Representatives that proposes a fee on carbon at the point of extraction to encourage market-driven innovation of clean energy technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The fees are recycled to citizens in monthly dividends. The act was originally introduced in 2018 with bipartisan support from six co-sponsors and died when the 115th congress ended on January 3, 2019. It is principally based on Citizens' Climate Lobby's carbon fee and dividend proposal, and this organization advocates for the bill.
On January 24, 2019, the bill was introduced into the house by Representative Ted Deutch on behalf of himself and six other original cosponsors.
Description of the bill
If passed, the bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to:- Introduce a carbon tax at the point of extraction, beginning at $15 per metric ton of CO₂-e and increasing each year by $10 or more, depending on its effectiveness, with exemptions for fuel used for military and farm purposes and fluorinated gases,
- rebate revenue with an equal share to adults with a Social Security number or Taxpayer Identification Number, and a half-share for all minors and adults younger than 19 per household, and
- introduce a border carbon adjustment on imported carbon-intensive products to discourage companies moving abroad.
Cosponsors
As of March 22, 2020, the bill has 81 sponsors in the House of Representatives from two parties and 23 states.| Sponsor | Party | District | Original? | Sponsor since | Relevant committees |
| Democratic | FL-21 | Yes | January 24, 2019 | Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Democratic | CA-27 | Yes | January 24, 2019 | Ways and Means Committee | |
| Democratic | FL-13 | Yes | January 24, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-18 | Yes | January 24, 2019 | Energy and Commerce Committee | |
| Democratic | IL-03 | Yes | January 24, 2019 | ||
| Republican | FL-19 | Yes | January 24, 2019 | Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Democratic | CA-52 | Yes | January 24, 2019 | Energy and Commerce Committee, Energy Subcommittee | |
| Democratic | MN-03 | No | January 28, 2019 | Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Democratic | GA-04 | No | January 29, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-24 | No | January 30, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | FL-20 | No | February 7, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | PA-15 | No | February 8, 2019 | Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Democratic | NY-09 | No | February 11, 2019 | Energy and Commerce Committee | |
| Democratic | CA-14 | No | February 12, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | IL-09 | No | February 22, 2019 | Energy and Commerce Committee | |
| Democratic | VA-11 | No | March 4, 2019 | Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Democratic | ME-01 | No | March 6, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-11 | No | March 7, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-28 | No | March 8, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | MN-02 | No | March 18, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | NJ-07 | No | March 21, 2019 | Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Democratic | NJ-08 | No | March 21, 2019 | Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Democratic | CA-48 | No | March 25, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | MA-02 | No | March 25, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-13 | No | March 26, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-39 | No | March 26, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-49 | No | March 27, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-31 | No | April 8, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | WA-10 | No | April 10, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-45 | No | April 12, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | IL-02 | No | April 18, 2019 | Energy and Commerce Committee, Energy Subcommittee | |
| Democratic | FL-05 | No | April 18, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CT-04 | No | April 25, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | MI-09 | No | April 25, 2019 | Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Democratic | CA-33 | No | April 29, 2019 | Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Democratic | MA-06 | No | May 7, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | MD-08 | No | May 9, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | TX-16 | No | May 20, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | NY-04 | No | May 23, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | NC-04 | No | May 28, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-53 | No | May 28, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | NC-12 | No | June 10, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | PA-03 | No | June 10, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | PA-04 | No | June 10, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | MS-02 | No | June 11, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | MI-05 | No | June 12, 2019 | Ways and Means Committee | |
| Democratic | TN-09 | No | June 13, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CO-02 | No | June 18, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | IL-07 | No | June 18, 2019 | Ways and Means Committee | |
| Democratic | MI-14 | No | June 20, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | MD-06 | No | June 20, 2019 | Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Democratic | PA-08 | No | June 25, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-37 | No | July 5, 2019 | Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Democratic | NJ-12 | No | July 9, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | MD-02 | No | July 9, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | NY-25 | No | July 11, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | WA-06 | No | July 15, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | GA-06 | No | July 17, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CO-07 | No | July 19, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | MO-05 | No | August 30, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-30 | No | September 6, 2019 | Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Democratic | IL-04 | No | September 16, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | NY-03 | No | September 24, 2019 | Ways and Means Committee | |
| Democratic | CA-46 | No | September 26, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-40 | No | September 26, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | NY-06 | No | October 16, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-38 | No | October 21, 2019 | Ways and Means Committee | |
| Democratic | KY-03 | No | October 29, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | NY-05 | No | November 8, 2019 | Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Democratic | GA-02 | No | November 12, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | NY-18 | No | November 12, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | NJ-10 | No | November 13, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | MO-1 | No | November 13, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | CA-7 | No | December 5, 2019 | ||
| Democratic | NH-02 | No | January 27, 2020 | ||
| Democratic | CA-32 | No | January 27, 2020 | ||
| Democratic | PA-05 | No | February 10, 2020 | ||
| Democratic | CO-06 | No | February 13, 2020 | ||
| Democratic | FL-24 | No | February 21, 2020 | Foreign Affairs Committee |
Reactions
The Center on Global Energy Policy published a comparison of the 2018 version of the bill to other carbon tax proposals.Support
In the weeks following the reintroduction of the bill, several publications including the Washington Post, the Missoulian, and the Daily Camera published op-eds and editorials in support of the bill.The bill is also supported by climate scientist and activist James Hansen and former secretary of state George Shultz. The governments of several localities, including the following with more than 50,000 residents, have signed resolutions urging the United States Congress to pass the act:
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Birmingham, Alabama Transit Citizens Advisory Board
- Bloomington, Indiana Environmental Commission
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Coconut Creek, Florida
- Corvallis, Oregon City Council
- Durham, North Carolina
- Encinitas, California
- Hoboken, New Jersey
- Jackson, Mississippi
- Los Angeles County, California
- Olympia, Washington
- Palm Beach County, Florida
- Richmond, California
- Rochester, New York
- San Jose, California
- Santa Ana, California
- Syracuse, New York
- Tompkins County, New York
The Environmental Defense Fund called it "an inspiring step in the right direction."
Opposition
The Center for Biological Diversity published a press release opposing the bill on the basis that its adjustments to the Clean Air Act would "only give us climate disaster."In April of 2019, novelist and leading member of Orange County for Climate Action Roger Gloss posted his opposition to HR 763, noting the lack of annual emissions targets, and the first assessment of whether targets are being met in 2030, the year in which the IPCC says emissions must have already been halved.