What if it was like the New Deal… but green?

The Texas blackout is clear evidence that any state dependent on privatized, fossil fuel energy infrastructure is dangerously unfit to deal with the reality of climate change.

Petition to Congress: "We urge you to abolish the filibuster and pass Green New Deal legislation." ADD YOUR NAME Last month, millions of Texans spent days without heat and power during a freakish deep freeze. In a baffling absence of government response, community organizations filled the void, supplying food, warm clothing, and shelter to community members left in the dark. The Texas blackout is clear evidence that any state dependent on privatized, fossil fuel energy infrastructure is dangerously unfit to deal with the reality of climate change. Extreme weather events are only becoming more commonplace as climate change intensifies—and this new reality demands a bold, immediate legislative response. We know that the climate-denying GOP and the corrupting influence of the fossil fuel industry means that Democrats will need to do this on their own. Now is a critical moment to join congressional progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey in pushing for a Green New Deal—which would build an energy infrastructure that would keep communities safe as climate change accelerates. Sign the petition: Senate Democrats must abolish the filibuster and pass Green New Deal legislation! Texas' deregulated, fossil fuel energy economy is built to produce short-term profit, not protect people in the face of crisis. After days of living in subfreezing blackout conditions, many Texans were slapped with electricity bills of several thousands of dollars and hundreds of people in Houston were treated with carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of power outages. Texas's power grid is run by ERCOT, a company currently under investigation by state legislators for its failure to respond appropriately when crisis struck. The grid was "seconds and minutes" away from total collapse. Despite all this, ERCOT has refused to invest in the renewable energy sources that would withstand climate-related weather events when fossil fuels fail. Republican lawmakers in the state are trying to use this as an opportunity to push for more use of coal and natural gas—when it was this very dependence on fossil fuels that produced the infrastructural disaster in the first place. We can't let private companies like ERCOT make decisions that jeopardize our health and future. A Green New Deal that would create millions of unionized, well-paid jobs retrofitting aging infrastructure to be capable of protecting communities in the face of climate disaster, modernizing transit systems, and building affordable housing. As Cori Bush tweeted on February 22nd, "Our utilities of the future will be publicly owned, carefully regulated, completely decarbonized, and guaranteed to all." Sign the petition: Senate Democrats must abolish the filibuster and pass Green New Deal legislation! Thanks, Team Progress DONATE NOW Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Progress America, please click here.