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Energy and Environment

Protecting Public Land

In California, we enjoy some of our nation’s most beautiful and accessible parks, forests, and public lands. And I am working to increase protections for treasured lands and waters at home and across the country. That includes my work to enhance recreation opportunities and federal protections in the San Gabriel Mountains.

I also consistently cosponsor legislation to protect endangered species; fund international conservation efforts; and preserve federal forestland, marine environments, and the many delicate natural habitats in need of our protection.

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Rep. Chu Holding A "San Gabriel Mountains Forever" Sign With Crowd


Addressing Climate Change

As a member of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), I support aggressive action to combat the climate crisis and meet President Biden’s goal of a net-zero economy by midcentury. And as a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I worked on the historic expansion of federal tax incentives for renewable energy, electric vehicles, and energy efficiency that will allow the U.S. to rapidly decarbonize our economy while creating millions of new jobs.

I proudly voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which is our nation’s largest ever investment in fighting climate change. This law includes expanded and extended tax credits for carbon-free electricity production, battery storage, transportation electrification, building and manufacturing efficiency, and new technologies to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. Together with the investments in grid resilience and EV charging included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) that I enthusiastically supported, our country has taken unprecedented steps to fight climate change.

And I am working hard to strengthen our clean economy workforce while improving community resilience to the effects of climate change, like wildfire and severe storms. That is why I introduced the National Climate Service Corps and Careers Network Act, which would establish a new AmeriCorps program to complete climate resilience projects nationwide while connecting participants with long-term career and workforce development opportunities in the clean economy.

Wildfires

In California, rising temperatures and prolonged drought conditions have led to greatly increased wildfire risk across the state. The eight largest wildfires in California history have all taken place since 2017 and, in 2020, the Bobcat Fire burned over 115,000 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains.  

I believe that Congress must step in to address the rising risk of wildfire and protect communities and ecosystems across the Western United States. That is why, each year, I request appropriations for federal wildfire resources. And the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided $3.4 billion for wildfire risk reduction, $1.14 billion for hazardous fuel reduction, $500 million for burned area rehabilitation, and $5 billion for grid infrastructure and reliability.

States like California need Congress’s help to prepare for, fight, and recover from wildfires, and you can count on my continued support for federal firefighting resources.