WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees released the tax and energy provisions of their budget reconciliation bill. The bill would make billions in cuts to clean energy and environmental protection programs, including those vital to ocean communities, effectively undoing the landmark 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Jeff Watters, Ocean Conservancy’s Vice President of External Affairs, issued the following statement in response:

“The proposed tax package is terrible news for our ocean and our economy – and it will have devastating repercussions for ocean health, should it come to pass.

“The bill would gut the Inflation Reduction Act, taking billions of dollars of manufacturing for clean ocean energy and investment in coastal communities off the board. The proposed cuts would mean fewer jobs in ocean communities and higher electric bills for all. 

“Eliminating tax credits that support clean energy, including offshore wind, would stifle our nation’s transition to a clean ocean energy future. This would hurt the health of the ocean, the climate, and American consumers. These tax credits create jobs and are projected to help grow the American economy by $1.9 trillion in the next 10 years, all while moving us away from highly polluting energy sources that wreak havoc on both the ocean and the climate.

“And the bill would repeal the Clean Ports Program, which aims to modernize ports with clean port equipment and infrastructure, creating cleaner air and water for the nearly 40 million people across the U.S. who live in close proximity to ports and are forced to breathe the toxic fumes created by the shipping industry. While most of the funds appropriated for this program have already been disseminated, by eliminating the program altogether we risk missing out on the opportunity to continue investing in modernizing our ports, making them more efficient, creating much needed jobs in port communities, reducing pollution in the future, and ultimately being globally competitive with ports around the world.

“Protecting the ocean is bipartisan. We implore members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to fight for the future of the ocean, and say no to this irresponsible budget reconciliation bill.”

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