Congressman Cleaver Named Co-Chair of House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus

"The future belongs to those who are willing to take advantage of energy efficiency and renewable energy," said Rep. Cleaver. "There is wide bipartisan support for technologies that create domestic jobs, save money, reduce pollution, and protect our planet for future generations. I look forward to partnering with my Senate Co-Chairs to lead the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus as America seizes those opportunities."

"We look forward to working with Rep. Cleaver and his great team on the upcoming 2024 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum, as well as on raising awareness in Congress about the many benefits of renewable energy and energy efficiency," said Sens. Reed and Crapo in a joint statement. "Congratulations on taking on this important leadership role in the House."

"The House REEE Caucus is an important resource for members and their staff,and a key partner of ours in Congressional education about clean energy issues,"said EESI President Daniel Bresette. "Rep. Cleaver is taking on this leadership role at a critical time. Renewable energy and energy efficiency are everywhere in the news, and that drives the need on Capitol Hill for timely, relevant information. That is what the REEE Caucuses are all about."

The House and Senate REE Caucuses have been working together since the late 1990s to increase awareness of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies in Congress. They are bipartisan and do not lobby for specific legislation.

The REEE Caucuses serve as the honorary co-hosts of the Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum, held every summer and organized by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). The REEE Caucuses also serve as honorary sponsors for Congressional briefings throughout the year, such as the upcoming briefing on the 2024 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, co-hosted by the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and EESI.

In Congress, Cleaver has been an ardent supporter of policies promoting renewable energy. In 2009, Rep. Cleaver launched the Green Impact Zone project in the Fifth District of Missouri, which transformed 150 block of the declining, high-crime urban core of Kansas City, Missouri, into one of the most climate-aware and livable urban areas in the world. The project rebuilt a key avenue; rehabilitated bridges, curbs, and sidewalks; weatherized homes, installed smart grid technology in hundreds of homes; and created hundreds of jobs for Green Impact Zone residents.

In 2022, Congressman Cleaver supportedthe Inflation Reduction Act, which provided the largest investment in climate action and renewable energy in American history. Additionally, Cleaver co-introducedThe Residential Energy and Economic Savings (TREES) Act last year to create a federal grant program that would support the planting of millions of trees across the country, helping to lower energy costs, increase tree canopy in underserved communities, and mitigate the effects of climate change. Earlier this month, Rep. Cleaver re-introducedthe RESPOND Act to protect federal pensions from the economic consequences of climate change and incentivize investments in renewable energy.

More information about the REEE Caucuses is available here.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.