PROVE IT Act

The Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act, S.1863, is a bill in the United States Senate to study the greenhouse gas intensity of certain industrial products of the United States and other countries. Introducing senator Chris Coons (D‑DE) intends it to "provide reliable data that’s needed to quantify the climate benefits of the United States’ investments in cleaner, more efficient manufacturing practices and to hold nations like China accountable for their emissions-heavy production of goods like steel."

Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency

Other short titles	PROVE IT Act
Long title	To require the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study and submit a report on the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of certain products produced in the United States and in certain foreign countries, and for other purposes.
Legislative history
Introduced in the United States Senate as S. 1863 by Chris Coons D‑DE, Kevin Cramer R‑ND on June 7, 2023 Committee consideration by United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

The measure has been described by the Washington Post as a "rare example of bipartisan climate policy".

History

Senators Chris Coons and Kevin Cramer introduced the bill on June 7, 2023 within the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW Committee).

The committee performed and passed, 14–5, a markup of the measure in January 2024, with four Republicans (Cramer, Lindsey Graham, Cynthia Lummis, and John Boozman) in support alongside the committee's Democrats. Some conservatives fear that the data collected will lead to an import tariff or a domestic carbon tax. In response, Cramer, himself an opponent of a domestic carbon tax, amended the act to clarify that it does not grant any federal authority for a greenhouse gas tax or duty.

Reception

Cramer expressed optimism in January after the committee vote that the bill would arrive on the Senate floor, alone or in a package, and that education about the bill would sway opponents. Boozman expressed hope that many of the opponents could be convinced to vote yes. Trump White House climate adviser George David Banks said even some of the opposing EPW committee members are "gettable."

Centrist and conservative climate groups support the bill, alongside trade groups such as the American Petroleum Institute and US Chamber of Commerce.

The Act has not been introduced in the House, but representatives John Curtis (R‑UT 3rd) and Scott Peters (D‑CA 50th) intend to be sponsors, with Curtis expressing optimism in seeking other Republican co-sponsors. George Banks suggests that former US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer could influence Republican thinking, especially if Donald Trump wins the 2024 Presidential election and appoints him USTR again.

Policy provisions

The bill's provisions direct the Department of Energy (DOE) to publish within two years a study of the average emissions intensity nearly two dozen produced in the United States and a number of other countries of interest, and the relative emissions intensity of products from the U.S. compared to the other countries. The countries of interest include the G7, free trade agreement partners, and those responsible for a large global market share. The study would also identify gaps and the trustworthiness of the data. The DOE would be responsible for updating the data every five years. The Act also supports international collaboration in data-gathering.

The data is to be published in an online database. Greenhouse gas emissions other than carbon dioxide are to be evaluated on the basis of the number of metric tons of carbon dioxide with equivalent global warming potential. Emissions intensity is to be determined as an average over each country of interest. The bill also does not provide "provide any new authority to any federal agency to impose, collect or enforce a greenhouse gas emissions tax, fee, duty, price or charge."

The covered goods include:

• aluminum
• cement
• iron and steel
• plastic
• biofuel
• crude oil, petrochemicals, and refined petroleum products
• fertilizer
• glass
• hydrogen
• lithium-ion batteries
• natural gas
• pulp and paper
• refined strategic and critical minerals
• solar cells and panels
• uranium
• wind turbines

The Act is intended to support the assertion that American manufacturers work within cleaner production standards than much of the world and quantify the degree to which environmental investments and policies have resulted in cleaner manufacturing in the United States and other countries.

External links

• S. 1863: PROVE IT Act
• Coons press release, August 9, 2023, and Kramer press release, June 7, 2023