Emissions Free Hydropower

In 2017, Scott introduced and helped pass the HYdropower Permit Extension (HYPE) Act, to cut red tape in the construction permitting process for hydropower projects and incentivize greater investments in carbon-free hydropower. Previously, it took an act of Congress to extend construction permits for hydropower projects, even though these projects have already undergone a rigorous approval processes. The bill also grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) the authority to give hydropower projects a four-year extension if delays prevent them from beginning construction during the initial permit. Hydropower is an emission-free source of baseload energy that helps decrease America’s reliance on fossil fuels.

Smart Closed-Loop Hydropower

In 2017, Scott was the lead Democrat on the Promoting Closed-Loop Pumped Storage Hydropower Act, which gives closed-loop hydropower projects an expedited process for approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Scott led the effort to craft the final language of the bill which helped it earn the bipartisan support it needed to pass. In San Diego, where large rivers and typical hydropower generation are less common, closed-loop hydropower offers an innovative solution and can have other benefits to the region’s energy and reservoir systems. More electricity from hydropower is key to meeting our clean energy goals, and reducing harmful emissions that pollute our air and water and contribute to climate change.

Funded Cutting-Edge Ocean Research

In 2018, Scott supported many successful efforts to enhance ocean research in San Diego. His advocacy led to a funding level of $5.9 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which was $233.9 million higher than the FY2017 enacted level.

In 2019, Scott championed a bipartisan effort to secure $43 million, a $177,000 increase from FY2018 enacted levels for a crucial NOAA program to improve weather forecasting and prepare for natural disasters.

San Diego is home to Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, a world leader in most cutting-edge ocean research.

Global Leader On Climate Change

In 2019, Scott unveiled The Climate Playbook, a compendium of climate-related bills introduced by Members of the House and Senate in 2016. On November 14, 2019, The Chair House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis recognized the importance of the Climate Playbook as an asset for all of Congress. The Climate Playbook has received national praise.

In 2017, Scott was a featured speaker at a conference of world climate experts convened by Pope Francis in Vatican City and the sole representative from the United States Congress.  In his remarks, Scott reflected on the divisive politics of climate change in the United States. The notion of addressing climate change used to be bipartisan, but the divisive state of American politics has caught up to the issue. With President Trump determined to undermine all of the progress on climate achieved by President Obama, local governments and leaders around the world need to act on the existential threat of climate change.

Spearheading National Climate Action

In 2019, Scott and Rep. Matt Gaetz introduced the bicameral Super Pollutants Act of 2019, which will significantly curb the release of methane from oil and gas sites in the U.S. by codifying EPA’s endangered methane rule and creating a regulatory pathway to reduce emissions from existing sources.

Scott is also among the leading Democrats advocating for a bipartisan carbon tax in Congress. In 2019, Scott was one of four Democratic leads to introduce the bipartisan Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2019, and one of two Democratic leads the to introduce the MARKET CHOICE Act of 2019.

In 2017, Scott and Rep. Curbelo introduced the Super Pollutant Emissions Reduction (SUPER) Act, which establishes a task force to combat some of the most significant drivers of global climate change.

San Diego has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent below predicted 2035 levels as part of its Climate Action Plan.

Fighting for Carbon Capture Utilization and Sequestration (CCUS)

In 2017 and again in 2019, Scott introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies (USEIT) Act. The USEIT Act is one of the most significant CCUS bills ever introduced in Congress, authorizing $85 million to support carbon utilization and direct air capture research and encourages federal, state, and non-governmental collaboration to facilitate planning and permitting of CCUS facilities and the carbon dioxide pipelines needed to enable large-scale deployment. In 2019, USEIT passed the Senate as part of the NDAA.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC), without large-scale deployment of carbon dioxide removal technologies, it is nearly impossible to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. USEIT is supported by the United Steelworkers (USW), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA), the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA) and the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC).

Securing SONGS Operations, Getting Nuclear Waste Off Our Coastline

Scott has provided oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees the decommissioning process at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). He’s requested increased attention from inspectors and ensured proper community engagement. He verified that an incident in 2018 was handled properly, and changes to operations were made before restarting the on-site storage of spent fuel.

Scott is also a leader on nuclear waste storage legislation. He co-leads legislation to finalize a permanent resting place for spent nuclear fuel and consolidated interims storage, both of which could be avenues to getting nuclear waste off of the beach in San Diego as soon as it is cools enough to transport. He also helps lead legislation that would prioritize moving this waste before others that aren’t as close to bodies of water or densely populated areas. Political considerations have stopped the advancement of safe nuclear waste storage for years and Scott is actively overcoming that with legislation and funding.

Supporting Funding for the Future of Clean Energy

Nearly every year since coming to Congress, Scott has helped lead the efforts to appropriate funding for advanced nuclear technology to develop nuclear fusion through international partnerships. In November of 2019,  The DOE extended a funding award worth $121.5 million over another 5 years at General Atomics, where many San Diegans work on the project to develop test components and fusion infrastructure. As the 10th best-educated constituency of any congressional district, residents of the 50th Congressional District are working on creating the energy generation the world needs for a safe future.

Promoting Energy Recovery From Waste

In September 2019, House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures Chairman Mike Thompson and Committee Democrats released a draft of the Growing Renewable Energy and Efficiency Now (GREEN) Act to incentivize the development of renewable energy technology. The GREEN Act includes the Renewable Electricity Tax Credit Equalization Act, a bill co-introduced by Scott which extends tax credits for investments in qualified energy production, including closed-loop biomass, open-loop biomass, geothermal, municipal solid waste, qualified hydropower, and marine and hydrokinetic.

In 2018, Scott introduced the Carbon Utilization Act, aiming to credit to incentivize the deployment of carbon capture technology. The bill would expand USDA research and loan guarantees to include carbon capture technologies that turn the carbon dioxide or methane products produced by organic waste into electricity, heat, or fuel. New energy sources created by this legislation, like biogas, could bring us closer to energy independence and reduce greenhouse gases. San Diego-based biofuel companies are leading the way on clean-tech energy innovation.

Enhancing Emergency Preparedness

In 2019, Scott re-introduced the bipartisan Strengthening the Resiliency of Our Nation on the Ground (STRONG) Act that would help communities better prepare for natural disasters. The bill would establish an interagency task force that combines the expertise of federal, state, and local agencies to prepare short and long-term extreme weather strategies. As a military town and coastal city, San Diego is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This bill will help our city prepare, plan for, and more quickly recover from extreme weather events.

Increased Transparency and Accountability of Federal Disaster Spending

In 2019, Scott introduced the Disclosing Aid Spent to Ensure Relief (DISASTER) Act, which requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to publish a single total of federal disaster relief funding. In July 2019, the House passed this bill, as well as two other disaster transparency bills that Scott introduced with Rep. Mark Meadows—the Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act and the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act. These bills are awaiting Senate passage. These disaster transparency bills are crucial to San Diego and California generally as disasters continue to get bigger and more frequent so that we can better prepare to fight and prevent future disasters.

Protecting Giant Sequoia Trees

Scott originally introduced the Save Our Sequoias (SOS) Act in 2022 after working with Rep. Westerman (AK-04) and visiting the Sequoia National Park to learn more about how wildfires and unnatural conditions threaten the future of sequoia trees. He reintroduced this critical legislation in 2023 and 2025. Giant Sequoia trees have thick and spongy bark and tall branches that make them highly resilient to fire, insects, and disease. But in recent years, poor forest management and oversuppression of natural fire have posed a new threat. Fir and pine trees – which used to die off and be removed after natural, less severe fires – have grown up next to the sequoias and have conveyed flames into the tree canopy, where sequoias have no protection. In the past decade, we have lost 20 percent of all Giant Sequoias in this way. The SOS Act would improve coordination among federal agencies and local partners and help prioritize science-based forest management strategies, including fuel reduction and habitat restoration projects in and around sequoia groves. In March 2026, the House passed the SOS Act and it awaits passage in the Senate.