US Democratic lawmakers hope to use their new majority in Congress to revive clean energy tax incentives undone by Republicans last year.
Some members of House of Representatives believe bringing back the various tax credits for wind, solar and other resources can win bipartisan support and be one way they answer the message voters sent in the recent midterm elections.
The Democrats will hold about 260 seats in the House and 55 in the Senate next year, giving them significant control of the legislative agenda.
Democrats will have opportunities "to revive what we already accomplished in the Inflation Reduction" and move other policies to they believe will boost clean energy and help the economy, according to representative Raul Ruiz (D-California).
"They were voting against the actions of this administration that have raised costs", Ruiz said on Saturday at the UN Cop 31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey.
In addition, the clean energy incentives can win support from the other side of the aisle, according to representative Yassamin Ansari (D-Arizona), "because of how many jobs they produce."
Ansari said that last year she heard from a local union president, a Republican, who as "flabbergasted and confused" as to why members of the state's congressional delegation were going to vote on something that would lead to the loss of jobs.
Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress last year unwound much of the Inflation Reduction Act enacted under former president Joe Biden, including renewable energy tax credits, electric vehicle incentives and billions in funding for clean energy projects.
At the same time, Democrats are mindful that Trump is still the president and they may not enough votes to override any veto of their legislation.
"But I think it is important for us to be as ambitious as possible across the board and give the president the opportunity to veto popular policies, if that's what he chooses to do", Ruiz said.
Democrats also plan to develop other proposals that could aim to expand clean energy access, improve the electricity grid and support new technology development, representative Cathy Castor (D-Florida) said, citing a suite of policy ideas some members of Congress released in September in conjunction with the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.
The next step is to "hammer out into legislation" these recommendations, she said.
The three Democrats are part of an 18-member House delegation that arrived in Antalya on 13 November.
