Bold ideas that solve the world’s energy needs.
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Nationwide Clean Energy ... By 2035
by David Wooley
People are asking, what can be done to speed economic recovery, put large numbers of people to work, and protect the environment, that won’t cost too much? There is no one answer across our broad and complex economy, but in regard to electric power there is a clear solution, if government policy makers can move fast enough to seize it.
For many years the US has been slowly moving toward cleaner forms of electric power generation, driven by state and federal policies and consumer preferences that gradually expanded markets for clean energy technology and services. But recently that trend has accelerated and the cost of renewable energy and batteries has recently dropped so fast that government policy and markets have not kept pace.
For many years the US has been slowly moving toward cleaner forms of electric power generation, driven by state and federal policies and consumer preferences that gradually expanded markets for clean energy technology and services. But recently that trend has accelerated and the cost of renewable energy and batteries has recently dropped so fast that government policy and markets have not kept pace.
An electric sector modeling study conducted by the University of California’s (Berkeley) Goldman School of Public Policy finds that plummeting costs of zero-carbon technologies allows the U.S. electricity system to achieve deep decarbonization by 2035 and lower customer electricity costs from today’s levels.
This is the first report to show that technologies widely available today can achieve large employment, health & climate benefits and deliver 90 percent clean electricity nationwide by 2035. This is 15 years sooner than forecast by earlier studies that did not account for recent price reductions.
This is the first report to show that technologies widely available today can achieve large employment, health & climate benefits and deliver 90 percent clean electricity nationwide by 2035. This is 15 years sooner than forecast by earlier studies that did not account for recent price reductions.
The report shows it is technically and economically feasible to deliver 90% carbon-free electricity while preserving a dependable grid without coal or new fossil gas power plants. The build out of renewables and storage envisioned in our study is aggressive but feasible – based on the amount of renewables currently in development and historic growth rate for other forms of power generation.
The study shows that policy changes to increase renewable energy and storage investment would produce a net increase of 500,000 jobs through 2035 (9 million net job-years. Since low cost renewable power and storage systems are now cost effective in all regions of the US, the economic benefits will be widespread. This is a powerful Covid-19 recovery strategy that can be implemented quickly. Most of this can be achieved without increased government spending or new tax credits and will produce large improvements in public health. The emission reductions, including lower acid gas pollution, will avoid $1.2 trillion in health and environmental damages, and 85,000 premature deaths (through 2050).
The study shows that policy changes to increase renewable energy and storage investment would produce a net increase of 500,000 jobs through 2035 (9 million net job-years. Since low cost renewable power and storage systems are now cost effective in all regions of the US, the economic benefits will be widespread. This is a powerful Covid-19 recovery strategy that can be implemented quickly. Most of this can be achieved without increased government spending or new tax credits and will produce large improvements in public health. The emission reductions, including lower acid gas pollution, will avoid $1.2 trillion in health and environmental damages, and 85,000 premature deaths (through 2050).
The impact on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) is dramatic. The 90% clean electric generation sector would reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electric power sector by 88% in 2035; 1.6 billion tons CO2 lower than current annual emissions. Use of natural gas in power generation would fall 70% by 2035. The GHG benefits do not stop there, since deep carbon reductions in the electric sector is a key step to decarbonize transportation and buildings, and would encourage carbon emission reductions in other nations.
What’s the catch? It won’t happen without changes in federal energy policy. Old habits and market systems that no longer serve current needs, die hard. America’s current electricity policy framework cannot deliver on this economic opportunity. Every day brings news of coal plant retirements, and new investment in solar, batteries and wind systems. This is where we are headed, but policy changes are needed to make it happen faster, in time to support economic recovery from the current economic crisis and help avoid the worst impacts from climate change. There are a wide range of policy options available to achieve this, chief among them would be a national Clean Energy Standard targeting a 90% emission-free electric sector in 2035.
Be skeptical of pledges to reduce emissions by 2050. In the electric power sector, we can go much faster, and get to almost to zero-emission generation by 2035. Congress should set a 2035 GHG target for electric power that aligns US policy with climate realities, increases employment and improves public health.
What’s the catch? It won’t happen without changes in federal energy policy. Old habits and market systems that no longer serve current needs, die hard. America’s current electricity policy framework cannot deliver on this economic opportunity. Every day brings news of coal plant retirements, and new investment in solar, batteries and wind systems. This is where we are headed, but policy changes are needed to make it happen faster, in time to support economic recovery from the current economic crisis and help avoid the worst impacts from climate change. There are a wide range of policy options available to achieve this, chief among them would be a national Clean Energy Standard targeting a 90% emission-free electric sector in 2035.
Be skeptical of pledges to reduce emissions by 2050. In the electric power sector, we can go much faster, and get to almost to zero-emission generation by 2035. Congress should set a 2035 GHG target for electric power that aligns US policy with climate realities, increases employment and improves public health.
David Wooley is the Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Public Policy & Lecturer at the Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley.
