Published: Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Energy collage. Credits: Claudine Hellmuth/E&E News (illustration); Internet Archive Book Images/Flickr (drafting sketches); jwigley/Pixabay (pump jack); MaxPixel (turbines); Tikilucas/Wikimedia Commons (coal plant)
A new report issued by several environmental and climate groups spells out design possibilities for a federal clean energy standard, widely seen as one of the few policy routes available to meet President Biden s aggressive zero-carbon goals. Claudine Hellmuth/E&E News (illustration); Internet Archive Book Images/Flickr (drafting sketches); jwigley/Pixabay (pump jack); MaxPixel (turbines); Tikilucas/Wikimedia Commons (coal plant)
Over a quarter-century, proposals for a clean energy standard (CES) have flared up and sputtered out, done in by political indifference or opposition to mandatory federal controls to shrink power plant carbon emissions.
Follow Us
We are first in your inbox with the most important news in the industry―keeping you smarter and one-step ahead in this ever-changing and competitive market.Start your free subscription
Biden Sets New Paris Agreement GHG Target: 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030
President Biden has set a new nationally determined contribution (NDC) for the U.S. to achieve a 50% to 52% reduction in economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2030 compared to 2005 levels.
The White House said on Thursday the NDC, which was determined after a “a whole-of-government process” organized through the Biden administration’s National Climate Task Force, will be formally submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Print this article
Top House Democrats’ plan to eliminate carbon emissions from the power sector by 2035 includes a provision that would delay requirements to purchase more clean electricity if compliance costs become too high.
The provision, which has been called a “decelerator,” is tucked into the clean electricity standard top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee
proposed in sweeping climate legislation last month. It could serve as an olive branch to the utility industry, which has raised concerns companies wouldn’t be able to meet a 2035 timeline.
The provision is also an acknowledgment of the immense transformation the power sector would need to undergo to transition from around 60% fossil fuels as of last year, according to Energy Information Administration data, to 100% carbon-free power in roughly 15 years.
Democrats set to clash over whether nuclear and carbon capture would avert or hasten crisis Print this article
Democrats’ push to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector is exposing a fundamental difference in strategy among members of the party and environmentalists: whether to rely solely on renewable energy or support other zero- and low-carbon resources.
Both sides of the debate feel their approach is essential to avoiding climate disaster. Left-wing activists and Democrats say anything less than a singular focus on building massive amounts of renewable energy undermines overall emissions reduction goals and jeopardizes the health of people who live near smokestacks, who tend to be poorer and minorities.