80% clean energy by 2030: achievable with huge benefits (2023)

This summer's wave of climate catastrophes – deadly heatwaves, wildfires, floods and storms across every continent – ​​is telling our political leaders that there is no time to deal with the climate emergency. President Biden has made climate action the centerpiece of his Get Better American Jobs agenda and plan. The budget resolution released this week by the Senate Appropriations Committee includes a number of important climate provisions that, if passed, would make significant progress in reducing pollution and building clean energy.

At the heart of President Biden's proposal is cleaning up the country's electrical system, the second-largest source of carbon dioxide pollution contributing to the climate crisis. The president has set a goal of 80% clean electricity by 2030. Reducing emissions from plants of this size would achieve at least half of President Biden's pledge to reduce overall pollution caused by climate change in the US by 50-52% by 2030. The United States is on track to meet the president's goal of a 100% clean electrical system by 2035.

The rigorous analysis summarized in this blog shows that achieving an 80% clean electricity sector by 2030 is achievable and will deliver significant climate, public health, economic and employment benefits that far exceed the cost of investment.

The first opportunity to achieve the goal of 80% clean electricity by 2030 is through budget reconciliation legislation currently under consideration in Congress. The budget resolution released this week by the Senate Appropriations Committee includes the Clean Energy Payment Program (CEPP) and federal clean energy incentives to achieve this goal.

Meanwhile, the president's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible under current law, the Clean Air Act, for setting standards for carbon dioxide emissions from coal- and natural gas-fired power plants, replacing the rule of doing nothing rejected by the Trump administration. by court order in January.

A number of analyzes suggest that moving from the current 40% cleanup rate to the 80% target by 2030 can be achieved one way or another, with huge environmental and health benefits that moderate the costs.

80% clean electricity brings huge benefits

Several recent analyzes have assessed the feasibility and costs of accelerating the use of clean energy by 2030. Overall, the modeling work concluded that 80% of the target could be achieved at a reasonable cost by 2030, leading to the rapid deployment of renewable energy, creating 500,000 to 500,000 net new jobs per year and, through reducing global warming emissions and other harmful pollution, brings enormous benefits.

The table below summarizes key findings from multiple analyzes of the proposed Clean Energy Standard (CES). CEPP is an investment program designed to achieve the same results as CES. Similar results could be achieved through Clean Air Act regulations, although they may not be necessary if Congress adopts a CEPP that does the job.

Accelerating clean energy development at this rate will have enormous benefits for public health and the climate. Multiple policy projects to achieve 80% to 86% zero-emission electricity by 2030 would result in a more than 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels, an 88% to 98% reduction in emissions of sulfur dioxide and 71% 71% reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions by 91% compared to the normal situation.

These pollution reductions will reduce climate impacts and improve air quality. For example, the Clean Energy Futures study concluded that developing clean electricity to become 100% clean by 2040 would result in$1.8 trillion in climate and public health benefitsPrevent more than 300,000 premature deaths. Health and climate benefits outweigh costscincorepeatedly. Stronger policies to make 80% of electricity emission-free by 2030 will bring even greater benefits. NRDC modeling found that the benefits of reaching the 80% target are5 to 9 timesof the cost in 2030.

Not only do the benefits far outweigh the costs, but federal policy can protect families and businesses from the costs that exist. For example, CEPP could use federal funds to cover the additional costs of transitioning to clean energy and keep electricity costs low for customers.

80% clean electricity is widely supported

Federal policies to achieve 80% clean electricity by 2030 and 100% clean electricity by 2035 enjoy broad public support. all over the country,62%100% of people support holding the CES in 2035, while only 30% are against it. The call extends to every district in the country – most of all 50 states and 429 of the 435 congressional districtssupportFederal action to achieve 100% clean electricity by 2035.

Many energy companies areThey are committed to cleaning up their portfolioOn a similar schedule. Xcel Energy, for example, has committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 80% by 2030, while Xcel Colorado plans to achieve 80% renewable energy emissions by the same date. In April, 13 dealershipsVisitThe Biden administration is adopting policies to meet the 2030 timeline.

Clean energy brings huge job growth

Wind and solar jobs are already the fastest-growing job category in the country. Now is the time to accelerate this growth. Achieving 80% clean electricity by 2030 will result in a net increase of more than500.000Net new jobs will be created by 2030, according to Energy Innovation analysis, and NRDC's preliminary analysis reveals even greater gains – millions of net new jobs will be created over the next decade. Federal, state and private sector safeguards ensure that clean energy workers receive living wages and benefits and have a safe and healthy work environment,By ensuring rapid growth.

Settlement legislation must include the CEPP and other supporting provisions

In addition to the Clean Energy Payment Plan (CEPP) to achieve 80% clean electricity by 2030, the settlement legislation must include the following additional provisions:

• Provide full long-term tax incentives for new clean energy projects;
• Subsidy program to accelerate the use of clean energy and phase out polluting facilities,
• Provide financing to address energy burden inequities and reduce electricity costs for low-income households,
• Investments in transmission and distribution systems,
• Provide funding to combat the cumulative burden of air pollution affecting environmental justice communities and
• Provides comprehensive wage replacement and payroll protection for affected workers in the electric power sector.

Lawmakers and the administration must develop and implement these investments in a way that implements President Biden's Justice40 Initiative.

At the same time, EPA should also propose strengthening Clean Air Act standards for electrical power system cleanliness, taking into account the actions Congress will take before finalizing those standards.

These actions by Congress and the EPA require immediate and simultaneous progress, as this summer's climate catastrophe shows that the United States is running out of time to act on the climate crisis.