How to Fix Our Green Infrastructure Problem

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

NOEMA

Publication Date

11-7-2023

ISSN

2692-1774

Keywords

energy policy, renewable resources, cleaner environment, climate infrastructure

Disciplines

Environmental Law | Law

Abstract

Currently, 60% of electric power produced in the U.S. comes from fossil fuel combustion. Under any decarbonization scenario meeting national goals, therefore, new wind and solar power production infrastructure will need to dominate. According to the Princeton Net Zero America study, combined wind and solar power capacity must at least quadruple over current levels by 2030 to stay on a path to net zero. Yet we are far behind: The European Union currently has at least 5,400 offshore turbines in operation, whereas the U.S. has just seven.

What makes this infrastructure challenge even more daunting is the speed necessary to build it in time to meet our goals. We need system-wide coordination to simultaneously deploy vast new wind and solar generation facilities by 2030 and be fully built out and operating by 2050.

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