https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/05/13-4
[images and links in on-line article]
Published on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 by Common Dreams
'Energy [R]evolution': Nearly 100% Renewable Is Doable, says Report
Study shows how US could democratize systems, create jobs, and radically
reduce emissions by 2050
- Jon Queally, staff writer
Dramatically reduce carbon emissions and the use of fossil fuels. Create
millions of new jobs in the renewable energy sector and beyond.
Democratize the energy system by increasing local control of production
and resources.
Not only can all this be accomplished, say researchers and experts, it
can be done with readily available technologies and on an expedited
timeline that—if executed—would prove humanity capable of acting to
address the crisis of planetary climate change before it's too late.
Produced by both Greenpeace and the Global Wind Energy Council, which
represents the international wind industry, a new report released
Monday—titled Energy [R]evolution - A Sustainable USA Energy Outlook
(pdf)—details how by 2050, renewable energy sources could be producing
close to 97% of electricity in the U.S. and approximately 94% of the
country's needs for heating and cooling homes and businesses.
"The driving goal of the Energy [R]evolution," reads the report's
introduction, "is stopping global climate disruption, which is caused
primarily by burning coal, oil, and methane gas. But the reasons to
modernize our energy system are in numerable".
The five key principles behind the "Energy [R]evolution" will be to:
• Implement renewable solutions, especially through decentralized
energy systems and grid expansions
• Respect the natural limits of the environment
• Phase out dirty, unsustainable energy sources
• Create greater equity in the use of resources
• Decouple economic growth from the consumption of fossil fuels
Following on the heals of the IPCC's latest review of the international
scientific consensus on the perils of climate change in April and the
U.S. National Climate Assessment last week, the report presents the case
for a radical and rapid energy transformation and a pathway for meeting
the reduced emissions that the scientific community says is urgent.
"The E[R] demonstrates that transitioning to a renewable energy economy
can free resources for economic development," said Kyle Ash, senior
legislative representative for Greenpeace USA. "It means more and better
jobs, greater energy independence, and it is more democratic as citizens
attain more control of energy production."
The blueprint would lead to about 1.5 million energy-related jobs in
2030, say the authors of the report, which is a full 35% more than
projected under the “business as usual” scenario outlined by the Energy
Information Agency in its 2013 Annual Outlook (pdf).
According to the report, the renewable energy strategy is designed "to
wean the economy off dirty fuels as thoroughly and quickly as possible,
and in a way that is technologically, politically, and ecologically
realistic."
Sven Teske, a renewable energy expert with Greenpeace International,
says that the climate realities and the economics of "business as usual"
simply cannot be reconciled and that swift action must be taken.
“Growing concerns about climate change and air pollution, along with
quickly falling costs of renewable energy, are already upending the
utility industry’s business model and threatening to turn fossil fuel
reserves into stranded assets," said Teske. "The Energy [R]evolution
report demonstrates that the rapid changes in the energy sector could
expand dramatically, with major implications for many industries.”
In order to shift the rules that govern energy production and deployment
in the U.S., the report argues that the following policies—at the local,
state, and/or federal level—should be enacted to make such an "energy
[R]evolution" possible:
1. Abolish all subsidies, including any policies which confer a
financial benefit, to fossil fuels and nuclear energy. The End Polluter
Welfare Act, introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and
Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) is an example of federal action that
must move forward.
2. Internalize the currently socialized cost of industrial climate
pollution, such as with a federal carbon fee.
3. Mandate strict efficiency standards for all energy consuming
appliances, buildings and vehicles.
4. Establish legally binding targets for renewable energy and
combined heat and power generation.
5. Reform electricity markets by guaranteeing priority access to
the grid for renewable power generators.
6. Provide defined and stable returns for investors, for example by
feed-in tariff schemes.
7. Implement better labeling and disclosure mechanisms to provide
more environmental product information.
8. Increase research and development budgets for renewable energy
and energy efficiency.
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[link to report:
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/Global/usa/planet3/PDFs/Solutions/Energy-Revolution-2014.pdf
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