A new report was released by the Environment America Research & Policy Center and the Frontier Group this week stating the U.S. has the power to move away from fossil fuels and focus on a clean energy system run on renewables.
Coal, oil and gas are responsible for a rapidly warming planet, for hundreds of thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year from air pollution, and for untold environmental damage. A shift to emission-free energy from the wind, sun and other renewable sources can solve many of America’s most pressing environmental and public health challenges, writes the report.
The U.S. already has enough wind and solar resources to meet the country’s energy needs and renewable technologies are also advancing and becoming more affordable.
“This report shows that between the sunshine and the wind, we have the potential to run our society on clean energy, today and in the future,” says Susan Rakov, chair of Environment America Research & Policy Center’s (EARPC) Clean Energy program.
The analysis’ plan to reach a 100 percent renewable future focuses on four key areas:
- Rapidly deploy clean energy.
- Modernize the grid.
- Reduce and manage energy demand.
- Repower everything with renewables.
The stage is set for a rapid transition to renewable energy. But time is of the essence. Policymakers must do all they can to accelerate a shift away from fossil fuels to an energy system in which the vast majority of our energy comes from renewable sources like the wind and sun, writes the report.
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