US Policy
Strategic Tax Credits to Decarbonize Buildings
There is much talk about the urgency of climate change and how federal policy is currently being crafted to address it. However, there remains a critical need for targeted tax credits for zero-carbon buildings and retrofits. Buildings are the largest single contributor of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, producing approximately 40 percent of global emissions. To meet…
Simple Tax Changes Can Unleash Clean Energy Deployment
According to the latest US government inventory, solar will account for 39 percent of the electric generation capacity added in 2021, and wind will constitute a further 31 percent. With current technology costs and policy incentives, renewables are now unquestionably the cheapest generation assets to build and operate.
Batteries Spark Biden’s Infrastructure and Jobs Promise
President Biden’s infrastructure plan (The American Jobs Plan) aligns recovery stimulus and climate action. This is smart: experts conclude that the green stimulus delivers high returns in job creation. To date, stimulus hasn’t been that green overall globally but the US plan will make a positive difference for our nation and the planet. To reap the full benefits,…
What Is Needed to Meet US Climate Commitments
The United States has committed to reduce carbon pollution to at least 50-52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 as part of rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement. This newly ambitious nationally determined contribution (NDC) recognizes the urgency for immediate action to reduce cumulative pollution and stabilize the climate. The NDC…
Put Cities at the Heart of America’s Infrastructure and Economic Recovery
As we approach President Biden’s 100th day in office, the challenges still facing the nation are stark: over 550,000 coronavirus deaths, 100,000 small businesses shuttered, 10 million unemployed and a national reckoning on racial injustice—all on a planet destabilized by climate change. As more Americans get vaccinated,…