The perfectly green electricity grid sought by Joe Biden isn¡¯t the end of the fight against global warming. It¡¯s the beginning.
Today, 40 percent of America¡¯s electricity comes from carbon-free sources. The Democratic presidential candidate has made getting that to 100 percent by 2035 a centerpiece of his $2 trillion plan to address climate change and create jobs. Getting there would take an enormous expansion of solar and wind capacity in the U.S., backed by mass adoption of energy-storage technologies and hanging onto existing hydroelectric and nuclear plants.
Policy experts question the 15-year timetable for eliminating emissions from the electrical system, which would indeed be an immense challenge. About a quarter of all U.S. emissions today come from electricity production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Even California, which launched an all-out push to decarbonize its grid in 2002, set 2045 as its goal. The state also has some of the nation¡¯s highest electricity prices, although renewables are only one reason why. Sweden and Austria both set all-renewables goals to be met within the next 20 years, but they¡¯re also both small and have grids that are already plenty green.
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