POLICIES

federal investment | research & development | public private partnership

Continued innovation will not only develop the next generation of technologies needed to rapidly reduce, capture, and store greenhouse gas emissions but also continue to grow a clean energy economy that already supports 3 million clean energy jobs. Federal investment in research and development can bring new technologies to the market in greater numbers and allow America to lead the world in emissions reductions.

Issue Brief: Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage

Issue Brief: Long Duration Energy Storage: the key to making the most of zero-carbon electricity

Issue Brief: Reducing Industrial Emissions

streamlining regulations | reducing cost | permitting reform | infrastructure

Deployment of new technologies and infrastructure is critical to continued reduction of greenhouse gas emissions which have declined in large part due to reduced cost of natural gas and increasingly lower cost development of renewable resources. Renewable generation sources were responsible for 20 percent of power generated in 2020, up from 10 percent in 2010. Building upon this success requires a reduction in the barriers to access resources, build energy infrastructure and deploy new clean energy technologies. Eliminating unnecessary regulations and reducing costs while maintaining environmental integrity will ensure the best possible technologies come more readily to market.

Issue Brief: Clean Energy Solutions Must Include Nuclear

Issue Brief: Hydropower

Issue Brief: Energy Storage

voluntary disclosure | carbon offsets | carbon accounting | life-cycle emissions | market growth | consumer awareness | global trade

Voluntary carbon accounting and disclosure programs serve to benchmark emissions and reductions over time. You cannot manage what you do not measure. Creating reliable metrics and measurements allow for better-informed voluntary markets to develop that will lead to smart investments and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Our Writing: A Voluntary Federal Framework

critical minerals | mining | agriculture | forests

Natural resource management provides the opportunity to sequester greenhouse gases as well as produce materials critical to the adoption of clean energy technology. Natural solutions that leverage existing farm and forest resources can make the most of managed land by sequestering carbon dioxide, and often cut carbon at a comparatively lower cost than is possible in other sectors of the economy. Natural resources that are domestically produced, including critical minerals, provide national, economic and energy security as deployment of technology such as batteries, electric vehicles and solar panels continues to grow. Responsible domestic extraction can lay the groundwork for future energy innovation, create new jobs, and reduced reliance on foreign resources.

Emissions from the electric power sector are down more than 15 percent from 2005 levels—and have been the primary force driving down U.S. emissions economy wide. While the electric power sector is still the source of 25 percent of domestic GHG emissions, further near-term reductions are possible from increased efficiency and technology advancements, and further cost reductions in clean energy generation. However, major challenges exist for maintaining our nuclear fleet, which is 20 percent of total power but 40 percent of zero emissions generation as well as the challenges associated with bringing online the next generation of advanced nuclear generation, CCUS, as well as additional energy storage, and transmission.

The transportation sector has been the largest sector contributing to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions since 2016 and has grown to 29 percent of domestic emissions. Opportunities to reduce emissions from transportation will include a focus not just on passenger vehicles, but light- and heavy-duty trucks, shipping, and aviation. To that end, a greater focus on reducing the lifecycle emissions associated with liquid fossil fuels is needed, along with developing new liquid fuels like hydrogen, and electrification.

Emissions from the industrial sector are difficult to abate due to the high energy requirements and high capital investment costs needed to make processes more efficient. However, while the sector is responsible for 23 percent of domestic emissions, the U.S. has a “carbon advantage” compared to many other countries. For example, from a lifecycle emissions standpoint, products manufactured in the U.S. have a 40 percent lower emissions profile than the global average. Utilizing that performance advantage in the global market through trade initiatives will enhance US competitiveness as well as provide free market incentives for further emissions reductions at home and abroad. In addition, heavy industrials present an opportunity for substantial emissions reductions by focusing technological innovation within a few production processes that result in intense pollution.

American farmers not only feed the world but are vital players in tackling climate change. While the agriculture sector is the source of 10 percent of GHG emissions, the sector’s emissions contribution has been relatively level despite increasing yields. When U.S. products displace those of less efficient growers, global emissions go down. Additional opportunities are numerous for capturing or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions, sequestering carbon through land management, or restoring ecosystems. Indeed, healthy ecosystems—or natural climate solutions—help reduce overall US GHG emissions by 13 percent.