all of the above energy strategy

We understand that a comprehensive combination of various energy sources will be necessary to transition to a decarbonized energy grid, as different energy sources provide different benefits and challenges.

Natural gas: Due to the shale gas revolution, which produces half the emissions of coal, America has led the world in emissions reductions, 13% since 2005 overall, which is as much as the next 12 countries combined, and 28% in power sector emissions. Nevertheless, natural gas should only represent a transitional fossil fuel phase, as we move further towards clean energy sources such as renewables and nuclear.

Nuclear: No climate change platform is serious if it doesn’t include nuclear energy, which currently contributes 20% of America’s energy production, and 60% of all its carbon-free energy. Nuclear is safe, reliable, cheap, and most importantly, clean.Renewables: in recent years, renewable energies such as wind and solar power have really taken off, expanding in scale and decreasing in cost. They are zero-carbon forms of energy, and infinitely renewable as long as the sun shines, and the wind blows. Depending on the topological and meteorological conditions, renewable sources will increasingly displace fossil fuels as a clean alternative. Increasingly, this will also be a source of economic growth, as 3.3 million Americans already work in the clean energy sector.

Biomass: Biomass is the transformation of organic material such as plants and trees into fuel. This is most effective when used to dispose of organic material that would otherwise go to waste in landfills, but must be carefully managed to avoid unsustainable deforestation.

Geothermal: America is blessed with large sources of geothermal energy, although it only accounts for 0.4% of energy production now. Given it is renewable, clean, and reliable, we should expand our use of geothermal energy. New drilling and mineral extraction technology, referred to as Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), can scale up our use. Studies suggest that, with reduced regulations, permitting streamlining, and innovation, the sector could grow 26-fold by 2050 - representing a significant boon in the fight to reduce emissions.

Hydro: Hydropower, which is the extraction of clean energy from the flow of water (often via dams or rivers), currently generates 6% of electricity in the U.S. The Dept. of Energy calculates an additional capacity factor of 50% by 2050, which we fully support as an economically-viable, clean energy source.

This is not an exhaustive list of energy sources, but considers the benefits and challenges of some of the major ones. Additionally, we are excited about developments in emerging technologies such as tidal power, hydrogen, and others.