A NATIONAL CLEAN ELECTRICITY STANDARD TO BENEFIT ALL AMERICANS

The report advocates for a U.S. federal Clean Electricity Standard (CES) targeting 80% clean power by 2030. It asserts that such a target is technologically feasible, affordable, and reliable, while providing significant co-benefits. Key arguments include the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs, the avoidance of over $1.7 trillion in health costs through reduced air pollution, and the establishment of a foundation for 100% clean power by 2035. The document highlights that achieving this goal requires rapid infrastructure build-out, specifically approximately 95 GW of wind and solar annually, and emphasizes the need for federal policy to reduce siting and interconnection barriers.

• An 80 percent by 2030 CES would generate substantial economic investment and employment, potentially creating a net increase of 500,000 to 1 million jobs in the 2020s. Specifically, it is estimated to drive $1.5 trillion in clean energy capital investments and $100 billion in transmission capital investments between 2021 and 2030.
• The transition to an 80 percent clean electricity system by 2030 would significantly improve public health by reducing air pollution, potentially avoiding 93,000 premature deaths and $1.7 trillion in health and environmental costs through 2050.
• Achieving an 80 percent CES by 2030 is a critical step toward the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. This target would reduce power and transport sector CO2 emissions by 84 percent and 33 percent, respectively, from 2005 levels by 2030.
• A clean grid at 80 percent by 2030 is deemed reliable and capable of meeting demand every hour of the year, provided it retains existing hydropower, nuclear, and much of the existing natural gas capacity alongside new battery storage.
• The cost of generating and delivering electricity under an 80 percent CES in 2030 is projected to be nearly the same as current costs, with wholesale electricity costs potentially being 2 percent cheaper than 2020 levels.
• Implementing an 80 percent CES by 2030 is technically feasible but requires an unprecedented infrastructure build-out, including the installation of approximately 95 GW of wind and solar annually for ten years.
• While 80-90 percent clean electricity is achievable with proven technologies, reaching 100 percent by 2035 will require innovation in nascent technologies such as green hydrogen, carbon capture, and direct air capture.

APA

O’BOYLE, M., BALDWIN, S., SPENGEMAN, S., MCNAIR, T., PHADKE, A., ABHYANKAR, N., & PALIWAL, U. (2021). A NATIONAL CLEAN ELECTRICITY STANDARD TO BENEFIT ALL AMERICANS. Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/A-National-Clean-Electricity-Standard-to-Benefit-All-Americans.pdf

Chicago

O’BOYLE, MIKE, SARA BALDWIN, SARAH SPENGEMAN, TAYLOR MCNAIR, AMOL PHADKE, NIKIT ABHYANKAR, and UMED PALIWAL. A NATIONAL CLEAN ELECTRICITY STANDARD TO BENEFIT ALL AMERICANS. Energy Innovation, 2021. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/A-National-Clean-Electricity-Standard-to-Benefit-All-Americans.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{oboyle2021national, author = {O’BOYLE, MIKE and BALDWIN, SARA and SPENGEMAN, SARAH and MCNAIR, TAYLOR and PHADKE, AMOL and ABHYANKAR, NIKIT and PALIWAL, UMED}, title = {{A NATIONAL CLEAN ELECTRICITY STANDARD TO BENEFIT ALL AMERICANS}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/A-National-Clean-Electricity-Standard-to-Benefit-All-Americans.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }