Clean Energy Blueprint

The Union of Concerned Scientists asserts that the United States can meet 20% of its electricity needs via renewables by 2020, saving consumers $440 billion and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by two-thirds compared to business-as-usual forecasts. The report suggests this approach would avoid the need for 975 new power plants and significantly decrease reliance on coal and natural gas.

• By 2020, the United States could meet at least 20 percent of its electricity requirements using renewable sources, including wind, biomass, geothermal, and solar energy.
• The proposed Clean Energy Blueprint could result in total consumer savings of $440 billion by 2020, with annual savings of $105 billion, or approximately $350 per typical family.
• Compared to business-as-usual forecasts by 2020, the Blueprint would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by two-thirds, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides by 55 percent, natural gas use by 31 percent, and coal use by nearly 60 percent.
• The strategy would eliminate the need for 975 new 300 MW power plants and allow for the retirement of 180 old 500 MW coal plants and 14 existing 1000 MW nuclear plants.
• Implementing a subset of policies from the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Investment Act of 2001 (S. 1333) would save consumers over $70 billion and cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by nearly one third over 20 years.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2001). Clean Energy Blueprint. https://www.ucs.org/resources/clean-energy-blueprint

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Clean Energy Blueprint. 2001. https://www.ucs.org/resources/clean-energy-blueprint.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Clean Energy Blueprint |date=1 October 2001 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/clean-energy-blueprint |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2001clean, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Clean Energy Blueprint}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2001}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/clean-energy-blueprint}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }