Evaluating the Energy Security Implications of a Carbon-Constrained U.S. Economy

The document evaluates eight 2035 energy scenarios for the U.S. under a 450 ppm CO2 constraint, analyzing eleven energy security factors. It concludes that while some insecurity is inevitable during the transition, the costs and risks of meeting greenhouse gas goals can be minimized through the sustained development and global deployment of advanced low-carbon technologies, provided that policymakers balance aggressive action with the stability of existing fuel systems.

• Transitioning to a low-carbon energy system will inevitably cause some level of energy insecurity, particularly in the short term, regardless of the specific technologies or fuels selected.
• Achieving greenhouse gas reduction goals is more expensive using current technologies than it would be with a high penetration of advanced low-carbon technologies; therefore, sustained financial and institutional support for these technologies is necessary to lower costs and improve long-term energy security.
• To minimize costs and energy security risks associated with climate goals, the United States should promote the deployment of advanced low-carbon technologies both domestically and globally.
• Policymakers must balance the need for significant investments in low-carbon infrastructure and public acceptance of higher energy prices against the risk of taking overly aggressive actions that could destabilize the current fuel system before alternatives are scalable.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Evaluating the Energy Security Implications of a Carbon-Constrained U.S. Economy. https://www.wri.org/research/evaluating-energy-security-implications-carbon-constrained-us-economy

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Evaluating the Energy Security Implications of a Carbon-Constrained U.S. Economy. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/evaluating-energy-security-implications-carbon-constrained-us-economy.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Evaluating the Energy Security Implications of a Carbon-Constrained U.S. Economy |url=https://www.wri.org/research/evaluating-energy-security-implications-carbon-constrained-us-economy |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendevaluating, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Evaluating the Energy Security Implications of a Carbon-Constrained U.S. Economy}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/evaluating-energy-security-implications-carbon-constrained-us-economy}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }