A Roadmap for a Secure, Low-Carbon Energy Economy

This briefing, produced by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the World Resources Institute (WRI), outlines a three-part framework to simultaneously address energy security and climate change in the United States. It argues that the current energy system is unsustainable due to volatile prices, geopolitical tensions, and rising environmental costs, and proposes a balanced package of policy recommendations to transition to a secure, low-carbon economy over several decades.

• The document proposes a three-part framework for the transition to a secure, low-carbon economy, recommending that the administration and Congress establish a long-term vision, integrate energy security and climate priorities into all domestic and international policymaking, and update policies and incentives to promote secure, low-carbon technologies.
• To achieve its goals, the roadmap suggests several specific policy actions: establishing a carbon price across the U.S. economy, making public financial commitments for infrastructure and clean-energy jobs, reforming incentives for low-carbon technologies, and investing in transportation infrastructure and land-use planning.
• The framework emphasizes managing the transition by balancing short-term energy demands with long-term climate goals. This includes supporting domestic conventional oil production during the transition, developing a natural gas strategy for short-term demand, and reducing emissions from coal and biofuels while increasing the security of nuclear power and renewables.
• The authors argue that the current energy system is unsustainable, characterized by volatile prices, tight supplies, and geopolitical security threats, alongside rising costs from climate change such as water scarcity and sea-level rise.
• The recommendations are intended to be implemented as a comprehensive package rather than as individual, politically palatable choices, as a balanced approach is seen as essential for the United States to meet both energy security and climate goals over the coming decades.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). A Roadmap for a Secure, Low-Carbon Energy Economy. https://www.wri.org/research/roadmap-secure-low-carbon-energy-economy

Chicago

World Resources Institute. A Roadmap for a Secure, Low-Carbon Energy Economy. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/roadmap-secure-low-carbon-energy-economy.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=A Roadmap for a Secure, Low-Carbon Energy Economy |url=https://www.wri.org/research/roadmap-secure-low-carbon-energy-economy |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendroadmap, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{A Roadmap for a Secure, Low-Carbon Energy Economy}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/roadmap-secure-low-carbon-energy-economy}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }