The newly elect US President Joe Biden has set a target of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 to mitigate climate change, protect human health, and revitalise the economy.
Verdict has conducted a poll to assess if Biden will be able to meet the decarbonisation targets for the US power sector.
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While 36% of the respondents opined that Biden will not be able to meet the decarbonisation targets for the US power sector, 35% believe Biden will be able to meet them.
The remaining 29% of the respondents were not aware if Biden will be able to meet the decarbonisation targets.
The analysis is based on 239 responses received from the readers of Power Technology, a Verdict network site, between 18 November 2020 and 17 March 2021.
Biden administration’s decarbonisation targets for the US
Joe Biden’s administration aims to invest $1.7tn in clean energy and jobs in its effort to reach the decarbonisation targets set for 2050. The president is targeting emission-free electricity generation by 2035, which will catapult decarbonisation plans for multiple utilities and a 100% clean energy economy.
Decarbonising the power sector, however, will require several measures to be implemented, including continued replacement of high-emission sources such as coal plants with low-emission sources, and enhancing grid flexibility and storage solutions, according to Biden’s administration. Further, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) solutions on remaining fossil fuel-based energy generation sources will need to be implemented.
The government’s initiative will focus on economical and game-changing technologies to support its 100% clean energy target. Grid-scale storage, modular nuclear reactors, zero net energy buildings, and carbon capture solutions are some of the ways in which the clean energy target is planned to be achieved.
