The US plan for tackling climate change, as announced by President Obama this week, highlights several energy efficiency targets to reduce carbon by at least three billion metric tons by 2030.
The strategy includes the Environmental Protection Agency establishing carbon pollution standards for new and existing power plants; it also makes up to US$8 billion in loan guarantee authority available for an array of advanced fossil energy and efficiency projects to support investments in innovative technologies.
For renewable energy projects, the Department of the Interior is to permit sufficient renewable energy projects to be built on public lands by 2020 to power more than six million homes and has set a goal to install 100 MW of renewables tied to federally assisted housing by 2020; this is in addition to maintaining the commitment to deploy renewables on military installations. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association more than 8 500 MW of solar power is already installed across the country.
The address received mixed responses, former Vice President Al Gore called it the best address on climate ever made by a president.
In a statement, the American Sustainable Business Council said: “We believe the president’s plan, with its focus on efficiency standards for homes and appliances, greater renewable energy development on public lands and regulating carbon pollution, will build a more resilient and market-based transition to a clean energy economy. This in turn will boost investment and create jobs. Addressing climate change now will create new economic opportunities and will allow the U.S. to remain competitive. It’s an investment worth making.”
While Rhone Resch, President of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said: “America’s solar energy industry stands ready to do our part to help fight climate change and usher in a new era of clean energy in America and around the world.”
Critics said job losses in the coal industry suggest Obama does not care about workers, but the solar industry responded by suggesting the growing renewable industry could compensate for these losses. Mr. Resch said 12 000 workers are employed in the US solar industry at more than 5 600 companies.
