A new report finds that by constructing new solar farms every week in the next three decades, the US will be able to cut carbon emissions down to zero by mid-century, along with vastly more renewable energy infrastructures and developing all possible low carbon technologies.
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What is Happening?
- It’s entirely possible for the US to reach net zero carbon emission by 2050 with drastic and large-scale infrastructure reforms, according to a new report by Australian engineering company, Worley.
- One of the most effective strategies that the US can undertake is to build new 800 megawatt solar farms every week continuously in the next 30 years, in order to reach 100% reliance on renewable energy.
- The report is based on the net-zero carbon modelling by a research team from Princeton University.
- Despite renewable energy capacity already growing at a record pace in 2020, which includes wind and solar power, the country would still need to rely heavily on nuclear power and carbon capture and storage at its current rate of growth.
- “Ambition, targets, agreements and technology development are all necessary, but alone they are not enough to achieve our mid-century targets,” said Worley CEO Chris Ashton in the report.
- To cut carbon emission down to zero by 2050, the US would need to ramp up construction by quadrupling its current rate of development and growth in the renewable energy sector. This includes at least doubling transmission grid capacity, electrifying most vehicle and heating systems, and developing all possible low carbon technology options
- The report provided suggestions on how we can transform clean energy development, one of which is to standardise large-scale energy projects, from the designing to the financing process. This could streamline each construction project, and save time and effort.
- New technologies will need to be well in the planning stages by 2030 to meet the demands of a decarbonised grid, otherwise all past efforts would lose their momentum.
“Ambition, targets, agreements and technology development are all necessary, but alone they are not enough to achieve our mid-century targets,” said Ashton. “The urgent imperative is for governments and industry to shift focus to the practical challenge of delivering a previously unimagined pace and scale of infrastructure development and engineered solutions“the urgent imperative is for governments and industry to shift focus to the practical challenge of delivering a previously unimagined pace and scale of infrastructure development and engineered solutions.”
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