For centuries, we’ve relied on fossil fuels to power our society: an energy source that pollutes our air, poisons our water, and is now destabilizing climate patterns across the globe. On top of that, extracting fossil fuels from the earth is costly, time consuming, and toxic to the surrounding area.
But it doesn’t have to be that way! We have the technology to reshape our world to rely on clean, renewable energy, generated by sun shining and the wind blowing. All we lack is the political will, and an infusion of funding.
Welcome to the vision of a Green New Deal for Power & Energy.
Imagine a world where the energy that powers our homes, our vehicles, our entire lives, is harnessed from the boundless forces of nature — sun, the wind, the deep heat of the earth, and the ceaseless movement of the tides. Solar panels capturing the sun's rays, wind turbines spinning with the breeze, geothermal plants utilizing the Earth's internal heat, and tidal power stations harnessing the kinetic energy of the ocean. Now, as we face the existential threat of climate change, this world is more necessary than ever. And it's within our grasp.
Today, the renewable energy industry is booming, revolutionizing how we produce and consume energy, with solar and wind leading the charge. In the last decade, renewable energy has gotten even cheaper, with the cost of solar power plummeting by 90%, making it the cheapest energy source.
And with this boom has come jobs, hundreds of thousands of them, from manufacturing solar panels and wind turbines to installing and maintaining these systems.
Imagine a future where our cities and towns are powered by clean, green energy. A future where we don't have to worry about polluting our air or destabilizing our climate every time we switch on a light. That's the future a Green New Deal aims to create.
For centuries, we've relied on fossil fuels to power our lives. From coal to oil to natural gas, these resources have been the backbone of our energy system, propelling our industries, lighting up our homes, and fueling our cars. But they've also left a heavy toll: polluted air, contaminated water, health issues, and a rapidly warming planet. The fossil fuel era must end, and the time is now.
That means no new fossil fuel leases issued, and existing ones phased out as our renewable energy sources come online. A renewable electrical grid would dramatically reduce our carbon emissions, helping us combat climate change. The fossil fuel industry is the largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. By transitioning to renewables, we could cut a significant portion of these emissions, making substantial progress in our fight against global warming.
Ending our reliance on fossil fuels would improve public health. Fossil fuel combustion releases harmful pollutants into the air, leading to a range of health issues, from respiratory diseases to premature deaths. A transition to clean energy would mean cleaner air and healthier communities.
Phasing out fossil fuels would also make us more energy independent. Currently, many countries rely heavily on fossil fuel imports, making them vulnerable to price fluctuations and supply disruptions. By harnessing our renewable resources, we could produce our energy locally, enhancing our energy security and economic stability.
And of course, phasing out fossil fuels is necessary for averting the climate crisis.
The transition won't be easy, and it will require careful planning to ensure a just transition for workers and communities currently dependent on the fossil fuel industry, ensuring they aren’t left behind by the shifting economy. But with the right policies, investments, and collective will, we can make it happen.
Renewable energy also democratizes energy, freeing us from the tyranny of fossil fuel companies that have, for so long, dictated our energy policies and economics.
Take a moment to sit with the concept. It's a radical shift in the way we understand and engage with energy. The sun, the wind – these are not resources buried deep within the earth, reserved for those with the money and machinery to extract them. They are abundant, available, and accessible to all of us.
Unlike an oil well or the land on it, no one can own the sun or the wind. By installing solar panels on schools or wind turbines alongside crops, our communities can power their own lives and release excess power back into the grid, freeing entire communities from corporate utility companies, not to mention saving everyday families a lot of money on energy bills.
Welcome to the world of community energy.
This isn't just some utopian daydream. Communities across the country are already seeing the benefits of this energy revolution. Kodiak Island in Alaska, produces nearly 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, primarily wind and hydroelectric power, and the Kodiak Electric Association is owned and operated by the community with the purpose of serving its members, not maximizing profits for CEOs.
But community energy is about more than just the environment or economics. It's also about justice for the communities most impacted by fossil fuels and climate change. For decades, communities of color and poor communities have been used as the dumping grounds of the fossil fuel economy. These are the neighborhoods where power plants are built and waste is dumped. They bear the brunt of the pollution and the health impacts that come with it, while reaping little of the benefits.
A Green New Deal for Energy envisions a different world. One where we don't just transition away from fossil fuels, but where we also right the wrongs of the past.
This means ensuring that new renewable energy projects are sited in a way that benefits communities who have endured the worst of our reliance on fossil fuels. A progressive permitting policy, modernized grid, transmission upgrades, and swift deployment of renewables alongside workforce development, community input, and cutting edge technology can create an energy economy that is climate friendly, government supported, and community powered.
Because at the end of the day, it's not just about the energy we use, but who gets to control it. And in a just world, the answer to that question is simple: we all do.
A shift to renewables isn't just about changing how we generate energy, but also about how we distribute it. As we transition to cleaner energy sources, we need a modernized and reliable grid to support our needs.
We need to upgrade our electricity grid for improved energy efficiency, better storage capacity for excess power generated during peak production times and deploy it when needed, and smart grids smoothing out supply fluctuations inherent in renewables.
In the face of climate-enhanced natural disasters, we need to upgrade our grid’s resilience, with backups and failsafes that keep the heat and lights on in the face of extreme weather events.
Think back to February 2021, when the state of Texas experienced a catastrophic power loss during a polar vortex, leaving millions without electricity and heat in freezing temperatures. This disaster was a wake-up call highlighting the vulnerability of our existing grid and the need for comprehensive upgrades.
But how do we do this? The answer lies in a lesson from our past – The New Deal. In the 1930s, this historic initiative connected countless rural communities to electricity for the first time, fundamentally transforming lives and livelihoods.
Today, a Green New Deal can do the same but on an even greater scale, adapting our grid to handle not just the current demand but also the future's renewable energy production, and be more resilient, capable of withstanding extreme weather events and supplying continuous power without any hiccups.
This isn't just an infrastructure upgrade, it's a revolution to ensure reliable, sustainable energy for all. The climate crisis is a call to action for us to work together to make this vision a reality.