US needs a profound change in energy mix to get to net-zero
The reduction in carbon emissions in the US are due to the displacement of coal; even removing coal entirely will not see it reach net-zero by 2050
21 April 2021 - 17:10
If US policymakers want to reduce energy-related emissions faster and deeper to achieve the Biden administration’s stated objective of net-zero by 2050, they will need much more profound changes than have occurred so far in the energy system.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, annual energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the US had already fallen 14% from their peak in 2007. But most of the reduction had come from the replacement of coal by gas and, to a lesser extent, wind and solar in electricity generation; there had been few meaningful reductions in other parts of the energy system...
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