In outline.
The bill as introduced (link above) states the threats posed by Anthropogenic Global Warming and ocean acidification; the areas in which progress is being made, and in which much greater effort and investment are needed; and processes for determining how to proceed. Many other bills on particular measures will be needed, and all of this will have to be folded into the regular Congressional budget appropriations process.
that seeks to shift the U.S. completely to renewable energy in 10 years. What’s your opinion on this?
I think it is excellent. They should try it.
Mahatma Gandhi’s comment, when asked what he thought about Western Civilization
:þ
The following measures are not in the bill, but are in progress even without it.
- Eliminating fossil fuel subsidies would help considerably. Taxes on greenhouse gas emissions would help more.
- The US has shut down more than half of its coal-fired power plants. We can certainly finish that job in 10 years, given that the cost of coal for the remaining plants is more than the cost of installing new wind and solar to replace them.
- We can expect electric cars to take a significant share of the market in 10 years, but by no means all of it. Electric cars are already cheaper to own than gasoline or diesel engine cars, due to vastly reduced maintenance and repair costs, but do not yet have enough range for most users. That will be fixed in a few years.
- There will also be electric medium-haul trucks and pickup trucks in 2020. Electric short-haul trucks and buses have proved their worth.
- Electric assist for airplane takeoff and landing will reduce jet engine size and improve flight efficiency. Research on all-electric aircraft is in its infancy, but has been funded. There are possibilities for carbon-neutral fuels made from air, water, and energy, being researched by the US Navy for its aircraft carriers.
- Energy storage, particularly in large banks of batteries, is starting to replace a few natural gas powered peaker plants for load balancing, and is being added to solar thermal power plants for time shifting. Pumped hydro, molten salt storage, compressed air in large caves and mines, and large flywheels are among the other storage solutions that have been found viable in various circumstances.
- Better agricultural practices can sequester a great deal of carbon in soils, while making them healthier and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. These methods are starting to be taught in agricultural schools everywhere.
There are many other measures needed. The bill provides for a process of scientific and technological research and of consultation between Congress, the public, and subject matter specialists on the details of each segment of the solution. It does not specify funding for any particular projects.
It’s a start, after decades of legislative neglect, but vast progress in technologies and markets.
Some Further Thoughts Since I Wrote the Answer Above
We are well along in closing coal-fired power plants, at more than half. (Link below)
As soon as electric cars have enough range for the mass market, there will be a radical shift in the market. Existing electric cars cost less over their life spans than ICE gas-guzzlers, because maintenance and repair costs are vastly lower.
And look! Electric pickup trucks in 2020!
Grid-scale energy storage will smooth out the irregularities in solar and wind power generation, and allow us to time-shift supply to match demand. There is a variety of such technologies in use, but the mass utility market is waiting for batteries to get good enough to install everywhere. We are just coming to that tipping point, with large installations in favorable locations around the world.
Much more is needed in agriculture and various industrial processes. The Green New Deal means that this discussion is now firmly in the political mainstream.
Links
Obtaining Support for the Green New Deal and Single Payer from Patriarchal Conservatives.