Green New Deal

The first debate, featuring the two front-runners for the Democratic nomination, showed clear and growing divisions within the Democratic Party on climate policy as much as everything else.

The ambitious climate, jobs and social program has encountered strong resistance from some national unions, and not only those connected to professions linked to traditional power industries.

U.S. Presidential candidate Joe Biden has released his climate plan, which focuses on tax cut reversals and executive action to kickstart 100% clean energy and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The Solar Energy Industries Association’s “ambitious goal” of solar supplying 20% of U.S. electricity in 2030 looks more like a forecast, and vision for rapid decarbonization is coming from the climate movement and the American Left, not SEIA.

With the passage of the Energy Transition Act in both houses of New Mexico’s legislature, the state is poised to join California and Hawaii in setting a mandate to fully decarbonize its electricity system by 2045.

While U.S. senators Ed Markey and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduce a resolution for a clean energy package, legislation has been tabled in six states aiming to implement 80-100% clean energy by 2050 or earlier.

The California senator has joined former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg among the latest high-profile backers of a climate-jobs-infrastructure-social safety net concept, of which 100% renewable energy may be the least ambitious component.