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(Central News Agency, New York, NY, 8 August)

The U.S. President Joe Biden's administration today announced its latest climate change policy, which plans to achieve the goal of solar power accounting for nearly half of the nation's electricity supply by 2050.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a report stating that solar energy will account for 40 percent of the nation's electricity supply by 2035 and 45 percent by 2050, while solar energy currently accounts for only 3 percent of U.S. electricity supply.

But to reach that level, the DOE said in a statement, annual U.S. solar capacity would need to be expanded by an additional four times.

The DOE added that this vision for the future also depends on massive public investment in power grids and a change in policy to reduce the use of carbon energy. These grids were originally built to generate electricity from coal and natural gas.

The report comes as Biden urges aggressive action on climate change and renewable energy, and as Congress debates major proposals to improve America's infrastructure amid worsening tropical storms and forest fires.

The White House announced only last month that half of all new cars sold in the U.S. must meet the zero-carbon emissions target by 2030. This is another bold goal that must rely on public policy, private sector investment and consumer preferences to make it possible.

The DOE report estimates that the expansion will cost an additional $562 billion by 2050, but does not set a target for the share of public investment.

Analysts describe the investment as cost-effective, ultimately saving about $1.7 trillion through "climate change avoidance and air quality improvements.

The $1.2 trillion infrastructure package proposed by both Democrats and Republicans focuses on building roads and bridges, while Biden's Democrats' $3.5 trillion proposal to strengthen the social safety net faces more challenges and is expected to draw unanimous opposition from congressional Republicans.

(Translated by: Ji Jinling / Verified by: Liu Wenyu) 1100909

Source: Newtalk | Central News Agency https://newtalk.tw/news/view/2021-09-09/633807

Release Date: 2021-09-09 Photo Credit: Dreamstime