Biden announces $2tn climate plan

Presumptive Democratic US presidential nominee Joe Biden has announced his plans to spend $2tn over four years to increase clean energy and rebuild infrastructure to set the US on ‘an irreversible path’ to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The plan, which will form a crucial part of Biden’s Build Back Better economic recovery proposal, came to fruition following weeks of discussions with a ‘climate unity’ taskforce – consisting of supporters of former Democratic primary rival Bernie Sanders such as Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.  

Biden’s plan includes proposals to achieve a net zero power sector by 2035. It also pledges to upgrade or ‘weatherise’ 6mn buildings and construct 1.5mn sustainable homes; provide cities with zero emissions public transport infrastructure; and make public investments in infrastructure projects such as installing 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations.

In doing so, the proposal aims to create 1mn new auto industry jobs, 250,000 plugging abandoned oil and gas wells and reclaiming abandoned coal and uranium mines, and millions more improving America’s infrastructure.

Biden’s plan mentions ‘technology-neutral standards for clean energy and energy efficiency’, meaning that hydropower, nuclear and biomass would be used alongside wind and solar power. Around 62% of electricity came from either coal or natural gas and 38% from either renewable or nuclear renewable sources in 2019, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

The inclusion of non-renewable clean energy sources is likely to be necessary. A recent study from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley asserted that the US could run on 90% clean electricity by 2035 due to declines in the costs of renewables, but noted that hydropower and nuclear would provide 20% of that clean generation.

‘A great appeal of the Biden proposal is that it is much closer to targeting carbon directly, which is the ultimate enemy, and plays fewer favourites with particular technologies,’ said Michael Greenstone, Director of the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute.

Environmental justice will also be a key consideration for the plan and when deciding where, how and with whom projects are undertaken. Biden has committed to invest 40% of the clean energy spending within historically disadvantaged communities.

Announcing the plan, Biden said: ‘These aren't pie in the sky dreams. These are actionable policies that we can get to work on right away.’ He continued: ‘We can live up to our responsibilities, meet the challenges of a world at risk of a climate catastrophe, build more climate-resilient communities, put millions of skilled workers on the job, and make life markedly better and safer for the American people all at once and benefit the world in the process.’