AWEA releases vision for clean energy transformation plan

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) released a report to serve as a guide for the incoming Biden administration for a clean energy future.

AWEA’s Vision for Driving a Clean Energy Transformation Plan outlines four pillars that the federal government can install to achieve long-term clean energy and carbon goals.

“America begins this new decade with the chance to shape an affordable, thriving energy future defined by clean electricity. Our country’s leaders must now move forward with bold, sensible policies to create that future or risk leaving hundreds of thousands of new jobs and hundreds of billions in investments behind. With this plan, the American renewable energy sector stands ready to help revitalize the U.S. economy and forge a more prosperous future for local communities across the country,” AWEA CEO Tom Kiernan said.

The first of the four pillars is to create clean energy targets/carbon policies to drive renewable energy to meet climate and economic-expansion targets. The second pillar is to expand interstate transmission to deliver renewables to consumers at the least cost. The third is to expedite federal permitting of renewables to ensure development can keep pace with clean energy goals. The fourth pillar is to remove competitive barriers for renewable energy to reduce the costs of decarbonization.

AWEA said enacting meaningful clean energy targets and carbon policies is critically important for driving renewable energy deployment. But the three other pillars are just as critical for enabling the build-out of renewable energy to meet the decarbonization goal in the electric sector. The report stated that a holistic approach to ensuring transmission, permitting, market, and other policy reforms is required. This calls for investments in the nation’s grid and improving permitting timelines for renewable energy sources and transmission so America can meet its clean energy goals.