How Infrastructure Provides the Path to Clean Energy in the US
By Jen Hughes
In the wake of the 1.9 trillion dollar COVID-19 economic relief package, Americans and Congress alike are now faced with the question of what comes next. Pundits, journalists, and politicians have suggested that with immediate COVID relief now in the rearview, the Biden administration aims to turn toward addressing the out-dated and increasingly dangerous infrastructure problems facing the nation. All that is to say, a massive infrastructure bill is coming to Congress soon and with it, the chance for meaningful climate legislation.
Joe Biden ran his campaign in part on his signature Build Back Better plan which outlines upwards of 2 trillion dollars in spending on improving American infrastructure. A significant portion of this spending aims to address the ever growing climate crisis facing the nation. The plan is sweeping in scope and addresses all manner of climate policy. Stand out aspects of the bill include the conversion of government vehicle fleets to utilize electric vehicles, expansion of subsidies for R&D into battery technologies, and the establishment of rigorous federal Energy Efficiency and Clean Electricity Standard (EECES) for utilities and grid operators which would prioritize clean energy sources in our electric grids.
Critics of Biden’s plan have argued that an infrastructure bill is not the place to address climate policy. While many of the most salient infrastructure issues facing the US today from water supply issues to our crumbling transportation systems illicit bipartisan support, climate policies have historically been more controversial. However, in the process of examining the problems and potential solutions relating to US infrastructure, it becomes clear that infrastructure is intrinsically linked with climate change.
In one way or another, climate change threatens all aspects of US infrastructure. Climate change has already increased, and will continue to increase, the amount and intensity of severe weather events that occur. With each of these events, US infrastructure is tested and worn down. For example, in just one event, Hurricane Sandy in 2012 is estimated to have caused $70 billion in damages to US infrastructure. An increase in these types of events due to climate change would be catastrophic to the country’s infrastructure and extremely costly. Additionally, increasing temperatures are known to decrease the efficiency of our energy grid, placing more stress on grid infrastructure and leading to mass blackouts due to increased energy demand. These issues demand progressive solutions not only aimed at meeting the challenges of climate change, but also aimed at limiting further climate challenges in the future. As such, there is a strong case to be made for funding US climate policy through an infrastructure package.
The most evident intersection between climate change and US infrastructure is through the US’s aging electric grid. In the wake of recent disasters in Texas, many are calling for federal regulation and investment in the nation's electric grids. Any meaningful infrastructure bill would
include funding for improvements to the power grid as this is a key pillar of our nation's infrastructure. With the introduction of this bill on the horizon, there is an opportunity to invest in modernizing the US energy grid to include more clean energy sources. The dangers of continued reliance on fossil fuels such as coal to power our electric grids are well established and widely known. Not only are the fuel sources quickly being depleted, they also contribute substantially to US greenhouse gas emissions. As discussed above, this would have catastrophic impacts on US infrastructure. In order to provide meaningful solutions to these crises, new investments must prioritize clean energy sources such as wind and solar. These advancements will be most effective when coupled with the proposed subsidies for research into battery technology which may help alleviate the duck curve problem that has arisen with increased reliance on clean energy sources.
While the direct connection between infrastructure and clean energy through the electrical grid is evident, the indirect impact of climate change on our nation's infrastructure provides an even stronger case for the inclusion of climate legislation within an infrastructure bill. Promotion and investment in renewable energy is just one aspect of climate policy that must be addressed in the coming bill. Climate change has resulted in tangible consequences for the nation’s existing infrastructure and will continue to threaten it going forward. In order to protect and preserve infrastructure in the future, we must address the climate crisis at the same time. President Biden’s Build Back Better proposal makes significant strides in this area and demonstrates that green policies are not only beneficial to our nation's infrastructure but essential to it.
Sources:
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Confronting the duck curve: How to address over-generation of solar energy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/confronting-duck-curve-how-address-over-generation-solar -energy.
Erica Werner, J. (2021, February 25). Mostly United OVER covid Relief, democrats FACE divisions Over biden's massive second economic plan. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/02/17/democrats-biden-recovery-package.
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