Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions (2024) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 3-29
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This report's recommendations provide advice on filling policy gaps, overcoming implementation barriers, and establishing adaptive management strategies so that the United States can realize its net-zero emissions goal and all Americans can benefit from an equitable energy system. 3 A00026 -- Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States_Executive Summary.indd 3 3/29/24 7:29 PM
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A00026 -- Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States_Executive Summary.indd 4 3/29/24 7:29 PM
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, and in so doing prevent the most serious effects of accelerating climate change. The United States has the largest cumulative, and twelfth largest per capita, GHG emissions of any coun try, and the second largest annual emissions (after China)
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; public engagement; and learnings at scale after deployment. Over the same 11 years, electric vehicle (EV)
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CO2 emissions -- power generation and motor vehicles -- are switching from being fossil-fuel powered to non-emitting alternatives. Decarbonized electric power, together with ongoing improvements of heat pumps and generally improving energy efficiency, also unlock the potential for emissions-free buildings.
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It will also afford important co-benefits, such as reduced emissions of ambient air pollutants that cause illness and death; revitalized energy, building, and industrial sectors; increased resilience to environmental and social stressors; net increases in employment; and fair, equitable, and just treatment of both displaced fossil fuel workers and low-income and historically marginalized populations. This is the second report from a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee that was constituted in 2020 to address "societal, institutional, behavioral, and equity drivers and implications of deep decarbonization." (See the statement of task in Box 1-1 of Chapter 1.)
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economy; promote equity and inclusion; support communities, businesses, and workers; and maximize cost-effectiveness. The committee recognized that a strong social contract would be essential to main tain support for an energy transition covering 3 decades.
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Other executive orders and regulatory actions have targeted federal procurement power as a catalyst for developing a domestic clean energy economy, fuel economy and GHG standards for light- and medium-/heavy-duty vehicles, and emis sions standards for existing and new fossil-fueled power plants and industrial facilities. 10 A00026 -- Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States_Summary.indd 10 4/13/24 10:29 AM
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Also, given the first report's focus on federal action, the committee examined the contributions of states, localities, the private sector, and civil society to mitigating climate change. The committee identified five objectives of decarbonization policy -- GHG emission reductions,3 equity and fairness, health, employment, and public engagement -- and eight sectors -- electricity, buildings, land use, transportation, industry, finance, fossil fuels, and non-federal actors.
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For example, manufacturing standards for home heating appliances would ensure a transition to heat pumps even if the carbon tax proved unable to overcome consumer inertia. The narrow policy portfolio in the IRA, IIJA, and CHIPS -- exclusively tax incentives and other subsidies, with the exception of a fee for fugitive methane emissions -- lacks the backstops of a diverse portfolio and thus makes achieving its emissions reduction goals more uncertain.
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Overt or passive public resistance to the deployment of critical infrastructure could ma terialize in some locations or sectors. The climate and energy programs in the IRA and IIJA are scattered across the federal government, with no durable entity to gather data, monitor, and analyze them and periodically report on progress against GHG emissions, equity, justice, employment, health, and public engagement goals.
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Perhaps the single gravest environmental injustice in the U.S. energy system is that up to 355,000 deaths per year are caused by air pollution from fossil fuels combustion, which disproportionately occur in communities of color and low-income households.
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Chapter 7 also includes 10 technically achievable actions in buildings and the built environment that could eliminate up to 1 billion metric tons of today's CO2 emissions per yer, mostly by increasing energy efficiency and decreasing demand for energy services. Although several of the actions would face formidable political headwinds if proposed today as new federal policies, most could be implemented by states, mu nicipalities, and property owners.
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The financial sector directs the flow of capital and financial services to businesses and households throughout the United States and has increasingly focused on the risks and opportunities associated with the net-zero transition. Historically, some communities have not had equal access to these services, an inequality that the energy transition must address.
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However, addi tional investments will be required to address medium- to long-term challenges, such as developing new methods to make low-carbon products using green chemistry or engineering. Furthermore, the breadth of the energy transition requires an RD&D portfolio broader than DOE's domain, including for example land-use practices that store carbon while improving agricultural productivity, research on artificial meat and dairy food products, and ways to reduce food waste and shift toward more plant-based diets.
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• Land use • Health Adaptive Management on Decarbonization • Transportation • Employment Investments and Programs • Industry • Public engagement • Finance • Fossil fuels 1-3: Identify and Provide Congress and • Electricity • GHG reductions Rigorous and Transparent Resources for a Central single other agency • Buildings • Equity Analysis and Reporting for Entity to Provide Timely, (e.g., Energy Information • Land use • Health Adaptive Management Public-Facing Information Administration [EIA] , • Transportation • Employment on the Nation's Progress Global Change Research • Industry • Public engagement Toward Decarbonization Program, OMB)
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, state • Employment Ensuring Equity, Justice, legislatures • Public engagement Health, and Fairness of Impacts 19 Building the Needed Workforce and Capacity continued 4/13/24 10:29 AM
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• Finance Impacts • Fossil fuels • Non-federal actors A00026 -- Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States_Summary.indd 20 2-6: Evaluate the Equity Omnibus entity, WHEJAC • Electricity • Equity Rigorous and Transparent Impacts of the Just Energy • Buildings • Transparency Analysis and Reporting for Transition • Land use • Health Adaptive Management • Transportation • Employment Ensuring Equity, Justice, • Industry Health, and Fairness of • Finance Impacts • Fossil fuels • Non-federal actors 3-1: Phase Out Incentives Congress and U.S. • Land use • GHG reduction Ensuring Equity, Justice, for the Highest Department of Agriculture • Health Health, and Fairness of Greenhouse Gas Emitting (USDA)
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• Industry Research, Development, and • Fossil fuels Demonstration Needs 4-1: Support the Department of Education, • Electricity • Equity Building the Needed Development of Net- local governments, and • Buildings • Employment Workforce and Capacity Zero Curriculum and Skill school districts • Transportation • Public engagement Development Programs for • Industry K–12 Students • Non-federal actors 4-2: Invest in Congress • Electricity • Equity Ensuring Equity, Justice, Linking People from • Buildings • Employment Health, and Fairness of Disadvantaged • Transportation Impacts Communities to Quality • Industry Building the Needed Jobs • Non-federal actors Workforce and Capacity continued 21 4/13/24 10:29 AM
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Overarching Categories Short-Form for Implementing Sector(s) Addressed Addressed by Addressed by Recommendation Recommendation by Recommendation Recommendation Recommendation 4-3: Extend Congress • Transportation • Equity Ensuring Equity, Justice, Unemployment Insurance • Fossil fuels • Employment Health, and Fairness of Duration for Fossil Fuel– • Public engagement Impacts Related Layoffs and Building the Needed Develop Decarbonization Workforce and Capacity Workforce Adjustment Assistance Program 4-4: Collect and Report DOE • Electricity • Equity Building the Needed A00026 -- Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States_Summary.indd 22 Data on Net-Zero-Relevant • Buildings • Employment Workforce and Capacity Professions • Transportation • Industry • Non-federal actors 5-1: Encourage National Climate Task • Non-federal actors • Equity Ensuring Procedural Equity Prospective, Inclusive Force (NCTF)
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, and National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) 5-6: Mandate and Allocate Congress, DOE, NCTF • Electricity • Equity Ensuring Procedural Equity Resources for a National • Non-federal actors • Employment in Planning and Siting New Assessment on the Public • Public engagement Infrastructure and Programs Engagement Workforce Siting and Permitting Reforms and Gaps for Interstate Transmission Building the Needed Workforce and Capacity continued 23 4/13/24 10:29 AM
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Overarching Categories Short-Form for Implementing Sector(s) Addressed Addressed by Addressed by Recommendation Recommendation by Recommendation Recommendation Recommendation 5-7: Develop Collaborative Civil society leaders • Non-federal actors • Equity Ensuring Procedural Equity Regional Renewable and philanthropic • Public engagement in Planning and Siting New Energy Deployment Plans organizations Infrastructure and Programs Siting and Permitting Reforms for Interstate Transmission 5-8: Address the Priorities Congress and federal • Electricity • Equity A Broadened Policy Portfolio of Native American and program designers • Public engagement Ensuring Procedural Equity Environmental Justice A00026 -- Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States_Summary.indd 24 in Planning and Siting New Communities Infrastructure and Programs Ensuring Equity, Justice, Health, and Fairness of Impacts 5-9: Invest in and Integrate DOE, Department of • Non-federal actors • Equity Building the Needed Social Science Research Transportation (DOT)
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• Health Objectives A00026 -- Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States_Summary.indd 25 6-4: Provide Rate Options Decision makers on • Electricity • Equity Ensuring Equity, Justice, to Encourage Flexible utility rates (i.e., state • Non-federal actors Health, and Fairness of Demand While Ensuring utility regulators for Impacts Affordable Electricity jurisdictional investor Siting and Permitting Reforms owned utilities and boards for Interstate Transmission of cooperatives, municipal electric utilities, and other publicly owned utilities) 6-5: Support Equitable States, localities, and tribal • Electricity • GHG reductions Ensuring Equity, Justice, Deployment of Distributed governments • Non-federal actors • Equity Health, and Fairness of Energy Resources • Health Impacts • Public engagement Siting and Permitting Reforms for Interstate Transmission continued 25 4/13/24 10:29 AM
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A00026 -- Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States_Summary.indd 26 6-7: Invest in Research, Congress • Electricity • GHG reductions Research, Development, and Development, and • Equity Demonstration Needs Demonstration of On-Demand Electric Generating Technologies and Long-Duration Storage Technologies 7-1: Ensure Clarity and DOE • Buildings • GHG reductions Rigorous and Transparent Consistency for the • Equity Analysis and Reporting for Implementation of • Public engagement Adaptive Management Building Decarbonization Ensuring Procedural Equity Policies in Planning and Siting New Infrastructure and Programs Tightened Targets for the Buildings and Industrial Sectors and a Backstop for the Transport Sector 4/13/24 10:29 AM
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7-2: Promote an Equitable DOE • Buildings • GHG reductions Ensuring Procedural Equity Focus Across Building • Non-federal actors • Equity in Planning and Siting New Decarbonization Policies • Public engagement Infrastructure and Programs Tightened Targets for the Buildings and Industrial Sectors and a Backstop for the Transport Sector 7-3: Expand and Evaluate DOE • Buildings • GHG reductions Rigorous and Transparent the Weatherization • Equity Analysis and Reporting for Assistance Program • Health Adaptive Management Ensuring Procedural Equity A00026 -- Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States_Summary.indd 27 in Planning and Siting New Infrastructure and Programs Tightened Targets for the Buildings and Industrial Sectors and a Backstop for the Transport Sector 7-4: Coordinate State and municipal • Buildings • Equity Tightened Targets for the Subnational Government government offices • Non-federal actors • Employment Buildings and Industrial Agencies to Align Sectors and a Backstop for the Decarbonization Policies Transport Sector and Implementation Building the Needed Workforce and Capacity continued 27 4/13/24 10:29 AM
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Overarching Categories Short-Form for Implementing Sector(s) Addressed Addressed by Addressed by Recommendation Recommendation by Recommendation Recommendation Recommendation 7-5: Build Capacity for Congress • Buildings • GHG reductions A Broadened Policy Portfolio States and Municipalities • Non-federal actors • Equity Rigorous and Transparent to Adopt and Enforce • Health Analysis and Reporting for Increased Regulatory • Employment Adaptive Management Rigor for Buildings and Equipment Tightened Targets for the Buildings and Industrial Sectors and a Backstop for the Transport Sector A00026 -- Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States_Summary.indd 28 Building the Needed Workforce and Capacity 7-6: Increase Research, Congress • Buildings • Equity Siting and Permitting Reforms Development, • Non-federal actors • Health for Interstate Transmission Demonstration, and • Employment Research, Development, and Deployment for • Public engagement Demonstration Needs Built Environment Decarbonization Interventions 7-7: Extend Current Congress • Buildings • GHG reductions A Broadened Policy Portfolio Decarbonization Incentives • Equity Tightened Targets for the Beyond the Next Decade • Health Buildings and Industrial While Scaling Up Mandates • Employment Sectors and a Backstop for the Transport Sector 8-1: Convene an Expert Secretary of Agriculture • Land use • GHG reductions Rigorous and Transparent Group to Recommend Analysis and Reporting for Ways to Measure Adaptive Management Additional Forest Sinks 4/13/24 10:29 AM
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8-2: Prioritize Ecosystem- Secretary of Agriculture • Land use • GHG reductions A Broadened Policy Portfolio Level Carbon Storage 8-3: Establish a Permanent, USDA • Land use • GHG reductions Rigorous and Transparent National-Scale, High- Analysis and Reporting for Quality Soil Monitoring Adaptive Management Network 8-4: Build Out Long- USDA • Land use • GHG reductions Rigorous and Transparent Term Agricultural Field • Non-federal actors Analysis and Reporting for Experiments Adaptive Management Research, Development, and Demonstration Needs A00026 -- Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States_Summary.indd 29 8-5: Fund Research to USDA • Land use • GHG reductions Research, Development, and Quantify Indicators That • Equity Demonstration Needs Influence Adoption of • Public engagement Regenerative Agriculture Practices 8-6: Incentivize the USDA • Land use • GHG reductions A Broadened Policy Portfolio Abatement of CH4 and N2O • Equity Emissions and Improve Soil Carbon Sequestration 8-7: Release a DOE • Land use • GHG reductions Research, Development, and Comprehensive Demonstration Needs Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment Program for Biomass Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage 29 continued 4/13/24 10:29 AM
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