Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improving Air Quality
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United States. Research funding to help aid this goal has been provided
in many countries, and this has resulted in significant progress in reducing the cost of wind and solar power generation. Other research has also
contributed to progress to reduce emissions associated with coal- fired
power plants.
In the United States, 29 states have established renewable portfolio
standards, in which a requirement is established for a percentage of electricity to be generated through renewable processes (Rountree, 2019). These
standards are considered to be the most important policy actions by states
to advance the generation of electricity from solar and wind energy and
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These policies have helped to create
markets for wind- and solar- generated electricity and to develop employment opportunities as well. As a result of advances in renewable technologies, prices for electricity are lower compared to where they would be
without these developments (Rountree, 2019).
Because of research and development progress, wind and solar energy
have become much more competitive for generating electricity, and global
progress is being made in adding new generating capacity. In fact, some of
these incentives to add new solar and wind generating capacity are being
reduced in the United States, China, and other countries because the economics are changing as new developments are implemented.
Relaxing or removing these incentivizing policies is economically feasible
at this stage, but that does not mean that such changes are wise. We must
continue to encourage electricity generation from renewable energy sources
for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the goal to improve air
quality. For example, the transition to electric vehicles has begun in many
respects, but it can have a greater impact on improving air quality if the electricity that electric vehicles use is generated from renewable energy. Policy
developments to replace combustion of coal and natural gas with zero- carbon
energy generation sources continue to have value with respect to reducing
emissions.
More important and needed changes in policies are those that address
the secondary consequences of the transition to wind and solar energy. The
advances in adding wind- and solar- generated electricity to the grid have
resulted in a need to transition to a smart grid and manage that grid differently. There are changes in policy to address these new sources of power with
incentives to install new smart grid technology and encourage its use. New
rate structures have also been introduced and communication with users is
being improved as part of this new infrastructure.
The developments in solar energy technology and affordability have also
resulted in many individuals installing solar panels on their homes to generate electricity for their own use (Geng et al., 2017). Because of variations
in supply and demand, sometimes the resident is using electricity from the
solar panels only, sometimes the resident is using a mix of solar power and
power from the grid, and sometimes excess electricity can flow from the
94
94
United States. Research funding to help aid this goal has been provided
in many countries, and this has resulted in significant progress in reducing the cost of wind and solar power generation. Other research has also
contributed to progress to reduce emissions associated with coal- fired
power plants.
In the United States, 29 states have established renewable portfolio
standards, in which a requirement is established for a percentage of electricity to be generated through renewable processes (Rountree, 2019). These
standards are considered to be the most important policy actions by states
to advance the generation of electricity from solar and wind energy and
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These policies have helped to create
markets for wind- and solar- generated electricity and to develop employment opportunities as well. As a result of advances in renewable technologies, prices for electricity are lower compared to where they would be
without these developments (Rountree, 2019).
Because of research and development progress, wind and solar energy
have become much more competitive for generating electricity, and global
progress is being made in adding new generating capacity. In fact, some of
these incentives to add new solar and wind generating capacity are being
reduced in the United States, China, and other countries because the economics are changing as new developments are implemented.
Relaxing or removing these incentivizing policies is economically feasible
at this stage, but that does not mean that such changes are wise. We must
continue to encourage electricity generation from renewable energy sources
for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the goal to improve air
quality. For example, the transition to electric vehicles has begun in many
respects, but it can have a greater impact on improving air quality if the electricity that electric vehicles use is generated from renewable energy. Policy
developments to replace combustion of coal and natural gas with zero- carbon
energy generation sources continue to have value with respect to reducing
emissions.
More important and needed changes in policies are those that address
the secondary consequences of the transition to wind and solar energy. The
advances in adding wind- and solar- generated electricity to the grid have
resulted in a need to transition to a smart grid and manage that grid differently. There are changes in policy to address these new sources of power with
incentives to install new smart grid technology and encourage its use. New
rate structures have also been introduced and communication with users is
being improved as part of this new infrastructure.
The developments in solar energy technology and affordability have also
resulted in many individuals installing solar panels on their homes to generate electricity for their own use (Geng et al., 2017). Because of variations
in supply and demand, sometimes the resident is using electricity from the
solar panels only, sometimes the resident is using a mix of solar power and
power from the grid, and sometimes excess electricity can flow from the