- In The News
- May 2024
E&E GreenWire: Democratic-led states sign on to White House power grid plan
May 28, 2024
E&E GreenWire reports on the new partnership between 21 states and the federal government.
“The White House and DOE initiative will prioritize technology that integrates smart software to help manage more renewable energy and energy storage. And the blue state initiative also focuses on what’s known as reconductoring, the process of restringing existing lines with higher-capacity cables.
‘President Biden has positioned America as a leader in the global race for a clean energy future, including by taking ambitious action to deliver a clean, reliable electric grid,’ the White House said in a statement. ‘America is investing tens of billions to strengthen our grid to bolster resiliency, strengthen energy security, and drive innovation.’
The White House said the member states are ‘committed to prioritize efforts that support the adoption of modern grid solutions to expand grid capacity and build modern grid capabilities on both new and existing transmission and distribution lines.’ The U.S. Climate Alliance, a nonprofit representing governors, is also participating.
Advocates for modernizing and expanding the nation’s power grids praised the announcement.”
About the Alliance
Launched on June 1, 2017 by the governors of Washington, New York, and California to help fill the void left by President Trump’s initial decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, the Alliance has grown to include 24 governors from across the U.S. representing approximately 60% of the U.S. economy and 55% of the U.S. population. Governors in the Alliance have pledged to collectively reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26-28% by 2025, 50-52% by 2030, and 61-66% by 2035, all below 2005 levels, and collectively achieve overall net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as practicable, and no later than 2050.
The Alliance’s states and territories will continue to advance innovative and impactful climate solutions to grow the economy, create jobs, and protect public health, and have a long record of action and results. In fact, the Alliance reduced its collective net greenhouse gas emissions by 19% between 2005 and 2022, while increasing collective GDP by 30%, and is on track to meet its near-term climate goal by reducing collective GHG emissions 26% below 2005 levels by 2025. The coalition’s states and territories are employing more workers in the clean energy sector, achieving lower levels of dangerous air pollutants, and preparing more effectively for climate impacts and executing more pre-disaster planning than the rest of the country.
###
