NRDC Report: Climate Law to Slash Power Sector Emissions

WASHINGTON - The climate legislation and pollution standards adopted during the Biden administration have put the U.S. power sector on track to make unprecedented progress in cutting carbon dioxide emissions.

The power sector is now on track for a 65 percent cut by 2030 in carbon emissions from 2005 - and an 80 percent cut by 2040, according to the new analysis - Powering Ahead: How Biden Administration Policies Are Delivering Cleaner Electricity and Climate Progress.

"The actions taken by the Biden administration are bearing fruit, as we accelerate the move toward clean, affordable electricity," said Amanda Levin,director of policy analysis at NRDC and author of the new study. "We need to build on this progress in order to create a real clean energy economy."

This new analysis compares power sector modeling now to our forecast two years ago before the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and the completion of Environmental Protection Agency standards for carbon emissions from power plants and vehicles.

Following these actions by Congress and the Biden administration, emissions will be two-thirds lower in 2030 than what was forecast back in 2022, this new analysis shows.

This is notable because the new modeling also takes into account the dramatic expected growth in electricity demand from new factories, data centers and electric vehicles, as well as updated costs for renewable energy projects.

"Despite some twists and turns along the way, clean energy economics and the policies to cut carbon emissions are delivering as promised," Levin said.

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).