We’ve already made progress on clean energy, but there’s a lot more work to be done. If America gets serious we could create millions of jobs, lower energy costs for working families, and protect the health of future generations.
Here are some examples we can build upon.
Located off the coast of Rhode Island, this is the first offshore wind farm in the U.S. The project paid dividends immediately. Connecting the wind farm to the mainland grid will reduce Block Island’s electric rates by about 40 percent and diversify Rhode Island’s power supply. And not only is it generating energy, but it also generated over 300 jobs for locals.
The project will also offset 800,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to taking 150,000 cars off the road.
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On the west side of Baranof Island in the southeast panhandle of Alaska sits the town of Sitka. Because Sitka receives nearly three times the rain of Seattle, it seemed the ideal place to invest in hydroelectric power. Now the hydro plant provides 100% of the town’s electricity for its 10,000 residents. Since the opening in November 2014, the units have exceeded their guaranteed average efficiency value by over 4%.
The mountains of Northern New Mexico have been home to the Picuris Pueblo tribe for hundreds of years. Now they’re using the sun to power their tribal community. In addition to lowering bills for their families and combating climate change, the solar panels also provide another benefit: jobs that prevent 300 tribal members from leaving, helping to keep their traditions alive.
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The planet uses four gigatons of cement a year, which requires that the limestone be heated to over 2700 degrees in a chemical reaction that releases vast quantities of CO2. Until now.
CarbonCure is developing a technology that uses carbon dioxide captured from various waste emissions, such as ethanol and ammonia, to lower emissions. This process makes the concrete stronger and helps eliminate carbon dioxide that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.
CarbonCure hopes to attain a 500-megaton-per-year reduction in embodied carbon – the equivalent of taking 100 million cars off the road.
This article was produced and distributed in partnership with Climate Power.
