Disruption from the pandemic has cost the
renewable energy industry, which relies
heavily on labor, about 450,000 jobs. The
pandemic has also made it more difficult to
build wind and solar infrastructure and has
redirected federal resources away from the
energy sector. There’s the additional challenge
of getting pro-environment legislation
through a deeply divided U.S. Senate where
Democrats hold the narrowest margin
possible and have some key members in
fossil fuel states.
To reach Biden’s 100% renewable energy
goal will require a massive buildout of grid
infrastructure to get energy from the windy
plains or offshore wind farms over long
distances to cities where electricity is needed.
About a sixth of today’s U.S. electricity
generation is from renewable sources, the U.S.
Energy Information Administration has said.
Michael Mann, an American climatologist
and geophysicist who directs the Earth
System Science Center at Pennsylvania State
University, said Biden “campaigned on and
has a mandate to act on climate,” and that
boosts his prospects of getting tough changes
through. However, he said, it’s going to be a
fight, and compromises will need to be made.
“We must recognize that Green New Deal-like
legislation probably cannot pass in a divided
Congress and climate advocates may need
to make some concessions if we are to see
climate legislation in the U.S. over the next
couple years,” Mann said.
Still, the industry is optimistic Biden’s
ambitious goal can be reached.