USA: New Legislation Would Aim for 50% Renewable Energy by 2050

Udall, Senators Introduce Renewable Electricity Standard Legislation (News Release)

Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), along with U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Angus King (I–Maine), introduced legislation to achieve at least 50 percent renewable electricity nationwide in just 15 years – putting the U.S. on a trajectory to decarbonize the power sector by 2050.

Starting in 2020, the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) Act of 2019 would require electricity providers across the country to increase their supply of renewable energy from sources like wind and solar each year. The senators’ RES meets the recommendations of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1.5 C Special Report, which outlines the standards that must be met worldwide to respond to the existential threat of climate change.

The full text of the bill text can be found Here. A summary of the bill can be found Here.

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