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Jay Inslee Solar Energy

On Friday, 2020 Presidential candidate Jay Inslee revealed that if elected he plans to move the U.S. to 100% renewable energy by 2035. This ambitious announcement sends a shot over the bow of other Democratic contenders for the 2020 nomination. It is a sure bet that more will begin speaking about their own plans to address climate change now.

In direct opposition to the current administration’s stand on climate change, Inslee would move to put the United States back at the top in addressing climate change and effectively transform the economy in the process. The vast majority of climate change scientists agree that a drastic and immediate change in policy must happen to avoid the dire forecasts that staying the course would bring.

Inslee’s plan aims to get the U.S. to the same levels other countries have committed to and includes standards for new buses and passenger vehicles to be completely free of emissions by 2030. He also has a similar plan for residential and commercial buildings to reduce their carbon footprint.

Utilities must have carbon neutral power generation by 2030 and must be completely renewable by 2035. Unlike Trump who is trying to fire up coal production, Inslee would close coal power plants and provide cross-training, jobs, and support for those affected. Instead of the current tariffs on solar, Inslee would enact federal grant money and incentives for renewable energy projects. While currently a dark horse by far for the 2020 race, Inslee believes that addressing climate change is the most important policy for the next President. Recent polls back this up with the majority of American voters in agreement. 

Internationally, climate scientists and experts state that the entire world must be at 100% renewable energy by 2050 or risk irreversible damage from the effects of climate change. We have already seen the damage with increasingly intense hurricanes, 500 year floods, and unseasonable winter storms.

In the United States, climate change experts are more sceptical due to our current political climate, especially if Democrats don’t regain the Senate. You can be sure that McConnell would never let legislation like Inslee is proposing see the light of day on the Senate floor.

Currently the main candidates addressing climate change on this level are Inslee and O’Rourke along with Bernie Sanders. O’Rourke’s plan calls for investing trillions to gradually reduce carbon emissions by the year 2050, which some feel isn’t ambitious enough. At the same time, O’Rourke has a more detailed plan that also addresses how to be ready for the potential future catastrophes that may come.

Sanders said  that climate change is an existential crisis that will impact generations to come and advocated for a complete overhaul of the US energy system away from fossil fuel.

“This, to me, is an existential crisis that impacts not just you and me and our generation but our kids and our grandchildren, and we must accept the moral responsibility of leaving these kids, future generations, a planet that is healthy and habitable,” Sanders said at a CNN town hall in Washington moderated by Wolf Blitzer.

“We’re going to create millions of good-paying jobs weatherizing our homes, changing our transportation system, moving aggressively into wind and solar and other sustainable energies,” Sanders said.

ClearWorld is a leading provider of Solar LED Lighting solutions, Smart City Technology, and Smart Technology. The company is committed to helping cities meet their objectives of becoming 100% renewable.