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Ask a Scientist: Two Dozen States Can Meet 100 Percent of Electricity Demand with Renewables by 2035

Union of Concerned Scientists

Nearly all of the alliance members have a renewable electricity standard (RES), which requires utilities in their jurisdiction to increase their use of renewable energy to a particular percentage by a specific year. We found that states have technically feasible and highly beneficial ways to achieve 100-percent renewable energy.

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Ohioans Stuck Burning Coal, Burning Cash

Union of Concerned Scientists

Although the nuclear bailout was repealed and refunded in 2021, some of the law’s other egregious provisions requiring ratepayers across the state to subsidize money-losing coal plants and gutting renewable energy and energy efficiency standards are still in place today. The Union of Concerned Scientists opposed H.B.

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Ask a Scientist: UCS Transportation Program Adds Equitable Mobility to its Portfolio

Union of Concerned Scientists

In 1963, a typical car—which ran on leaded gasoline without pollution control devices— emitted 520 pounds of hydrocarbons, 1,700 pounds of carbon monoxide, and 90 pounds of nitrogen oxide every 10,000 miles traveled. Even so, cars and trucks are still making us sick—and killing us. I recently caught up with Kevin X.

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Reliance on Gas Power Plants Fuels Inequity

Union of Concerned Scientists

Most notable of these polluting emissions are nitrogen oxides (NOx). During Winter Storm Uri in 2021, a devastating storm where power outages contributed to hundreds of deaths , Texans saw the extreme of price volatility from over-dependence on the gas system in a competitive power market.

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Good News—and Bad—about Fossil Fuel Power Plants in 2023 

Union of Concerned Scientists

Solar power is expected to make up about half of all additions of US electric generating capacity in 2023, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). GW record from 2021. Compiled by UCS from Energy Information Administration data as of January 2023.

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Ask a Scientist: The US Has to Do More to Meet Its Carbon Emissions Reduction Goals

Union of Concerned Scientists

Combining those savings with IRA incentives, which reduce the cost of investing in clean energy technologies, will lower overall US energy expenditures by 3 percent in 2030 and save US households and businesses nearly $89 billion in that one year alone. Energy efficiency also plays a critical role.

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Stepping Up to the Challenge: US Can Meet Climate Goals if Policymakers Take Immediate, Concerted Action

Union of Concerned Scientists

Under the net zero scenario: Wind, solar, and other renewables nearly triple their share of US electricity generation from 22% in 2021 to 60% in 2030, 81% in 2035, and 92% in 2050. Overall economywide fossil fuel use falls 50% between 2021 and 2040 and 82% by 2050.  Coal is phased out of the power sector by 2030.