Indy Richard 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Feb 19, 2023
In 1979 Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the White House roof. In the 80s' Ronald Reagan removed them.
Carter wanted renewables to generate 20% of U.S. energy needs by 2000. When Reagan was elected he scrapped the policy, eliminating tax breaks for renewable technologies in favour of oil and gas. Today the US produces just 7% of its energy from renewables, the majority from hydroelectric schemes.
A massive wasted opportunity which we and future generations will pay for.
#climatechange
Show threadKevinFeb 20, 2023

@IndyRichard @mmasnick The US is at 20% renewables today? 9% of it wind, hydro at 6%.

Reagan is still shit, but your numbers seem off.

https://www.energy.gov/eere/renewable-energy

Renewable Energy

EERE's applied research, development, and demonstration activities aim to make renewable energy cost-competitive with traditional sources of energy. Learn more about EERE's work in geothermal, solar, wind, and water power.

Energy.gov
Show threadtheseege

@kevin @IndyRichard @mmasnick

Indeed. Wind and solar are creeping towards dominance, representing the majority of new capacity coming online in 2023. I think the sentiment stands nonetheless, that we lost precious decades.

https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/pdf/steo_full.pdf

Feb 21, 2023 at 3:07amWeb
Show threadKevinFeb 21, 2023
@TheSeege @IndyRichard @mmasnick absolutely. Almost all the growth has been in the last 5 to 10 years, should've started decades ago.