Climate 2030 Blueprint Policies

Climate 2030: A National Blueprint for a Clean Energy Economy outlines a comprehensive set of smart policies to jump-start the transition to a clean energy economy.

Climate policies

Economywide cap-and-trade program with:

• Auctioning of all carbon allowances
• Recycling of auction revenues to consumers and businesses
• Limits on carbon “offsets” to encourage “decarbonization” of the capped sectors
• Flexibility for capped businesses to over-comply with the cap and bank excess carbon allowances for future use

Industry and buildings policies

• An energy efficiency resource standard requiring retail electricity and natural gas providers to meet efficiency targets
• Minimum federal energy efficiency standards for specific appliances and equipment
• Advanced energy codes and technologies for buildings
• Programs that encourage more efficient industrial processes
• Wider reliance on efficient systems that provide both heat and power
• R&D on energy efficiency

Electricity policies

• A renewable electricity standard for retail electricity providers
• R&D on renewable energy
• Use of advanced coal technology, with a carbon-capture-and-storage demonstration program

Transportation policies

• Standards that limit carbon emissions from vehicles
• Standards that require the use of low-carbon fuels
• Requirements for deployment of advanced vehicle technology
• Smart-growth policies that encourage mixed-use development, with more public transit
• Smart-growth policies that tie federal highway funding to more efficient transportation systems
• Pay-as-you-drive insurance and other per-mile user fees