ARKANSAS, Oct 7 (Future Headlines)- The race towards a net-zero economy by 2050 is well underway in the United States, driven by ambitious climate goals and recent legislative actions. The journey to this destination involves significant transformations across several critical sectors, including transportation, buildings, and energy generation. A recent report by ICF, a global consulting and technology services provider, offers valuable insights into the pathways and challenges of achieving these climate objectives.

In 2021, the U.S. government unveiled ambitious climate targets aimed at addressing the dual challenges of mitigating climate change and enhancing climate resilience. These goals include reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50–52% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels and achieving a net-zero economy by 2050. To support these objectives, President Biden signed two significant pieces of legislation into law: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) in 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022.

ICF’s report delves into the critical areas of transportation electrification, building decarbonization, and clean energy generation as the primary drivers of the transition to a net-zero economy. It presents a vision for each sector and outlines the measures required to achieve these ambitious climate goals.

To align with the 2050 net-zero target, the report highlights the need for a monumental increase in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on American roads. Although there were approximately 2 million EVs on the road by the end of 2022, the report emphasizes the necessity of elevating this figure to 44 million by 2030 and a staggering 240 million by 2050.

The passage of the BIL and IRA has already made a significant impact by potentially raising the number of EVs expected on the road by 2030 to 35 million. However, despite these legislative advancements, a substantial gap remains, with the U.S. projected to have 93 million EVs by 2050, significantly less than the required 240 million.

To bridge this gap, the report advocates for aggressive federal mandates, expanded battery manufacturing, continued consumer engagement, the proliferation of charging infrastructure, and the electrification of public transportation.

Building decarbonization is identified as another critical pillar in the journey towards a net-zero economy. The report underscores the need to install over a billion decarbonization measures across buildings throughout the United States.

Funding from the BIL and IRA is expected to facilitate the installation of around 238 million decarbonization measures in buildings by 2030. This figure is projected to increase to 962 million by 2050. However, an additional 281 million measures are deemed necessary by 2030, along with an extra 1.1 billion by 2050.

Achieving this colossal feat entails the implementation of a wide array of measures, including building envelope and shell enhancements, electrification, and comprehensive building retrofits. The report acknowledges that the decentralized nature of the building sector may lead to a somewhat fragmented approach to decarbonization, but utilities and government agencies can play a pivotal role in streamlining and integrating solutions.

The transformation of the energy generation landscape is central to the net-zero vision. The report envisions renewables accounting for a substantial 85% of total electricity generation, marking a substantial increase from the current 13% contribution by solar and wind.

Achieving this goal necessitates a remarkable expansion of both solar and wind energy capacity, supported by substantial battery installations to ensure grid reliability. Simultaneously, fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal must be phased out, reducing their share from 60% in 2022 to nearly zero by 2050.

Low-carbon fuels will also play a vital role, requiring an increase of 1,800 trillion British thermal units (tBTU) by 2030 and over 5,100 tBTU by 2050 to surpass natural gas. Any remaining generation outside of renewables will rely on low- or zero-carbon dispatchable resources.

ICF’s report outlines several potential roadmaps to realize these transformative clean energy goals. Regulatory reforms can facilitate the permitting and approval of critical energy infrastructure projects, including transmission lines and renewable energy installations. Identifying geographically and economically optimal sites for clean energy projects can enhance efficiency and reduce costs.

Expanding investments in distributed energy resource systems can strengthen grid resilience and support renewable energy integration. Moreover, building robust supply chains for essential raw materials like copper, cobalt, manganese, and molybdenum can ensure the availability of necessary resources for clean energy technologies.

The report emphasizes that achieving these transformative goals requires collaboration among federal agencies, state and local governments, utilities, industries, and communities. The ambitious targets set forth in the BIL and IRA represent significant strides towards these objectives, but continued commitment, innovation, and decisive action are essential to realize a net-zero economy by 2050.

Reporting by Emad Martin