On the road to 100% renewables. States can lead an equitable energy transition

Renewable energy can provide leading states with 100 percent of the electricity they consume by 2035 even as electrifying transportation and heating increases demand, according to an analysis by COPAL, GreenRoots, the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, and the Union of Concerned Scientists. Replacing electricity generated by coal and gas plants with renewables decreases emissions of air pollutants, leading to 6,000 to 13,000 fewer premature deaths and 700,000 fewer lost workdays between 2022 and 2040. It also creates jobs, reduces household energy burdens, and significantly reduces heat-trapping emissions. Key recommendations of the analysis address rapidly moving away from fossil fuels and increasing investment in renewables, and ensuring that the benefits of the transition go to communities most affected by environmental racism and pollution as well as to workers and communities that depend on fossil fuels. While state action cannot substitute for national leadership, it, too, is crucial to a clean and equitable energy future.