United States, Canada, and Mexico will join hands to use greener and cleaner energy like wind, solar and other carbon-free sources of electricity, in order to generate at least 50 percent of its energy from “clean” sources by 2025. This promise was made at the ‘three amigos’ summit in Ottawa last week. (Article appeared in Chicago Tribune on June 28, 2016)
Brian Deese, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama on environmental and energy matters told Bloomberg he is of opinion that this is an “ambitious objective which can be easily realisable by the trio.” This undertaking concerns an average production for Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. altogether and in which the next US President must also stick to.
The pledge will be relevant to any electricity generated without producing carbon dioxide emissions, including nuclear as well as renewable wind, solar and hydro power. “It also could be appropriate to power from plants using carbon-capture technology to draw off emissions,” Deese said.
Environment activists like Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune saluted the declaration which reveals: “North American agreement behind a harmony for well-built global climate action.” “This agreement means the United States will dramatically increase the amount of clean, renewable energy we get from sources like wind and solar within the next decade,” Brune said.
An ambitious objective which can be easily realisable by the trio” – Deese
According to recent statistics from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), United States received nearly one-third of its electricity from carbon-free sources, as well as nuclear amounted to 19.9 percent. Regarding North America, about 37 percent was powered from carbon-free sources in 2015, chiefly for the reason that Canada already obtains more than half its energy from clean sources.
EIA head Adam Sieminski told that the 50 percent goal is “doable” as the U.S. is increasingly using wind and solar electricity and also this agreement will surely “strengthen some of the tendencies that are already in progress.”
