Real Solutions for Fast & Equitable Decarbonization

Switching from a fossil fuel-based energy system to a renewably powered one will help humanity avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. Worryingly, this transition is far behind schedule. Now, oil and gas corporations are capitalizing upon the urgency of building out new renewable energy sources to give themselves a leg up, too. Big Oil is throwing its weight behind “permitting reform” proposals that would weaken safeguards for energy development of all kinds, including dirty energy. 

Oversimplified promises to accelerate energy production have attracted the support of some prominent supply-side liberals, who emphasize that it will boost renewables. Permitting reform boosters have accused people opposed to weakening environmental protections of being anti-construction. But supporting a clean and just energy transition isn’t being anti-construction; it’s insisting that the transformation of our energy system benefit communities and protect imperiled ecosystems while reducing the burden of extractive industry on our overburdened planet, including by phasing out polluting, planet-warming fuels.

The way to bring green energy online faster is not to gut the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or otherwise deregulate the energy permitting process. Rather, we should expand the capacity of the federal government to advance the public good by hiring more civil servants. That’s just one example of what we’re calling “real solutions” to further a rapid and just transition. The following proposals aren’t comprehensive or mutually exclusive, but are operative on different scales and require different actors to bring them to fruition. Under each proposal, we compile a few sources for further reading.