Climate-friendly government policies and recent investments by energy companies are accelerating the growth of renewables.

After drastic declines in driving thanks to pandemic closures, traffic and carbon emissions are making a fast recovery as we inch toward a post-COVID world. The International Energy Agency has started releasing monthly data on carbon emissions, letting researchers understand trends from month to month and monitor changes as they happen. "In its latest Global Energy Review, the IEA found that Covid-19 touched off the biggest annual drop in carbon emissions ever," writes Liam Denning for Bloomberg, "down almost two billion tonnes, or about 6%."
However, "lower demand for electricity wasn’t the biggest factor behind that. The vast majority of it was explained by increasing penetration of renewable energy, whose share of global generation recorded its biggest annual gain ever." In the U.S., federal policy is also supporting a shift to renewable energy, with the Biden administration's focus on climate poised to "reset the economics of energy and related fields to take account of the climate challenge."
Because "a systemic problem like climate change demands systemic solutions," periodic and accidental reductions in emissions caused by global crises aren't enough to move toward a more sustainable future. If recent trends continue, "the power sector’s technology-based decline in emissions" will last well beyond the pandemic as major energy companies continue to invest in renewables and clean energy infrastructure.
FULL STORY: Carbon Emissions Made a Rapid Recovery From Covid

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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