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Fossil Fuels to rule in the U.S. under new administration’s America First Energy Plan

Fossil Fuels to rule in the U.S. under new administration’s America First Energy Plan Inauguration of President Donald Trump, Washington/ DC, January 2017 (source: flickr/ The National Guard, creative commons)
Alexander Richter 23 Jan 2017

With a focus on fossil fuels as part of its "America First Energy Plan", the new administration of President Donald Trump is turning back the clock on renewable energy.

With a change in administration and a new President for the United States, there is a complete U-Turn on energy policy.

On the updated website for the White House, the administration of President Donald Trump has published its view on the future for the U.S. energy sector  under its “America First Energy Plan”. While the whole world is accepting the need to move away from a fossil-fuel based energy market towards one of renewable energy, the U.S. is turning back the clock.

Describing forward looking renewable energy legislation as burdensome for its energy industry, policies like the Climate Action Plan and Waters of the U.S. rule are being eliminated. Under its plans, the new administration is now looking to tap untapped shale, oil and natural gas reserves.

Without mentioning renewable energy or any of the programs run and supported under the Presidency of Barack Obama, it must be clear that this will hit the geothermal energy industry hard particular as it relates to research currently funded under the Department of Energy in the United States.

But  – and this might be a bit of a relief – the portfolio standards in the individual states are set by those and on can expect that many states will continue to stick to goals set with regards to cutting back carbon emissions and thereby requiring utilities to buy clean power from renewable energy sources.

These will be interesting times for sure and it is sad to see the U.S. not living up to its responsibilities on efforts to mitigate climate change and cutting back emissions. Particularly for the geothermal sector, which after many years of neglect, was finally on its way to see support of research efforts and technological development. How this now effects projects like the FORGE and other geothermal technology research projects is unclear.

Source: Whitehouse.gov