Issue Position: Sustainable Energy and Climate

Issue Position

Matt supports policies that will speed up the change from a fossil fuel economy to a sustainable energy economy. He supports this for two reasons: 1) it is essential to protecting the United States and the world from the dire consequences of global climate change, which even the Pentagon has determined is amongst the greatest threats to our national security, and 2) it represents the single greatest economic opportunity of the 21st century. To speed up the change from a fossil fuel economy to a sustainable energy economy, Matt would eliminate the subsidies the federal government provides to the oil, natural gas, and coal industries. Matt would redirect those resources towards sustainable energy development, including renewable energy, such as wind and solar, but also the development of new clean energy technologies.

By refocusing our energy development policy on sustainable renewable energy, including a dispersed energy production policy that will put solar panels on most homes by borrowing from the policies of increased market reimbursement rates for solar power as used in Germany, as well as fully implementing the Green New Deal, Matt believes that United States could be energy independent by 2030, and the majority of our energy could be produced from clean, sustainable energy sources.

While renewable energy sources can help the United States achieve energy independence, investment into research and development of clean energy technologies such as fusion, should be part of the United States plan for a sustainable energy economy. The United States should also be investing in clean grid level battery storage technologies to make intermittent renewable energy resources such as wind and solar viable as primary energy source.

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