A June 10 article from the non-profit online news magazine Grist lays out a relatively simple plan for a 90% carbon free power grid by 2035. The article states that 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide are spewed into our atmosphere from our electric grid, which includes power plants and transmission lines. This is over 25% of our nation’s carbon emissions. Due to rapidly falling prices for wind and solar energy, U.S. power can be almost carbon-free in 15 years. Over the past 10 years the price tag for solar has dropped 89%.

In order to make this a reality, Congress needs to set a “universal clean energy standard,” which is a law requiring utilities to generate a portion of their energy from energy sources that do not release carbon dioxide. A reasonable and attainable nationwide clean energy standard would be 55% clean energy by 2025, which would increase to 75% in 2030, and then increase again to 90% in 2035. This would put all states on the same path to clean energy. (At this time states are uneven in their use of carbon-free energy sources).

Loans and tax credits to create new energy infrastructures would boost the manufacturing that would be required to meet a national clean energy standard. Congress needs to pass strong legislation to make this more than a pipe dream. This is doable! We just need the political will to do it.