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84-624: The Building Integrated Grids With Inter-Regional Energy Supply (BIG WIRES) Act is a bill in the 118th United States Congress . Its provisions direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to "establish minimum interregional transfer capabilities", better coordinating construction of electrical transmission lines. The BIG WIRES Act was introduced in the United States Senate on September 18, 2023 by Senator John Hickenlooper ( D ‑ CO ) as S. 2827 and in

168-416: A plant-based diet , having fewer children, using clothes and electrical products for longer, and electrifying homes. These approaches are more practical for people in high-income countries with high-consumption lifestyles. Naturally, it is more difficult for those with lower income statuses to make these changes. This is because choices like electric-powered cars may not be available. Excessive consumption

252-670: A "caucus"; Republicans refer to themselves as a "conference". The numbers refer to their Senate classes . All class 3 seats were contested in the November 2022 elections . In this Congress, class 3 means their term commenced in 2023, requiring re-election in 2028 ; class 1 means their term ends with this Congress, requiring re-election in 2024 ; and class 2 means their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 2026 . All 435 seats were filled by election in November 2022 . Additionally, six non-voting members were elected from

336-524: A 51–49-seat majority (with a caucus of 48 Democrats and three independents). With Republicans winning the House, the 118th Congress ended the federal government trifecta Democrats held in the 117th . This congress also features the first female Senate president pro tempore ( Patty Murray ), the first Black party leader ( Hakeem Jeffries ) in congressional history, and the longest-serving Senate party leaders ( Mitch McConnell and Dick Durbin ). The Senate has

420-636: A bigger effect than population growth. Rising incomes, changes in consumption and dietary patterns, as well as population growth, cause pressure on land and other natural resources. This leads to more greenhouse gas emissions and fewer carbon sinks. Some scholars have argued that humane policies to slow population growth should be part of a broad climate response together with policies that end fossil fuel use and encourage sustainable consumption. Advances in female education and reproductive health , especially voluntary family planning , can contribute to reducing population growth. An important mitigation measure

504-534: A climate mitigation option. The terminology in this area is still evolving. Experts sometimes use the term geoengineering or climate engineering in the scientific literature for both CDR or SRM, if the techniques are used at a global scale. IPCC reports no longer use the terms geoengineering or climate engineering . GHG emissions 2020 by gas type without land-use change using 100 year GWP Total: 49.8 GtCO 2 e CO 2 emissions by fuel type Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen

588-638: A definitive or detailed evaluation of most goals set for 2020. But it appears the world failed to meet most or all international goals set for that year. One update came during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. The group of researchers running the Climate Action Tracker looked at countries responsible for 85% of greenhouse gas emissions. It found that only four countries or political entities—the EU, UK, Chile and Costa Rica—have published

672-528: A detailed official policy‑plan that describes the steps to realise 2030 mitigation targets. These four polities are responsible for 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021 the US and EU launched the Global Methane Pledge to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030. The UK, Argentina, Indonesia, Italy and Mexico joined the initiative. Ghana and Iraq signaled interest in joining. A White House summary of

756-444: A greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas from the atmosphere". Globally, the two most important carbon sinks are vegetation and the ocean . To enhance the ability of ecosystems to sequester carbon, changes are necessary in agriculture and forestry. Examples are preventing deforestation and restoring natural ecosystems by reforestation . Scenarios that limit global warming to 1.5 °C typically project

840-402: A low efficiency of less than 50%. Large amounts of heat in power plants and in motors of vehicles go to waste. The actual amount of energy consumed is significantly lower at 116,000 TWh. Energy conservation is the effort made to reduce the consumption of energy by using less of an energy service. One way is to use energy more efficiently . This means using less energy than before to produce

924-481: A lower status. If they reduce their emissions and promote green policies, these people could become low-carbon lifestyle role models. However, there are many psychological variables that influence consumers. These include awareness and perceived risk. Government policies can support or hinder demand-side mitigation options. For example, public policy can promote circular economy concepts which would support climate change mitigation. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

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1008-592: A major increase in the use of renewable energy in combination with increased energy efficiency measures. It will be necessary to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy six-fold from 0.25% annual growth in 2015 to 1.5% to keep global warming under 2 °C. The competitiveness of renewable energy is a key to a rapid deployment. In 2020, onshore wind and solar photovoltaics were the cheapest source for new bulk electricity generation in many regions. Renewables may have higher storage costs but non-renewables may have higher clean-up costs. A carbon price can increase

1092-547: A means of climate action, in opposition to democratic hardliners on NEPA and in conversation with Republicans hopeful for bipartisan permitting reform agreement, such as Representatives Bruce Westerman of Arkansas and Kevin McCarthy of California. Legislators came close to an agreement on permitting reform in the debt ceiling crisis; Democrats held transmission lines as a key priority for Biden's climate goals , while agreeing on modest NEPA changes. Due to time limits, provisions of

1176-464: A more efficient technology or production process. Another way is to use commonly accepted methods to reduce energy losses. Individual action on climate change can include personal choices in many areas. These include diet, travel, household energy use, consumption of goods and services, and family size. People who wish to reduce their carbon footprint can take high-impact actions such as avoiding frequent flying and petrol-fuelled cars, eating mainly

1260-552: A plant-based diet, vast amounts of land used for animal agriculture could be allowed to return to their natural state . This in turn has the potential to sequester 100 billion tonnes of CO 2 by the end of the century. A comprehensive analysis found that plant based diets reduce emissions, water pollution and land use significantly (by 75%), while reducing the destruction of wildlife and usage of water. Population growth has resulted in higher greenhouse gas emissions in most regions, particularly Africa. However, economic growth has

1344-601: A region fails to file a plan with FERC for approval, FERC would be empowered to make those interregional plans. Representative Peters describes the bill as part of a larger effort to address climate change by reforming the construction permitting process in the United States and constructing more high-voltage transmission lines to enable clean energy investments. The BIG WIRES Act contains provisions to increase interregional power transfer capacity in order to avoid grid collapse or insufficiency , as during times of stress on

1428-432: Is coal-fired power stations with 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation and other changes in land use also emit carbon dioxide and methane. The largest sources of anthropogenic methane emissions are agriculture , and gas venting and fugitive emissions from the fossil-fuel industry. The largest agricultural methane source is livestock. Agricultural soils emit nitrous oxide , partly due to fertilizers. There

1512-539: Is pumped-storage hydroelectricity . This requires locations with large differences in height and access to water. Batteries are also in wide use. They typically store electricity for short periods. Batteries have low energy density . This and their cost makes them impractical for the large energy storage necessary to balance inter-seasonal variations in energy production. Some locations have implemented pumped hydro storage with capacity for multi-month usage. Nuclear power could complement renewables for electricity. On

1596-456: Is "preserving and enhancing carbon sinks ". This refers to the management of Earth's natural carbon sinks in a way that preserves or increases their capability to remove CO 2 from the atmosphere and to store it durably. Scientists call this process also carbon sequestration . In the context of climate change mitigation, the IPCC defines a sink as "Any process, activity or mechanism which removes

1680-695: Is by reducing the demand by improving infrastructure, by building a good public transport network, for example. Lastly, changes in end-use technology can reduce energy demand. For instance a well-insulated house emits less than a poorly-insulated house. Mitigation options that reduce demand for products or services help people make personal choices to reduce their carbon footprint . This could be in their choice of transport or food. So these mitigation options have many social aspects that focus on demand reduction; they are therefore demand-side mitigation actions . For example, people with high socio-economic status often cause more greenhouse gas emissions than those from

1764-413: Is competitive with other electricity generation technologies if long term costs for nuclear waste disposal are excluded from the calculation. There is also no sufficient financial insurance for nuclear accidents. Switching from coal to natural gas has advantages in terms of sustainability. For a given unit of energy produced, the life-cycle greenhouse-gas emissions of natural gas are around 40 times

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1848-420: Is currently a high cost climate change mitigation strategy. Human land use changes such as agriculture and deforestation cause about 1/4th of climate change. These changes impact how much CO 2 is absorbed by plant matter and how much organic matter decays or burns to release CO 2 . These changes are part of the fast carbon cycle , whereas fossil fuels release CO 2 that was buried underground as part of

1932-411: Is found for reducing deforestation in tropical regions. The economic potential of these activities has been estimated to be 4.2 to 7.4 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO 2 -eq) per year. The Stern Review on the economics of climate change stated in 2007 that curbing deforestation was a highly cost-effective way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. About 95% of deforestation occurs in

2016-621: Is higher in the winter when PV output is low. For this reason, combinations of wind and solar power lead to better-balanced systems. Other well-established renewable energy forms include hydropower, bioenergy and geothermal energy. Wind and solar power production does not consistently match demand. To deliver reliable electricity from variable renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, electrical power systems must be flexible. Most electrical grids were constructed for non-intermittent energy sources such as coal-fired power plants. The integration of larger amounts of solar and wind energy into

2100-404: Is linked to the sharing economy . There is a debate regarding the correlation of economic growth and emissions. It seems economic growth no longer necessarily means higher emissions. Global primary energy demand exceeded 161,000 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2018. This refers to electricity, transport and heating including all losses. In transport and electricity production, fossil fuel usage has

2184-652: Is more to blame for climate change than population increase. High-consumption lifestyles have a greater environmental impact, with the richest 10% of people emitting about half the total lifestyle emissions. Some scientists say that avoiding meat and dairy foods is the single biggest way an individual can reduce their environmental impact. The widespread adoption of a vegetarian diet could cut food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 63% by 2050. China introduced new dietary guidelines in 2016 which aim to cut meat consumption by 50% and thereby reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1   Gt per year by 2030. Overall, food accounts for

2268-558: Is not going to solve our country’s energy needs." A spokesperson for the Republicans of the Energy and Commerce Committee said that "... transmission is not a substitute for generation." 118th United States Congress The 118th United States Congress is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government , composed of the United States Senate and

2352-411: Is not possible without drastically increased electrical transmission. In order to reach net-zero carbon emissions, thousands of miles of high-voltage electrical lines are needed to transmit energy from solar farms fields and wind farms, mostly in rural areas, to urban demand centers, though many of these transmission lines are currently blocked in permitting by regulations and local opposition. Liza Reed of

2436-522: Is now a political solution to the problem of fluorinated gases from refrigerants . This is because many countries have ratified the Kigali Amendment . Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is the dominant emitted greenhouse gas. Methane ( CH 4 ) emissions almost have the same short-term impact. Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and fluorinated gases (F-Gases) play a minor role. Livestock and manure produce 5.8% of all greenhouse gas emissions. But this depends on

2520-416: Is overcoming environmental objections when constructing new clean energy sources and making grid modifications. Climate change mitigation aims to sustain ecosystems to maintain human civilisation . This requires drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions . The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines mitigation (of climate change) as "a human intervention to reduce emissions or enhance

2604-488: Is possible to shift energy demand in time. Energy demand management and the use of smart grids make it possible to match the times when variable energy production is highest. Sector coupling can provide further flexibility. This involves coupling the electricity sector to the heat and mobility sector via power-to-heat -systems and electric vehicles. Energy storage helps overcome barriers to intermittent renewable energy. The most commonly used and available storage method

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2688-509: Is the process of reducing the amount of energy required to provide products and services. Improved energy efficiency in buildings ("green buildings"), industrial processes and transportation could reduce the world's energy needs in 2050 by one third. This would help reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases. For example, insulating a building allows it to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain thermal comfort. Improvements in energy efficiency are generally achieved by adopting

2772-515: The 2024 United States federal budget on March 23, 2024, through two separate minibus packages. Following a contentious foreign-aid vote, a motion to remove Johnson from the speakership was defeated in a bipartisan vote. Partisan disciplinary actions have also increased. With the expulsion of New York Representative George Santos from the House in December 2023 over the opposition of the Speaker, this

2856-479: The American territories and Washington, D.C. The numbers refer to the congressional district of the given state in this Congress. Eight new congressional districts were created or re-created, while eight others were eliminated, as a result of the 2020 United States census . Section contents: Senate , House , Joint Decarbonising Solar energy and wind power can replace fossil fuels at

2940-555: The Export–Import Bank . The second of these, a bill to remove certain Social Security restrictions, was subject to an unusual legislative procedure when a chair pro forma called forth a motion to table on a bill while the chamber was empty, flouting House convention and agreements. The Congress began with a multi-ballot election for Speaker of the House , which had not happened since the 68th Congress in 1923. Kevin McCarthy

3024-764: The House of Representatives by Representative Scott Peters ( D ‑ CA ) as H.R. 5551. The BIG WIRES Act's provisions require each of the FERC transmission planning regions to have interregional transfer capacity equal to 30% of their peak electrical demand , or an increase of 15% from the present, whichever is lower. Its intent is to improve the United States electrical grid and make electricity more affordable. After an 18-month rulemaking period, FERC would give its individual planning regions two years to plan grid upgrades. Among other steps, regions would negotiate bilateral agreements on construction responsibility, funding, and timelines. If

3108-403: The House of Representatives opposed changes to NEPA and any debt ceiling deal that would help permit oil and gas projects, though Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal and other Democrats left open the possibility of changes to NEPA in exchange for expanded transmission. Peters, a moderate , is one of few Democrats in favor of changes to NEPA; he hopes for NEPA changes as

3192-528: The Niskanen Center argues that giving the federal government, such as FERC, authority to permit high-voltage transmission lines would be better than the current situation, in which each state involved must grant approval. (FERC currently has similar authority to permit natural gas pipelines.) BIG WIRES supporters position an interregional transfer capacity requirement as less contentious than other Democratic proposals for increasing transmission, such as giving

3276-547: The R Street Institute . While FERC had by May 2023 already set out a proposal to mandate minimum interregional transfer capacity, it was yet to issue a final rule. BIG WIRES would require FERC to implement a rule within 18 months. David Kelley, an executive for the Southwest Power Pool , acknowledged the need for a federal requirement, stating that without federal intervention the required construction would be unlikely. In response to criticism from monopoly utilities in

3360-744: The United States House of Representatives . It convened in Washington, D.C. , on January 3, 2023, and will end on January 3, 2025, during the final two years of Joe Biden's presidency . In the 2022 midterm elections , the Republican Party won control of the House 222–213, taking the majority for the first time since the 115th Congress , while the Democratic Party gained one seat in the Senate, where they already had effective control, and giving them

3444-616: The greenhouse effect . This contributes to climate change . Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels : coal, oil, and natural gas. Human-caused emissions have increased atmospheric carbon dioxide by about 50% over pre-industrial levels. Emissions in the 2010s averaged a record 56 billion tons (Gt) a year. In 2016, energy for electricity, heat and transport was responsible for 73.2% of GHG emissions. Direct industrial processes accounted for 5.2%, waste for 3.2% and agriculture, forestry and land use for 18.4%. Electricity generation and transport are major emitters. The largest single source

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3528-461: The impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas in February 2024, the first time a cabinet secretary has been the target of impeachment proceedings since William W. Belknap in 1876, and only the second such cabinet impeachment in history. The charges were dismissed by the Senate, the first time the Senate dismissed impeachment articles without trial after the reading. Note: Democrats refer to themselves as

3612-612: The permitting reform negotiations within debt ceiling talks, Democrats saw expanded electrical transmission as essential, while in exchange Republicans desired changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) , a bedrock piece of environmental legislation, beneficial to the fossil fuel industry, such as accelerated permitting for fuel pipelines—alongside other infrastructure such as roads and bridges—as seen in, for example, Louisiana Republican Representative Garret Graves 's BUILDER Act. Progressive Democrats in

3696-827: The sinks of greenhouse gases ". It is possible to approach various mitigation measures in parallel. This is because there is no single pathway to limit global warming to 1.5 or 2 °C. There are four types of measures: The IPCC defined carbon dioxide removal as "Anthropogenic activities removing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere and durably storing it in geological, terrestrial, or ocean reservoirs, or in products. It includes existing and potential anthropogenic enhancement of biological or geochemical CO 2 sinks and direct air carbon dioxide capture and storage (DACCS), but excludes natural CO 2 uptake not directly caused by human activities." While solar radiation modification (SRM) could reduce surface temperatures, it temporarily masks climate change rather than addressing

3780-569: The 1990s. A different technology is concentrated solar power (CSP). This uses mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight on to a receiver. With CSP, the energy can be stored for a few hours. This provides supply in the evening. Solar water heating doubled between 2010 and 2019. Regions in the higher northern and southern latitudes have the greatest potential for wind power. Offshore wind farms are more expensive. But offshore units deliver more energy per installed capacity with less fluctuations. In most regions, wind power generation

3864-405: The 2022 IPCC report on mitigation. The abbreviation stands for "agriculture, forestry and other land use" The report described the economic mitigation potential from relevant activities around forests and ecosystems as follows: "the conservation, improved management, and restoration of forests and other ecosystems (coastal wetlands, peatlands , savannas and grasslands)". A high mitigation potential

3948-450: The 30% requirement "impossible" and "impractical", an argument that Peters describes as having motivated revisions. Representative Jeff Duncan ( R ‑ SC 3rd ), who chairs the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, Climate and Grid Security, provided no timeline for a planned hearing on transmission, but added, "However, it’s important to remember that talking solely about transmission

4032-639: The BIG WIRES Act were not included in the deal. Transmission legislation failed to draw bipartisan support, with Republicans being generally indifferent to hostile. The deal did include a preliminary measure, a directive that the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) deliver a report quantifying the need for interregional transfer capacity to improve grid reliability to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by December 2024. Climate advocates argue that waiting for

4116-473: The Democratic Senate and White House. This resulted in the need for a legislative coalition to pass key legislation allowing the minority to exercise powers usually reserved for the majority. The fractious session demotivated many veteran legislators, with five committee chairs amongst the dozens declaring resignations before the end of the session, three of whom were eligible to reprise their positions if

4200-731: The Inflation Reduction Act could reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by 6.3 billion tons over 10 years, though that result is contingent on more than doubling the pace of transmission line construction; specifically, 80% of the emissions reductions possible under the IRA would require a tripling of transmission line construction. Representative Peters noted that 200,000 miles of new high-voltage transmission lines are needed to meet United States climate goals, with only 1,800 miles being built per year. The Biden administration's larger goal of decarbonizing electrical generation by 2035

4284-591: The Republican Conference's majority was often undercut by internal disputes amongst its members, resulted in it passing the lowest number of laws for the first year of session since the Richard Nixon administration , and possibly ever. By August 2024, the Congress has only passed 78 laws, less than a third of the next lowest laws per Congress in the 112th Congress , which also featured a Republican House opposing

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4368-483: The Republican Party retained their majority for 2025. A higher-than-average number of retiring lawmakers were those attempting to pass bipartisan and collaborative legislation. Two complete discharge petitions were filed in late 2024, both Republican-led with majority Democratic support, demonstrating a trend towards bucking leadership and lack of party discipline; such a gambit was last successful in 2015 to support

4452-758: The Southern United States that the original 30% mandate was onerous, Peters and Hickenlooper adjusted the required increase to be no more than 15% of the peak load. The bill's provisions do not increase government expenditure, instead giving FERC oversight on the construction of an inter-regional electrical transmission network, with each FERC region required to have interregional transfer capacity equal to 30% of their peak electrical demand. The provisions also not favor any technology, countering Republican accusations that Democrats favor renewables . Rather than altering environmental regulations, "utilities and other transmission developers would be responsible for upgrading

4536-655: The ability of oceans and land sinks to absorb these gases. Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) persist in the atmosphere for a period ranging from days to 15 years. Carbon dioxide can remain in the atmosphere for millennia. Short-lived climate pollutants include methane , hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) , tropospheric ozone and black carbon . Scientists increasingly use satellites to locate and measure greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation. Earlier, scientists largely relied on or calculated estimates of greenhouse gas emissions and governments' self-reported data. The annual "Emissions Gap Report" by UNEP stated in 2022 that it

4620-478: The advantages of switching away from coal. The technology to curb methane leaks is widely available but it is not always used. Reducing demand for products and services that cause greenhouse gas emissions can help in mitigating climate change. One is to reduce demand by behavioural and cultural changes , for example by making changes in diet, especially the decision to reduce meat consumption, an effective action individuals take to fight climate change . Another

4704-534: The authority to establish a minimum interregional transfer capacity. The June debt deal also included a limit on the duration of environmental impact studies under NEPA. In August 2023, the 30% threshold was considered subject to data review. As they introduced the bill in September 2023, Hickenlooper and Peters hoped to gain Republican assent to aid renewable energy as well as oil and gas development. In September there

4788-478: The competitiveness of renewable energy. Wind and sun can provide large amounts of low-carbon energy at competitive production costs. The IPCC estimates that these two mitigation options have the largest potential to reduce emissions before 2030 at low cost. Solar photovoltaics (PV) has become the cheapest way to generate electricity in many regions of the world. The growth of photovoltaics has been close to exponential. It has about doubled every three years since

4872-610: The effects can import electricity from unaffected regions. The price of electricity decreases when increased transfer capacity allows electricity from lower-priced sources to flow to demand centers. Transmission capacity is most needed in the Great Plains , Midwest , and Texas . The highest demand exists between the Western and Eastern interconnections , with the annual (2022) value of a 1-gigawatt interregional power line ranging from $ 29 million to $ 505 million. The Act's provisions enable

4956-425: The emissions of wind or nuclear energy but are much less than coal. Burning natural gas produces around half the emissions of coal when used to generate electricity and around two-thirds the emissions of coal when used to produce heat. Natural gas combustion also produces less air pollution than coal. However, natural gas is a potent greenhouse gas in itself, and leaks during extraction and transportation can negate

5040-468: The federal government backstop permitting authority for interstate transmission lines, overruling state objections, or giving FERC the authority to spread transmission line construction costs among utility ratepayers instead of leaving them to be borne by a single wind or solar developer. An interregional transfer capability requirement is endorsed by the Biden administration and Republican-leaning groups such as

5124-509: The grid requires a change of the energy system; this is necessary to ensure that the supply of electricity matches demand. There are various ways to make the electricity system more flexible. In many places, wind and solar generation are complementary on a daily and a seasonal scale. There is more wind during the night and in winter when solar energy production is low. Linking different geographical regions through long-distance transmission lines also makes it possible to reduce variability. It

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5208-565: The grid, such as the February 2021 Texas power crisis , in which a winter storm caused outages in the state's isolated system, killing almost 250 people. Freezing temperatures shut down natural gas power plants and delivery systems . If power from further away could flow in to meet local shortfalls, the grid would be more resilient. Weather emergencies, such as cold snaps and heat waves , can disable electrical generation infrastructure, but when electrically interconnected geographic regions are larger than typical weather patterns, regions suffering

5292-528: The grid." Under provisions of the Act, FERC would give its planning regions flexibility in meeting the interregional transfer requirement. Grid upgrades could include new transmission lines or upgrades to existing ones, new or upgraded intra-regional transmission lines (to the degree that it increases interregional capacity), new generation, grid-enhancing technologies, or means to reduce peak loads such as energy efficiency or demand response measures. The BIG WIRES Act

5376-542: The highest number of Independent members in a single Congress since the ratification of the 17th Amendment after Joe Manchin left the Democratic Party to become an Independent. The 118th Congress has been characterized as a uniquely ineffectual Congress, with its most notable events pointing towards political dysfunction. The intense gridlock , particularly in the Republican-controlled House, where

5460-403: The installation of more clean energy , as increased transmission capacity is needed to transfer power from new wind and solar farms to population centers. The Inflation Reduction Act resulted in increased investments in clean energy, but Democrats consider a more efficient permitting process necessary in order to enable construction of those projects. A Princeton University study found that

5544-402: The large-scale use of carbon dioxide removal methods over the 21st century. There are concerns about over-reliance on these technologies, and their environmental impacts. But ecosystem restoration and reduced conversion are among the mitigation tools that can yield the most emissions reductions before 2030. Land-based mitigation options are referred to as "AFOLU mitigation options" in

5628-428: The largest share of consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions. It is responsible for nearly 20% of the global carbon footprint. Almost 15% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have been attributed to the livestock sector. A shift towards plant-based diets would help to mitigate climate change. In particular, reducing meat consumption would help to reduce methane emissions. If high-income nations switched to

5712-782: The lowest cost compared to other renewable energy options. The availability of sunshine and wind is variable and can require electrical grid upgrades, such as using long-distance electricity transmission to group a range of power sources. Energy storage can also be used to even out power output, and demand management can limit power use when power generation is low. Cleanly generated electricity can usually replace fossil fuels for powering transportation, heating buildings, and running industrial processes. Certain processes are more difficult to decarbonise, such as air travel and cement production . Carbon capture and storage (CCS) can be an option to reduce net emissions in these circumstances, although fossil fuel power plants with CCS technology

5796-655: The meeting noted those countries represent six of the top 15 methane emitters globally. Israel also joined the initiative. The energy system includes the delivery and use of energy. It is the main emitter of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Rapid and deep reductions in the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector are necessary to limit global warming to well below 2 °C. IPCC recommendations include reducing fossil fuel consumption, increasing production from low- and zero carbon energy sources, and increasing use of electricity and alternative energy carriers. Nearly all scenarios and strategies involve

5880-491: The other hand, environmental and security risks could outweigh the benefits. The construction of new nuclear reactors currently takes about 10 years. This is much longer than scaling up the deployment of wind and solar. And this timing gives rise to credit risks. However nuclear may be much cheaper in China. China is building a significant number of new power plants. As of 2019 the cost of extending nuclear power plant lifetimes

5964-500: The pledges for 2030. The rise would be 2.1 °C with the achievement of the long-term targets too. Full achievement of all announced targets would mean the rise in global temperature will peak at 1.9 °C and go down to 1.8 °C by the year 2100. Experts gather information about climate pledges in the Global Climate Action Portal - Nazca . The scientific community is checking their fulfilment. There has not been

6048-452: The root cause, which is greenhouse gases. SRM would work by altering how much solar radiation the Earth absorbs. Examples include reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the surface, reducing the optical thickness and lifetime of clouds, and changing the ability of the surface to reflect radiation. The IPCC describes SRM as a climate risk reduction strategy or supplementary option rather than

6132-437: The same service. Another way is to reduce the amount of service used. An example of this would be to drive less. Energy conservation is at the top of the sustainable energy hierarchy . When consumers reduce wastage and losses they can conserve energy. The upgrading of technology as well as the improvements to operations and maintenance can result in overall efficiency improvements. Efficient energy use (or energy efficiency )

6216-849: The slow carbon cycle. Methane is a short lived greenhouse gas that is produced by decaying organic matter and livestock, as well as fossil fuel extraction. Land use changes can also impact precipitation patterns and the reflectivity of the surface of the Earth . It is possible to cut emissions from agriculture by reducing food waste , switching to a more plant-based diet (also referred to as low-carbon diet ), and by improving farming processes. Various policies can encourage climate change mitigation. Carbon pricing systems have been set up that either tax CO 2 emissions or cap total emissions and trade emission credits . Fossil fuel subsidies can be eliminated in favor of clean energy subsidies , and incentives offered for installing energy efficiency measures or switching to electric power sources. Another issue

6300-537: The study would be an unacceptable delay. In particular, the debt ceiling bill directed the NERC to study, in consultation with all US grid operators and utilities, existing transfer capacity versus capacity required to "demonstrably strengthen reliability", with a time limit of 18 months to send its findings to FERC, which would then have 12 months to study the report and then issue conclusions to Congress. FERC by itself, without congressional approval or study results, already has

6384-539: The time frame used to calculate the global warming potential of the respective gas. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are measured in CO 2 equivalents . Scientists determine their CO 2 equivalents from their global warming potential (GWP). This depends on their lifetime in the atmosphere. There are widely used greenhouse gas accounting methods that convert volumes of methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases to carbon dioxide equivalents . Estimates largely depend on

6468-401: The tropics, where clearing of land for agriculture is one of the main causes. One forest conservation strategy is to transfer rights over land from public ownership to its indigenous inhabitants. Land concessions often go to powerful extractive companies. Conservation strategies that exclude and even evict humans, called fortress conservation , often lead to more exploitation of the land. This

6552-514: The words of Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres : "Main emitters must drastically cut emissions starting this year". Climate Action Tracker described the situation on 9 November 2021 as follows. The global temperature will rise by 2.7 °C by the end of the century with current policies and by 2.9 °C with nationally adopted policies. The temperature will rise by 2.4 °C if countries only implement

6636-471: The world should focus on broad-based economy-wide transformations and not incremental change. In 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Sixth Assessment Report on climate change. It warned that greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by 2030 to have a good chance of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F). Or in

6720-541: Was bipartisan interest in permitting reform, with Republicans stating interest in inclusion of a electrical transmission component. Appealing to conservatives, the bill's provisions do not increase government expenditure or favor any technology, countering Republican accusations that Democrats favor renewables. Peters and Hickenlooper have continued to discuss their proposal with Republican allies, seeking Republican co-sponsors. However, Senator Kevin Cramer ( R ‑ ND ) called

6804-541: Was eventually elected speaker on the 15th ballot. After relying on bipartisan votes to get out of a debt ceiling crisis and government shutdown threats , McCarthy became the first speaker to ever be removed from the role during a legislative session on October 3, 2023. Following three failed attempts by various representatives to fill the post, on October 25, Mike Johnson was elected as speaker . Johnson would advance four more bipartisan continuing resolutions from November into March to avoid shutdowns. Congress finalized

6888-583: Was introduced to Congress in September 2023 by Representative Scott Peters and Senator John Hickenlooper . The two Democrats had unsuccessfully attempted in May 2023 to insert a version of their proposal into the deal to address the 2023 United States debt-ceiling crisis . The bill had however existed in concept for some time before May 2023. The BIG WIRES proposal was among six other Democratic proposals in debt ceiling negotiations to accelerate construction of transmission lines and renewable energy projects. As part of

6972-399: Was necessary to almost halve emissions. "To get on track for limiting global warming to 1.5°C, global annual GHG emissions must be reduced by 45 per cent compared with emissions projections under policies currently in place in just eight years, and they must continue to decline rapidly after 2030, to avoid exhausting the limited remaining atmospheric carbon budget ." The report commented that

7056-417: Was the first congress since the 107th in which a member was expelled , and the first ever in which a Republican was. There was also an increase of censures passed in the House, being the first congress with multiple censures since the 1983 congressional page sex scandal and the most in one year since 1870. In December 2023, House Republicans authorized an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden , followed by

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