Report: A Progressive Climate Innovation Agenda
By Arjun Krishnaswami and Jake Higdon
Executive Summary
The coronavirus pandemic has rattled the United States, leaving more than 170,000 Americans dead, millions sick, and tens of millions unemployed as we write. The nation needs expanded and prolonged federal relief to help people weather this storm, followed by a renewed commitment to the institutions and approaches that can prevent looming social, economic, and environmental crises. To help avoid the worst effects of the climate crisis and contribute to economic recovery, the federal government should invest in developing and deploying the next generation of clean technologies and infrastructure that can make us safer, healthier, and more resilient—and in doing so mobilize millions of Americans to create the low-carbon economy we need. Not only is clean energy innovation a key part of a smart economic recovery package, but it should also be considered an essential component of the progressive climate platform.
Using government money to drive down costs for green technologies—when deployed alongside infrastructure investment, pollution standards, and equitable safeguards for vulnerable populations—will speed up our transition to a clean and vibrant economy. Historically, though, much of the rhetoric around U.S. federal energy innovation has focused on fossil fuels, energy independence, and geopolitics. Even as federal investment in clean technologies has ramped up, many lawmakers have presented it as an alternative to government regulation of climate pollution. These approaches fall short of what is necessary to transform our economy in the timeframe science demands.
An effective federal clean energy innovation strategy is not only critical for tackling climate change but also a winning political issue that progressives should embrace. This report offers a framework and policy recommendations for a federal innovation agenda that complements other climate policy to unlock a net-zero emissions global economy, establish United States leadership on climate, and advance progressive social and economic objectives.
