A recent environmental study gotBrian Depew of the Center for Rural Affairs thinking. After mulling the info from the Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project, Depew penned a column on the rural development potential of transforming the energy sector.
The goal in the U.S. is to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. This goal is feasible and affordable with current technology available. So, how does this affect folks in rural America? Achieving low carbon emissions will be possible by electrifying the energy sector.
Electrifying transportation and heat will go a long way toward reducing carbon pollution. And, as Depew points out, this represents a huge opportunity for rural economic development. That’s because most renewable energy is generated in wide open spaces outside of dense urban centers. That means, with every new megawatt of wind or solar built in rural areas, new job opportunities are created.