Breakthrough: Gore Embraces $3 Trillion Clean Energy Investment

Early reporting on Gore's "reset" button speech on climate says he will call for the nation to produce every kilowatt of electricity through wind, sun and other Earth-friendly energy sources within 10 years.

Reported from the AP this morning:

"I have never seen an opportunity for the country like the one that's emerging now," Gore told The Associated Press in an interview previewing a speech on global warming he was to deliver Thursday in Washington.
Gore said he fully understands the magnitude of the challenge.

The Alliance for Climate Protection, a bipartisan group that he chairs, estimates the cost of transforming the nation to so-called clean electricity sources at $1.5 trillion to $3 trillion over 30 years in public and private money. But he says it would cost about as much to build ozone-killing coal plants to satisfy current demand.

"This is an investment that will pay itself back many times over," Gore said. "It's an expensive investment but not compared to the rising cost of continuing to invest in fossil fuels."

...

To meet his 10-year goal, Gore said nuclear energy output would continue at current levels while the nation dramatically increases its use of solar, wind, geothermal and so-called clean coal energy. Huge investments must also be made in technologies that reduce energy waste and link existing grids, he said.

Andy Revkin at Dot Earth has an annotated copy of Gore's speech, to be delivered later today in Washington D.C. Stay tuned for additional commentary on Gore's landmark call for a clean energy investment agenda...

Post a comment