Breakthrough: Gore Issues "Moon Shot" Call...

By Alisha Fowler, Breakthrough Generation Fellow

Today, Al Gore became a major ally in our ongoing effort to build consensus around an investment-centered approach to solving our energy crisis and inspiring our nation to tackle the energy challenge as the defining task of our era.

Gore issued a truly ambitious challenge for America "to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years." The organization he leads, the Alliance for Climate Protection, estimates the cost of making such a "moon shot call" a reality at 1.5 to 3 trillion dollars of public and private investment over 30 years. He issued this call to "all Americans - in every walk of life: to our political leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, engineers, and every citizen."

Gore's bold take on the energy and climate challenge is the public call we at the Breakthrough Institute have been both issuing for years, and waiting for. The energy challenge can and will be the "lynchpin of a bold new strategy needed to re-power America." Finally!

While Gore's rallying cry was strong, the details of his plan remain vague. Perhaps that was his strategy. Gore can be on many teams with the words he used today, at least initially.

Is he an advocate for research, development and deployment of clean energy technology, or mainly deployment of existing technology? We also do not know if Gore is calling for a more severe carbon tax, as he said we should speed up the transformation of our energy system through the implementation of a carbon tax, or if he is calling for a new multi-pronged strategy that would feature investment at its core as well as a politically feasible carbon price. If he chooses the latter, we are united!

What is clear is that Gore's words open up space for the next president to boldly address our energy challenge. Gore's ambitious call for trillions of dollars in investment over 30 years makes a presidential call for government investment of billions of dollars in clean energy technology over ten years seem far more conservative.

While Gore's speech contained the familiar apocalyptic undertones that pervaded "An Inconvenient Truth," the substance of his speech was truly inspiring. Gore's position has moved from one centered around personal sacrifice and inconvenient truths, to an inspirational call for our nation to band together and tackle our energy challenge head-on.

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