Biden's bet on a climate shift carries big risks

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden's pledge to cut America's climate warming emissions in half by 2030 is technologically feasible and, scientists say, ecologically imperative. Economically, it could be a gamble.

The speed of the president's promised transformation to an economy far less reliant on fossil fuels risks exposing vulnerabilities in the nation's electricity system and unsettling its transportation sector, while potentially increasing American reliance on goods imported from China. Utility chiefs say they could handle the transition over a slightly longer timeline, but they warn of rolling blackouts to meet the president's 2030 target. General Motors said it will sell only vehicles that have zero tailpipe emissions by 2035; the 2030 date has autoworkers worrying about steep job losses.

But if Biden can orchestrate the seamless transition that he is promising, the rewards could be high: lower risk of catastrophic climate change, a burst of new middle-class jobs and renewed global leadership for American companies in the industries administration officials believe will define the rest of the 21st century.

https://www.startribune.com/bidens-bet-on-a-climate-shift-carries-big-risks/600049832/