LETTER: Trump has an opportunity on green energy
Donald Trump aims to change climate policy by cutting EPA regulations and ending subsidies from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which had no Republican support. On the other hand, he plans to support a range of energy sources, promoting oil, gas, nuclear, geothermal, hydro and solar energy, … although he opposes wind energy.
Many Americans are worried about energy and the environment. Solar power is now cheaper than oil and gas, and battery prices are dropping. Nevada has plenty of sunshine, land, lithium resources, geothermal sites and a huge battery factory near Reno. This creates a big opportunity for clean energy development and growth.
To take advantage of this, we should use the free market to create clean, reliable and affordable energy. A good approach is a “carbon fee and dividend” policy, which suggests adding a small fee on fossil fuels at the point of extraction and gradually increasing it. This would raise fossil fuel prices over time. Importantly, all the fees collected should be returned to households, helping them cope with higher energy costs or encouraging them to choose cleaner options.
“Disruption” means introducing new, constructive ideas, not just opposing current policies. The new administration can push for a market-based policy that reduces reliance on fossil fuels while boosting jobs and the energy economy in Nevada. This should be part of the discussions for the 2025 budget.