Power companies: Washington should implement policies to cut carbon emissions

Some U.S. electricity companies have urged President Joe Biden to implement policies to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2030. In a letter to the President, the companies said that it will work if his administration and Congress design a broad set of policies to reach a near-term goal of slashing the sector’s carbon emissions by 2030.

The group of 13 power companies, including generators Exelon Corp, PSEG and Talen Energy Corp, said in a letter to Biden that Washington should implement a clean energy standard, or CES, to ensure the electricity industry cuts carbon emissions 80% below 2005 levels by 2030.

“A federal policy framework can be designed to support the power sector’s deployment of strategies that are technically feasible, ensure reliability, and maintain affordability for customers,” said the letter, sent to Biden on Friday.

As a part of his strategy to fight climate change, Biden aims to fully decarbonize the power sector by 2035. The letter, though not mentioning the above, in its 2030 timeline is consistent with Biden’s wider goal of decarbonizing the entire economy by 2050.

Several lawmakers, including Democrats U.S. Representative Frank Pallone and Senator Tina Smith, have introduced legislation that includes a CES.