Low-Carbon Transition Strategies for the Southeast United States
This report explores unique opportunities and challenges for the Southeast region (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee) in the broader context of the transformative changes to the U.S. energy system that are required to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to net-zero emissions in 2050. The scale and rate of physical changes to the U.S. energy system will be significant, and the Southeast will play a critical role in enabling a national transition. The implications of these changes for the region will be far-reaching, offering opportunities to grow new industries and jobs, as well as the chance to deploy climate mitigation and adaption policies that help to ensure an equitable energy transition. There are two central questions about the Southeast region in this report: how does the physical energy infrastructure in the Southeast region need to evolve to enable a low carbon transition, and what are key decarbonization opportunities and challenges in the Southeast from a societal perspective? Answers to these questions can support regional stakeholders’ efforts to develop a shared vision of pathways to deep decarbonization, and advance discussions in states across the region. This study explores these questions in three sections. The first section provides context about the national pathways to deep decarbonization, which provides the basis for a Southeast regional exploration. The second section lays out the regional analysis approach and provides an in-depth exploration of Southeast-specific topics. The final section considers broader implications of the physical changes for policymakers, long-term planners, and stakeholders within the region.
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