In an effort to combat climate change, the U.S. and Brazil will increase the amount of electricity generated by renewable sources – other than hydropower – to 20% by 2030.
The announcement was made during Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's recent meeting with President Obama.
During the meeting, Obama and Rousseff reiterated their call for a successful outcome at the upcoming Paris Climate Change Conference. According to the White House, the Paris outcome should send a strong signal to the international community that governments, businesses and civil society are decisively taking on the climate challenge.
Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, is encouraged by the announcement. Â
‘The U.S. wind energy industry applauds the administration's latest commitment today to increase renewable energy in America," says Kiernan. ‘We are glad to see U.S. progress in this area stimulating progress in other countries. The 20 percent by 2030 target is very achievable in our view, and consistent with recent government estimates. The agreement calls for tripling the amount of low-cost, reliable wind energy, but we can quadruple by 2030 with the right policies, so even more can be done. To rapidly move towards that goal, Congress must pass long-term, stable tax policy as soon as possible.’
