Biden sets a lofty solar power goal

Last year, solar energy provided less than 4 percent of the United States' electricity. On Wednesday, the Biden administration said it wants to get that number up to 45 percent by mid-century.

The Energy Department's announcement is the latest example of the White House's ambitious goals aimed at fighting climate change. To get to the point they want to reach, the U.S. will have to double the amount of solar energy installed every year over the next four years compared with last year, and then double that amount again by 2030.

That won't be an easy task The New York Times notes, while The Washington Post points out that much of the execution will ultimately be decided by Congress, which will have to continue to fund such projects. With that in mind, there's certainly skepticism about the U.S. hitting the target in time.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The good news for proponents of solar energy is that the cost of installations has declined significantly in recent years, seemingly making it more feasible to scale up.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm added in a statement that the shift to solar could employ as many as 1.5 million people without boosting energy prices. Read more at The Washington Post and The New York Times.