have a large potential to reduce GHG emissions, the risks of nuclear power are also of significant concern and need to be successfully resolved.
Develop and demonstrate power plants equipped with carbon capture and sequestration technology. Carbon capture and sequestration could be a critically important option for our future energy system. It needs to be commercially demonstrated in a variety of full-scale power plant applications to better understand the costs involved and the technological, social, and regulatory barriers that may arise.
Advance low-GHG-emitting transportation options. Near-term opportunities exist to reduce GHGs from the transportation sector through increasing vehicle efficiency, supporting shifts to energy-efficient modes of passenger and freight transport, and advancing low-GHG fuels.
Accelerate the retirement, retrofitting, or replacement of emissions-intensive infrastructure. Transitioning to a low-carbon energy system requires clear and credible policies that enable not only the deployment of new technologies but also the retrofitting, retiring, or replacement of existing emissions-intensive infrastructure. If immediate action is not initiated, the existing emissions-intensive capital stock will rapidly consume the U.S. emissions budget.
Create new technology choices. See discussion in Chapter 5.