While the last few votes are still trickling in, all major news outlets have now reported that Joe Biden has defeated Donald Trump to become the 46th President of the United States.
The federal government under President Biden – whose victory speech focused on unity and healing – will surely look quite a bit different from the current administration. And given that we recently announced that we are expanding our North American presence and opening an office outside Washington, DC, there’s a lot for us to be excited about from a Biden presidency.
One of the major policy promises of the Biden campaign is a climate plan that calls for a clean energy future, including a commitment for the United States to reach net-zero emissions no later than 2050. As a provider of sustainable energy solutions to commercial and industrial customers – including electric vehicles, solar PV, batteries and microgrids – the President-Elect‘s dedication to fighting climate change and building a carbon-free energy system is music to our ears.
Among several pillars in the impressive plan, which includes US$2 trillion in new clean energy technology spending over 4 years, the Biden Plan aims to direct investments across nearly all of VivoPower’s business areas:
- Auto Industry: Creating 1 million new jobs in America’s automotive sector, including work to build EV charging stations
- Transit: Developing reliable, emissions-free public transit options, such as electric light rail and bus networks
- Power Sector: Building new renewable power infrastructure – including solar and batteries – to achieve a carbon-free U.S. power system by 2035
- Innovation: Driving cost reductions, and commercialising battery storage and other clean energy technologies critical to achieving Biden’s net-zero goal
However these plans are finally realised, one thing is certain: after 4 years of a president and administration that routinely labelled climate change a ‘hoax’ while rolling back a host of environmental regulations, Joe Biden’s victory is excellent news for VivoPower and other advocates of a clean energy future.
