Out today: A large team of energy experts say in a newly-published study that, from an economic and practical standpoint, achieving a nearly carbon emissions-free power system will require a wide range of energy sources, not just renewables.
Why it matters: The new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences comes amid a debate over how to eventually bring about the "deep decarbonization" needed to prevent the most dangerous levels of global warming.
"[T]he weight of the evidence suggests that a broad portfolio of energy options will help facilitate an affordable transition to a near-zero emission energy system."
The closest thing President Trump has to a climate and energy policy is actually a collection of contradictions.
He touts natural gas as a carbon-cutting mechanism, but he also promises to bring back the carbon-emitting coal industry. He talks about "clean coal," but his actions will make it harder for "clean coal" technology to make any headway.
Why it matters: Misleading statements are nothing new in Washington. But these contradictions are becoming the Trump administration's core policy framework. Top officials, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt have over the last couple of weeks repeatedly pushed these contradictory positions, so let's take a closer look at them.
