Jane Fonda on the Climate Voters for Harris-Walz Zoom call just said:

Transitioning off fossil fuels will cost the U.S. USD$38T by 2050.
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My Opinion:
It certainly would have been much much less had we started from the very first Earth Day! Extinction is forever. Better late than never!

ChatGPT:
The cost of transitioning the U.S. off fossil fuels by 2050 is highly debated and depends on several factors, including the pace of the transition, technological advancements, and policy choices. Estimates vary widely:

1. **Princeton University Study (2020)**: Estimates the cost of transitioning the U.S. energy system to net-zero emissions by 2050 at about $9.4 trillion. This includes investments in renewable energy, infrastructure, and technology.

2. **McKinsey & Company Report (2021)**: Estimates a $4.5 trillion investment is needed by 2030 for the U.S. to be on track to reach net-zero by 2050. This includes spending on clean energy, grid infrastructure, and energy efficiency.

3. **Goldman Sachs (2020)**: Estimates that decarbonizing the U.S. economy could require around $16 trillion by 2050, considering investments in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and related infrastructure.

4. **The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)**: Suggests that the costs could be lower if technological advancements continue to drive down the price of renewable energy and storage solutions.

It's important to note that these costs are offset by potential savings from reduced healthcare costs due to improved air quality, job creation in renewable energy sectors, and the avoidance of costs associated with climate change impacts.

When this "energy transition" is promoted by fossil fuel companies and institutions supported by fossil fuel companies it's absolutely fraudulent.

Sure, we can replace coal power plants with hybrid natural gas / solar / wind systems, and we can replace gasoline and diesel powered vehicles with electrics, but then what? Fossil fuels are still an essential component of such an economy. As more and more people throughout the world achieve some sort of affluence the demand for fossil fuels only increases.

We humans have become dependent on high density energy resources and historically that's been fossil fuels.

Like it or not, the only energy resource capable of displacing fossil fuels entirely is nuclear power.

If we truly want to quit fossil fuels we need to start building nuclear power plants assembly line fashion and we need to start banning the use of fossil fuels for certain uses as these new nuclear power plants come online.

We also ought to be reducing the number of automobiles. This planet cannot support a personal automobile for every adult human, no matter what those automobiles are powered by. We need to be rebuilding our cities, turning them into affordable attractive places where automobile ownership is unnecessary.

Both these ideas are a tough sell, even here on Democratic Underground.