Clean Economy Now: Stories from the Frontlines of an American Business Revolution

This optimistic report from Keefe (Climatenomics)—executive director of the Environmental Entrepreneurs business group, which advocates for sustainable government policy—surveys how corporate and legislative efforts to protect the environment are creating jobs, lowering consumer costs, and increasing corporate profits. In the private sector, Keefe details North Carolina company Trane Technologies’s work developing robust heat pumps, explaining that the machines “use electricity to gather heat, condition it with refrigerant, and move it around” in a process that is “three to five times more efficient than traditional HVAC systems” and saves the “average household about $500 a year.” Highlighting how lawmakers are advancing the “clean economy revolution,” Keefe lauds former Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker for signing a 2022 law requiring the state to “develop new offshore wind resources,” which Baker believed would serve as long-term generators of jobs and economic growth. Keefe makes a convincing argument that public and private entities need to work in tandem to combat the climate crisis, pointing out that electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla owes at least some of its success to a $465 million loan from the Department of Energy. The emphasis on how clean energy benefits consumers, workers, and the economy offers a potent message for bridging political division around the issue. Keefe’s insights will appeal to business leaders and climate activists alike. (Apr.)