thriving economy project 

21st Century Agricultural Opportunities – America’s food system is at risk. Farming practices and business models that worked for decades are struggling to keep up with modern economic realities. Farmers now rely on a variety of income sources to make ends meet and continue to provide the agricultural products that our communities and economy need. New technologies, practices, and strategies, such as innovative insurance design and risk exposure mitigation, will help manage landscapes, increase efficiencies, and support economies of scale to meet today’s challenges. Farmers are the backbone of our country, and policies are needed to not only support them, but empower them to grow our economy. 

Growing Rural Economies – Rural communities are facing unprecedented challenges, including natural disasters, high costs of equipment and labor, lack of economic mobility, limited broadband access, water quality and accessibility challenges, and more. These challenges can be leveraged into opportunities tied to manufacturing, advanced technology development, and new agricultural-based revenue streams. Technologies to limit costs while improving output and resilience will spur new development across these communities. 

Thriving, Affordable, Resilient Communities – Communities are the lifeblood of the American economy and bedrock of family life. From urban neighborhoods to rural areas, economic headwinds paired with increasingly severe and frequent climate threats are placing new and continued challenges directly on the doorsteps of all Americans. Overcoming these new, but growing, challenges present wide-ranging opportunities across a multitude of sectors, including adaptation and resilience, insurance, wildfire prevention, environmental justice, housing security and affordability, transportation, and more.

Safe, Clean, and Prosperous Ecosystems – Our nation’s natural resources are our greatest assets. They provide sustenance, economic opportunity, and hold the key to critical protections from a rapidly changing climate. National parks and other public lands are some of the most important economic drivers across the country, providing opportunities for outdoor recreation, like hunting, fishing, hiking, playing, rock-climbing, wildlife watching, and more. But they cannot be taken for granted. From the oceans to public lands, and everything in between, responsible stewardship, rooted in science and undertaken collaboratively as these are shared resources, helps maintain a healthy environment and growing economy.

Cheap, Abundant, and Clean American Energy for All – A growing economy must have the tools and infrastructure required to meet increasing electricity demand. It currently takes longer to connect energy resources to the grid than it did for the U.S. to enter, fight, and win World War II. Streamlined and forward-thinking growth policies, centered around communities’ needs, are integral to allowing American industry to meet the moment and deliver on the economy promised to all Americans. Improved federal and state processes, novel approaches such as expanded grid and load flexibility, and technological advancements in grid digitalization and intelligent systems for interconnection queues and for grid efficiency, flexibility, and resilience will maintain an affordable energy supply without compromising or inhibiting economic and demand growth. Increased electricity demand will also pull forward commercialization of clean, firm power technologies. Smart policies are needed to ensure ratepayers benefit from all of these changes.

Next-Generation Energy Technology Researched, Developed, and Built in America – Technology is the cornerstone of clean energy development and implementation. For over a century, American technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation have pushed boundaries and led the world. The transition to a sustainable economy can, and should, be no different. Fostering an innovation ecosystem will drive technological advancement across the economy, including in AI for scientific research and manufacturing, next-generation power technologies like fusion, and industrial decarbonization of energy-intensive trade-exposed sectors like steel and cement.  

A Nationally Secure, Globally Competitive Energy Sector – America cannot be energy secure if it continues to be reliant on foreign competitors. Critical mineral supply chains are disproportionately controlled by China and other adversaries, creating significant energy security concerns across American industry. Onshoring supply chains, strengthening relationships with allies and strategic partners, and expanding domestic resources are key parts of securing America’s energy future. 

Accessible, Low-Cost Finance for a Clean Energy Future – Financial systems need to work both today and for the economy of the future. Access to low-cost and flexible financing can unlock economic growth in communities from the ground up.  Financial policies, such as carbon credits, carbon pricing, growth-focused tax credits, and conduit financing, are just a few examples of how the financial institutions of today can be leveraged to empower sustained economic growth now and into the future.

Government that Delivers – The federal government is a vital partner in unlocking an economy that drives growth while protecting consumers. But the challenges the government faces today are different and new. Creating efficient institutional systems that serve the people and enable forward-looking, adaptive policy development and implementation is a key component of achieving climate-ready clean energy and economic goals.