Most experts believe that it will be expensive and challenging to shift from today's energy system, which is largely based on fossil fuels with their associated greenhouse gas emissions, to a new zero-carbon energy system. The size of this challenge is why changes in government policy have been slow to develop, while greenhouse gas emissions continue apace.
But a vocal and growing number of analysts believe that decarbonizing the energy system will be surprisingly easy and free. Many believers in cheap decarbonization focus on the promise of renewable energy, despite the fact that there are many ways to cut emissions. We have the technology now to move to a carbon-free economy, so they say, if only vested political interests from fossil fuel companies would get out of the way.
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