TOP STATE ENERGY POLICIES TO CUT CARBON EMISSIONS

The report demonstrates that implementing five core policies—clean electricity standards, zero-emission vehicle standards, clean building equipment standards, industrial efficiency and emissions standards, and methane detection and capture standards—can dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions in Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Using the Energy Policy Simulator (EPS), the authors find that these policies not only reduce emissions but also drive job growth, increase GDP, and prevent premature deaths by reducing air pollutants. The analysis highlights that while state emissions profiles vary—with Louisiana dominated by industry and New Mexico by methane from oil and gas—these five policies provide a consistent framework for decarbonization.

• A combination of five specific policies—clean electricity standards, zero-emission vehicle standards, clean building equipment standards, industrial efficiency and emissions standards, and standards for methane detection, capture, and destruction—can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions across states with diverse emissions profiles.
• The projected emissions reductions by 2050 under the 'Five Policies Scenario' vary by state: Pennsylvania would see the largest reduction at 87%, followed by Louisiana (82%), Michigan (78%), Wisconsin (72%), New Mexico (48%), and Minnesota (49%).
• The implementation of these five policies is projected to create between 13,000 and 118,000 net new jobs and result in a 1 to 3 percent increase in GDP relative to the business-as-usual scenario by 2030 for the six analyzed states.
• Public health benefits from these policies include the avoidance of 5 to 300 premature deaths annually in 2030, with the most significant benefits occurring in communities of color due to the proximity of fossil-fuel infrastructure to disadvantaged communities.
• The monetized social benefits, including avoided deaths and climate benefits, for the five policies in the six states are estimated to range from $1 billion to $9 billion in 2030, with a cumulative range from 2023 to 2030 of $3.6 billion to $35 billion.
• State emissions profiles differ significantly: Louisiana's emissions are dominated by the industrial sector (nearly two-thirds of gross GHG emissions), while New Mexico's are heavily influenced by methane from oil and gas extraction, and Michigan's building sector emissions exceed its industrial emissions.

APA

ORVIS, R., ASHMOORE, O., GOLDSTEIN, R., AGGARWAL, A., IYER, N., & CLARK-SUTTON, K. (2023). TOP STATE ENERGY POLICIES TO CUT CARBON EMISSIONS. Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Top-State-Energy-Policies-to-Cut-Greenhouse-Gas-Emissions.pdf

Chicago

ORVIS, ROBBIE, OLIVIA ASHMOORE, RACHEL GOLDSTEIN, ASHNA AGGARWAL, NATHAN IYER, and KYLE CLARK-SUTTON. TOP STATE ENERGY POLICIES TO CUT CARBON EMISSIONS. Energy Innovation, 2023. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Top-State-Energy-Policies-to-Cut-Greenhouse-Gas-Emissions.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{orvis2023top, author = {ORVIS, ROBBIE and ASHMOORE, OLIVIA and GOLDSTEIN, RACHEL and AGGARWAL, ASHNA and IYER, NATHAN and CLARK-SUTTON, KYLE}, title = {{TOP STATE ENERGY POLICIES TO CUT CARBON EMISSIONS}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Top-State-Energy-Policies-to-Cut-Greenhouse-Gas-Emissions.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }