The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Electricity

The document outlines five specific actions for achieving carbon-free electricity: implementing Renewable Portfolio Standards, phasing out coal plants, modernizing rate designs, integrating distributed energy resources into grid planning, and expanding community solar access.

• Regional authorities are encouraged to implement Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) that mandate electric utilities to obtain a minimum percentage of electricity from renewable sources, with a preference for "reach" targets or a total of 100% renewable energy.
• The guide recommends phasing out coal-fired electricity generation using a variety of mechanisms, including emissions caps, carbon taxes, accelerated retirement of existing plants, and moratoria or financing prohibitions on new coal-fired power plant construction.
• To better reflect modern grid realities, the document suggests transitioning from legacy "block" rates to technology-agnostic designs, such as real-time dynamic pricing and granular time-of-use pricing, to properly value flexible demand, energy efficiency, and distributed energy resources.
• The guide advocates for responsive grid planning that integrates distributed energy resources (DERs)—such as behind-the-meter storage, customer-sited renewables, and flexible demand—as central components, moving away from legacy processes that rely solely on centralized bulk generation.
• To increase the accessibility of solar photovoltaics (PV) for those unable to install rooftop systems, the document recommends community-scale solar PV projects utilizing virtual metering, subscriptions, or fractional ownership.

APA

RMI (2018). The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Electricity. https://rmi.org/resources/the-carbon-free-regions-handbook-electricity/

Chicago

RMI. The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Electricity. 2018. https://rmi.org/resources/the-carbon-free-regions-handbook-electricity/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Electricity |date=22 August 2018 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/the-carbon-free-regions-handbook-electricity/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2018carbonfree, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Electricity}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2018}, month = aug, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/the-carbon-free-regions-handbook-electricity/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }