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The report analyzes how Highland Park, Michigan, can transition to 100 percent locally generated clean energy to achieve energy sovereignty. It identifies a total average annual electricity demand of approximately 86,200 MWh and proposes a mix of rooftop solar, community solar, energy efficiency, distributed solar, and a community water and energy resource center (CWERC) to meet this need. The analysis highlights that current utility restrictions and state policies create long payback periods for solar investments, but a proposed policy scenario—including full retail-rate net metering and state tax credits—could increase rooftop solar's contribution from 13 percent to nearly 30 percent of the city's energy needs. The document concludes with recommendations for Michigan policymakers to eliminate distributed generation caps and for Highland Park leaders to enact solar ordinances and establish local financing mechanisms.

The document outlines the use of HOMER Grid software to optimize energy systems in Highland Park, MI, assuming investments made in 2023. It details building stock estimates, electricity rate tariffs from DTE Energy, and the impact of policy incentives like net metering and SRECs on payback periods for residential and commercial solar installations.

The Union of Concerned Scientists outlines how state legislation can leverage energy storage to advance equity, focusing on replacing fossil fuel peaker plants, increasing community resiliency, and expanding access to distributed energy resources for low-income and overburdened communities.

The CLEAN Future Act of 2021 proposes a national goal of a 100% clean economy by 2050, with an interim target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2030 from 2005 levels. The legislation emphasizes 'climate federalism' by requiring states to develop emissions-reduction plans, and it integrates environmental justice through grants and increased air quality monitoring in burdened communities. Key sector-specific proposals include a Clean Electricity Standard requiring 100% zero-emissions power by 2035, over $100 billion for transportation electrification, and significant investments in building energy efficiency and industrial decarbonization. However, the document notes the bill lacks a national emissions cap for non-electricity sources and a mandate to phase out the sale of polluting vehicles.

Highland Park could be 100% powered by local clean energy resources through a combination of rooftop solar (30%), distributed solar (33%), community solar (6%), and energy efficiency (25%), alongside a Community Water and Energy Resource Center. An analysis suggests that installing nearly 44 MW of solar in Highland Park would save approximately $23 million. Achieving this requires the State of Michigan to eliminate solar restrictions and improve compensation, while the City of Highland Park must enact solar ordinances and develop local energy businesses.

The report explores how large utility customers, including cities and corporations, can achieve high renewable energy goals through various procurement models. It details options such as green tariffs, sleeved PPAs, and community solar, while addressing the critical role of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) in accounting and disclosure. The document emphasizes the need for collaboration between utilities, customers, and regulators to ensure that the transition to carbon-free energy is cost-effective, avoids cross-subsidization of non-participants, and maintains grid reliability.

The report argues that accelerating the retirement of coal plants in Illinois, beyond the mandates of the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA), would significantly improve public health and provide economic gains. Modeling shows that replacing coal with wind, solar, and energy storage is affordable and does not compromise grid reliability, as demonstrated by a case study of the Waukegan plant. The analysis highlights that pollution-burdened communities of color and low-income residents stand to benefit most from this transition.

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.

The document argues that the energy transition provides opportunities for utilities to serve low-and moderate-income (LMI) customers through innovative models such as on-bill financing, community solar, and virtual power plants. It highlights the systemic inequities LMI customers face, including a median energy burden of 7.2% compared to 2.3% for others, and the historical siting of polluting power plants in these communities. The report details eight specific program models—ranging from utility-owned PV systems to integrated service bundles—and emphasizes the need for utilities to shift from simply informing customers to empowering them in decision-making processes. It concludes that these shifts align with a broader utility evolution from an expanded monopoly toward a transformed platform operator.

Organic Valley reached its goal of 100 percent renewable electricity by partnering with OneEnergy Renewables and the Upper Midwest Municipal Energy Group (UMMEG) to develop community-scale solar projects. Because Wisconsin is a regulated utility market, the cooperative avoided direct power purchase agreements in favor of a partnership that developed 12 MW of solar for Organic Valley and an additional 17 MW for nearby communities, totaling 29 MW. Organic Valley secures its renewable energy by purchasing all renewable energy certificates (RECs) for the life of the projects. The initiative also incorporates pollinator-friendly solar standards, planting native wildflowers to support bee and butterfly habitats.

This guide explains the role of electric utilities and Public Utilities Commissions in US energy policy, while detailing specific mechanisms like distributed generation, community solar, net metering, and decoupling that facilitate the transition to renewable energy.

The mining industry is a major global energy consumer, with 2014 consumption reaching almost 1,400 TWh, representing between 1.25% and 11% of total world energy use. Much of this energy is provided by carbon-intensive diesel generation, particularly at remote off-grid sites. However, falling costs for solar PV and wind energy—with global LCOE dropping by 85% and 66% respectively since 2009—now make renewables cost-competitive with diesel and grid power. The document suggests that most mining functions, excluding trucking, can be electrified, and that U.S. mines could convert an additional 30% of their energy load to electricity. Beyond carbon reduction, transitioning to renewables can provide mining companies with a 'social license to operate' by creating local jobs, improving community relations through microgrids or community solar, and helping national governments meet Paris Agreement NDCs. The 'Sunshine for Mines' program aims to catalyze the installation of 8 GW of renewable capacity in the mining sector by 2025.

The report addresses the conflict between the Northeastern U.S.'s aggressive renewable energy targets and its limited available land. It argues that meeting these goals requires a combination of innovative siting on low-conflict lands (such as brownfields and prison lands), the acceleration of offshore wind, the use of distributed energy resources, and the import of Canadian hydroelectricity. The authors emphasize that overcoming local opposition through early community engagement and 'Smart from the Start' principles is critical to avoiding project delays and failures.

The report identifies a significant investment opportunity in U.S. community-scale solar (CSS), estimated by NREL to be between $8.2 and $16.3 billion by 2020. It argues that CSS, typically sized between 0.5 and 5 MW, offers a cost-effective middle ground between residential and utility-scale solar. To unlock this potential, the document suggests adapting existing project finance and securitization models, utilizing innovative tools like New Markets Tax Credits, and implementing risk mitigants such as anchor tenants and subscription cushions to address customer attrition and regulatory uncertainty.

The Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC) aims to serve its 29,000 customers during the summer peak with 100 percent solar power by 2023. To achieve this, KCEC exited a restrictive contract with Tri-State Generation and Transmission via a $37 million exit fee funded by Guzman Renewable Energy Partners. The cooperative plans to deploy over 30 MW of community-scale solar, consisting of multiple 1 MW arrays, to maintain system reliability and lower costs through standardization. KCEC expects solar prices as low as 4.5 cents/kWh, providing rate certainty and local economic development opportunities.

The report argues that the U.S. distributed solar photovoltaics (DPV) market must shift from customer-centric value models to system-wide value models to sustain growth and meet SunShot Initiative targets. It proposes three 'bridge' business model building blocks: increasing access via subscription and community models, treating DPV as a grid resource through optimized siting and production, and bundling DPV with other distributed energy resources (DER) for resilience. The document emphasizes that achieving these goals requires collaboration between utilities and solar companies to reduce soft costs and capture operational benefits post-interconnection.

The EDGE model is a modular simulation tool developed by RMI to address the lack of analytical tools for evaluating distributed energy resources (DERs). It integrates resource portfolio planning, bulk power dispatch, distribution system simulation via OpenDSS, and rate/regulation accounting to determine the financial and operational impacts on utilities, customers, third-party providers, and society. While designed for utility or regional scales, it is not intended for national-level analysis or as a replacement for full distribution management systems.

The Clean Air Task Force highlights six counties in the Southwest—Mesa and Weld in Colorado, Summit and Iron in Utah, Mineral in Nevada, and Maricopa in Arizona—that have implemented outstanding solar ordinances. These ordinances are noted for balancing growth with protections, streamlining permitting for federal lands, and clarifying project scale through acreage thresholds rather than production capacity.

The document argues that integrating public health and equity into climate policy can broaden political support and save lives, estimating that low-carbon policies could avoid 1 million American deaths annually. It proposes a roadmap of legislative and agency actions, including banning natural gas expansion, transitioning to regenerative agriculture, and electrifying public transit, to align the U.S. with the Paris Agreement's 1.5C target. The brief emphasizes that health co-benefits could offset 10% to 41% of U.S. mitigation costs.

On-bill financing allows participants to make monthly repayments for energy upgrades through their existing utility bills. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) advocates for program designs that prioritize equity and accessibility for households typically excluded from energy efficiency initiatives. Beyond energy efficiency, these programs can be applied to distributed solar, community solar, and battery storage.