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15 results
Investment Needs of Indonesia's Just Energy Transition: A Framework
This report by the Climate Policy Initiative proposes a framework for quantifying investment needs to ensure Indonesia's energy transition is equitable, using the early retirement of the Cirebon 1 coal-fired power plant as a case study.
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Document type: Report
State of Transition
This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the role of state-owned power companies (SPCs) in driving clean energy transitions within emerging markets and developing economies, featuring case studies from India, Indonesia, South Africa, and Viet Nam.
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Document type: Report
The Sherco Clean Repowering: How One Community Turned a Coal Plant into a Hub for a New Clean Economy
This case study examines the transition of the Sherburne County Generating Station (Sherco) in Minnesota from a coal-fired power plant to a clean energy hub. It details how Xcel Energy, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC), and local stakeholders utilized federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), along with a 'generator replacement' process to bypass interconnection queues, to replace coal capacity with solar and battery storage while supporting the local workforce and economy.
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Document type: Case study
Feedback on the JETP CIPP
Ember provides formal feedback on Indonesia's Comprehensive Investment and Policy Plan (CIPP) under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), arguing that the current plan underestimates emissions by excluding captive power and lacks sufficient ambition in solar and wind deployment. The organization calls for a re-evaluation of bioenergy risks, more transparent financing details regarding GFANZ, and a stronger commitment to coal retirement that aligns with the IEA's 1.5 degree scenario.
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Document type: Statement
Coal Cost Crossover 3.0
The report 'Coal Cost Crossover 3.0' analyzes the economic viability of existing coal-fired power plants in the United States compared to new renewable energy alternatives. Using 2021 data and accounting for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the study finds that nearly all coal plants are more expensive to operate than replacing them with wind or solar, particularly when resources are sited locally to leverage existing grid interconnections and energy community tax credits.
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Document type: Report
Small Changes Could Yield Big Savings for Georgia Electricity Customers
This policy brief by RMI outlines how the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) can reduce the high energy burden on Georgia electricity customers through specific regulatory reforms. It argues that while Georgia has low electricity rates, it has some of the highest bills in the contiguous US, disproportionately affecting low-income and minority households. The document proposes four primary levers for the PSC: implementing securitization, reforming the Return on Equity (ROE) for Georgia Power, establishing fuel-cost sharing mechanisms, and updating system planning to align with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
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Document type: Policy brief
Powering Rural Economic Development with Renewables
This policy brief by RMI argues that federal incentives are necessary to help electric cooperatives (co-ops) retire aging coal plants and transition to renewable energy, which would drive significant economic development in rural US communities.
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Document type: Policy brief
COMPARING 2019 SECURITIZATION LEGISLATION IN COLORADO, MONTANA, AND NEW MEXICO
This briefing by Energy Innovation compares 2019 securitization legislation passed in Colorado, Montana, and New Mexico. These laws allow utilities to issue ratepayer-backed bonds to refinance investments in early-retired electric generation plants, primarily coal, to reduce consumer costs by replacing high-cost corporate finance with low-cost debt.
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Document type: Briefing
SOLAR FOR COAL SWAPS
This briefing explores "solar for coal swaps," a private-sector financial model where third parties purchase and retire uneconomic coal assets from utilities in exchange for providing new solar generation. The document argues that this approach can accelerate the clean energy transition, particularly for municipal and cooperative utilities, by leveraging private capital to bypass utility inertia and reduce consumer costs.
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Document type: Briefing
UTILITY MONOPSONY REGULATION: WHAT’S BEHIND LOW-COST WIND AND SOLAR BIDS IN COLORADO?
This policy brief analyzes how the Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo) achieved low-cost wind and solar bids through a competitive procurement process that mitigated the utility's monopsony market power. The author argues that these results were the product of long-term regulatory oversight, transparent planning, and a structured approval process by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
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Document type: Policy brief
Successfully Shaping the Clean Energy Transition
This briefing by RMI outlines the progress made in the US electricity landscape during 2018 and identifies the structural barriers and regulatory questions that must be addressed in 2019 to accelerate the clean energy transition. It focuses on the need to reform utility business models, modernize grid planning, integrate beneficial electrification, and ensure an equitable transition for low-income customers and communities affected by the retirement of uneconomic fossil fuel assets.
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Document type: Briefing
DEPRECIATION AND EARLY PLANT RETIREMENTS
This briefing by Energy Innovation examines how utility depreciation accounting and regulatory asset management influence the transition from coal-fired power plants to clean energy in the United States. It details the mechanisms regulators use to handle 'stranded assets'—plants that become uneconomic before their useful life ends—and the trade-offs between accelerated and extended depreciation schedules regarding consumer rates and investor returns.
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Document type: Briefing
UTILITY FINANCIAL TRANSITION IMPACTS: FROM FOSSIL TO CLEAN
This briefing by Energy Innovation examines the financial mechanisms available to regulated investor-owned utilities to transition from fossil fuel generation to clean energy. Using Colorado as a case study, the document outlines a three-step process for analyzing the marginal cost of energy (MCOE), managing the financial impacts of early coal plant retirements, and utilizing refinancing tools like debt-for-equity swaps and securitization to balance the interests of consumers, investors, and impacted communities.
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Document type: Briefing
STEEL FOR FUEL: OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTORS AND CUSTOMERS
This policy brief outlines the "steel for fuel" investment strategy, where utilities replace uneconomic fossil fuel plants with renewable energy assets. By shifting from variable fuel expenses (which earn no return) to capital investments in wind and solar (which earn regulated returns), utilities can increase shareholder earnings while reducing costs for consumers. Using Xcel Energy as a primary example, the brief discusses the role of competitive bidding, the difference between utility-owned assets and Power Purchase Agreements, and the regulatory environment in the United States.
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Document type: Policy brief
RENEWABLE ENERGY PARKS: AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR PUEBLO, COLORADO
This report proposes the creation of an "energy park" in Pueblo, Colorado, as an economic development strategy to replace the retiring Comanche coal plant. The strategy involves a diversified portfolio of clean energy resources and "flexible" industrial technologies to maintain tax revenue and grid reliability while reducing costs for electricity customers.
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Document type: Report