Search Climate Insights Directory

A statement by EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette arguing that addressing racial inequality and injustice is a prerequisite for successfully meeting the challenges of climate change and achieving an equitable transition to a clean energy economy.

This policy brief outlines a pathway for the United States to achieve 90 percent zero carbon electricity by 2035, leveraging falling technology costs to drive economic recovery and emissions reductions without increasing consumer electricity bills.

This policy brief outlines a pathway for the United States to achieve 90 percent zero carbon electricity by 2035, leveraging falling costs of solar, wind, and battery technologies. It details the economic and health benefits of this transition and provides specific policy recommendations for federal departments, agencies, and national laboratories to accelerate decarbonization.

This policy brief outlines a pathway for the United States to achieve 90 percent zero carbon electricity by 2035, leveraging falling costs of solar, wind, and battery technologies. It argues that this transition can occur without increasing customer electricity bills and provides a series of regulatory and market recommendations for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and regional transmission organization/independent system operators (RTOs/ISOs) to facilitate this shift.

This policy brief outlines a pathway for the United States to achieve 90 percent zero carbon electricity by 2035, leveraging falling costs of solar, wind, and battery technologies to avoid increasing customer bills while stimulating economic recovery and job growth.

The 'US Stimulus Strategy' report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides four primary policy recommendations for a zero-carbon economic recovery in the United States following the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategy focuses on decarbonizing buildings and transportation, implementing debt forgiveness tied to emissions reductions, and establishing a federal Economic Recovery Facility to finance clean energy projects.

This research paper analyzes risk characterization in decarbonization pathways across fifteen case studies in twelve countries, highlighting the difference in risk perception between academic experts and other stakeholders.

This guide by RMI provides five strategic tips for utility regulators to maintain progress on long-term climate and energy goals during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the use of virtual technology and the prioritization of decarbonization efforts.

This briefing by RMI examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transit, arguing that the crisis provides a unique opportunity to modernize transit systems through data-driven redesign, the prioritization of bus lanes over single-occupancy vehicles, and the continued pursuit of bus electrification to improve health and climate outcomes.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) outlines a community-based approach to enhancing energy resilience in the Upper Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado, in partnership with Holy Cross Energy (HCE). Following the 2018 Lake Christine Fire, which nearly disabled power to the region, RMI led a five-month stakeholder process to identify and prioritize distributed energy solutions. The report advocates for a shift from traditional grid hardening and isolated backup generators toward integrated distributed energy resources (DERs) that provide both emergency backup ("black sky") and daily operational ("blue sky") value.

This report analyzes electric generation procurement by vertically integrated utilities in the United States, contrasting 'all-source' procurements—which are technology-neutral—with single-source processes. Using case studies from states like Colorado, Georgia, and New Mexico, the authors argue that utilities often exercise monopsony power to favor self-built, gas-fired generation over cheaper renewable alternatives. The report provides five best practices for regulators to ensure fair, competitive, and cost-effective procurement of power plants.

The World Resources Institute criticizes Japan's updated nationally determined contribution (NDC), stating it fails to increase ambition from the 2015 target and ignores significant economic opportunities and climate risks.

This policy brief by RMI discusses the challenges financial institutions face when aligning investment portfolios with the Paris Agreement's decarbonization goals, proposing a sector-by-sector approach to overcome these barriers.

This briefing by RMI argues that the electric vehicle (EV) sector represents a massive untapped opportunity to drive global demand for renewable energy. It proposes that EV charge point operators (CPOs), mobility service providers (eMSPs), and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) should implement 100% renewable energy charging solutions, starting with large fleets, to stimulate new renewable energy capacity and reduce operational costs compared to internal combustion engine vehicles.

This March 2020 report by Global Energy Monitor and partners tracks the global development of coal-fired power plants in 2019. It highlights a general global decline in new coal plant starts and pre-construction activity, contrasted with a net increase in global capacity driven primarily by China. The report details the shift in financing away from Western commercial banks toward public finance, particularly from Japan and China, and notes a record low in global coal plant utilization.

Boom & Bust 2020 is a report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzing global coal-fired power plant development in 2019. It details a general decline in the pipeline for new coal capacity, driven by financial restrictions and climate commitments, though this trend is countered by significant new capacity coming online in China.

The 'Boom and Bust 2020' report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzes global coal power plant trends in 2019. It highlights a general decline in new coal project proposals and construction, though China remains a significant outlier with continued capacity increases. The report emphasizes the growing gap between current trends and the IPCC's requirement to reduce coal power by 80% by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

This briefing describes the draft Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s (CLEAN) Future Act, a legislative proposal by Democratic leaders on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to achieve a net-zero greenhouse gas pollution economy by 2050 through cross-sectoral policies.

This fact sheet details a EUR 500 million (USD 554 million) green bond issued by National Grid on January 20, 2020, with a five-year tenor maturing in 2025. The bond is intended to fund a wide range of green projects, including renewable energy infrastructure, energy efficiency, green buildings, clean transportation, pollution control, and sustainable land management.

A statement by EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette arguing that environmental justice must be a core value in climate solutions to ensure a fair transition to a clean energy economy, illustrated by community-led efforts in Virginia, Michigan, and Louisiana.