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EVGO FLEET AND TARIFF ANALYSIS PHASE 1: CALIFORNIA
The analysis finds that high utility demand charges are a primary barrier to the profitability of public DCFC operators, sometimes accounting for over 90% of electricity costs. By modeling current usage data from 230 California stations across four future EV growth scenarios, the report demonstrates that proposed EV-specific tariffs from Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)—which reduce or eliminate demand charges—would significantly lower costs and enable a more sustainable business model. The authors argue for a shift toward time-varying volumetric rates and the socialization of some infrastructure costs to meet California's transportation electrification goals.
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Document type: Report
Driving Integration
The report argues that the rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) requires a shift in regulatory paradigms to ensure that new loads benefit rather than impair the electricity grid. It emphasizes the role of state utility regulators in designing smart charging policies, rate structures, and infrastructure ownership models. Through case studies of California and Washington, the document illustrates different approaches to EV deployment and integration, highlighting the need for adaptive regulation, such as scalable pilots and scenario-based distribution planning, to manage the unpredictable nature of EV adoption.
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Document type: Report
Electrifying the Vehicle Market
The report analyzes the US electric vehicle (EV) market as of 2016, finding that while cumulative sales were nearing 500,000, progress among automakers is uneven. BMW, General Motors, Nissan, and Tesla are identified as leaders, while Honda, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler are characterized as laggards. A significant disparity in vehicle availability exists between California and the rest of the US, largely attributed to California's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program. The authors argue that limited model availability and poor dealership inventory outside California hinder the national transition to electric transportation.
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Document type: Report
ELECTRIC VEHICLES AS DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES
The report argues that electric vehicles (EVs) represent a significant demand-side opportunity for the electricity grid. By treating EV charging as a distributed energy resource (DER), utilities can use smart charging—even without vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities—to avoid infrastructure investment, integrate more variable renewables, and reduce system costs. The authors emphasize that charging behavior is most effectively influenced in the first few months of ownership, necessitating early action on rate design and infrastructure planning. Through modeling in five U.S. states and analysis of California pilots, the report demonstrates that optimized charging can substantially flatten load profiles and prevent peak demand increases. It outlines various roles for utilities (facilitator, manager, provider) and recommends the use of time-of-use (TOU) and dynamic pricing to shift loads to off-peak hours.
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Document type: Report
What does the Paris Agreement mean for climate protection in Germany
The document argues that for Germany to be compatible with the Paris Agreement's goals of limiting temperature increase to well below 2°C and aiming for 1.5°C, it must achieve zero CO2 emissions before 2035. This would require a 100% renewable energy mix across all sectors by 2035, a complete phase-out of coal by approximately 2025, and the renovation of 5% of existing buildings annually to nearly zero energy standards.
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Document type: Briefing
The Landscape of Climate Finance in Germany
The report details climate finance in Germany across five key sectors. In 2010, the energy sector saw EUR 10.3 billion in climate-specific investment, dominated by private funding (98%) and renewable energy. The buildings sector received at least EUR 16.3 billion, primarily from households. The agriculture sector saw EUR 5.4 billion, almost entirely in renewables. Industry climate-specific investment was EUR 579 million in 2009, mostly for energy efficiency. Transport climate-specific investment averaged EUR 559 million, focused on energy-efficient vehicles. The report highlights the critical role of the public bank KfW in providing concessionary loans and the influence of the Feed-in Tariff on private investment.
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Document type: Report
Plug-in Electric Vehicle Deployment
The document details the U.S. effort to reach a goal of one million electric vehicles by 2015 through the development of 'deployment communities' and infrastructure. It describes federal initiatives like the Transportation Electrification Initiative and Clean Cities, regional efforts such as the Northeast Electric Vehicle Network, and commercial fleet adoptions by companies like Frito Lay and General Electric. It also lists specific legislative proposals aimed at increasing consumer tax credits and funding for community deployment and fleet upgrades.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Plug‐in Electric Vehicle Deployment
The document details US efforts to reach a goal of one million electric vehicles by 2015, focusing on federal, state, and local deployment programs, the role of commercial and government fleets, and proposed legislation to incentivize PEV adoption and infrastructure.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Causes and Consequences: A Perspective from Portugal
The document challenges the narrative that Portugal's sovereign debt crisis was solely caused by national misgovernment, instead highlighting three structural weaknesses: low education levels, a low-value-added economic specialisation profile, and a peripheral geographic position. It argues that EU-level decisions—such as the process of nominal convergence and the management of the euro—exacerbated these issues. The author contends that the current adjustment program, focused on austerity and internal devaluation through wage cuts, is pro-cyclical and risks deepening the recession while undermining long-term competitiveness by cutting investments in education and infrastructure.
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Document type: Research paper
40% by 2020
The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and Friends of the Earth Europe argue that Europe can achieve a 40% reduction in emissions by 2020 and 90% by 2050 through radical energy system changes and lifestyle shifts. The study estimates the implementation cost at approximately 2% of Europe's discounted cumulative GDP between 2010 and 2020. To achieve climate justice, the report suggests Europe must also provide between €150 billion and €450 billion annually to developing countries by 2020. The proposed pathway excludes nuclear power, biofuels, and carbon capture and storage, focusing instead on wind energy, electrification, and energy efficiency.
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Document type: Briefing
EU Taxonomy Blog | Technical guidance note
The document provides a detailed mapping between the Climate Bonds Buildings Standard and the EU Taxonomy, specifically for building acquisition, new construction, and renovation. It concludes that Climate Bonds requirements are often a "Higher standard" than the EU Taxonomy, particularly regarding operational performance verification and emission reductions. The guide also details how Climate Bonds' DNSH requirements align with EU legislation for climate adaptation, water protection, circular economy, and pollution control.
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Document type: Guide
Low carbon buildings criteria: Peru region
The criteria for low carbon buildings in Peru prohibit the use of fossil fuels for HVAC, hot water, and cooking, with exceptions for emergency backup generators. Social housing certified under the Mivivienda Verde Certificate is eligible if it proves equivalence to EDGE Certification and aligns with Climate Bonds requirements for buildings constructed after January 1, 2024. Residential property upgrades are eligible if they achieve operating energy emission reductions of 30% for 5-year bonds or 50% for 30-year bonds.
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Document type: Guide
Climate Bonds Building Criteria
The Climate Bonds Building Criteria establish standards for certifying assets, entities, and debt instruments in the building sector to ensure they contribute to a zero-carbon future by 2050. Certification is based on a compliance process involving disclosure and GHG mitigation, with the latter achieved through either absolute performance (using trajectories or proxies) or relative performance (demonstrating significant emissions reductions during retrofitting). New buildings face stricter requirements, including a total ban on fossil fuels for heating, hot water, cooking, and on-site electricity, alongside mandates for electrification and electric mobility infrastructure.
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Document type: Guide
Federal, State Policy Key to Inflation Reduction Act’s Transportation Electrification Benefits
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides tax credits for passenger and commercial electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and domestic supply chain manufacturing to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. While these incentives support the growth of the medium- and heavy-duty EV markets and improve accessibility for low-income households, modeling by Energy Innovation Policy & Analysis LLC indicates they are insufficient to align with a 1.5 degree Celsius climate scenario. The document argues that the U.S. must implement more stringent tailpipe standards, state-level clean vehicle mandates, and grid investments to accelerate the transition.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Easing Kenya’s Transport Burden: Transforming Mobility with Innovative Electric Motorcycles
EcoBodaa is a Kenyan tech startup developing electric motorcycles tailored for the local market to replace petrol-powered bikes. Supported by Persistent Energy, the company has developed bikes with localized battery configurations and GPS systems, achieving maintenance costs up to 80% lower than petrol alternatives. While the company has struggled to recruit women as riders, it has appointed five women to leadership roles. EcoBodaa utilizes a rent-to-own model and an energy micropayment system to improve financial accessibility, and it is now 90% ready for scaling after selling 37 units.
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Document type: Case study
FSD Africa Impact Venture Building for Green Innovation in Africa: Persistent’s Ambitious Climate Change Initiative
Persistent Energy Capital provides equity and venture-building support to small, under-resourced green companies in Sub-Saharan Africa, starting with investments as low as $50,000. To date, the fund has invested $23 million across 23 companies in 22 countries, contributing to the elimination of 1.4 million tons of CO2 and the creation of over 21,700 jobs. With support from FSD Africa Investments (FSDAi), Persistent is currently raising a US$100 million Africa Climate Venture Builder Fund to expand its reach into sectors such as agritech, circular economy, waste management, and water and sanitation.
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Document type: Fact sheet
FSDAi: Building Africa’s financial markets
FSD Africa Investments (FSDAi) uses a 'test, accelerate, and mobilise' strategy to deploy catalytic capital into African financial markets, focusing on high-risk, early-stage investments to unlock commercial finance. Since 2017, it has committed US$114 million across 19 transactions, targeting sectors such as renewable energy, climate adaptation, and financial inclusion. The organization emphasizes a 'gender lens' to address the US$42 billion financing gap for women entrepreneurs in Africa and is increasingly aligning its portfolio with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
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Document type: Report
Electrification of public transportation
The document details an 18-month pilot by Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) using two BYD electric buses in Cape Town. The trial demonstrated that electric buses can handle steep local topography, such as Hospital Bend, and achieve significant energy cost savings of nearly 69% compared to diesel alternatives. To mitigate the carbon intensity of the South African grid, GABS has installed rooftop solar PV at six depots, reaching 1.7MWp by March 2023, though it estimates a need for 80 to 100MW of renewable capacity to fully electrify its 1,100-bus fleet. The study concludes that while electric buses have higher upfront costs, fuel savings allow them to pay for themselves over a 15 to 20 year lifespan.
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Document type: Case study
BUILDING GREEN INVESTMENT PIPELINE THROUGH EARLY STAGE GREEN SMME SUPPORT INITIATIVES
The document highlights a gap in South Africa's climate finance landscape, where a low risk appetite for early-stage green SMMEs coincides with a lack of investment-ready pipelines. It presents the FNF GreenPitch Challenge as a mechanism to address this by sourcing pipelines and supporting SMME investment readiness. The case of STROOM, a women-owned electric cargo bike enterprise, illustrates the potential for micro-mobility to reduce operational costs by over 80% and create jobs in township and rural markets.
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Document type: Case study
Planning to Harness the Inflation Reduction Act: A Toolkit for Regulators
The document serves as a regulatory guide, offering a structured set of inquiries to help Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) assess utility resource planning in the context of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It organizes questions into five exhibits covering common IRA considerations, assumptions, forecasts, objectives/scenarios, and solution identification. Key areas of focus include the application of Investment Tax Credits (ITC) and Production Tax Credits (PTC), bonus adders for energy communities and domestic content, the integration of hydrogen and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies, and the utilization of Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) financing. The toolkit also emphasizes the need for utilities to account for IRA-driven changes in load forecasts related to building and transportation electrification, energy efficiency, and distributed energy resources (DERs).
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Document type: Guide