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This guide by the World Resources Institute explains how community-based organizations (CBOs) can bridge the gap between low- to moderate-income (LMI) households and clean energy programs. It argues that CBOs are uniquely qualified to design and implement solar initiatives because of their deep local trust and understanding of systemic barriers. The document provides seven specific strategies for CBO engagement and highlights case studies from Georgia, Washington, D.C., and Michigan to demonstrate replicable pathways for equitable solar deployment.

This report argues that traditional integrated resource planning (IRP) modeling assumptions are outdated for modern grids characterized by renewable energy, distributed resources, and climate change impacts. It advocates for updating assumptions across capacity expansion, production cost, and resource adequacy models, while integrating an energy equity lens to account for human impacts such as health and affordability.

This guide provides State Energy Offices (SEOs) with a framework for designing and implementing residential energy rebate programs authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It emphasizes data-driven design, strategic outreach to underserved communities, and the creation of support systems like 'one-stop-shops' to ensure that energy efficiency and electrification retrofits are economically beneficial and accessible, particularly for low-to-moderate income (LMI) households.

This guide by the World Resources Institute outlines five strategies for U.S. local governments to equitably expand electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, aiming to prevent 'charging deserts' in historically disadvantaged, rural, and low-income communities.

This guide by RMI provides strategic and technical recommendations for entities applying for the EPA's Solar for All program, a $7 billion initiative under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) designed to expand low-income solar access nationwide.

This case study describes RMI's efforts to make rooftop solar more accessible to low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities through inclusive Solarize campaigns. Between 2021 and 2022, RMI organized cohorts of 27 cities to implement bulk-purchasing programs combined with grants and community partnerships to reduce financial and administrative barriers to solar adoption.

This guide from the World Resources Institute outlines strategies for U.S. local governments to expand community solar access for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households, leveraging new federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act and various municipal-level interventions.

This RMI report provides recommendations for modernizing the regulatory processes of state public utilities commissions (PUCs) in the United States to accelerate the transition to a decarbonized and equitable electric grid. It identifies four primary areas for reform: setting clear proceeding objectives, expanding stakeholder roles in solution development, reducing information asymmetry through data transparency, and initiating new inclusive processes such as regulatory sandboxes and updated benefit-cost analysis frameworks.

The report introduces 'community solar+', a strategic approach to designing community solar projects that maximizes local value streams and advances sustainability and equity goals beyond simple energy access.

This briefing by RMI discusses the necessity of focused electric vehicle (EV) policies to ensure low- to moderate-income communities are not excluded from the energy transition. Based on a feasibility study conducted for Connecticut's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), the document identifies specific electric mobility modes—microtransit, carsharing, and micromobility—that can address systemic transportation gaps and outlines the critical role electric utilities can play in supporting these initiatives.

This issue brief by the World Resources Institute examines energy injustice in the United States and proposes strategies for federal investment to ensure the clean energy transition equitably distributes benefits to marginalized households and communities.

This research paper examines on-bill financing programs as a tool to increase energy equity and clean energy adoption in rural, low-income, and under-resourced communities. It highlights how these programs remove barriers to entry by eliminating upfront costs and replacing traditional credit checks with utility bill payment history. Through case studies of the Hawaii GEM$ and OPALCO Switch It Up! programs, the paper demonstrates how tying financing to the utility meter rather than the individual allows renters and low-income homeowners to access solar PV and beneficial electrification projects while achieving net monthly energy savings.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides a comprehensive regulatory framework for decarbonizing the US building sector, primarily through electrification. It outlines ten key strategies for public utilities commissions (PUCs) and government agencies to transition away from fossil fuel infrastructure, emphasizing equity, market transformation, and the management of stranded asset risks.

This research paper examines on-bill financing as a tool to expand access to energy efficiency, clean energy, and electrification, particularly for low-to-moderate-income (LMI) households and rural communities. It highlights how specific program designs—such as tying obligations to utility meters and using payment history instead of credit scores—can overcome traditional financial barriers and address racial and income disparities in clean energy adoption.

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.

This guide explains how on-bill financing (OBF) can increase the adoption of distributed solar energy by removing financial barriers for families and businesses, particularly those in underserved communities.

This report outlines the risks and needs of low-income (LI) and fixed-income (FI) electricity customers during the transition to a distributed energy resource (DER) and renewable electricity system. It identifies financial and social concerns, maps existing and unmet needs, and examines case studies to determine how these segments can be equitably integrated into a high-DER future.