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2,139 results
Greening the Pot Industry
The legal marijuana industry in the US creates significant electricity demand due to high-intensity lighting and climate control, with Colorado's industry consuming 300 GWh in 2015. To mitigate the impact on carbon goals and grid stability, the document recommends that utilities support LED adoption through rebates and on-bill financing to overcome capital limitations. It further suggests using time-varying rates to shift lighting schedules to periods of low net load—such as midday in California for solar or nighttime in Colorado for wind—to avoid peak demand and reduce reliance on fossil fuel generation.
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Document type: Briefing
A Rural Electric Cooperative Sets a 100% Renewables Target
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.
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Document type: Case study
Reaching India’s Renewable Energy Targets: The Role of Institutional Investors
India requires $189 billion in additional investment to meet its 2022 renewable energy targets, with a specific need for $57 billion in equity and $132 billion in debt. While the total investment potential is $411 billion, expected investment is only $166 billion, leaving a gap of $23 billion. Foreign institutional investors have the capacity to fill 100% of the equity gap, and domestic institutional investors can meet 54% of the debt gap. However, significant barriers persist, including off-taker risk, currency volatility, and a lack of liquid investment instruments. The report proposes financial solutions such as payment security mechanisms, foreign exchange hedging facilities, and infrastructure debt funds, alongside policy reforms in land acquisition and transmission capacity.
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Document type: Report
FACT SHEET Green Banks: Transforming Clean Energy Finance in Maine
The Union of Concerned Scientists proposes that Maine establish a green bank to catalyze private-sector investment in clean energy. An analysis suggests that an initial public capitalization of $14 million could leverage $300 million in total investment over 15 years. This initiative would support 70 MW of new solar and wind capacity, save homes and businesses $33 million annually on electricity bills through efficiency, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 176,000 tons by 2031. The document identifies Efficiency Maine, the Finance Authority of Maine, and the Maine Technology Institute as potential hosts for the bank and outlines financial tools such as credit enhancements, warehousing, and direct lending to drive market transformation.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Financing Clean Energy: A Powerful Tool for Driving Investment in New Hampshire’s Economy
The Union of Concerned Scientists proposes that New Hampshire establish a clean energy finance authority to leverage public funds for private investment. An analysis suggests that an initial $14 million capitalization could drive $300 million in total investment over 15 years, resulting in 70 MW of new solar and wind capacity, $40.3 million in annual electricity bill savings, and a reduction of 222,900 tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2031.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Financing Clean Energy: A Powerful Tool for Driving Investment in Vermont’s Economy
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) proposes that Vermont could leverage an initial $7 million public investment into $148 million of total clean energy investment over 15 years. This expanded financing capacity would support nearly 50 MW of new solar and wind power, save homes and businesses $14.6 million annually on electricity bills, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 111,500 tons by 2031. The report details existing Vermont programs—such as Efficiency Vermont, PACE financing, and the Clean Energy Development Fund—and suggests a more comprehensive, coordinated public-private financing initiative to meet the state's long-term goal of 90% renewable energy and efficiency by 2050.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: Tackling poverty and climate change
The document asserts that developing nations, despite contributing the least to carbon emissions, suffer the most from climate impacts. It argues that the Paris Agreement's goals can only be met if vulnerable communities are provided with sustainable energy resources and that the $100 billion annual climate finance pledge by wealthy nations is insufficient to protect lives and maintain development in health and education. The author calls for the mobilization of both public and private finance to build low-carbon economies in the global south, noting that developing and emerging economies invested $156 billion in renewables in 2015.
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Document type: Statement
It’s All About Building a Clean Energy Future
The statement asserts that the shift toward renewable energy is an economic inevitability, citing corporate commitments from companies like Walmart and General Mills and the cost-competitiveness of wind and solar power over fossil fuels in various global regions. It emphasizes that the drive to decarbonize the US energy economy will persist through the actions of states, cities, and businesses, and calls for bipartisan cooperation to protect climate policies like the Clean Power Plan.
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Document type: Statement
WRI Statement on Donald Trump as the Next President of the United States
The World Resources Institute argues that the incoming Trump administration must continue investing in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure to drive economic growth and job creation. It emphasizes that the global transition to a low-carbon economy is inevitable, citing increased solar and wind projections and corporate commitments to science-based targets. Furthermore, it asserts that maintaining the U.S. commitment to the Paris Agreement is essential for preserving international trust and diplomacy.
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Document type: Statement
Politics & Global Warming
The report finds broad support among US registered voters for international climate agreements, greenhouse gas emission reductions, and the transition to renewable energy. While political divisions exist, majorities across party lines support taxing or regulating pollution, funding renewable energy research, and investing in national infrastructure, particularly roads, bridges, and water systems.
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Document type: Report
Politics & Global Warming
The report finds broad support among U.S. registered voters for participating in the Paris COP21 agreement, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and transitioning to renewable energy. While political divisions exist, majorities across party lines support taxing or regulating pollution, funding renewable energy research, and investing in national infrastructure, particularly roads, bridges, and water systems.
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Document type: Report
DIRTY ENERGY IN AFRICA
The document examines the impacts of coal, oil, gas, and megadams across Africa, highlighting how these 'dirty energy' sources drive climate change and cause severe social and health crises. It details specific cases, such as South Africa's coal reliance, Uganda's oil expansion, and Mozambique's megadams, while warning against the 'extreme energy' frontier of fracking and tar sands. The briefing concludes that African governments must reject these outdated pathways in favor of decentralized, sustainable energy systems supported by climate finance from developed nations.
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Document type: Briefing
Reiner Lemoine Institut – Electrification planning in Nigeria
The Reiner Lemoine Institut (RLI) developed electrification plans for five Nigerian states to achieve 100% electrification using a combination of grid extension, solar hybrid mini-grids, and solar home systems. The project addressed challenges such as data scarcity, modelling complexity, and undefined institutional structures through the use of GIS and energy system simulation tools. In cooperation with the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP), the initiative included capacity-building workshops for stakeholders on data management and energy demand modelling to provide local governments with evidence-based investment and capacity requirements.
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Document type: Case study
ENERSOL – 150 PV off grid mini-power plants on 40 health centres and one hospital with 20 kWp (Burundi)
The project, completed in 2015 and funded by the European Union, installed off-grid PV systems in 40 health centres and a 20 kWp system at Kynyinya Hospital in Burundi. The initiative aimed to improve vaccine preservation and maternity conditions, benefiting at least 30,000 people. The total cost was approximately 1,300,000 EUR, with technical implementation led by ENERSOL (Belgium) and ETRAVE (Burundi).
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Document type: Case study
Pakistan Low Carbon Scenario Analysis: Project Summary Document
The project developed a 2012 base year emissions inventory and projections to 2030 for Pakistan, identifying that emissions are expected to grow significantly without additional intervention. It analyzed mitigation options across agriculture, forestry, energy, industry, transport, and waste, concluding that implementing these measures could reduce emissions by over 100 megatonnes. A sensitivity analysis highlighted that GDP growth is a primary driver of future emissions, with higher growth rates leading to substantially higher GHG levels.
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Document type: Executive summary
East Africa Crowdfunding Landscape Study
The report examines the crowdfunding ecosystem in East Africa, noting a strong growth trend driven primarily by international donation- and lending-based platforms. While Kenya leads the region in activity, the study highlights significant regulatory uncertainty and a lack of investment-ready MSMEs as barriers to equity-based crowdfunding. It compares these findings with South Africa's more mature native ecosystem and the UK's highly institutionalized market, suggesting that mobile money integration is a key area of innovation for the region.
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Document type: Report
OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTERS OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND HEALTH
The document argues that Eskom is obstructing South Africa's transition to renewable energy and violating constitutional rights through the continued operation of polluting coal-fired power stations. The signatories call for the removal of barriers to small-scale renewable energy, the decommissioning of ageing coal plants, and greater transparency regarding emission compliance plans.
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Document type: Statement
Open letter on the decision to approve Hinkley Point C
Scientists for Global Responsibility argues against the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, citing unproven EPR technology, high costs, and the precarious financial state of EDF. The letter suggests that energy conservation, infrastructure improvements, and renewable energy are more cost-effective and secure alternatives to nuclear baseload power.
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Document type: Statement
Pakistan Low Carbon Scenario Analysis: GHG Reference Case Projection - Report
The report establishes a business-as-usual (BAU) GHG emissions baseline for Pakistan, projecting total emissions to reach 768 Mt CO2e by 2030. Agriculture is identified as the largest emission source, accounting for over 40% of emissions in 2012. The energy sector is further divided into residential, commercial, industrial, transport, and electricity generation. The analysis highlights significant data gaps in agriculture, LULUCF, and waste sectors, and concludes that GDP growth is the primary driver of future emission levels, with a high-growth scenario potentially increasing 2030 emissions by 36% relative to the reference case.
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Document type: Report
UNA REVOLUCIÓN ENERGÉTICA ES POSIBLE
The report by Friends of the Earth International asserts that the massive amount of public revenue lost annually to tax havens—estimated at $600 billion—is sufficient to finance a global energy revolution. Specifically, it calculates that an investment of US$7,603 billion by 2030 could provide 100% renewable energy to Africa, Latin America, and 'Other Asia'. The document advocates for the elimination of tax havens and the redirection of fossil fuel subsidies to support community-controlled renewable energy systems as a means to combat climate change and global inequality.
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Document type: Executive summary