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POLICIES TO SUPPORT A COMPETITIVE WHOLESALE ELECTRICITY MARKET IN THE SOUTHEAST U.S.
This report argues that establishing a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) in the Southeast U.S. could reduce electricity costs by 29% and emissions by 37% by 2040. It recommends a combination of full market restructuring, the adoption of all-source procurement, and the integration of distributed energy resources to achieve these goals. The authors also emphasize the need for 'just transition' policies to support coal-impacted communities by leveraging the fact that most coal plants have cheaper renewable alternatives within 35 miles.
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Document type: Report
California Can’t Wait on All-Electric New Building Code
RMI urges the California Energy Commission (CEC) to mandate all-electric new construction in the 2022 building energy code cycle to avoid significant carbon emissions and financial waste.
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Document type: Statement
Zero-Emissions Trucks Are the Future: Let’s Do This
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has mandated that 50% of the state's trucks be zero-emission by 2035 and 100% by 2045. The transition involves prioritizing BEVs for short-haul and HFCEVs for long-haul routes, while requiring massive infrastructure investments in DC fast charging and hydrogen stations. The State of California is supporting this transition through "make ready" infrastructure funding via investor-owned utilities.
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Document type: Statement
WHY THE CLEAN ENERGY INDUSTRY SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN RESOURCE ADEQUACY
This policy brief by Energy Innovation examines how the transition to clean energy challenges traditional 'resource adequacy' planning—the process of ensuring grid operators have sufficient resources to balance supply and demand. The author argues that historical planning paradigms, which rely on dispatchable fossil fuel plants and simple peak-demand metrics, are becoming inadequate as variable renewable energy (VRE) and distributed energy resources (DERs) increase. The document warns that fossil fuel incumbents are leveraging these reliability concerns to protect their market share and slow decarbonization, urging climate advocates to promote more granular, flexible, and holistic planning models.
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Document type: Policy brief
Regulatory Solutions for Building Decarbonization
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.
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Document type: Report
Green Bond Fact Sheet
This fact sheet details a USD 900 million green loan issued by Geysers Power Company (GPC) on June 1, 2020, to refinance geothermal plant investments and ongoing expenditures. The loan is certified under the Climate Bonds Standard v2.1 and represents the first geothermal energy certification in the United States.
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Document type: Fact sheet
MODELING THE CLIMATE CRISIS ACTION PLAN
This report by Energy Innovation models a subset of policy recommendations from the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis's 'Solving the Climate Crisis' action plan. Using the Energy Policy Simulator, the analysis evaluates the potential for these policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate health and climate benefits for the United States through 2050.
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Document type: Report
Implementing Life Cycle Carbon Emissions Standards in Urban Development
This case study by RMI examines the necessity of shifting building carbon regulations from a focus on operational emissions to a full life-cycle approach. It highlights the Meishan Near-Zero Carbon Zone in Ningbo, China, as a leading example of implementing life-cycle assessment (LCA) standards and a whole-process management mechanism to achieve deep decarbonization in urban development.
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Document type: Case study
Green Bond Fact Sheet
The Southern California Public Power Authority issued a USD 55 million US Municipal green bond on May 12, 2020, to refund outstanding bonds for the Linden Wind Energy Project, a 50MW wind farm in Washington state.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Ensuring a Fair Transition for US Fossil Fuel Workers in Economic Recovery
This policy brief argues that U.S. economic recovery efforts following COVID-19 must prioritize low-carbon investments and a 'fair transition' for fossil fuel workers to avoid locking in polluting infrastructure and to mitigate the economic disruption caused by decarbonization and automation.
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Document type: Policy brief
Wildlife Conservation Sees Bipartisan Support in 116th Congress
This briefing from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute outlines bipartisan legislative efforts in the 116th Congress to preserve biodiversity in the United States. It details proposed laws and testimony focusing on wildlife corridors, land preservation, the Endangered Species Act, and the management of invasive species to mitigate threats from climate change and habitat loss.
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Document type: Briefing
Green Bond Fact Sheet
The Lynwood Utility Authority Enterprise issued a USD 20 million US Municipal green bond on April 8, 2020, to finance sustainable water and wastewater management projects in the City of Lynwood, California.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Prefabricated Zero Energy Retrofit Technologies
A report by RMI's REALIZE initiative, funded by the US Department of Energy, assessing prefabricated, high-performance retrofit technologies in the United States and the Netherlands to enable standardized zero-energy retrofits for multifamily housing.
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Document type: Report
MAKING THE MOST OF THE POWER PLANT MARKET: BEST PRACTICES FOR ALL-SOURCE ELECTRIC GENERATION PROCUREMENT
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.
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Document type: Report
Keeping Your Home Healthy During the COVID-19 Crisis
A guide by RMI providing six recommendations for homeowners to improve health, save money, and reduce carbon emissions during COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders, focusing on energy efficiency and electrification.
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Document type: Guide
Electric Vehicles Are the Next Dominant Class of Renewable Energy Buyers
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.
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Document type: Briefing
Federal Resources for Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) outlines various United States federal funding and technical assistance programs available to implement nature-based solutions for climate resilience. It details programs from agencies including the EPA, FEMA, HUD, NOAA, USDA, and USFWS, highlighting how these resources support green and natural infrastructure to mitigate hazards like flooding and extreme heat.
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Document type: Fact sheet
HOURS OF SAFETY IN COLD WEATHER: A FRAMEWORK FOR CONSIDERING RESILIENCE IN BUILDING ENVELOPE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
This insight brief introduces 'hours of safety' as a metric to quantify how long a building envelope can maintain safe indoor temperatures during power outages in extreme cold. Using simulations of five building types in Duluth, Minnesota, the research demonstrates that high-performance envelopes, such as those meeting Passive House standards, significantly extend the time residents can safely shelter in place compared to older or code-compliant homes.
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Document type: Briefing
Green Bond Fact Sheet
The City of Santa Cruz issued a USD 21 million green bond on December 12, 2019, to fund capital improvement projects for its water system.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Current Status of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement: Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs)
This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the status of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and the role of Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs). It details the two primary cooperation avenues (Article 6.2 and 6.4), the challenges of establishing a rulebook—including debates over additionality and double counting—and provides examples of pilot projects and national strategies, particularly focusing on Canada's preparations.
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Document type: Briefing