Search Climate Insights Directory
569 results
1 in 7 families live in energy poverty; states can ease that burden
This research paper by RMI analyzes energy burden—the proportion of household income spent on electricity and fuel—across all 50 US states using 2020 Energy Information Administration data. It finds that extremely low-income households face a disproportionately high energy burden, often exceeding the 10% threshold for energy poverty, and evaluates how federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and specific state-level policies can mitigate these burdens while pursuing decarbonization.
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Document type: Research paper
Meeting the Reliability Challenges of the Clean Energy Transition
This research paper by the World Resources Institute argues that achieving decarbonization targets in the United States electricity sector requires coordinated, reliability-informed policy planning rather than relying solely on market prices. It emphasizes that grid reliability depends on both resource adequacy and operating reliability, and warns that the retirement of essential reliability services without equivalent replacements puts both grid stability and climate goals at risk.
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Document type: Research paper
Türkiye can expand solar by 120 GW through rooftops
This report by Ember analyzes the technical potential for rooftop solar expansion in Türkiye, estimating that the country could install at least 120 GW of capacity, which would meet 45% of its 2022 electricity consumption. The study identifies significant opportunities in residential and industrial sectors to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and lower the fiscal burden of electricity subsidies.
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Document type: Report
An Opportunity to Make Home Retrofits More Affordable
This briefing by RMI discusses how state energy offices in the United States can optimize the deployment of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds by enabling 'stacking'—the ability for households to combine multiple federal, state, and utility incentives for whole-home retrofits.
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Document type: Briefing
Gaps and Barriers to Stacking Federal, State, and Local Incentives
This RMI report analyzes the barriers and gaps associated with 'stacking' (combining) federal, state, and local financial incentives for residential clean energy retrofits in the US. It identifies significant complexities in application processes, unclear guidance on the order of funding, and critical funding gaps for health and safety repairs and pre-electrification upgrades. The report provides a framework for program administrators to improve accessibility, particularly for low-income households, to ensure the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and other funds effectively drive decarbonization.
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Document type: Report
Consumer Cost Impacts of 45V Rules
This briefing argues that weak Treasury guidelines for the 45V hydrogen production tax credit could increase wholesale electricity prices for consumers. It advocates for the strict application of three pillars—additionality, deliverability, and hourly matching—to ensure that new electrolyzer demand is offset by new clean generation, preventing the price spikes associated with large-scale electricity loads like cryptocurrency mining.
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Document type: Briefing
The Need for US Indoor Air Quality Guidelines
This report by RMI argues for the establishment of comprehensive indoor air quality (IAQ) guidelines in the United States to protect public health and inform building decarbonization. It examines the health risks of indoor pollutants, compares indoor and outdoor air regulation, reviews international and domestic examples of IAQ guidelines, and outlines how such guidelines can be applied to product safety, building codes, and certifications.
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Document type: Report
Priority Climate Action Plan Guide: Organic Waste & Landfill Methane Strategies
This guide by RMI provides recommendations for recipients of the US EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) planning grants to incorporate organic waste and landfill methane strategies into their Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs). It emphasizes the use of 20-year global warming potentials to highlight the urgency of methane reduction and suggests a combination of upstream waste prevention and downstream landfill control measures to achieve significant greenhouse gas reductions and community benefits.
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Document type: Guide
A Primer on Embodied Carbon in Climate Disclosure
This guide by RMI explains the importance of integrating embodied carbon reporting into Scope 3 climate disclosures for the real estate industry. It details the regulatory and investor pressures driving this shift, provides a framework for categorizing and calculating embodied emissions, and outlines a path toward net-zero targets.
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Document type: Guide
Understanding California's Low Carbon Fuel Standards Regulation
This guide explains California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), a market-based regulation designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in the transportation sector by capping the carbon intensity of fuels.
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Document type: Guide
Improving the Data and Disclosure of the Environmental Impact of Building Materials
This guide by RMI explains the role of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as 'nutrition labels' for building materials, detailing how they report life-cycle assessment (LCA) data to track embodied carbon. It outlines the current limitations of EPD standardization and proposes a vision for 'ideal' EPDs based on rigorous Product Category Rules (PCRs) to ensure fair and competitive carbon reduction policies.
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Document type: Guide
Inflation Reduction Act Home Energy Rebates: Program Guidance for State Energy Offices
This document provides a collection of case studies and resources intended to help State Energy Offices (SEOs) design and implement home energy rebate programs under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It highlights specific tools, frameworks, and programs that address equity, workforce development, consumer education, and supply chain coordination to optimize residential energy retrofits and electrification.
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Document type: Guide
Many US Communities Face EV ‘Charging Deserts.’ 5 Strategies Can Help
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.
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Document type: Guide
The State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US
This report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) analyzes the adoption of electric school buses (ESBs) in the United States as of June 2023. It tracks the number of committed vehicles, the impact of federal and state funding, and the distribution of these buses across different demographics and environmental conditions, highlighting a trend toward more equitable deployment in low-income and high-pollution areas.
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Document type: Report
We Don’t Need Another Interregional Transmission Study to Take Action
This policy brief by RMI argues that the United States does not need further studies to justify expanding interregional electricity transmission, as the need is already well-documented. The author contends that current grid bottlenecks are delaying clean energy projects and increasing vulnerability to extreme weather, urging Congress to implement minimum transfer requirements, mandate proactive planning, and streamline permitting processes.
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Document type: Policy brief
Accelerating U.S. Clean Energy Deployment Through Investment-Grade Policy
This report by Energy Innovation argues that while the economics of clean energy are now competitive with fossil fuels, non-financial risks—specifically project development and market uncertainty—are hindering deployment in the United States. The authors propose 'investment-grade policies' to reduce these risks, focusing on transmission access, streamlined siting and permitting, and long-term cost-recovery schedules to lower the cost of capital for developers.
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Document type: Report
Electric trucks are a gamechanger if strong policy leads the way
This report by Energy Innovation argues that while zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) trucks have significant potential for greenhouse gas reductions and public health improvements, current adoption rates are insufficient to meet climate goals without more ambitious policy interventions.
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Document type: Report
Electric Vehicle Regulations and Laws: A Primer for Decision Makers
This guide provides an overview of state and federal regulations and laws governing electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the United States, specifically detailing compliance requirements for manufacturers, fleet operators, and transportation companies.
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Document type: Guide
How Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Can Drive Solar Development
This guide by RMI explores how Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) can leverage their extensive rooftop and parking assets to drive solar development, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while increasing shareholder value. It identifies significant untapped capacity, outlines the financial and regulatory barriers to adoption, and proposes community solar as a viable solution to overcome these challenges.
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Document type: Guide
Energy Service Agreements for Deep Efficiency and Electrification Retrofits of Affordable Multifamily Housing in California
This report examines how Energy Service Agreements (ESAs) and federal incentives, specifically from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, can be used to scale deep energy efficiency and electrification retrofits for affordable multifamily housing (AMFH) in California.
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Document type: Report