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The briefing examines the financial challenges and opportunities associated with the early retirement of coal-fired power plants in the United States, using Colorado as a case study. It highlights that the marginal cost of energy (MCOE) for many coal plants now exceeds the cost of new wind and solar resources. To manage the resulting 'stranded assets' and undepreciated plant balances, the author proposes a transition strategy involving financial analysis of public data, the use of regulatory assets, and refinancing mechanisms such as debt-for-equity swaps and securitization. These tools are intended to reduce consumer costs, maintain utility investor returns, and fund just transition initiatives for affected workers and communities.

The document outlines a framework for transitioning from uneconomic fossil fuel power plants to cheaper clean energy, specifically addressing the financial challenges faced by regulated utilities. It highlights the need for regulatory adaptation because utilities may attempt to keep uneconomic plants operational to maintain rates of return. The briefing introduces four specific areas of focus: analyzing the financial impact of transitioning from fossil to clean energy (using Colorado as a case study), the 'steel for fuel' concept where capital is reinvested in renewables to improve shareholder earnings, the role of depreciation accounting in determining asset value during early retirements, and the use of debt-for-equity refinancing to reduce the rate burden on consumers when addressing unrecovered investment balances.

The policy brief examines the "steel for fuel" strategy, where utilities replace fossil fuel plants—which incur pass-through fuel costs with no earnings potential—with wind and solar assets that allow for regulated equity returns. Using Xcel Energy as a primary example, the document explains how this transition can reduce consumer bills through fuel savings while maintaining or increasing shareholder value. It highlights the role of competitive bidding and the balance between utility ownership and independent power producers (IPPs) to ensure the lowest costs for consumers.

The oil and gas industry emits over 8 million tons of methane and toxic pollutants annually, contributing to ozone smog and respiratory issues in rural America. Case studies in Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Mexico highlight increased rates of asthma, cancer risks, and other respiratory ailments among residents living near facilities. The report advocates for federal standards to reduce methane emissions by half through leak detection, reduced venting, and gas capture.

The report identifies USD264bn in outstanding bonds from 1,436 climate-aligned US municipal 'pure-play' issuers, suggesting a significant opportunity to scale the green bond market through refinancing. While issuance grew to USD12bn in 2017, it declined in H1 2018 due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Acts of 2017, which reduced refunding bond volume. The water sector represents the largest potential, accounting for 64% (USD170bn) of the identified climate-aligned universe, followed by transport at 30% (USD78.5bn). The report highlights that waste, energy, and land use sectors are currently underrepresented in the green bond market despite having substantial climate-aligned activity.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) submitted comments on May 27, 2018, regarding the Alberta Energy Regulator's (AER) Draft Directive 060 and Directive 017. CAPE argues that Alberta's proposed methane regulations are generally less stringent and less enforceable than federal regulations, potentially leading to higher emissions and associated public health risks from co-pollutants.

The John Madden Company (JMC) implemented a $7.1 million energy efficiency project for two buildings in Greenwood Village, Colorado, achieving 30 percent energy savings. By utilizing Commercial PACE (C-PACE) financing, JMC overcame the 'split incentive' problem common in leased buildings, as the loan is repaid as a property tax assessment rather than an operating expense. The project bundled high-efficiency rooftop units with shorter-payback measures like advanced submetering and controls to ensure the investment remained cost-neutral for tenants from day one. The C-PACE mechanism allowed for an 18-year simple payback period, reducing risk for the owner because the loan remains attached to the property regardless of ownership changes.

Earthjustice, Earthworks, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) submitted a statement to the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council urging the rejection of a proposal to add mining as a covered sector under Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41). The organizations argue that mining's unique environmental risks and the existing efficiency of U.S. permitting make the expedited processes of FAST-41 inappropriate and dangerous.

The Institute for Policy Integrity asserts that the U.S. Forest Service's final approval of the West Elk coal mine expansion ignores significant climate costs. While the agency quantified the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, it provided only a generic description of climate effects rather than monetizing the damages, which the author claims would amount to hundreds of millions of dollars. The document argues this omission is arbitrary and illegal, noting that as recently as 2017, agencies used the Interagency Working Group’s social cost of greenhouse gases for similar decisions.

The document analyzes the different approaches the U.S. and China take to overcome barriers to electric vehicle (EV) adoption, such as high upfront costs and limited charging infrastructure. While the U.S. relies on a mix of federal tax credits and varied state-level incentives, China has implemented more aggressive central government subsidies, a 'dual-credit policy' for manufacturers, and significant government fleet mandates. China's approach has led to faster growth in EV registrations and a larger network of charging outlets compared to the U.S.

The analysis finds that heat and cold extremes are warming globally in line with average temperatures, with cold extremes in Siberia and Canada warming particularly fast. Extreme daily precipitation is generally increasing at a rate of approximately 7% per degree Celsius, though regional variations exist. While trends in tropical cyclone frequency are difficult to determine, their impacts have increased due to higher precipitation and sea level rise. Drought trends remain complex and highly dependent on the specific definition used.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) highlights XTO's support for "jurisdictionally appropriate" methane regulations, including those for existing equipment, to argue against the Trump Administration's efforts to discard current EPA and BLM rules. CATF asserts that these rules are based on proven, low-cost measures used in Colorado and Wyoming and should be preserved rather than removed for the convenience of a few operators.

This fact sheet by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) challenges four primary myths regarding net-zero energy (NZE) leased buildings, asserting that they can be more profitable for developers and more beneficial for employees than traditional buildings. Using the Boulder Commons project as a case study, RMI demonstrates that NZE buildings can achieve higher occupancy rates, rental premiums, and increased employee productivity. The document also outlines a four-step process for transitioning existing buildings to NZE operation and promotes the NZE Leasing Best Practice Guide to scale adoption in the commercial sector.

The Clean Air Task Force criticizes the API's Environmental Partnership as an insufficient voluntary effort to curb methane emissions, noting that its targets for leak detection and pneumatic controller replacement are far weaker than existing state and federal regulations. The authors argue that voluntary programs cannot achieve the same emission reductions as mandatory, cost-effective standards, highlighting that oil and gas equipment in the US releases over 8 million tons of methane annually.

The document details the positive outcomes of institutional food procurement policies, showing that local sourcing increases regional economic output and job creation. It highlights environmental benefits, such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions and water use through meat reduction, and projects significant health improvements—including lower sodium intake and reduced risks of type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer—for students and adults in Los Angeles County. Additionally, it analyzes the increasing availability of antibiotic-free chicken in the US supply chain and compares the cost of procuring such meat against the high medical costs of treating antibiotic-resistant infections.

This guide explains the role of electric utilities and Public Utilities Commissions in US energy policy, while detailing specific mechanisms like distributed generation, community solar, net metering, and decoupling that facilitate the transition to renewable energy.

An analysis of 342 decentralized commitments indicates that the US could meet half of its Paris Agreement climate goals by 2025 if these targets are implemented, with states providing the largest volume of reductions and businesses setting the steepest targets.

The document analyzes the challenges that high levels of variable renewable energy (VRE) pose to current restructured wholesale electricity markets, specifically regarding the erosion of the price-duration curve's central gradient used for long-term cost recovery. It proposes two future market paths: one continuing to rely on spot markets enhanced by demand elasticity and storage, and another 'bifurcated' model that separates a long-term 'firm market' for capital-heavy assets from a residual spot market for real-time balancing.

The briefing presents a business case for applying R-PACE financing to new residential construction to achieve net-zero energy (NZE) goals. It identifies key market barriers—such as high up-front costs and split incentives between builders and buyers—and proposes a policy framework to integrate R-PACE into new builds. RMI's analysis across six U.S. states suggests that NZE homes can be delivered with no additional up-front cost to the buyer, providing annual energy savings that exceed the PACE assessment payments.

The report argues that the electric vehicle revolution is inevitable due to falling battery costs and increasing consumer demand, making the urgent deployment of charging infrastructure a priority for U.S. utilities and regulators. It identifies high capital costs and unfavorable utility tariffs—specifically high demand charges—as primary barriers to the profitability of DC fast charging (DCFC). The authors advocate for a mix of Level 2 chargers for residential and workplace needs and DCFC for high-traffic corridors, supported by time-of-use (TOU) tariffs to optimize grid integration. Through case studies of California, Colorado, Hawaii, Ohio, and Texas, the report demonstrates how different regulatory environments and grid compositions influence the cost of charging and the potential for EVs to absorb excess renewable energy.