Search Climate Insights Directory
172 results
Green Bond Fact Sheet
This fact sheet details a USD 14.14 million green bond issued by the Triview Metropolitan District on May 27, 2020, to fund water-related capital improvements and water rights acquisitions.
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Document type: Fact sheet
SOLAR FOR COAL SWAPS
This briefing explores "solar for coal swaps," a private-sector financial model where third parties purchase and retire uneconomic coal assets from utilities in exchange for providing new solar generation. The document argues that this approach can accelerate the clean energy transition, particularly for municipal and cooperative utilities, by leveraging private capital to bypass utility inertia and reduce consumer costs.
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Document type: Briefing
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
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
Lessons for Grid Resilience from the Upper Roaring Fork Valley
This report details a Rocky Mountain Institute-supported process in Colorado's Upper Roaring Fork Valley involving Holy Cross Energy to improve grid resilience against hazards like fires. It emphasizes the necessity of utility-community partnerships and the integration of distributed clean energy technologies to provide both daily and emergency benefits.
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Document type: Report
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
WORKING TOGETHER TOWARD A MORE RESILIENT FUTURE
This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) outlines a community-based approach to enhancing energy resilience in the Upper Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado, in partnership with Holy Cross Energy (HCE). Following the 2018 Lake Christine Fire, which nearly disabled power to the region, RMI led a five-month stakeholder process to identify and prioritize distributed energy solutions. The report advocates for a shift from traditional grid hardening and isolated backup generators toward integrated distributed energy resources (DERs) that provide both emergency backup ("black sky") and daily operational ("blue sky") value.
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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
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
UTILITY MONOPSONY REGULATION: WHAT’S BEHIND LOW-COST WIND AND SOLAR BIDS IN COLORADO?
This policy brief analyzes how the Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo) achieved low-cost wind and solar bids through a competitive procurement process that mitigated the utility's monopsony market power. The author argues that these results were the product of long-term regulatory oversight, transparent planning, and a structured approval process by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
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Document type: Policy brief
Green Bond Fact Sheet
This Green Bond Fact Sheet details a USD 215 million bond issuance by The Regents of the University of Colorado on October 15, 2019, intended to finance and refinance LEED certified buildings.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Designing a Climate-Positive Future with Zero-Energy Districts
This briefing by RMI argues that shifting the focus from individual net-zero energy buildings to net-zero energy districts allows for greater cost-effectiveness, better grid integration, and optimized clean mobility through urban-scale planning.
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Document type: Briefing
The Climate Opportunity of Clean Energy Portfolios
This policy brief by RMI argues that the United States can reduce carbon emissions and lower consumer costs by replacing proposed new natural gas power plants with 'clean energy portfolios' consisting of zero-emissions technologies.
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Document type: Policy brief
Performance-Based Regulation: Getting Down to Business Model Reform in Colorado
This briefing discusses the mandate given to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to investigate the transition to a performance-based regulation (PBR) model to align utility operations with state clean energy and decarbonization goals.
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Document type: Briefing
Green Bond Fact Sheet
This fact sheet details the Mill City Solar Loan, a USD 242 million Solar Asset-Backed Security (ABS) issued on March 20, 2019, by Paramount Equity Mortgage, LLC (operating as Loanpal). The notes are backed by residential consumer solar loans for energy systems and storage, with a maturity date of March 20, 2043.
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Document type: Fact sheet
THE COAL COST CROSSOVER: ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF EXISTING COAL COMPARED TO NEW LOCAL WIND AND SOLAR RESOURCES
This report analyzes the economic viability of existing U.S. coal-fired power plants compared to new local wind and solar resources. It finds that a significant portion of the U.S. coal fleet is now more expensive to operate than it would be to replace with new renewable energy located within 35 miles of the plants.
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Document type: Report
Energy Storage
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes the role of energy storage in enhancing grid resilience, integrating intermittent renewable energy, and managing peak demand. It details various storage technologies—including pumped-storage hydropower, batteries, compressed air, thermal, hydrogen, and flywheels—comparing their technical specifications, costs, and current global applications.
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Document type: Fact sheet
UTILITY FINANCIAL TRANSITION IMPACTS: FROM FOSSIL TO CLEAN
This briefing by Energy Innovation examines the financial mechanisms available to regulated investor-owned utilities to transition from fossil fuel generation to clean energy. Using Colorado as a case study, the document outlines a three-step process for analyzing the marginal cost of energy (MCOE), managing the financial impacts of early coal plant retirements, and utilizing refinancing tools like debt-for-equity swaps and securitization to balance the interests of consumers, investors, and impacted communities.
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Document type: Briefing
NEW TOOLS TO MANAGE FINANCIAL TRANSITION FROM UNECONOMIC COAL TO CHEAP, CLEAN POWER
This briefing by Energy Innovation introduces a series of tools designed to help regulators, utilities, and investors manage the financial transition from uneconomic coal-fired power plants to cheaper clean energy generation, using Colorado as a case study.
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Document type: Briefing
STEEL FOR FUEL: OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTORS AND CUSTOMERS
This policy brief outlines the "steel for fuel" investment strategy, where utilities replace uneconomic fossil fuel plants with renewable energy assets. By shifting from variable fuel expenses (which earn no return) to capital investments in wind and solar (which earn regulated returns), utilities can increase shareholder earnings while reducing costs for consumers. Using Xcel Energy as a primary example, the brief discusses the role of competitive bidding, the difference between utility-owned assets and Power Purchase Agreements, and the regulatory environment in the United States.
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Document type: Policy brief