Search Climate Insights Directory

This fact sheet, based on interviews with EESI staff, examines the transition from diesel to battery-powered electric buses (BEBs), highlighting their environmental and health benefits, economic trade-offs, and the current state of deployment in the United States and globally.

This fact sheet details a USD 104 million C-PACE ABS issued by CleanFund on July 31, 2018, which is the second C-PACE securitisation globally.

This fact sheet from the Climate Bonds Initiative details a USD 700 million green bond issued by the Public Service Company of Colorado on June 21, 2018, to fund wind energy infrastructure.

The Climate Bonds Initiative conducted a scoping exercise to identify the potential for US municipal issuers to scale up green bond issuance. The study identified USD 264 billion in outstanding bonds from 1,436 'pure-play' climate-aligned issuers—entities deriving more than 95% of their revenue from climate solutions—most of which are not currently labeled as green bonds.

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.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) advocates for the implementation of Minimum Efficiency Standards for Rentals (MESR) as a strategy for cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve residential energy security. Using the 'SmartRegs' program in Boulder, Colorado, as a primary case study, the document provides a seven-step roadmap for other cities to integrate energy efficiency requirements into their rental licensing processes.

This case study describes how the John Madden Company (JMC), a family-owned business in Colorado, implemented a large-scale energy efficiency project across two buildings in its portfolio. By utilizing Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing and bundling various efficiency measures, JMC achieved significant energy savings without upfront capital costs for the landlord or increased costs for tenants.

This research paper compares the electric vehicle (EV) policies of the United States and China, focusing on financial incentives, charging infrastructure, research and development, and fleet procurement. It highlights China's more aggressive approach to subsidies and mandates compared to the U.S. system of tax credits and state-level incentives.

A report by the NewClimate Institute and The Climate Group analyzing decentralized climate commitments in the US, finding that 342 commitments could enable the US to meet half of its Paris Agreement goals by 2025.

This insight brief by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) argues that Residential Property Assessed Clean Energy (R-PACE) financing can accelerate the adoption of net-zero energy (NZE) new construction in the United States. By attaching financing to the property rather than the owner, R-PACE addresses key market barriers such as high up-front capital costs and the split incentive between builders and homebuyers.

This fact sheet describes the formation and goals of the United States Climate Alliance and other subnational efforts to uphold the 2016 Paris Agreement following the Trump Administration's decision to withdraw the United States from the accord.

This case study describes the Efficiency Works-Neighborhood Pilot in Fort Collins, Colorado, a program designed by Fort Collins Utilities with support from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to increase residential adoption of energy efficiency and renewable energy. The program shifted from an 'à la carte' service model to a streamlined, bundled approach that removed financial and procedural barriers, resulting in a tripling of customer participation and a 60 percent increase in carbon savings. Due to its success and transferability, the program received the Energy Innovator Award from the American Public Power Association (APPA).

This briefing by RMI describes the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) as an attractive market for corporate buyers of renewable energy due to its strong wind resources, market improvements, and a robust pipeline of planned wind capacity.

This World Resources Institute fact sheet provides data on employment growth within the United States clean energy economy, focusing on solar, wind, energy efficiency, and alternative fuel vehicle sectors as of early 2016 and 2017.

This case study describes the 'Door to Downtown' (d2d) mobility services pilot in Boulder, Colorado, which provided discounted rideshare and taxi trips to downtown to test the price elasticity of demand for mobility as a service (MaaS) relative to personal vehicle ownership.

This RMI briefing discusses the significant electricity demand generated by the legal marijuana industry in the United States and proposes strategies for utilities and regulators to manage this load. It suggests that energy efficiency investments, on-site renewables, and time-varying rates to shift consumption to periods of low net load can help integrate renewable energy and reduce operating costs for growers.

This report by Energy Innovation debunks four common myths regarding the clean energy transition, arguing that decarbonizing the electricity sector is possible without sacrificing reliability or affordability. The authors contend that grid variability, overgeneration, high costs, and the role of natural gas are often misunderstood or based on outdated data, and that demand-side management, regional trading, and energy efficiency are key drivers of a low-carbon future.

This briefing by RMI describes a shift from traditional air temperature-centric building design to a targeted approach based on six variables of thermal comfort. Using the Rocky Mountain Institute's Innovation Center as a case study, the document explains how integrating these variables through the Predictive Mean Vote (PMV) metric and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) can reduce energy use and support net-zero goals, while detailing the technical and contractual strategies needed to manage the associated risks of passive design.

This briefing, presented at Stanford University on March 9, 2016, provides a historical analysis of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) attempts to site nuclear waste repositories and storage facilities. The author argues that the DOE has a history of failing to keep promises and ignoring 'non-consent,' leading to a pattern of litigation and failure in establishing long-term high-level waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF) solutions.

A letter dated March 2, 2016, addressed to Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado, urging the state to maximize investments in energy efficiency to meet Clean Power Plan compliance limits. The letter, signed by a coalition of industry and policy organizations, argues that energy efficiency is the most cost-effective method for reducing emissions and lowering consumer costs.