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This policy brief by RMI outlines how the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) can reduce the high energy burden on Georgia electricity customers through specific regulatory reforms. It argues that while Georgia has low electricity rates, it has some of the highest bills in the contiguous US, disproportionately affecting low-income and minority households. The document proposes four primary levers for the PSC: implementing securitization, reforming the Return on Equity (ROE) for Georgia Power, establishing fuel-cost sharing mechanisms, and updating system planning to align with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

This report by RMI examines the shift toward "climate-forward efficiency," which prioritizes energy efficiency, electrification, and demand flexibility specifically to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It analyzes the use of Performance Incentive Mechanisms (PIMs) to align utility business models—which traditionally favor capital investment and sales growth—with state climate goals.

This RMI report provides recommendations for modernizing the regulatory processes of state public utilities commissions (PUCs) in the United States to accelerate the transition to a decarbonized and equitable electric grid. It identifies four primary areas for reform: setting clear proceeding objectives, expanding stakeholder roles in solution development, reducing information asymmetry through data transparency, and initiating new inclusive processes such as regulatory sandboxes and updated benefit-cost analysis frameworks.

This policy brief describes the implementation of performance-based regulation (PBR) in Hawaii, where the Public Utilities Commission approved nearly 40 metrics and scorecards to hold Hawaiian Electric accountable to clean energy and social goals. It highlights the use of diverse outcomes, the challenges of establishing targets for emergent goals, and the importance of stakeholder engagement in designing a comprehensive regulatory portfolio.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute argues that the United States should set a greenhouse gas emissions-reduction target of 50% below 2005 levels by 2030. The document outlines how such a target is achievable through a combination of federal and local action, would stimulate economic growth and job creation, and is necessary to maintain international leadership and meet global warming limits of 1.5 degrees C.

This research paper examines on-bill financing programs as a tool to increase energy equity and clean energy adoption in rural, low-income, and under-resourced communities. It highlights how these programs remove barriers to entry by eliminating upfront costs and replacing traditional credit checks with utility bill payment history. Through case studies of the Hawaii GEM$ and OPALCO Switch It Up! programs, the paper demonstrates how tying financing to the utility meter rather than the individual allows renters and low-income homeowners to access solar PV and beneficial electrification projects while achieving net monthly energy savings.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the history, economic and environmental benefits, funding mechanisms, and legislative landscape of conservation corps in the United States, highlighting their role in climate action and workforce development.

This report by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides 30 federal policy recommendations to enhance the climate resilience of U.S. coastal communities. Based on a series of 16 Congressional briefings featuring 42 experts, the document outlines strategies across six themes: community engagement, land use and development, cultural heritage, climate data, disaster preparedness, and financing. It emphasizes the need for policies based on future climate projections, the integration of climate justice, and the prioritization of nature-based solutions over traditional gray infrastructure.

This guide by RMI provides five strategic tips for utility regulators to maintain progress on long-term climate and energy goals during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the use of virtual technology and the prioritization of decarbonization efforts.

A joint letter from energy and environmental organizations urging the U.S. Congress to include support for innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy financing programs, specifically on-bill financing, in a post-coronavirus economic stimulus package.

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.

A transcript of a March 2020 Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) webinar featuring experts discussing climate mitigation and resilience financing in Hawaii, with a focus on the role of green banks and community-led land preservation.

The ASSEGAIA Alliance launched the Declaration for the Protection of Sacred Natural Sites in January 2020, calling for the regeneration of the Earth to be central to decisions regarding these sites. The Declaration proposes a conservation model featuring a central 'no-go' zone and a buffer zone for ecologically sensitive activities, managed by Spiritual Guardians. The Alliance seeks to identify and protect such sites globally using international rights of Nature.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) responds to President Trump's November 4, 2019, formal notice to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, highlighting the role of subnational entities and private companies in maintaining climate commitments.

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.

This briefing by RMI outlines the progress made in the US electricity landscape during 2018 and identifies the structural barriers and regulatory questions that must be addressed in 2019 to accelerate the clean energy transition. It focuses on the need to reform utility business models, modernize grid planning, integrate beneficial electrification, and ensure an equitable transition for low-income customers and communities affected by the retirement of uneconomic fossil fuel assets.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) examines utility regulatory reform efforts across 10 U.S. states to identify effective processes for transforming the power sector. It argues that traditional quasi-judicial regulatory processes are inadequate for the scale and complexity of current energy transitions and proposes a four-stage framework—initiation, vision communication, conduction, and delivery of outcomes—to achieve more transformational results.

The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Electricity provides a framework for transitioning regional electricity systems to renewable or zero-emission energy. It outlines five primary actions: implementing ambitious Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), phasing out coal-fired generation through retirement and moratoriums, modernizing rate designs to include dynamic pricing, integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) into grid planning, and expanding community solar projects to increase accessibility.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative explains how green securitisation—the process of creating asset-backed securities (ABS) from low-carbon assets—can unlock finance for small-scale projects. It details various structures including synthetic ABS, PACE ABS, solar ABS, and green mortgage-backed securities, highlighting how aggregating small assets allows institutional investors to provide capital to SMEs and urban infrastructure.

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.