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A multigroup letter to Congress opposes the creation of consolidated interim storage facilities for high-level radioactive waste, citing extreme transportation risks, potential environmental contamination in Texas and New Mexico, and strong local and public opposition.

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 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.

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 briefing, compiled by a coalition of public interest groups and published by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, outlines the technical, economic, and regulatory challenges associated with decommissioning nuclear power plants in the United States. It highlights significant risks to public health and safety, the inadequacy of current waste storage and funding, and the lack of local government oversight during the decommissioning process.

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 RMI report outlines the investment potential and financing frameworks for community-scale solar (CSS) in the United States, estimating a market opportunity of up to $16.3 billion by 2020. It details the benefits of CSS—such as lower costs and flexible customer arrangements—while analyzing various finance structures, including tax equity, debt, and innovative tools like New Markets Tax Credits. The document provides a risk management framework to address customer acquisition, subscription volatility, and regulatory uncertainty, aiming to help developers and investors standardize models to accelerate market growth.

This case study describes how the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC) in northern New Mexico established a voluntary goal to meet 100 percent of its summer peak electricity demand with solar power by 2023.

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 New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, urging the state to prioritize energy efficiency as the most cost-effective strategy for complying with the Clean Power Plan.

This summary report details a September 2013 briefing in St. Paul, Minnesota, regarding 'America’s Power Plan' (APP), a policy roadmap for achieving a high-renewables energy future. The document outlines the regional context of the Midwest, discusses the need for new utility business and regulatory models to accommodate distributed energy resources (DERs), and highlights Xcel Energy's experience in integrating variable wind power.

This issue brief from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the role of energy storage technologies in mitigating electricity industry challenges, integrating renewable energy, and improving grid reliability. It details various storage technologies—ranging from pumped hydro and compressed air to advanced batteries and flywheels—and analyzes the impact of U.S. federal policies, specifically FERC orders and Department of Energy (DOE) initiatives, in overcoming implementation barriers.

This policy brief from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) examines the role of energy storage technologies in mitigating electricity industry challenges, integrating renewable energy, and improving grid reliability. It provides a technical overview of various storage methods, analyzes the impact of U.S. federal policies and legislation, and highlights specific large-scale implementation projects across the United States.

This statement from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute argues that U.S. forests are increasingly transitioning from carbon sinks to carbon emitters due to climate change, droughts, and wildfires. It highlights a critical funding gap for hazardous fuel reduction and ecosystem restoration, suggesting that expanding markets for wood products and bioenergy could provide a sustainable financial model for forest management.

A group of environmental and conservation organizations wrote a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) opposing the EPA's proposal to approve Arundo donax (giant reed) as a qualified advanced biofuel feedstock under the Renewable Fuel Standard Program, citing significant ecological and economic risks.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the effectiveness of investment incentives in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). It argues that fiscal incentives cannot compensate for a weak investment climate and recommends a transition from automatic tax holidays toward targeted, performance-based incentives and transparent tax administration.

This research paper evaluates various cost-limiting tools used in U.S. state renewable energy policies—including alternative compliance payments, contract price caps, and retail rate impact caps—to provide recommendations for California's RPS cost limitation. The analysis finds that while cost limits can insure against extreme costs, they often create market uncertainty, may be set based on political rather than economic data, and can inadvertently act as price floors, potentially hindering the achievement of renewable energy targets.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute and Synapse Energy Economics models the water-energy nexus in the eleven-state Western Electric Coordinating Council (WECC) through 2100. It examines how different electricity generation pathways—ranging from business-as-usual to aggressive carbon and water reductions—impact water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and system costs. The analysis concludes that while power plants require water, their total consumption is significantly lower than agricultural and urban use, suggesting the water-energy nexus is a secondary driver of regional water stress compared to other sectors.

This report by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) examines the state of the advanced biofuels industry in the United States following the 2008 economic recession. It analyzes national policy trends, identifies critical barriers to commercialization—including technological hurdles, market volatility, and regulatory uncertainty—and provides ten specific policy recommendations for state governments to support sustainable, local biofuel development during periods of limited fiscal capacity.

This report by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) analyzes how state climate action plans in the United States incorporate land use, transportation, and green building policies as of July 2009. It finds that while transportation and green building are common, specific 'smart growth' land use practices are the least frequent component of these plans.