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This report by the World Resources Institute analyzes the state of clean energy in the United States through 2024, highlighting record growth in solar and battery storage alongside significant headwinds including grid capacity limits, rising local opposition, and policy uncertainty under the Trump administration.

This technical appendix details the benefit-cost analysis (BCA) methodology used by RMI to evaluate seven transmission projects. It outlines the calculation of three core benefits—congestion relief, resource adequacy, and public policy savings—and describes the financial models used to determine costs based on ownership structure (investor-owned, public power, or independent merchant).

This case study examines the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for the Block Island Wind Farm, the first operational offshore wind farm in the United States. Developed by Deepwater Wind (later acquired by Ørsted), the project focused on improving electricity reliability and environmental quality for the town of New Shoreham by connecting the island to the mainland power grid for the first time.

Friends of the Earth U.S. analyzes the Biden-Harris administration's 6-point policy framework aimed at reducing U.S. imports of products linked to deforestation. While commending the framework's direction, the organization advocates for a holistic approach to illegal deforestation, the establishment of a public due diligence system independent of third-party certifications, and the passage of the federal FOREST Act.

Friends of the Earth urges Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the Tropical Rainforest Economic & Environmental Sustainability (TREES) Act, which would make New York the first U.S. state to require proof that state-purchased products are not driving deforestation.

RMI advocates for integrating building decarbonization with resilience efforts to combat climate-driven power outages and emissions. The briefing emphasizes 'passive measures'—such as envelope retrofits—as a priority to manage peak electricity demand, lower utility costs, and significantly extend the 'hours of safety' for occupants during extreme heat and cold.

This briefing by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the prevalence, health impacts, and regulatory landscape of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the United States as of 2024. It details the contamination of drinking water and soil, the associated cancer and endocrine risks, and the multi-level government efforts—including the EPA's 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulation—to mitigate these 'forever chemicals'.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the causal link between fossil fuel emissions and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. It details the role of 'Carbon Majors' in global emissions, the financial disparity between industry profits and climate damages, and the growing use of litigation to hold these companies accountable. The document argues that a managed phase-out of fossil fuels, through both supply and demand reductions, is essential to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

This research note by Energy Innovation argues that the U.S. Treasury Department must maintain the "three pillars" (incremental, deliverable, and hourly-matched clean electricity) in the final rules for the Section 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit. The author contends that weakening these rules would undermine climate goals, increase electricity costs for consumers, and stifle the development of a flexible, domestic electrolyzer industry.

This guide by RMI introduces Performance-Based Regulation (PBR) as a regulatory approach for electric utilities designed to align utility incentives with customer and societal interests. It contrasts PBR with traditional cost-of-service regulation (COSR), which the document argues creates perverse incentives such as 'gold plating' and 'capex bias' that hinder the clean energy transition. The guide details various PBR tools—including revenue decoupling, multi-year rate plans, and performance incentive mechanisms—and provides a framework for moving from incremental to comprehensive PBR reform.

This research paper analyzes a proposed bill in the New York State Legislature, the "Insuring Our Future Act," which seeks to use state regulatory authority to address rising insurance costs and coverage gaps caused by climate change. The authors argue that insurance companies are hypocritically citing climate-driven disasters to raise premiums while continuing to finance and underwrite the fossil fuel projects that drive the climate crisis.

In May 2024, the US Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) updated minimum energy standards for new construction, requiring new covered buildings under four stories to comply with the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (2021 IECC) and taller buildings to meet ASHRAE/ANSI Standard 90.1-2019. These updates, combined with 45L tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), make high-performance multifamily housing financially viable, particularly for all-electric constructions and those in specific climate zones.

This briefing by RMI proposes "clean repowering" as a strategy to bypass interconnection delays for clean energy projects in the United States. By utilizing existing power plant interconnection points, the time from application to operation can be reduced from an average of five years to less than one year, potentially deploying 250 GW of new clean energy assets.

The report examines 'equity PIMs' as a regulatory tool to incentivize utilities to improve energy affordability and service for underserved communities. It highlights that while several US states have adopted these mechanisms to target energy efficiency and reduce disconnections, they are most effective when paired with broader systemic reforms, reporting metrics, and direct assistance programs.

RMI analysis indicates that Illinois could achieve significant household cost savings, pollution reduction, and public health improvements by adopting three clean transportation strategies: vehicle electrification standards, climate-driven agency planning, and renewed investments in state transit systems.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides data on the growth and distribution of climate-related jobs in the United States as of 2022, highlighting sectors such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean vehicles, and adaptation and resilience.

This research paper by RMI analyzes energy burden—the proportion of household income spent on electricity and fuel—across all 50 US states using 2020 Energy Information Administration data. It finds that extremely low-income households face a disproportionately high energy burden, often exceeding the 10% threshold for energy poverty, and evaluates how federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and specific state-level policies can mitigate these burdens while pursuing decarbonization.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute argues that achieving decarbonization targets in the United States electricity sector requires coordinated, reliability-informed policy planning rather than relying solely on market prices. It emphasizes that grid reliability depends on both resource adequacy and operating reliability, and warns that the retirement of essential reliability services without equivalent replacements puts both grid stability and climate goals at risk.

This briefing argues that weak Treasury guidelines for the 45V hydrogen production tax credit could increase wholesale electricity prices for consumers. It advocates for the strict application of three pillars—additionality, deliverability, and hourly matching—to ensure that new electrolyzer demand is offset by new clean generation, preventing the price spikes associated with large-scale electricity loads like cryptocurrency mining.

This report by RMI argues for the establishment of comprehensive indoor air quality (IAQ) guidelines in the United States to protect public health and inform building decarbonization. It examines the health risks of indoor pollutants, compares indoor and outdoor air regulation, reviews international and domestic examples of IAQ guidelines, and outlines how such guidelines can be applied to product safety, building codes, and certifications.