Search Climate Insights Directory
47 results
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STATE GUIDANCE FOR CLEAN POWER PLANNING
This guidance document, produced by the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum on Climate Change, provides a framework for state agencies to incorporate equity and environmental justice (EJ) into the planning and implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2015 Clean Power Plan (CPP). It emphasizes the need for meaningful community engagement, the use of EJ analyses to prevent disparate impacts, and the prioritization of public health and a 'just transition' for workers and overburdened communities.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Guide
Offshore Wind: Can the United States Catch up with Europe?
As of 2016, Europe dominated the global offshore wind market, with the UK, Germany, and Denmark leading in installed capacity. The United States, while possessing vast potential (over 4,000 GW), was in the early stages of deployment with its first commercial project at Block Island. The document highlights the technical advantages of offshore wind—such as stronger winds and proximity to coastal population centers—and notes the significant job creation potential in the EU sector.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS TO ENERGY-RELATED INVESTMENTS WITH AN ON-BILL FINANCING PROGRAM
This guide, prepared by Collaborative Efficiency and Michigan Saves with support from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), introduces on-bill financing (OBF) as a mechanism for municipal utilities and electric cooperatives to overcome financial barriers to energy efficiency and renewable energy investments.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Guide
Help My House Getting Rave Reviews
The Help My House pilot project in South Carolina provided no-upfront-cost energy efficiency upgrades—including heat pumps and insulation—to electrical cooperative members. The program reduced average electricity use by 34%, saving participants an average of $288 annually during loan repayment and projected savings of over $1,100 annually thereafter, with over 90% of participants reporting satisfaction.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Case study
Help My House Pilot Program Final Summary Report
The Help My House pilot program in South Carolina demonstrated that on-bill financing (OBF) can effectively drive residential energy efficiency, particularly for low-income households. Retrofits in 125 homes reduced average electricity use by 34% (approx. 11,000 kWh/year), with over 80% of participants seeing energy savings that exceeded their loan payments. The program significantly increased member satisfaction with electric cooperatives and led several cooperatives to establish permanent OBF programs. While the pilot showed minimal impact on system load factor, it highlighted the potential for OBF to defer expensive new generation investments and reduce CO2 emissions.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
101212_96_group_letter_to_omb-ab096405f800ba79.pdf
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.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
Should the Renewable Fuel Standard be waived in times of drought?
This statement examines whether the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should waive the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in response to a 2012 drought in the United States that damaged corn and soybean crops. While livestock and dairy producers have petitioned for a waiver to lower corn feed prices, the document argues that such a move would have minimal impact on prices while severely harming the biofuels industry and its long-term goals.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
South Carolina Co-ops Implement “Help My House” On-Bill Financing Pilot
This fact sheet describes the "Help My House" on-bill financing pilot program implemented by South Carolina electric cooperatives to increase residential energy efficiency in a region with lower-than-average family incomes.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
On-Bill Financing: Helping Homeowners Implement Energy Efficiency Improvements
This fact sheet describes on-bill financing as a mechanism to eliminate upfront costs for residential energy efficiency improvements by providing low-interest loans repaid through monthly utility bills. It distinguishes between tariff-based systems, which tie costs to the meter and can address landlord-tenant split incentives, and on-bill loans, which typically function as non-transferable personal or business loans. The document highlights a pilot program in South Carolina that achieved significant energy savings through whole-house retrofits.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Rural Energy Savings Program
This briefing describes the proposed Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), a legislative initiative designed to provide low-interest loans to rural homeowners for energy efficiency improvements via on-bill financing through the USDA's Rural Utilities Service.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Developing an Advanced Biofuels Industry: State Policy Options for Lean and Uncertain Times
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.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
State Actions on Climate Change: A Focus on How Our Communities Grow
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.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Energy by the Numbers: MISSISSIPPI
This 2009 fact sheet from the World Resources Institute provides data on energy consumption, electricity generation, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trends in Mississippi, based on 2006 and 2005 data.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Energy by the Numbers: SOUTH CAROLINA
This 2009 WRI fact sheet reports that South Carolina's energy consumption became more dependent on fossil fuels between 1990 and 2006, reaching 71%. It notes that GHG emissions in the state grew by 42% from 1990 to 2005, driven largely by the electricity and transportation sectors, with energy consumption accounting for 90% of total emissions.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Energy by the Numbers: VIRGINIA
This 2009 fact sheet from the World Resources Institute provides data on energy consumption, electricity generation, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Virginia, based on 2006 and 2005 data.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Local Clean Power: SOUTH CAROLINA
This fact sheet outlines the renewable energy potential for South Carolina, estimating that the state can generate an additional 25,000 GWh of electricity from renewable resources, which would represent approximately 30 percent of current electricity sales.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Water and Watts
This briefing by the World Resources Institute examines the interdependent relationship between water and energy resources in the Southeastern United States. It highlights how electric power production relies heavily on freshwater for cooling, while water treatment and heating require significant energy, proposing policy priorities to improve efficiency in both sectors.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Water and Watts
This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute, based on a 2009 issue brief, examines the interdependence of energy and water resources in South Carolina, highlighting the high water demand of thermoelectric power and the energy costs associated with water treatment and heating.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Cellulosic Biofuels
This July 2008 fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) details the status of cellulosic biofuel production in the United States, highlighting the number of biorefineries in development, the technologies and feedstocks used, and the federal and state investments supporting the industry.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Microsoft Word - US Muni Blog Table 2.pdf.odt
This document is a fact sheet containing a table of individual green municipal bonds issued in the United States during 2017, detailing the issuers, amounts issued in USD, dates, project types, and CBI certification status.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet