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221 results
GRID RELIABILITY IN THE CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION
This briefing from Energy Innovation examines the challenges and opportunities for maintaining electric grid reliability during the transition to clean energy in the United States. It defines the components of reliability—resource adequacy, operational reliability, and resilience—and argues that while the shift to inverter-based resources (IBRs) and the retirement of fossil fuel plants create risks, these can be managed through interconnection reform, demand-side solutions, and a diverse portfolio of clean energy resources.
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Document type: Briefing
Proposed gas-fired power plants in the United States rise due to AI energy demand speculation, but remain largely in early development stage
A Global Energy Monitor briefing reports a surge in proposed gas-fired power plants in the United States, driven by speculation over AI energy demand. While the U.S. now has the world's second-largest pipeline of such projects, most remain in early development stages, risking billions in stranded assets if demand forecasts prove inaccurate.
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Document type: Briefing
Solar met 61% of US electricity demand growth in 2025
This report by Ember analyses Energy Information Administration (EIA) data to demonstrate how solar power and battery storage met a significant portion of the United States' rising electricity demand in 2025.
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Document type: Report
ENERGY PARKS
This report defines "energy parks" as large-scale microgrids that co-locate renewable energy generation, storage, and electricity consumers (loads) behind a single point of interconnection (POI) to the bulk power grid. The authors argue that this model reduces equipment costs, accelerates the "time to power" for industrial loads, and provides flexible grid services. The document outlines the evolution of these parks from simple solar farms with high inverter-loading ratios to complex hybrids involving thermal batteries and hydrogen electrolysis. It identifies significant regulatory hurdles, including interconnection queue delays, wholesale market participation rules, and state-level utility monopolies, and proposes a shift toward treating energy parks as "digital resources" with a universal participation model.
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Document type: Report
To Connect or Not to Connect: Demystifying Hydrogen Power Procurement Options, Risks, and Opportunities
This report by RMI examines the power procurement options and associated risks for green hydrogen projects, specifically focusing on the challenges of achieving hourly matching for the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act's 45V tax credit. It analyzes four procurement archetypes—Behind-the-Meter, Virtual PPAs, Physical PPAs, and Hybrid systems—and details how weather variability, logistic complexity, and grid volatility impact project bankability and economic viability.
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Document type: Report
Resilient, Carbon-Free Buildings Are Within Reach
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.
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Document type: Briefing
A Roadmap for Designing Hydrogen Projects for 45V Compliance
This report by RMI provides a strategic framework for hydrogen project developers to comply with the proposed 45V clean hydrogen production tax credit in the United States. It details the 'four pillars' of the Treasury's proposed guidance—regionality, hourly matching, incrementality, and attribute tradeability—and outlines an ecosystem of registries, contracts, and operational strategies needed to secure the highest credit tier of $3 per kg of hydrogen.
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Document type: Report
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks
This document consists of Extensions of Remarks from the Congressional Record dated September 17, 2024, containing three separate statements by members of the House of Representatives. One statement introduces a resolution for 'Smedical Research Week, another recognizes the 40th anniversary of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), and the third honors Cy-Fair Fire Department Chief Amy Ramon.
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Document type: Statement
Fossil fuels impact on weather events in the United States
This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the link between fossil fuel emissions and extreme weather events in the United States, detailing the role of the oil and gas industry in climate damages and the current state of the US energy transition.
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Document type: Briefing
The State of PFAS (Forever Chemicals) in America 2024
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'.
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Document type: Briefing
The Oil and Gas Sector Needs to Tackle Its Methane Problem. Here’s How to Track It.
This RMI fact sheet introduces the Oil Climate Index plus Gas (OCI+), an open-source interactive tool designed to track and analyze the methane intensity of global oil and gas resources. The document highlights the significant role of methane in industry emissions, the potential for profitable reductions, and the use of satellite technology and environmental justice mapping to mitigate climate and community risks.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Estimating the Climate Impacts of the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 Transmission Provisions
This briefing by RMI estimates the climate impacts of the transmission provisions within the draft Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 (EPRA). The analysis finds that the EPRA, in conjunction with FERC Order 1920, would significantly accelerate the expansion of regional and interregional transmission, enabling the deployment of clean energy to meet growing load and displace fossil fuel generation. In a central scenario, the EPRA is estimated to reduce cumulative US grid emissions by 6.5 Gt CO2 equivalent through 2050.
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Document type: Briefing
Clean Energy 101: How Batteries Can Support Grid Reliability
This briefing by RMI argues that battery energy storage systems (BESS) are a cleaner, more flexible, and often more cost-effective alternative to fossil fuel resources for maintaining electric grid reliability. It details how batteries can manage variable renewable energy, provide critical stability services, and support grid restoration, while urging utilities to adopt all-source procurement processes to identify the most cost-optimal reliability solutions.
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Document type: Briefing
The Climate Crisis Domino Effect
This research paper by the Center for International Environmental Law examines how climate-induced extreme weather is driving an insurance crisis in the United States, which in turn threatens housing affordability and financial stability. The authors argue that insurance companies are exacerbating the crisis by raising premiums to recoup losses while simultaneously reinvesting profits into fossil fuel companies.
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Document type: Research paper
Evidence Shows Three Pillars Remain Crucial for 45V Hydrogen Tax Credit to Protect Climate, Consumers, Industry
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.
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Document type: Research paper
How New Federal Policy Raises the Bar for Energy-Efficient Housing
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.
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Document type: Research paper
Clean Repowering Can Avoid Disastrous Delays with 250 GW of Clean Energy
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.
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Document type: Briefing
Warning regarding the potential health impacts of fracking on New Brunswickers
A letter from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and other health professionals to the Premier of New Brunswick, warning against the pursuit of shale gas production due to documented adverse health impacts associated with hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
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Document type: Statement
Hydrogen Under 45V: Analyzing Electricity Availability Under Proposed Rules for the Hydrogen Tax Credit
This report by RMI analyzes the availability of Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) required to qualify for the US Inflation Reduction Act's 45V Clean Hydrogen Production tax credit. The analysis focuses on the 'three pillars' of the proposed rules—new, nearby, and hourly matched power—and evaluates whether these requirements can be met across seven Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs). RMI finds that while there is sufficient projected clean electricity capacity to meet current hub goals, the primary obstacles to scaling the industry are underdeveloped EAC markets, data infrastructure, and physical grid bottlenecks rather than a lack of available clean energy attributes.
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Document type: Report
Big Wires, Small Wires, and Non-Wires Solutions to “Electrify Everything”
This briefing by RMI argues that achieving economy-wide decarbonization through the electrification of everything requires a proactive, holistic approach to grid modernization. The author advocates for a combination of "big wires" (high-voltage transmission), "small wires" (distribution system upgrades), and "non-wires" solutions (virtual power plants and demand response) to accommodate growing electricity demand from data centers, manufacturing, and electric vehicle fleets.
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Document type: Briefing