Search Climate Insights Directory

This RMI briefing argues that repealing tech-neutral clean electricity tax credits, specifically the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) (48E) and Production Tax Credit (PTC) (45Y), would increase energy costs for farmers and rural electric cooperatives, undermine grid reliability, and derail planned clean energy investments in rural America.

This report by RMI and Evergreen analyzes industrial decarbonization strategies within 26 Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs) submitted by US states and Puerto Rico under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program. The analysis finds that while there is a general intention to reduce industrial emissions, state plans often lack the subsector specificity, long-term roadmapping, and cost-effective policy tools necessary for a successful transition. The authors recommend that states move away from a reliance on federal funding, adopt tailored strategies based on local industrial compositions, and better leverage co-benefits such as public health improvements, workforce development, and international competitiveness.

This report by RMI examines the potential of advanced transmission technologies (ATTs)—comprising grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) and advanced conductors—to expand electricity grid capacity and reliability. While pilot projects in the United States have demonstrated success in increasing capacity and reducing costs, the report identifies significant barriers to scaling these solutions, including risk aversion, financial disincentives, and a failure to integrate ATTs into long-term grid planning. RMI suggests that large corporate energy users can accelerate adoption through policy advocacy and by facilitating coordination between utilities across different service territories.

This case study by RMI examines the financial risks of stranded assets in Wisconsin, focusing on the early retirement of the Oak Creek Power Plant and the potential for repeating similar mistakes by investing in new gas-fired power plants.

This research paper examines public perceptions of wood-based electricity production in Wisconsin, USA, arguing that public responses to renewable energy projects are shaped by localized social, cultural, and socio-spatial contexts rather than a simple binary of acceptance or non-acceptance.

This report by RMI analyzes the US Department of Energy's Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program, specifically how utilities can use its low-cost financing to refinance legacy fossil fuel asset costs and invest in clean energy. Through modeling of two utilities—Alliant in Iowa and Ameren in Missouri—the report demonstrates that EIR financing can significantly reduce costs for ratepayers compared to traditional utility financing or securitization.

This report by RMI provides guidance and best practices for developers participating in the US Department of Energy's (DOE) $7 billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) program. It focuses on the necessity of meaningful, two-way community engagement and the implementation of Community Benefits Plans (CBPs) to ensure an equitable energy transition, particularly for disadvantaged communities.

This RMI report analyzes the barriers and gaps associated with 'stacking' (combining) federal, state, and local financial incentives for residential clean energy retrofits in the US. It identifies significant complexities in application processes, unclear guidance on the order of funding, and critical funding gaps for health and safety repairs and pre-electrification upgrades. The report provides a framework for program administrators to improve accessibility, particularly for low-income households, to ensure the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and other funds effectively drive decarbonization.

This fact sheet describes mass timber as a class of engineered wood building materials that offers a lower carbon footprint and potential cost-competitiveness compared to steel and concrete. It outlines the environmental benefits, construction advantages, and the current state of mass timber adoption and policy support in the United States.

This report by RMI outlines a strategic framework—focused on competitiveness, constraints, and coordination—to accelerate energy transition investment in the Great Lakes region. It argues that while the region possesses significant industrial legacies and innovation assets, it faces structural hurdles such as slow population growth, labor shortages, and a lack of cohesive industrial strategies. The document proposes that states move beyond simple investment attraction toward coordinated industrial policies, leveraging federal incentives from the IRA, IIJA, and CHIPS Act to build regional clusters in sectors like EV batteries, low-carbon steel, and sustainable fuels.

This briefing by RMI analyzes the potential for transitioning the Great Lakes region's steel industry to near-zero-emissions production. It identifies a gap between aggressive federal incentives—such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)—and the lack of coordinated, steel-specific industrial strategies at the state level. The report evaluates three primary decarbonization pathways: Blast furnace–basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) with carbon capture and storage (CCS), natural gas direct reduced iron (DRI) with CCS, and renewable hydrogen-based DRI, noting that hydrogen DRI offers the lowest emissions intensity and most competitive levelized costs when subsidies are included. It emphasizes the region's economic importance, as the Great Lakes house all of the US's integrated steel mills and two-thirds of the nation's steelworkers, while warning that failure to modernize could lead to a loss of competitiveness and jobs to other regions or international markets.

This policy brief by RMI examines the potential for the Great Lakes region of the United States to become a globally competitive hub for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). It analyzes the region's strengths in feedstock availability, existing ethanol infrastructure, and logistics, while identifying a significant gap in coordinated state-level industrial policy to support the SAF value chain.

This briefing by RMI analyzes the potential for the Great Lakes region to lead the electric vehicle (EV) and battery supply chain. While the region possesses historical automotive strengths and significant R&D capacity, it faces competition from the 'Battery Belt' in the Deep South and gaps in state-level industrial policies. The document outlines the four stages of the supply chain—upstream, midstream, downstream, and reuse/recycling—and provides a gap analysis of regional policies compared to federal initiatives, urging Great Lakes states to coordinate on strategic coordination, production incentives, and end-of-life regulations to maintain competitiveness.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) explains the nature, benefits, and regulatory support for mass timber—engineered wood materials used for large-scale construction. It highlights mass timber's potential to reduce building emissions, store carbon, and support sustainable forest management, while addressing concerns regarding fire safety and moisture.

This report by Energy Innovation and RMI evaluates the impact of five key state-level energy policies on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across six U.S. states using the Energy Policy Simulator (EPS). The analysis demonstrates that a coordinated policy approach can significantly reduce emissions, create jobs, and improve public health outcomes.

This guide from the World Resources Institute outlines strategies for U.S. local governments to expand community solar access for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households, leveraging new federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act and various municipal-level interventions.

This guide explains the technology, efficiency, and types of heat pumps, highlighting their ability to provide both heating and cooling while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality compared to traditional fossil fuel systems.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines how federal investment in three tree-based natural climate solutions—reforestation, agroforestry, and wildfire risk mitigation—can help the United States meet its 2030 emissions targets while driving economic growth and job creation.

This briefing by RMI examines how several US states are using securitization—a financing tool that replaces high-cost utility capital with low-interest ratepayer-backed bonds—to facilitate the equitable retirement of coal-fired power plants. The document details how this mechanism can lower electricity rates for consumers, enable utility investment in clean energy, and provide funding for displaced workers and affected communities.

A Green Bond Fact Sheet detailing an USD 80 million issuance by the State of Wisconsin on May 13, 2020, to fund water and wastewater projects through the Clean Water Fund Program and the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program.