Search Climate Insights Directory

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 research paper compares the electric vehicle (EV) policies of the United States and China, focusing on financial incentives, charging infrastructure, research and development, and fleet procurement. It highlights China's more aggressive approach to subsidies and mandates compared to the U.S. system of tax credits and state-level incentives.

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 World Resources Institute fact sheet provides data on employment growth within the United States clean energy economy, focusing on solar, wind, energy efficiency, and alternative fuel vehicle sectors as of early 2016 and 2017.

This briefing from RMI outlines eight priority areas for electricity innovation in 2017, based on a survey of the Electricity Innovation Lab (eLab) network. The document focuses on the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), the evolution of utility business models, and the need for improved customer engagement to transform the U.S. electricity system.

This RMI report evaluates time-based and demand charge electricity rates for mass-market customers. It finds that well-designed time-based rates (especially those with high peak/off-peak price ratios and active enabling technology) can significantly reduce peak load and total energy use without harming customer acceptance. In contrast, the report highlights a critical lack of empirical evidence for mass-market demand charges, noting that while they may aid utility cost recovery, their impact on customer behavior remains largely speculative.

This research paper argues that regulators should shift from traditional measure-by-measure energy efficiency tracking to outcome-oriented, economy-wide metrics when tying utility compensation to performance. The authors contend that outcome-oriented metrics are more transparent, easier to monitor, and better aligned with broad policy goals, while reducing the administrative burden and regulatory conflict associated with uncertain savings estimates.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) analyzes the economic value of battery energy storage in the U.S. electricity grid, arguing that 'behind-the-meter' (customer-sited) deployment offers the highest potential value because it can provide the widest array of services. The authors identify thirteen fundamental services across three stakeholder groups—ISO/RTOs, utilities, and customers—and demonstrate through four case studies that 'stacking' multiple services (using a battery for several different purposes over its lifetime) is essential for achieving positive net economic benefits under current cost structures.

This research paper examines different ownership and operation models for distributed energy resources (DERs), evaluating utility-centric, third-party-centric, and customer-centric approaches. Through various case studies, the author argues that any of these models can optimize the electricity system if they prioritize fair compensation, transparency, and adaptability to new technologies.

This executive summary from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) analyzes the economic potential of "demand flexibility" (DF)—the use of technology to shift electricity consumption to lower-cost times. The report argues that DF can significantly reduce both customer electric bills and overall grid investment costs by treating demand as a flexible resource ("flexiwatts") rather than a static load.

The Climate Bonds Initiative reports that the global green bond market in Q1 2015 saw 44 issuances totaling $7.2 billion. While the quarter started slowly, the market showed signs of maturation through diversification in currencies and credit ratings, alongside significant growth in emerging markets and US municipal bonds.

Margaret Bowman of the Walton Family Foundation outlines a vision for addressing water shortages in the Colorado River basin through agricultural modernization, urban efficiency, and water recycling. She argues that these strategies can close a projected water supply gap of 3.2 million acre feet by 2060, provided there is political will to scale local successes to a regional level.

This report, published by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) in September 2013, reviews 16 benefit and cost studies of distributed photovoltaics (DPV) conducted between 2005 and 2013. It aims to establish a foundation for valuing distributed energy resources (DERs) by identifying methodological best practices and gaps in how the electricity sector quantifies the costs and benefits of DPV.

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.

The GSA Net Zero Renovation Challenge is an initiative by the General Services Administration (GSA), the Office of Federal High Performance Green Buildings (OFHPGB), and the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) to achieve deep energy savings in 30-35 federal buildings using Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs). A workshop held in October 2011 by RMI and GSA identified structural, contractual, and technical barriers to achieving net zero energy, proposing a shift toward integrative design, streamlined procurement, and shared risk to move beyond conventional shallow retrofits.

This document is an introduction by Chandré Gould to a peer-reviewed collection of ten papers resulting from a December 2010 conference titled ‘Towards a coherent strategy for crime reduction in South Africa beyond 2010’. The collection explores the causes of crime, policing practices, and victimisation, with a primary focus on South Africa and additional perspectives from the United States and Mexico.

A fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute detailing the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) implementation of greenhouse gas (GHG) permitting standards under the Clean Air Act, focusing on new and modified large power plants and refineries.

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.