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This summary report details a September 2013 briefing in St. Paul, Minnesota, regarding 'America’s Power Plan' (APP), a policy roadmap for achieving a high-renewables energy future. The document outlines the regional context of the Midwest, discusses the need for new utility business and regulatory models to accommodate distributed energy resources (DERs), and highlights Xcel Energy's experience in integrating variable wind power.

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 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.

This report summarizes a two-day charrette held in November 2012 to address challenges in planning, investment, and execution of energy efficiency and renewable energy for Fort Collins Utilities and the FortZED net zero energy district project.

This research paper evaluates various cost-limiting tools used in U.S. state renewable energy policies—including alternative compliance payments, contract price caps, and retail rate impact caps—to provide recommendations for California's RPS cost limitation. The analysis finds that while cost limits can insure against extreme costs, they often create market uncertainty, may be set based on political rather than economic data, and can inadvertently act as price floors, potentially hindering the achievement of renewable energy targets.

This report, produced by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) for PG&E, examines the impact of distributed energy resources (DERs) and Zero Net Energy (ZNE) buildings on California's electricity system. It identifies misalignments between current utility business models and the shift toward decentralized generation, proposing a transition toward new pricing structures and regulatory frameworks to ensure grid stability and cost equity.

This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute examines the link between man-made climate change and recent extreme weather events in the United States, specifically focusing on extreme heat, droughts, and wildfires.

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.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) details the employment potential of renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) sectors globally and within the United States. It compiles various studies and reports to argue that clean energy transitions can provide quality, long-term jobs and economic growth, contrasting these trends with the decline of traditional fossil fuel employment.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) details the job creation potential and economic impacts of renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) sectors across the United States and internationally. It compares the employment capacity of green industries against fossil fuel and nuclear sectors and highlights the role of specific policy instruments, such as Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and tax credits, in driving workforce growth.

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.

This RMI fact sheet presents several case studies of green building projects across residential, commercial, and urban redevelopment sectors, highlighting the economic and environmental benefits of sustainable design, such as energy savings, increased property value, and reduced marketing costs.

This guide introduces 'whole system design' for residential buildings, emphasizing the integration of passive solar strategies, thermal mass, and reflective roofing to reduce energy consumption. It argues that careful planning can make green homes cost the same or less than conventional ones and highlights financing options like Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs).

The Action List from the second day of the Sixteenth Meeting of the IAI Executive Council (EC) details administrative approvals, committee restructuring, and the scheduling of future meetings.

This document is a list of actions approved during the second day of the Sixteenth Meeting of the Executive Council (EC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held on December 3, 2002, in Panama City, Panama.

The report 'Battling Fuel Waste in the Military' by Amory Lovins (RMI) argues that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) suffers from systemic fuel inefficiency due to a failure to account for the high cost of fuel delivery (logistics). By ignoring these costs during the design of weapons platforms and ships, the DOD maintains inefficient equipment that increases operational costs and inhibits warfighting capability. The author suggests that adopting fuel-saving technologies and 'green design' could save billions of dollars annually and improve military agility and security.

This report documents the proceedings of the Lima Workshop on Mining and Sustainable Development in the Americas, held from June 27-29, 1998. The event brought together 76 representatives from 11 countries—including industry, government, NGOs, and indigenous peoples—to discuss improving mining policies and practices to ensure they contribute to sustainable development in the hemisphere.

This research paper, prepared for the Government of Manitoba by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, examines models for measuring sustainable development performance at the provincial, state, and municipal levels. It reviews specific initiatives in Alberta, Oregon, Colorado, Seattle, and Jacksonville to identify strengths and weaknesses in indicator selection and application. The document proposes a causal framework based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model to better link human activities to environmental and social outcomes, providing a methodological guide for developing a sustainable development reporting system in Manitoba.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes the role of lithium as a critical mineral for clean energy, its global supply chain, extraction and processing methods, and the environmental and social externalities associated with its production.

This guide by Energy Innovation provides a blueprint for U.S. state policymakers to mitigate the economic impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). It specifically focuses on accelerating the procurement of wind and solar energy to ensure projects qualify for federal tax credits before they expire.