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This 2011 fact sheet explains district energy systems, which use central plants and underground pipes to provide efficient heating and cooling to clusters of buildings. It highlights the role of combined heat and power (CHP) and renewable energy in these systems, noting that while over 700 such systems exist in the U.S., high upfront costs and policy gaps remain barriers to further expansion.

This guide by the World Resources Institute (WRI) provides local governments with a framework for sourcing and collecting the data necessary to conduct a 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) analysis. It outlines the three primary datasets required—hourly load data, grid mix and emissions data, and additional energy procurement or generation data—and offers various methodologies for estimating these values when actual data is unavailable.