Search Climate Insights Directory
66 results
Eight Benefits of Building Electrification for Households, Communities, and Climate
This fact sheet from RMI outlines the climate, health, and economic advantages of transitioning US buildings from fossil fuels to clean electricity for heating and cooking, arguing that electrification is the only established method to eliminate carbon pollution from residential and commercial appliances.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Now Is the Time for US Leadership on Electric Vehicles
This RMI briefing argues that the United States must accelerate its leadership in electric vehicle (EV) adoption to address climate change, noting that transportation is the country's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. The document highlights rapid technological advancements in battery design, increasing demand from state governments and major corporations, and the necessity of scaling charging infrastructure to meet a zero-emissions mobility system by 2050.
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Document type: Briefing
A RESILIENT FUTURE FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES
This report by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides 30 federal policy recommendations to enhance the climate resilience of U.S. coastal communities. Based on a series of 16 Congressional briefings featuring 42 experts, the document outlines strategies across six themes: community engagement, land use and development, cultural heritage, climate data, disaster preparedness, and financing. It emphasizes the need for policies based on future climate projections, the integration of climate justice, and the prioritization of nature-based solutions over traditional gray infrastructure.
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Document type: Report
Green Bond Fact Sheet
This fact sheet details a USD 13 million green bond issued by the Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority on July 8, 2020, to fund energy savings capital improvements for water and sewerage systems.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Regulatory Solutions for Building Decarbonization
This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides a comprehensive regulatory framework for decarbonizing the US building sector, primarily through electrification. It outlines ten key strategies for public utilities commissions (PUCs) and government agencies to transition away from fossil fuel infrastructure, emphasizing equity, market transformation, and the management of stranded asset risks.
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Document type: Report
Congressional Action on Resilient Infrastructure: Areas of Progress and Future Needs
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines legislative progress made by the 115th Congress to improve the resilience of U.S. infrastructure against extreme weather and climate change. It details specific provisions in laws affecting disaster recovery, water systems, national defense, and natural infrastructure, while identifying remaining gaps for the 116th Congress, such as energy grid resilience and National Flood Insurance Program reform.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Successfully Shaping the Clean Energy Transition
This briefing by RMI outlines the progress made in the US electricity landscape during 2018 and identifies the structural barriers and regulatory questions that must be addressed in 2019 to accelerate the clean energy transition. It focuses on the need to reform utility business models, modernize grid planning, integrate beneficial electrification, and ensure an equitable transition for low-income customers and communities affected by the retirement of uneconomic fossil fuel assets.
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Document type: Briefing
The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Land Use
The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Land Use is a guide by RMI that provides four specific actions for subnational governments to address climate goals through land management, open space conservation, methane capture, and regenerative agriculture.
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Document type: Guide
Comparing U.S. and Chinese Electric Vehicle Policies
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.
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Document type: Research paper
The U.S. Climate Alliance and Related Actions
This fact sheet describes the formation and goals of the United States Climate Alliance and other subnational efforts to uphold the 2016 Paris Agreement following the Trump Administration's decision to withdraw the United States from the accord.
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Document type: Fact sheet
CLEAN ENERGY JOBS GROWTH IN THE UNITED STATES
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.
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Document type: Fact sheet
A Brief History of Octane
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute provides a historical overview of octane additives in U.S. gasoline, detailing the transition from lead and other petroleum-based aromatics to ethanol due to health and environmental concerns. It discusses the role of the EPA in regulating fuel composition to reduce tailpipe emissions and improve engine efficiency.
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Document type: Fact sheet
5 Lessons Learned from the Pepco-Exelon Merger Battle in D.C.
This case study analyzes the $6.8 billion merger between Exelon and Pepco Holdings, which created the largest utility in the United States. The document uses the contentious approval process in the District of Columbia to identify five broader trends in the U.S. power sector: increased utility consolidation to hedge against volatile wholesale markets, disputes over microgrid ownership, the criticality of rate design equity, the rise of mobilized customer constituencies, and the proliferation of state-level power sector transformation proceedings.
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Document type: Case study
A Brief History of Octane in Gasoline: From Lead to Ethanol
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) outlines the history and evolution of octane additives in United States gasoline, detailing the transition from lead and other petroleum-based aromatics to ethanol due to health and environmental concerns.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Offshore Wind
This fact sheet provides a comprehensive overview of the global offshore wind energy sector as of early 2016, contrasting the established European market with the emerging industry in the United States. It details the technical advantages of offshore wind over onshore wind, current installation capacities, key market players, and the economic and environmental impacts of the transition.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Offshore Wind: Can the United States Catch up with Europe?
As of 2016, Europe dominated the global offshore wind market, with the UK, Germany, and Denmark leading in installed capacity. The United States, while possessing vast potential (over 4,000 GW), was in the early stages of deployment with its first commercial project at Block Island. The document highlights the technical advantages of offshore wind—such as stronger winds and proximity to coastal population centers—and notes the significant job creation potential in the EU sector.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Fuel Cells
This fact sheet provides an overview of fuel cell technology, detailing its operational mechanisms, various types, and its comparative advantages over internal combustion engines and batteries. It examines the technical and economic barriers to widespread adoption—specifically cost, hydrogen production, and infrastructure—while outlining current applications in portable, stationary, and transportation sectors. The document also analyzes the role of U.S. federal and state policies, including Department of Energy (DOE) initiatives and state-level incentives, in driving the commercialization and deployment of fuel cells.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Addressing the climate crisis with a Robin Hood Tax
A statement from the president of Friends of the Earth U.S. advocating for a 'Robin Hood Tax' to fund the global response to the climate crisis, arguing that current funding mechanisms are insufficient and often repurpose existing development aid.
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Document type: Statement
A REVIEW OF SOLAR PV BENEFIT & COST STUDIES
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.
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Document type: Report
Combined heat and power (CHP)
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes combined heat and power (CHP) technology, which integrates the production of heat and electric power into a single process to increase energy efficiency and reliability. It details the current state of CHP in the United States, its economic and environmental benefits, its role in disaster resilience, and the policy barriers and goals associated with its expansion.
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Document type: Fact sheet