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178 results
The End of Coal: Ontario’s coal phase-out
This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes Ontario's successful phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation, which was completed by the end of 2014. The study examines the factors that enabled this transition—categorized as context, champions, concerns, and complementary policies—and evaluates the resulting impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, public health, and the economy.
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Document type: Report
PREEMPTING THE PUBLIC INTEREST
This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes how the proposed Regulatory Cooperation chapter of the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement could undermine the authority of US states to implement public health and environmental protections. The author argues that the agreement's goals of regulatory convergence and compatibility would effectively create a regulatory ceiling, preventing states from adopting standards more protective than federal minimums, particularly regarding toxic chemicals and pesticides.
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Document type: Report
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
Issue Brief: Energy Storage
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.
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Document type: Briefing
Energy Storage
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.
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Document type: Policy brief
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
Combined Heat and Power: Pathway to Lower Energy Costs, Reduced Emissions, Secure and Resilient Energy Supply
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) describes the technology, benefits, and potential of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems in the United States. It highlights how CHP increases energy efficiency, reduces emissions, and provides resilient power during grid failures, while identifying regulatory barriers and the specific advantages of biomass-fueled systems.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Climate Adaptation & Transportation: Identifying Information and Assistance Needs
This executive summary outlines the needs of transportation planners in the United States to adapt infrastructure to climate change. It highlights the significant financial losses from extreme weather, such as Superstorm Sandy, and argues that adaptation requires a combination of high-resolution climate data (specifically short-duration rainfall intensity), better understanding of local non-climate factors, and improved science literacy among transportation professionals. The document emphasizes that adaptation is a management and economic challenge requiring tools that integrate climate variability with local economic and community values.
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Document type: Executive summary
Superstorm Sandy is a Wake-Up Call
A statement by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) arguing that Superstorm Sandy serves as a catalyst for urgent climate action, energy transformation, and the implementation of resilient infrastructure to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate.
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Document type: Statement
Limiting the Cost of Renewables: Lessons for California
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.
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Document type: Research paper
Rural Energy Savings Program
This briefing describes the proposed Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), a legislative initiative designed to provide low-interest loans to rural homeowners for energy efficiency improvements via on-bill financing through the USDA's Rural Utilities Service.
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Document type: Briefing
Going DEEPer: A new approach for encouraging retrofits
This briefing proposes the "Deep Energy Efficiency Pays" (DEEP) program, a new demand-side management (DSM) approach designed to encourage whole-building retrofits over single-measure upgrades. By offering additional incentives for projects that meet a specific energy savings threshold, the program aims to align the interests of utilities, building owners, and energy service providers to achieve significant energy reductions and market transformation.
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Document type: Briefing
Moving Away from Oil: Biofuels and Biobased Products
A statement from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute advocating for a transition from petroleum to biofuels and biobased products to reduce national oil dependence, improve climate outcomes, and create jobs.
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Document type: Statement
Developing an Advanced Biofuels Industry: State Policy Options for Lean and Uncertain Times
This report by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) examines the state of the advanced biofuels industry in the United States following the 2008 economic recession. It analyzes national policy trends, identifies critical barriers to commercialization—including technological hurdles, market volatility, and regulatory uncertainty—and provides ten specific policy recommendations for state governments to support sustainable, local biofuel development during periods of limited fiscal capacity.
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Document type: Report
Heads above water
This fact sheet presents GIS-based estimates of populations in the conterminous United States living in coastal areas vulnerable to sea-level rise and storm surges, specifically those residing within 1 km of the coast or below 3 meters in elevation.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Con la cabeza fuera del agua. ¿Cuánta gente vive en las zonas costeras vulnerables de EE.UU.?
This fact sheet describes research by the Louisiana State University and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) using GIS to estimate the population of the continental United States living in coastal areas vulnerable to sea-level rise and storms.
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Document type: Fact sheet
CCS + COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
This document presents six case studies of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects in the United States, the Netherlands, and Australia to analyze the role of community engagement in project outcomes. It contrasts successful projects that utilized two-way consultation and transparency with failed projects characterized by one-way information delivery, lack of trust, or unilateral changes to project benefits.
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Document type: Case study
State Actions on Climate Change: A Focus on How Our Communities Grow
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.
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Document type: Report
Jobs from Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
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.
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Document type: Fact sheet