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An RMI analysis evaluates the viability of residential clean technologies—electric vehicles (EVs), air-source heat pumps (ASHPs), and rooftop solar—in the US following the expiration of federal tax credits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. The report finds that these technologies still provide significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions and household cost savings, though the most effective technology varies by region and household archetype.

This policy brief by RMI argues that virtual power plants (VPPs)—aggregations of distributed energy resources like batteries and smart thermostats—have reached a scale capable of replacing traditional power plants but are not being adequately integrated into utility long-term planning. The document highlights that while VPPs are increasingly mentioned in regulatory filings, they are often not modeled as selectable resources on an equal footing with conventional generation, leading to a risk of inefficient grid overbuilding.

This research paper introduction from the Institute for Security Studies provides an overview of the current global climate crisis, highlighting record-breaking temperatures in 2024, the increasing frequency of weather-related disasters, and the rising scale of climate-induced displacement. It emphasizes the gap between current policies and the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement, while noting the persistent rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines two primary policy responses to climate change in Africa: carbon sequestration through forest regeneration and the implementation of a global carbon tax. It highlights the critical role of the Congo Basin as a carbon sink and analyzes four illustrative global carbon tax scenarios, concluding that a differentiated payment approach aligns best with international equity principles and the Paris Agreement.

This policy brief by RMI argues that Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) can mitigate the grid constraints currently delaying the interconnection of data centers and other large loads in the United States. The document proposes three commercial models to accelerate VPP deployment and suggests policy reforms in interconnection, integrated planning, and customer protection to ensure the US remains competitive in the AI race.

This RMI fact sheet examines the practice of gas line extension allowances—subsidies where existing customers fund the cost of connecting new buildings to the natural gas system—and the movement among US states to phase them out to lower utility bills and support electrification.

This case study proposes the development of an "energy park" in Pueblo, Colorado, as a clean, reliable replacement for the Comanche Unit 3 coal-fired power plant slated for retirement in 2031. The energy park model integrates renewable generation, short-duration batteries, flexible industrial loads (such as thermal batteries and electrolyzers), and long-duration energy storage to mimic the dispatch profile of a firm power resource while driving local economic development.

In 2024, wind and solar combined to produce 17% of US electricity, surpassing coal for the first time nationwide. This shift is driven by market dynamics, cost-effective renewables, and state-level policies, with 24 states now generating more electricity from wind and solar than from coal.

This report defines "energy parks" as large-scale microgrids that co-locate renewable energy generation, storage, and electricity consumers (loads) behind a single point of interconnection (POI) to the bulk power grid. The authors argue that this model reduces equipment costs, accelerates the "time to power" for industrial loads, and provides flexible grid services. The document outlines the evolution of these parks from simple solar farms with high inverter-loading ratios to complex hybrids involving thermal batteries and hydrogen electrolysis. It identifies significant regulatory hurdles, including interconnection queue delays, wholesale market participation rules, and state-level utility monopolies, and proposes a shift toward treating energy parks as "digital resources" with a universal participation model.

This guide by RMI outlines how Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) can use regulatory actions to ensure utilities leverage the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to reduce costs for ratepayers. It provides four case studies from Washington, Georgia, Oregon, and New Jersey, demonstrating proactive, mid-planning, procurement-stage, and program-design interventions to improve grid affordability and reliability.

This research paper by the Center for International Environmental Law examines how climate-induced extreme weather is driving an insurance crisis in the United States, which in turn threatens housing affordability and financial stability. The authors argue that insurance companies are exacerbating the crisis by raising premiums to recoup losses while simultaneously reinvesting profits into fossil fuel companies.

This report by RMI outlines strategies for developing equitable electric vehicle (EV) charging and shared mobility solutions for lower-income residents of multifamily housing in the United States, based on engagements in Portland, Atlanta, and Phoenix.

This report by RMI analyzes the US Department of Energy's Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program, specifically how utilities can use its low-cost financing to refinance legacy fossil fuel asset costs and invest in clean energy. Through modeling of two utilities—Alliant in Iowa and Ameren in Missouri—the report demonstrates that EIR financing can significantly reduce costs for ratepayers compared to traditional utility financing or securitization.

This policy brief by RMI outlines how U.S. states can utilize Low-Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS) to incentivize the adoption of clean hydrogen and hydrogen-derived fuels, particularly for hard-to-abate sectors like aviation, maritime shipping, and long-haul trucking. It analyzes existing programs in California, Oregon, and Washington to provide four key lessons for future state policies to ensure clean hydrogen is directed toward high-priority uses rather than sectors where electrification is more efficient.

This research paper by RMI analyzes energy burden—the proportion of household income spent on electricity and fuel—across all 50 US states using 2020 Energy Information Administration data. It finds that extremely low-income households face a disproportionately high energy burden, often exceeding the 10% threshold for energy poverty, and evaluates how federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and specific state-level policies can mitigate these burdens while pursuing decarbonization.

This guide by RMI provides recommendations for recipients of the US EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) planning grants to incorporate organic waste and landfill methane strategies into their Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs). It emphasizes the use of 20-year global warming potentials to highlight the urgency of methane reduction and suggests a combination of upstream waste prevention and downstream landfill control measures to achieve significant greenhouse gas reductions and community benefits.

This guide explains California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), a market-based regulation designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in the transportation sector by capping the carbon intensity of fuels.

This guide by RMI explains the role of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as 'nutrition labels' for building materials, detailing how they report life-cycle assessment (LCA) data to track embodied carbon. It outlines the current limitations of EPD standardization and proposes a vision for 'ideal' EPDs based on rigorous Product Category Rules (PCRs) to ensure fair and competitive carbon reduction policies.

This fact sheet describes mass timber as a class of engineered wood building materials that offers a lower carbon footprint and potential cost-competitiveness compared to steel and concrete. It outlines the environmental benefits, construction advantages, and the current state of mass timber adoption and policy support in the United States.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) explains the nature, benefits, and regulatory support for mass timber—engineered wood materials used for large-scale construction. It highlights mass timber's potential to reduce building emissions, store carbon, and support sustainable forest management, while addressing concerns regarding fire safety and moisture.