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16 results
Tracking the Growth of Wind and Solar in Rural America
This briefing by RMI analyzes the economic impact of utility-scale wind and solar energy on rural American agricultural lands, noting that revenues from these sources are becoming comparable to major agricultural commodities in several states.
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Document type: Briefing
The myth of renewables pushing up power prices
This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics challenges the claim that renewable energy increases electricity prices, arguing that real-world data from the US, EU, Australia, and India often show a correlation between high renewable uptake and below-average power prices.
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Document type: Briefing
For the first time, wind and solar produced more electricity than coal nationwide
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.
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Document type: Report
Community Benefits Snapshot: North Plains Connector Transmission Line Community Engagement and Benefits
The North Plains Connector (NPC) is a proposed 420-mile, 525 kilovolt high-voltage direct current transmission line designed to connect the western and eastern electricity grids between eastern Montana and central North Dakota. Developed by North Plains Connector LLC (a subsidiary of Grid United), the project aims to add 3,000 megawatts of bi-directional transfer capacity to improve reliability and economic benefits across the US. The project is distinguished by a "landowner-first" engagement strategy, avoiding eminent domain and modifying its route by adding 50 miles to accommodate local preferences, thereby reducing community opposition.
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Document type: Case study
FEDERAL CLEAN ENERGY TAX CREDITS MAKE ENERGY MORE AFFORDABLE – A META-ANALYSIS
This executive summary presents a meta-analysis of research from nonpartisan groups, universities, and government agencies regarding the impact of federal technology-neutral electricity tax credits (§45Y and §48E) on consumerSS. United States household energy bills. The document argues that these credits lower electricity costs by reducing the investment costs for wind, solar, battery, nuclear, and geothermal projects, with utilities passing these savings to consumers. It warns that repealing these credits would increase energy bills for households and businesses, particularly as electricity demand grows due to factors such as data center expansion.
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Document type: Executive summary
CEQ’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool Needs to Consider How Burdens Add Up
This research paper by the World Resources Institute analyzes version 1.0 of the White House Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST). While the update identifies more disadvantaged communities than the beta version, the authors argue it fails to account for cumulative burdens—where multiple environmental, health, and socioeconomic stressors overlap—which disproportionately affect communities of color.
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Document type: Research paper
3 Ways Federal Investment in Trees and Forests Can Support Economic Growth
This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines how federal investment in three tree-based natural climate solutions—reforestation, agroforestry, and wildfire risk mitigation—can help the United States meet its 2030 emissions targets while driving economic growth and job creation.
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Document type: Briefing
Taking a Regional Approach to Electric Vehicle Readiness
This report by RMI analyzes the regional readiness of 60 prominent US cities for electric vehicle (EV) adoption, focusing on infrastructure beyond city centers to address 'range anxiety'. The analysis evaluates metropolitan area readiness, day-trip destination readiness, and airport readiness, highlighting that while some cities and regions (particularly in California) are well-prepared, significant gaps in DC fast-charger coverage persist along major highways in several states.
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Document type: Report
A REVIEW OF ALTERNATIVE RATE DESIGNS
This RMI report evaluates time-based and demand charge electricity rates for mass-market customers. It finds that well-designed time-based rates (especially those with high peak/off-peak price ratios and active enabling technology) can significantly reduce peak load and total energy use without harming customer acceptance. In contrast, the report highlights a critical lack of empirical evidence for mass-market demand charges, noting that while they may aid utility cost recovery, their impact on customer behavior remains largely speculative.
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Document type: Report
Are Residential Demand Charges The Next Big Thing in Electricity Rate Design?
This briefing by RMI explores the potential of residential demand charges as a tool for electricity rate design. It argues that as distributed energy resources (DERs) like rooftop solar and electric vehicles increase load variability among residential customers, traditional energy-only charges become inequitable. Demand charges, which bill based on the maximum power used in a cycle, can more accurately reflect grid infrastructure costs, promote customer equity, and provide price signals that encourage load shifting and the adoption of demand-management technologies.
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Document type: Briefing
Issue Brief: Federal Funding for U.S. Transit and Roadway Infrastructure
This 2013 issue brief by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the funding crisis of the U.S. Highway Trust Fund (HTF), noting that federal fuel taxes have not been adjusted in 20 years. The document analyzes the resulting infrastructure deterioration, the reliance on General Fund transfers to maintain solvency, and various policy options—including inflation indexing, fuel tax increases, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fees—to close a $112 billion annual funding gap.
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Document type: Briefing
Federal Funding for U.S. Transit and Roadway Infrastructure
This policy brief examines the funding crisis facing the U.S. Highway Trust Fund (HTF), noting that federal fuel taxes have not been adjusted since 1993. It details the resulting infrastructure deterioration, the reliance on General Fund transfers to maintain solvency, and various proposed solutions including inflation indexing, fuel tax increases, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fees.
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Document type: Policy brief
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
Cellulosic Biofuels
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.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Hydrogen Economy: Not So Difficult—Without Nuclear Power
This research paper, submitted as a 'Brief Communication Arising' to Nature, argues that a United States hydrogen economy is practical and economically viable without the expansion of nuclear power. The author contends that fuel cells will accelerate the decline of nuclear power by providing cheaper energy services and that wind power is a more cost-effective method for hydrogen production via electrolysis than nuclear electricity.
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Document type: Research paper
Dataset of U.S. School Bus Depots
This technical note details the creation of a first-of-its-kind dataset of school bus depot locations in the United States using remote sensing and aerial imagery. The dataset is intended to support environmental justice analysis regarding air pollution hotspots in underserved communities and to assist in electricity grid planning for school bus electrification.
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Document type: Research paper