Search Climate Insights Directory
194 results
Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants: What Congress, Federal Agencies and Communities Need to Know
This briefing, compiled by a coalition of public interest groups and published by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, outlines the technical, economic, and regulatory challenges associated with decommissioning nuclear power plants in the United States. It highlights significant risks to public health and safety, the inadequacy of current waste storage and funding, and the lack of local government oversight during the decommissioning process.
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Document type: Briefing
Can US municipals scale up green bond issuance?
The Climate Bonds Initiative conducted a scoping exercise to identify the potential for US municipal issuers to scale up green bond issuance. The study identified USD 264 billion in outstanding bonds from 1,436 'pure-play' climate-aligned issuers—entities deriving more than 95% of their revenue from climate solutions—most of which are not currently labeled as green bonds.
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Document type: Report
Subpoenaed Exxon Yet?
A statement by CIEL President & CEO Carroll Muffett criticizing Exxon's legal strategy of filing discovery requests and lawsuits against public officials, attorneys, and organizations investigating the company's role in the climate crisis.
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Document type: Statement
Making Customer Battery Storage Work for a Cleaner, Less Expensive Grid
This briefing by RMI argues that current commercial electricity rate designs, specifically noncoincident demand charges, encourage inefficient battery storage use that can conflict with the needs of renewable-heavy power grids. The document advocates for a transition to time-varying rates and compensation for grid services to better align customer incentives with system-wide operational requirements.
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Document type: Briefing
Plug-in electric vehicles
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute provides an overview of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), including battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). It details the environmental and economic benefits of PEVs, the current state of the U.S. and global markets, charging infrastructure, battery technology trends, and government incentives.
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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
Perry Should Focus on Clean Energy to Grow U.S. Economy and Cut Emissions
A statement from the World Resources Institute urging Rick Perry, during his nomination for Secretary of Energy, to prioritize clean energy and technology to drive U.S. economic growth and emissions reductions.
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Document type: Statement
Combating Climate Change by Measuring Carbon Emissions Correctly
This briefing by RMI, authored by WattTime co-founder Gavin McCormick, argues that managing climate change requires shifting from average to marginal carbon emissions measurements for electricity. The author explains that because the grid's marginal resource changes every 5 to 15 minutes, timing and locating energy use and generation based on real-time marginal data can significantly reduce CO2 emissions without requiring new infrastructure investments.
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Document type: Briefing
DESIGNING A PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE MECHANISM FOR PEAK LOAD REDUCTION: A STRAW PROPOSAL
This white paper proposes a Performance Incentive Mechanism (PIM) to encourage utilities to prioritize peak load reduction over capital-intensive infrastructure expansion. The author recommends using an outcome-oriented metric—specifically percentage reduction in peak load—and a sloped, symmetrical compensation structure with upper and lower caps to align utility incentives with system efficiency and customer value.
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Document type: Report
Increasing Home Value Through Home Energy Upgrades
This briefing by RMI discusses how energy efficiency upgrades, specifically attic insulation, can increase home resale value and provide additional benefits in terms of operational cost savings, health, and comfort. It references data from Remodeling magazine and the National Association of Realtors to demonstrate that certain energy projects offer higher returns on investment than typical home remodeling projects.
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Document type: Briefing
NUCLEAR WASTE CONSENT AND NON-CONSENT: A BRIEF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
This briefing, presented at Stanford University on March 9, 2016, provides a historical analysis of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) attempts to site nuclear waste repositories and storage facilities. The author argues that the DOE has a history of failing to keep promises and ignoring 'non-consent,' leading to a pattern of litigation and failure in establishing long-term high-level waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF) solutions.
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Document type: Briefing
GRID FLEXIBILITY: METHODS FOR MODERNIZING THE POWER GRID
This report by Energy Innovation examines the necessity of grid flexibility to integrate increasing shares of variable renewable energy. It details short-term operational improvements, long-term planning strategies, and various physical and market-based resources—such as demand response and energy storage—that can balance supply and demand dynamically.
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Document type: Report
Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
This fact sheet by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) surveys employment data for the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors globally and within the United States. It compiles data from various sources, including the U.S. Department of Energy and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), noting that inconsistent research methodologies and job definitions make direct comparisons difficult.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
This 2015 fact sheet by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) compiles employment data for the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors in the United States and globally. It highlights significant job growth in U.S. green building and solar sectors, while identifying China as the global leader in renewable energy employment. The report notes challenges in data consistency due to varying methodologies and the cessation of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Green Careers program.
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Document type: Fact sheet
ENERGY POLICY SOLUTIONS
The report "ENERGY POLICY SOLUTIONS" by Energy Innovation proposes a cost-effective package of 15 policies designed to help the United States meet its 2025 carbon targets and save approximately $840 billion between 2016 and 2030. These policies were identified using the Energy Policy Simulator, an open-source tool peer-reviewed by institutions including MIT and Stanford University, to analyze thousands of policy combinations across various energy sectors.
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Document type: Report
MIDWESTERN BRIEFING ON AMERICA’S POWER PLAN Summary Report
This summary report details a September 2013 briefing in St. Paul, Minnesota, regarding 'America’s Power Plan' (APP), a policy roadmap for achieving a high-renewables energy future. The document outlines the regional context of the Midwest, discusses the need for new utility business and regulatory models to accommodate distributed energy resources (DERs), and highlights Xcel Energy's experience in integrating variable wind power.
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Document type: Report
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
More deadly, destructive wildfires in today's news: can we prevent this being the new normal?
This statement from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute argues that U.S. forests are increasingly transitioning from carbon sinks to carbon emitters due to climate change, droughts, and wildfires. It highlights a critical funding gap for hazardous fuel reduction and ecosystem restoration, suggesting that expanding markets for wood products and bioenergy could provide a sustainable financial model for forest management.
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Document type: Statement