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43 results
Residential Clean Technologies Still Make Sense — Even Without Tax Credits
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.
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Document type: Report
Lower Bills, Cleaner Air: Heat Pump Benefits for Homes Relying on Delivered Fuels
This briefing by RMI outlines the economic, health, and environmental benefits of transitioning over 10 million US homes that rely on delivered fuels (oil and propane) to electric heat pumps. It provides data on potential energy savings, carbon pollution reduction, and recommends specific policy interventions and outreach strategies to accelerate this transition.
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Document type: Briefing
The Rise of Batteries Plus Solar
This report by Ember analyzes the accelerating deployment of battery storage and solar power in the United States, highlighting how batteries are enabling higher solar penetration and displacing fossil fuels, particularly in California and Texas.
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Document type: Report
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
Finding US Clean Power Development Sees Record Progress, As Well As Stronger Headwinds
This report by the World Resources Institute analyzes the state of clean energy in the United States through 2024, highlighting record growth in solar and battery storage alongside significant headwinds including grid capacity limits, rising local opposition, and policy uncertainty under the Trump administration.
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Document type: Report
Latest trends in climate litigation against fossil fuel companies
This briefing analyzes the rise of climate litigation against major fossil fuel companies, noting that 86 lawsuits have been filed, with annual filings nearly tripling since 2015. The most prevalent cases seek compensation for climate damages (38%), followed by claims of misleading advertising (16%) and demands for emissions reductions (12%). The report highlights a shift toward criminal litigation, targeting executives for 'crimes against humanity' and involuntary manslaughter, and notes a growing trend in challenging project permits and corporate directors' liability.
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Document type: Briefing
The Climate Crisis Domino Effect
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.
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Document type: Research paper
Unnatural Disasters: The Connection Between Extreme Weather and Fossil Fuels
This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the causal link between fossil fuel emissions and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. It details the role of 'Carbon Majors' in global emissions, the financial disparity between industry profits and climate damages, and the growing use of litigation to hold these companies accountable. The document argues that a managed phase-out of fossil fuels, through both supply and demand reductions, is essential to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
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Document type: Briefing
The Nuts and Bolts of Performance-Based Regulation
This guide by RMI introduces Performance-Based Regulation (PBR) as a regulatory approach for electric utilities designed to align utility incentives with customer and societal interests. It contrasts PBR with traditional cost-of-service regulation (COSR), which the document argues creates perverse incentives such as 'gold plating' and 'capex bias' that hinder the clean energy transition. The guide details various PBR tools—including revenue decoupling, multi-year rate plans, and performance incentive mechanisms—and provides a framework for moving from incremental to comprehensive PBR reform.
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Document type: Guide
How to Unlock IRA CPRG Funding for the Drivers and Cyclists Most in Need
This guide by RMI outlines how local and state decision makers can utilize the Inflation Reduction Act's Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) to fund clean transportation. It specifically recommends incorporating e-bike subsidies and targeted electric vehicle (EV) incentives for 'superusers' into Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs) to maximize competitiveness for EPA funding based on equity and emissions reduction metrics.
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Document type: Guide
Priority Climate Action Plan Guide: Organic Waste & Landfill Methane Strategies
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.
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Document type: Guide
Understanding California’s Advanced Clean Cars II Regulation
This guide explains the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) regulation in California, which aims to reduce light-duty vehicle emissions by 50 percent by 2040. The regulation mandates that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) increase the sale of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), culminating in a requirement that 100 percent of sales be ZEVs or PHEVs by 2035.
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Document type: Guide
Mitigating Landfill Methane Key Strategies and Policy Levers to Drive Emissions Reductions
This briefing by RMI outlines strategies and policy levers to reduce methane emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills in the United States. It proposes a two-pronged approach: improving the monitoring and control of existing waste and preventing new methane generation by diverting organic waste from landfills. The document advocates for stronger federal standards from the EPA to scale these reductions and protect adjacent communities.
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Document type: Briefing
Rewarding What Matters in Energy Efficiency
This report by RMI examines the shift toward "climate-forward efficiency," which prioritizes energy efficiency, electrification, and demand flexibility specifically to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It analyzes the use of Performance Incentive Mechanisms (PIMs) to align utility business models—which traditionally favor capital investment and sales growth—with state climate goals.
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Document type: Report
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
Celebrating LGBTQ+ Climate Leaders and Changemakers
RMI issued a statement for Pride Month acknowledging the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community to the energy transition and highlighting the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized groups, specifically LGBTQ+ individuals.
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Document type: Statement
Keeping Your Home Healthy During the COVID-19 Crisis
A guide by RMI providing six recommendations for homeowners to improve health, save money, and reduce carbon emissions during COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders, focusing on energy efficiency and electrification.
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Document type: Guide
The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Mobility
The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Mobility is a guide by RMI that outlines strategic actions for regional governments to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation, which currently accounts for 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
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Document type: Guide
The Carbon-Free Region Handbook: Waste
This guide provides a set of recommended actions for regional governments to manage waste in a way that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates economic opportunities, focusing on organic waste diversion, open burn bans, and waste energy capture.
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Document type: Guide
coalition_letter_in_support_of_mitigation_in_disaster_policy_reform_8june2018-e004977c45261fc4.pdf
A coalition of 19 organizations submitted a letter to U.S. Senate leadership on June 8, 2018, urging the inclusion of disaster recovery and resilience provisions from the House-passed FAA Reauthorization Act (H.R. 4) in the final legislation. The coalition specifically advocates for the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) and the PREPARE Act of 2018 to shift federal focus toward pre-disaster mitigation and resilient rebuilding.
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Document type: Statement