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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.

This guide from the World Resources Institute outlines strategies for U.S. local governments to expand community solar access for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households, leveraging new federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act and various municipal-level interventions.

This policy brief by the World Resources Institute examines the impact of high-severity wildfires on forest carbon sequestration in the United States. It argues that historical fire suppression and climate change have created a dangerous feedback loop of severe fires that release stored carbon and permanently damage the ability of forests to recover. The document advocates for scaled-up 'fuel load treatments,' the development of markets for thinned biomass, and federal policy reforms to protect the land carbon sink and support rural communities.

This guide by RMI outlines five strategic steps for electric utilities to implement authentic community engagement to ensure an equitable clean energy transition, particularly in US states where legislation mandates equitable decarbonization.

This policy brief examines the polluter-pays principle (PPP), which requires pollution producers to bear the costs of managing and preventing environmental and human health damage. While established in European Union and OECD frameworks, the PPP faces challenges in universal international application due to ambiguities in defining 'the polluter' and differing national legal systems. The document explores the PPP's intersection with international climate change law, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR), and efforts by global financial institutions to implement carbon pricing.

This issue brief by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines how U.S. ports are addressing climate change through mitigation strategies—such as electrification and renewable energy—and adaptation measures, including gray infrastructure and nature-based solutions, to protect operations and improve the health of near-port communities.

As of August 2021, fewer than 1% of U.S. school buses are electric, with 95% still relying on diesel. Adoption is led by California and Montgomery County, Maryland, though deployment is heavily skewed toward suburban areas (64% of committed buses). While some electric buses are in highly vulnerable communities, this is largely due to targeted funding in California. Federal initiatives like the American Jobs Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework provide scaling opportunities, though the report warns that funding 'clean' fossil-fuel alternatives like natural gas hinders decarbonization goals.

This fact sheet outlines several federal and partner-led programs designed to transition military veterans into civilian careers within the low-carbon workforce, specifically focusing on land management, agriculture, conservation, and fisheries.

This guide by RMI provides a framework for updating electricity resource procurement processes for vertically integrated utilities in the US. It advocates for 'all-source', 'objective-aligned', and 'least-regrets' procurement to optimize the deployment of clean energy and distributed energy resources (DERs) during a period of significant projected investment.

This research paper examines on-bill financing programs as a tool to increase energy equity and clean energy adoption in rural, low-income, and under-resourced communities. It highlights how these programs remove barriers to entry by eliminating upfront costs and replacing traditional credit checks with utility bill payment history. Through case studies of the Hawaii GEM$ and OPALCO Switch It Up! programs, the paper demonstrates how tying financing to the utility meter rather than the individual allows renters and low-income homeowners to access solar PV and beneficial electrification projects while achieving net monthly energy savings.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the history, economic and environmental benefits, funding mechanisms, and legislative landscape of conservation corps in the United States, highlighting their role in climate action and workforce development.

This fact sheet explains the structure and application of revolving loan funds (RLFs) as a financing mechanism for environmental and climate resilience projects. It details the operational history of Maryland's Shore Erosion Control RLF and a feasibility study for a proposed RLF in the Puget Sound region of Washington state to support shoreline restoration and hazard mitigation.

This fact sheet explains how revolving loan funds (RLFs) can be used to finance coastal resilience and environmental improvements. It details the mechanics of RLFs, discusses federal legislative priorities like the STORM Act, and provides a detailed case study of the Maryland Shore Erosion Control Revolving Loan Fund alongside a feasibility study for a similar program in Puget Sound, Washington.

The briefing 'The New (Ab)Normal' describes the escalating frequency and severity of climate-driven catastrophes, using the 2020 wildfire season in Colorado and the western United States as a primary example. It argues that the world has entered a state of 'continuous escalation of catastrophe' and outlines five critical areas of impact: mass migration, health threats, financial instability, the need for resilient rebuilding, and the necessity of updating the electric grid. The author emphasizes that immediate global action to reduce emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 is required to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

This report by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides 30 federal policy recommendations to enhance the climate resilience of U.S. coastal communities. Based on a series of 16 Congressional briefings featuring 42 experts, the document outlines strategies across six themes: community engagement, land use and development, cultural heritage, climate data, disaster preparedness, and financing. It emphasizes the need for policies based on future climate projections, the integration of climate justice, and the prioritization of nature-based solutions over traditional gray infrastructure.

This fact sheet details a USD 198 million green municipal bond issuance by the City of Seattle on August 5, 2020, intended for capital improvements and conservation programs for its municipal light and power plant and system.

The Southern California Public Power Authority issued a USD 55 million US Municipal green bond on May 12, 2020, to refund outstanding bonds for the Linden Wind Energy Project, a 50MW wind farm in Washington state.

A joint letter from energy and environmental organizations urging the U.S. Congress to include support for innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy financing programs, specifically on-bill financing, in a post-coronavirus economic stimulus package.

This briefing from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute outlines bipartisan legislative efforts in the 116th Congress to preserve biodiversity in the United States. It details proposed laws and testimony focusing on wildlife corridors, land preservation, the Endangered Species Act, and the management of invasive species to mitigate threats from climate change and habitat loss.

This briefing from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) emphasizes the necessity of localized climate data for policymakers and highlights two free online tools provided by the NGO Climate Central to map sea-level rise and coastal flood risks across the United States and globally.