Search Climate Insights Directory
22 results
Hourly matching of scope 2 emissions can further incentivise decarbonisation
This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the transition from annual to hourly matching for accounting scope 2 emissions. It argues that hourly matching—requiring electricity consumption to be matched by renewable generation in the same hour—provides a more accurate reflection of decarbonisation and creates stronger market signals for renewable energy deployment than current annual standards. While 100% matching can be costly, the document suggests that partial matching (e.g., 80-90%) can maintain climate benefits while reducing costs. The briefing notes that the GHG Protocol is updating its Scope 2 Guidance, with a release expected in 2027, and highlights that hourly matching is already being implemented through 45 projects globally and specific regulatory frameworks like the EU's CBAM.
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Document type: Briefing
Drilling Down on Methane Loss
A report by RMI analyzing oil and gas data in Texas finds that methane waste is significantly underreported, particularly through venting from low-production oil wells. The study estimates that actual gas waste for a 12-month period ending November 2024 could be up to 4.5 times higher than the 120 billion cubic feet (Bcf) self-reported by operators, resulting in an estimated 7.6 million metric tons of methane emissions.
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Document type: Report
ASSESSING IMPACTS OF THE 2025 RECONCILIATION BILL ON U.S. ENERGY COSTS, JOBS, HEALTH, AND EMISSIONS
This report by Energy Innovation analyzes the potential economic, environmental, and health impacts of the U.S. House of Representatives' 2025 budget Reconciliation legislation. The analysis compares a 'Current Policies' scenario against an 'EI Reconciliation May 2025' scenario, finding that the proposed repeals and modifications of clean energy tax credits and funding would increase household energy costs, lead to significant job losses, reduce electricity capacity, and increase greenhouse gas emissions and premature deaths.
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Document type: Report
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
The Economic Tides Just Turned for States
RMI's analysis of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) quantifies the potential economic and health benefits for US states, highlighting that ambitious adoption of clean energy technologies could secure significant investment, create thousands of jobs, and improve public health outcomes by 2030.
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Document type: Report
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
Conservation Corps: Pairing Climate Action with Economic Opportunity
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.
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Document type: Fact sheet
How Coal Country Can Adapt to the Energy Transition
This issue brief by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the economic and workforce challenges facing coal-dependent communities in the United States as they transition to a clean energy economy. It analyzes the drivers of coal's decline, evaluates proposed federal strategies for a 'just transition,' and highlights regional opportunities for economic diversification in sectors such as renewable energy, environmental remediation, broadband deployment, and entrepreneurship.
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Document type: Briefing
The New (Ab)Normal
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.
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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
Ensuring a Fair Transition for US Fossil Fuel Workers in Economic Recovery
This policy brief argues that U.S. economic recovery efforts following COVID-19 must prioritize low-carbon investments and a 'fair transition' for fossil fuel workers to avoid locking in polluting infrastructure and to mitigate the economic disruption caused by decarbonization and automation.
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Document type: Policy brief
Shifting Currents - RMI
This briefing by RMI describes the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) as an attractive market for corporate buyers of renewable energy due to its strong wind resources, market improvements, and a robust pipeline of planned wind capacity.
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Document type: Briefing
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
Comments on EPA Methane White Papers
A joint statement from the Attorneys General of New York, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish formal emission standards and guidelines for methane in the oil and gas sector following the publication of five technical white papers.
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Document type: Statement
Should Texas Be Included in the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule?
This policy brief analyzes the controversy over the EPA's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) in Texas. It refutes claims by Texas officials and Luminant Generation Co. that the rule would jeopardize the electric grid or cause excessive job losses, arguing that many plants already possess the necessary control technology. The document asserts that Texas's inclusion in the SO2 program was justified by emission data and that the rule would significantly improve public health within the state.
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Document type: Policy brief
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
Should Texas Be Included in the Cross‐State Air Pollution Rule?
This briefing examines the dispute over the EPA's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) in Texas. It counters claims from state officials and Luminant Generation Co. that the rule would cause blackouts and job losses, arguing that many plants already have the necessary scrubbers installed and that compliance deadlines extend to March 2013. The document asserts that Texas's inclusion in the SO2 program is justified by historical emission averages and will lead to significant public health improvements by 2014.
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Document type: Briefing
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