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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.

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.

This report by Energy Innovation describes California's climate and clean energy policy framework, highlighting the state's success in decoupling economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions. It details the combination of performance standards and a cap-and-trade program, the resulting growth in green jobs and clean technology, and the state's influence on federal and other state-level policies.

This report by Energy Innovation outlines a three-step framework for improving the performance of publicly-owned utilities (POUs), including municipal utilities, public utility districts, and cooperatives. It emphasizes the use of performance-management practices, governance reforms, and financial restructuring to align utility operations with customer values and public policy priorities.

This report analyzes how smart land use policy can help California achieve its 2030 goal of reducing carbon emissions to at least 40% below 1990 levels. Using the RapidFire model and data from the E3 California Pathways study, the authors demonstrate that compact, transit-oriented development can close the emissions gap left by technological advances alone, while providing significant economic, public health, and environmental co-benefits.

Energy Innovation analyzed policy combinations using the Energy Policy Simulator to identify a cost-effective path for the U.S. to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan (CPP). The report proposes a six-policy package that would meet the CPP's requirement of 32 percent less CO2 emissions from the power sector by 2030 while generating nearly 40 billion dollars in savings between 2016 and 2030.

This fact sheet by Energy Innovation analyzes the economic and environmental costs of delaying the implementation of a recommended energy policy package in the United States. It compares a 'Policy Solutions' package starting in 2016 against a 'Delayed' scenario starting in 2020, both aiming for the same 2030 emissions targets.

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.

The Energy Policy Simulator is an open-source, real-time tool designed to help decision makers identify the most cost-effective policies for decarbonizing the United States economy. It analyzes the cost and emissions impacts of over 50 climate and energy policies across all greenhouse gas emitting sectors, utilizing free, publicly-available data.

This case study examines the sustainable urban development of Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm, Sweden, evaluating it against 12 Green Guidelines. The district is presented as an economically and environmentally successful model of infill development on a former industrial brownfield, utilizing a closed-loop 'Hammarby Model' to integrate waste, energy, and water systems. The report details the planning process, financing mechanisms, and the role of a multi-disciplinary Project Team in achieving high sustainability targets.

This executive summary analyzes the role of smart land use policy in helping California achieve its 2030 goal of reducing carbon emissions by at least 40% below 1990 levels. Using the RapidFire model and E3 California Pathways study, the report demonstrates that compact, transit-oriented development can close the emissions gap left by energy technology alone and provide significant economic, public health, and environmental co-benefits.

This research paper examines different ownership and operation models for distributed energy resources (DERs), evaluating utility-centric, third-party-centric, and customer-centric approaches. Through various case studies, the author argues that any of these models can optimize the electricity system if they prioritize fair compensation, transparency, and adaptability to new technologies.

This briefing outlines key insights and guiding principles for improving air quality in China, developed during a September 2014 workshop in Beijing. It proposes a framework based on ten guiding principles, fiscal policy alignment, robust management systems, full enforcement of laws, and targeted sectoral policies to reduce both air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

This report by Energy Innovation proposes a shift in California's energy policy to meet 2030 and 2050 greenhouse gas targets. It recommends replacing the current Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and the Efficiency Savings and Performance Incentive (ESPI) with performance-based carbon and energy intensity standards to better align utility incentives with decarbonization and efficiency goals.

This report by Energy Innovation proposes a shift in California's energy policy to accelerate carbon reductions in the electricity sector to meet 2030 and 2050 greenhouse gas targets. The authors recommend replacing the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) with a performance-based carbon standard and reforming energy efficiency incentives by transitioning to per capita intensity standards for electricity and natural gas.

This policy brief by Energy Innovation outlines four primary recommendations to ensure California's emissions trajectory aligns with its 2050 carbon goals. The recommendations focus on establishing a 2030 statewide carbon cap, decarbonizing the electricity sector, expanding transportation sector policies, and setting performance standards for methane emissions.

This whitepaper, part of America’s Power Plan, examines how distributed energy resources (DERs), described as 'the internet of electricity,' shift the electricity sector away from a traditional centralized structure and proposes three policy options to accelerate a renewable electricity future.

This report by Energy Innovation outlines policy recommendations to help California achieve its goal of an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2050. The authors argue that while the state is on track for its 2020 goals, it must accelerate policy development in electricity, buildings, transportation, and methane emissions, while expanding cooperation with other U.S. states and China.

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.

This case study examines the role of the United States government in the development and market adoption of low-emissivity (low-e) windows. It details how federal research, computer modeling tools, standardized rating systems, and labeling programs like ENERGY STAR catalyzed private sector investment and led to widespread commercial success in building energy efficiency.