Five Myths About Carbon Pricing

While carbon pricing, in general, and carbon taxes, in particular, are popular with economists, they are subject to considerable misunderstanding among policy makers and the public. In this paper Gilbert E. Metcalf considers and refutes five myths about carbon taxes: 1) that a carbon price will hurt economic growth; 2) that carbon pricing will kill jobs; 3) that a carbon tax and cap and trade program have the same economic impacts; 4) that we can’t achieve carbon reduction targets with a carbon tax; and 5) that carbon pricing is regressive. He then discusses implications for policy making.…

Energy Transition: Gaining Momentum on the Path to Net Zero

As world leaders trekked to COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021 there was a feeling of enthusiasm in the air. Commitments made under the Paris Agreement in 2015 were an important first step in addressing climate issues, but now it was time to turn promises into global action and recommit to tackling the climate crisis. At the same time, concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic were fading, economies were recovering, and there was a general feeling things were getting back to “business as usual.”…

Residential Solar-Adopter Income and Demographic Trends: November 2022 Update

The report describes income, demographic, and other socio-economic trends among U.S. residential rooftop solar adopters. The report is based on address-level data for roughly 2.8 million residential rooftop solar systems installed through 2021, representing 86% of all U.S. systems. With its unique size, geographic scope, and level of detail, this report is intended to serve as a foundational reference document for policy-makers, industry stakeholders, and researchers.…

What Is An “Energy Community”? Alternative Approaches for Geographically Targeted Energy Policy

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 seeks to dramatically increase clean energy innovation, manufacturing, and deployment in the United States. Unlike most previous federal energy policy, it ties many incentives to labor requirements, domestic manufacturing, and project location. We examine a provision of the law that offers additional financial incentives for projects to locate within “energy communities.” Our analysis indicates that the law’s definition of energy communities could vary widely depending on interpretation of key phrases. In addition, we find that the law, as written, is unlikely to steer investment specifically toward those communities that will be most heavily affected …

Superhot Rock Energy: A Vision for Firm, Global Zero-Carbon Energy

Superhot rock energy is poised for a breakthrough as a high-energy-density, zero-carbon, always-available energy source that could be commercialized worldwide in the 2030s. Analyses for Clean Air Task Force (CATF) by Lucid Catalyst and Hotrock Energy Research Organization (HERO) suggest that, with more ambitious geothermal energy funding and public-private partnerships to spur innovation, it could be cost-competitive with most zero-carbon technologies—transforming global energy systems by providing clean, firm, cost-competitive renewable energy while requiring significantly less land than other sources.…

Climate Transition Action Plans: Activate Your Journey to Climate Leadership

As a coalition of NGOs that works with the world’s largest companies and investors on climate and sustainability priorities, We Mean Business Coalition, CDP, Ceres, and EDF have consulted with Ramboll Consulting on an analysis to assess the existing transition plan guidance landscape. The Coalition consolidated this guidance and developed a consensus-driven definition of what a comprehensive Climate Transition Action Plan should include.…

How GIS Solves the Challenges of a Smart Energy Transition

The goal of operating a carbon-free electric grid by 2035 will require new ways of understanding the operational challenges that presents. Among them: A doubling of peak household power consumption to support an estimated 22 million electric vehicles by 2030. Add the retirement of rotating generators and you have a system facing a historic transition.

How can you take maximum advantage of grant funding available through the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Act? Many say geographic information systems (GIS) is a superior way to identify and prioritize your utility’s needs and help win key project funding. A new playbook examines GIS – …

Electric Fleets for Arizona

Cities and towns in Arizona spend millions of dollars each year to purchase, fuel and maintain a wide variety of fleet vehicles – sedans, pickup trucks, emergency vehicles, passenger vans, road maintenance vehicles and many more. Nearly all those vehicles are powered by gasoline or diesel fuel, which are costly and contribute to Arizona’s air pollution. Electric vehicles (EVs) can save money for cities and towns because they are cheaper to fuel and to maintain. A rarity just a decade ago, electric vehicles are becoming increasingly affordable and capable, and with automakers introducing new models every year, EVs are becoming …

New Jersey State Agreement Approach for Offshore Wind Transmission Evaluation Report

This report documents the evaluation of the proposals received in response to the solicitation of offshore wind (OSW) transmission solutions by PJM Interconnection LLC (PJM), conducted under PJM’s State Agreement Approach (SAA) for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (Board or BPU). The Board initiated the SAA to identify necessary transmission solutions to support New Jersey’s goal of 7,500 MW of OSW generation capacity by 2035. This SAA evaluation report has been prepared for the Board by the SAA Evaluation Team (led by consultants of The Brattle Group with Herling Power Grid Consulting, Holland & Knight, and Dewberry Engineers) …

OurEnergyPolicy Event Summary – Hydrogen and the Energy Transition

This event summary highlights key comments made by hydrogen expert panelists during an OurEnergyPolicy webinar that took place in October 2022. Speakers discussed technological advances, government investments, and economic trends in hydrogen’s emerging role in the energy landscape. Find the recording here.…