Delivering on the UAE Consensus: Tracking Progress Toward Tripling Renewable Energy Capacity and Doubling Energy Efficiency by 2030

A key aspect of the text of the Outcome of the First Global Stocktake was the explicit recognition of the role of renewable energy in rapidly and drastically reducing global greenhouse gas emissions to align the world with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The text called on all Parties to the Convention to contribute to efforts to triple renewable energy capacity globally and double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.

This unprecedented call, agreed by almost 200 countries, for a rapid scaling up of global renewable power capacity was based on the intellectual framework …

Optimizing Energy Efficiency Programs for Financially Constrained Households

Discover how to transform energy equity from an aspiration into reality with Optimizing Energy Efficiency Programs for Financially Constrained Households, Franklin Energy’s latest in-depth guide. This powerful, research-driven report sheds light on the real-world barriers low-income households face—from crumbling infrastructure to confusing enrollment—and lays out a clear roadmap for utilities to deliver measurable impact. Backed by insights from 400+ low-income respondents across diverse communities, it provides actionable strategies to increase participation, eliminate friction, and build trust. If you’re a utility, program designer, or policymaker, this report is your playbook for inclusive, effective energy programs that drive both equity and operational …

Towards Net-Zero Electronics: Unlocking the Power of Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing Facilities

The electronics manufacturing sector is undergoing rapid expansion fueled by global trends such as digitization and automation. As the demand for electronic products soars, the industry’s environmental impact also rises, particularly in terms of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The electronics industry is responsible for over 4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Energy efficiency is a vital lever in reducing the sector’s carbon footprint. Leading electronics companies have demonstrated that energy-efficiency measures can result in up to 30 percent energy savings in existing facilities at minimal costs. This presents a significant opportunity for manufacturers to meet their climate …

Reforming Residential Energy Efficiency Incentive Programs: Best Practices and Legislative Options

Dollar incentives for energy upgrades have enormous potential for impact. They can spur transformation by lowering up-front costs and making upgrades more accessible and appealing for households. And they can help drive wary contractors to recommend and install more energy efficient equipment such as heat pumps.

However, incentive uptake is not happening at the pace and scale needed to tackle the millions of poorly sealed and insulated homes that waste energy, raise costs, and rely on inefficient fossil fuel equipment. Incentive programs are needlessly complex, bogged down by excessive reporting, and burdened by ever-changing rules. Consumers can’t make sense of …

State Energy Efficiency Scorecard

The State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, now in its 16th edition, ranks the 50 states and DC on their policies and programs to advance energy efficiency. Amid rising energy costs, many states are recognizing energy efficiency’s important role in making energy more affordable and helping families and businesses reduce costs. But most additional energy efficiency investments since the 2022 scorecard are in just a few states, and the vast majority of states need to do more to harness energy efficiency to help families cut costs. The scorecard captures the latest policy developments and state efforts to save energy and highlights opportunities …

Next Generation Energy Efficiency Resource Standards Update

Presently, 26 states plus the District of Columbia have EERS policies in place. These states accounted for over 80% of utility energy efficiency program savings in 2023, making EERS policies a critical part of utility energy efficiency programs. On average, in 2023, utilities achieved 99% of their EERS goals, with some utilities exceeding goals and others falling a little short. Utilities exceeding goals were often aided by performance incentives that reward utilities for exceeding EERS minimums.

In this study, the authors examined four specific next generation elements:
– Mandatory emissions reduction targets or a decarbonization goal
– Electrification, including enabling …

Reimagining Energy Efficiency Resource Standards

Energy Efficiency Resource Standards (EERS) are a long-standing policy used to advance state goals and priorities, such as reliability, affordability and decarbonization. They ensure cost-effective energy efficiency is used to lower energy consumption, reduce peak demand, and enable grid flexibility. Adapting EERS through strategic design, and integrating EERS into broader energy plans and policies, can help states optimize their approach to meet modern and evolving power system needs and achieve sustainable energy outcomes.

This report examines how states consider energy efficiency in the context of four policy priorities: providing grid benefits, addressing load growth, reducing emissions, and promoting affordability. It …

Energy Efficiency in the Southeast

Energy efficiency is a proven low-cost clean energy resource, but Southeastern utilities and regulators continue to underinvest and deprioritize it. As a result, the region lags behind the rest of the country in utility energy efficiency. The sixth edition of the “Energy Efficiency in the Southeast” report examines the connection between energy efficiency and electric utility resource planning, as well as the status of federal investments in deploying energy efficiency in the region from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Additionally, the report details the slow rebound of utility energy efficiency programs from the COVID-19 pandemic. Utility energy efficiency portfolios are …

Enhancing Building Energy Efficiency through Advanced Sizing and Dispatch Methods for Energy Storage

Energy storage and electrification of buildings hold great potential for future decarbonized energy systems. However, there are several technical and economic barriers that prevent large-scale adoption and integration of energy storage in buildings. These barriers include integration with building control systems, high capital costs, and the necessity to identify and quantify value streams for different stakeholders. To overcome these obstacles, it is crucial to develop advanced sizing and dispatch methods to assist planning and operational decision-making for integrating energy storage in buildings. This work develops a simple and flexible optimal sizing and dispatch framework for thermal energy storage (TES) and …

Distributional Equity Analysis for Energy Efficiency and Other Distributed Energy Resources: A Practical Guide

The burdens of the energy system do not fall equally on all electricity and gas utility customers. The production, delivery, and consumption of electricity and gas causes disproportionate social, health, and economic costs and benefits for low-income communities, communities of color, indigenous people, and rural customers, among others.

State legislators and regulators are establishing new goals and processes to promote energy equity. With rapid changes in consumer technologies like energy-efficient heat pumps, rooftop solar and battery storage, equity goals related to distributed energy resources are increasingly important.

Berkeley Lab’s new report, “Distributional Equity Analysis for Energy Efficiency and Other Distributed …