On-Bill Financing: Expanding Access to Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy Adoption, and Electrification for Everyone

On-bill financing programs provide an opportunity for rural communities to finance whole-house energy efficiency retrofits and clean energy upgrades with no upfront payments. Rural Americans pay on average 40 percent more for energy than their urban counterparts. But the upfront costs of many energy efficiency projects put long-term, cost-effective savings out of reach of those with lower incomes in rural, disadvantaged communities. When designed appropriately, on-bill financing programs provide financing to everyone regardless of income, or credit. On-bill financing programs require no credit checks—as program eligibility is based on utility bill payment history—and tie the on-bill obligation to the utility …

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The 2021 US Renewable Energy Outlook: January 2021

After successfully navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, the renewables industry has a bright outlook for 2021 and beyond as several drivers favor continued aggressive development of wind, solar and battery storage. There are currently 232 GW of wind and solar projects in the U.S. pipeline. Over 21 GW of wind and roughly 15 GW of solar capacity is expected to come online by the end of 2021. Battery storage development, estimated at 1,500 MW in 2020, is expected to grow by 15,000 MW over the years to 2024.

Get essential insights into U.S. renewable energy outlook for 2021.

Renewable power forecast

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Climate Change FAQ

This fact sheet answers some of the most commonly asked questions regarding climate change.…

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ConnectedSolutions: A New State Funding Mechanism to Make Battery Storage Accessible to All

This report aims to inform state policymakers about the structure and benefits of the new ConnectedSolutions battery storage program model. It summarizes barriers to scaling up distributed battery storage and making it accessible in underserved communities; explains how the program can be used to address these barriers; discusses how the ConnectedSolutions program was developed and implemented in the Northeast; and presents a roadmap for how state policymakers can implement ConnectedSolutions through their own states’ existing energy efficiency plans. The report also recommends federal initiatives that could support the adoption of this program in states across the nation.…

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ConnectedSolutions: The New Economics of Solar+Storage for Affordable Housing in Massachusetts

An analysis of multifamily affordable housing properties in Massachusetts finds that participation in the state’s new battery storage incentive program, called ConnectedSolutions, significantly improves the financial viability of battery storage projects paired with solar (solar+storage) at affordable housing developments. For the majority of properties evaluated, battery storage would not be an economical investment without the ConnectedSolutions program. This report represents the first independent, public analysis of the impact of ConnectedSolutions on the development of solar+storage systems for affordable housing properties.…

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Supreme Court Preview of 2020-2021 Environmental and Energy Law Cases and Review of 2019-2020 Rulings

This report reviews some the major environmental, energy, and natural resources decisions from the Supreme Court’s 2019-2020 term and previews the legal disputes and arguments in selected environmental, energy, and natural resources cases and petitions for certiorari in the 2020-2021 term. The report also highlights the broader implications of these decisions and cases for Congress.

The Supreme Court’s 2020-2021 term, which began on October 5, 2020, features cases relating to states’ competing claims to several interstate rivers, disclosure of agency documents produced during an Endangered Species Act consultation, the appropriate court to decide climate change liability suits, the small …

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Jumpstarting RD&D for Clean Aviation

Emissions from aviation have been accelerating over the past few years, a trend that is likely to continue once the industry comes back from the COVID-19 slowdown. While the aviation industry is expected to continue struggling financially through the early 2020s, we need to put the right policies and investments in place now to ensure the industry can come back stronger and more sustainable than it was before.

Reducing emissions from aviation will require a significant increase in the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), as well as adoption of new aircraft technologies to reduce fuel burn. Federal investment is …

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Minnesota Energy Policy Simulator Insights: Current Emissions Trajectory, 1.5°C Scenario

New research using the Minnesota Energy Policy Simulator developed by Energy Innovation and RMI evaluates the state’s climate policies, finding they could reduce emissions 8 percent, but fall short of achieving the Minnesota’s Next Generation Economy Act’s goals. A proposed 100 percent clean energy goal could cut statewide emissions 20 percent by 2050, but a broader set of climate policies is needed to put Minnesota on the IPCC’s recommended pathway to limit warming to 1.5° Celsius. Implementing additional policies across the transportation, buildings, industrial, land, and agricultural sectors can transition the state to a low-carbon economy while generating significant economic …

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Clean Resilient States: The Role of U.S. States in Addressing Climate Action

U.S. states have always played an important role in setting the nation’s energy and climate policies, each charting their own course for energy production, consumption, and environmental impact within the bounds of often inconsistent federal regulation. The Biden administration has pledged to shepherd in a new era of federal-level climate action in the United States with commitments to expand renewable energy and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, a goal already adopted by a number of states. However, these plans will be subject to the limitations presented by a Congress that is deeply divided on climate change. For this reason, state-level …

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Electric Vehicle Transition: EVs Shifting from Regulatory- to Supply Chain-Driven Disruption

In reality, the transition to EVs has taken longer than anticipated. There continues to be a niche group of consumers who are die-hard believers in the need to switch to electric vehicles, and they typically make up the bulk of electric vehicle sales. But the general population continues to have reservations about whether electric vehicles have improved enough in range, charging time, and price to give them a second look. Governments have tried to sweeten the offer by providing price subsidies to lower the cost of electric vehicles but even those are not enough for an average driver in places …

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