Climate Policy: The Case for a New Perspective

The world is getting warmer and sea levels are rising. What matters is the magnitude of the increases, their impact, and what can be done about them.

The climate debate is often presented as a conflict between those who want to do what is right and those who, for reasons of self-interest or ignorance (perhaps willful ignorance) are unwilling to help. However, good intentions do not guarantee good outcomes. Policies based on bad science and bad economics can lead to worse results than those from unmitigated greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, IER has long shown that the peer-reviewed economics literature …

Closure of the Kodak plant in Rochester, United States: Lessons from Industrial Transitions

This brief examines the decline and closure of the Kodak plant in Rochester, part of a series that looks at historical cases involving the decline of major industrial or mining activities. The series aims to share lessons that might guide ongoing and future transitions, particularly those related to the decarbonization of regional economies.…

Renewable Ocean Energy

This spotlight explores renewable ocean energy technology.

These technologies include:

Wave energy converters, which generate power from surface waves Tidal energy converters, which generate power from the movement of tidal currents Ocean thermal energy converters, which generate power from thermal differences between warm surface seawater and cold deep seawater

Ocean energy could power offshore activities and isolated island and coastal communities. However, these technologies are generally costlier than other renewable energy technologies, so it may be some time before they can be fully deployed.…

National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries 2021-2030

This document outlines a national blueprint to guide investments in the urgent development of a domestic lithium-battery manufacturing value chain that creates equitable clean-energy manufacturing jobs in America, building a clean-energy economy and helping to mitigate climate change impacts. The worldwide lithium battery market is expected to grow by a factor of 5 to 10 in the next decade. The U.S. industrial base must be positioned to respond to this vast increase in market demand that otherwise will likely benefit well-resourced and supported competitors in Asia and Europe.…

The Tax Credit for Carbon Sequestration (Section 45Q)

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies are being proposed as an option to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from coal- and natural-gas-fired power plants, as well as other large industrial sources. The tax credit for carbon oxide sequestration (Internal Revenue Code [IRC] Section 45Q) is intended to incentivize investment in carbon capture and sequestration.…

Introduction to Ecosystem-based Carbon Management Opportunities in Urban Landscapes

This guide provides an initial introduction to the core concepts with which a natural systems-based carbon management and ecosystem services strategy can be developed. More detailed process guides are being developed to support carbon management opportunity assessment and strategy development. These process guides will be available at the Urban Drawdown Initiatives website under the “Resources” page.…

The U.S. Opportunity in Floating Offshore Wind

Offshore wind projects are now under development along much of America’s East Coast, ranging from Maine to the Carolinas. The U.S. offshore wind industry has already seen investments exceeding $3.5 billion and the Network has tracked more than 500 supply chain contracts.

These realities highlight opportunities for state and federal policymakers to continue the Biden Administration’s tremendous early progress on offshore wind by thinking now about the future implications and necessities of deploying floating offshore wind turbines. The U.S. offshore wind industry’s ongoing momentum can be maximized by establishing mechanisms to achieve the integrated, intergovernmental coordination, planning, and strategic decision-making …

Global Energy Outlook 2021: Pathways from Paris

As parts of the world begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, a fundamental shift in the global energy system is needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Despite efforts by policymakers in some nations to stimulate a “green” recovery, far greater effort will be required to spur the scale and speed of technological change necessary to limit warming to 1.5° or 2° Celsius by 2100. In this annual report, we review and compare—on an apples-to-apples basis—recent long-term projections from some of the world’s leading energy institutions. These projections range widely from those that assume little to no …

Setting 1.5°C-Aligned Science-Based Targets: Quick Start Guide for Electric Utilities

Due to rapid cost reductions for solar, wind, and storage, national and local climate goals, and a growing demand for renewable electricity, the power sector is expected to play a crucial role in decarbonization. While it’s known that the efforts of electric utilities will play a key role, which pathway they should use to understand if their targets are aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5°C were not clear. To create this type of pathway, the combination of future global power demand and the ability to reduce the emissions per unit (kWh) was needed. Guidehouse was engaged to evaluate the …

The Rise of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA)

Community Choice Aggregation (“CCA”) A shared service model between local government(s) and an investor-owned utility (IOU) that allows municipalities to pool their electrical load for the purpose of reducing costs, greening the grid and boosting local economies. CCA is an opt-out program.

CCAs are local, not-for-profit, public agencies that procure, control, and/or develop local electricity portfolios while the investor-owned utilities remain responsible for transmission and distribution of the procured electricity to CCA customers. By aggregating local purchasing power, CCAs have been able to create large energy contracts with wholesale providers in an effort to either lower costs for consumers or …