The OurEnergyLibrary aggregates and indexes publicly available fact sheets, journal articles, reports, studies, and other publications on U.S. energy topics. It is updated every week to include the most recent energy resources from academia, government, industry, non-profits, think tanks, and trade associations. Suggest a resource by emailing us at info@ourenergypolicy.org.
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Recent international negotiations and domestic policy developments have generated interest in current and projected U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels. GHG emissions are generated throughout the United States from millions of discrete sources. Of the GHG source categories, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel combustion account for the largest percentage (77%) of total U.S. GHG emissions. The electric power sector contributes the second largest percentage (35%) of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion (one percentage point behind the transportation sector).
In December 2015, delegations from 195 nations, including the United States, adopted an agreement in Paris that creates an …
View Full ResourceLiberalised electricity markets require timely adaptation to support higher shares of variable renewable (solar and wind) energy and distributed power generation. This study from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) presents the latest knowledge on the adaptation process for such markets, aiming to inform policy makers, regulators and system operators on the options available.
The report analyses challenges and solutions, and provides recommendations, on how to adapt electricity market design to high shares of variable renewable energy. It focuses on two aspects of liberalised power systems:
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wholesale market design;
distribution networks and distributed energy resources.
Among its findings, the report …
View Full ResourceOn October 25, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration jointly published the second phase of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty engines and vehicles through their authorities under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-140).
The Phase 2 rule sets emission standards for tractor-trailers, vocational vehicles, and heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans. The rule expands on the Phase 1 standards (promulgated in 2011 for model years [MY] 2014 through 2018) and introduces first-ever controls on trailers (i.e., …
View Full ResourceThis report provides a selective overview of court decisions that historically have most shaped EPA’s program under the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). Court decisions described in the report deal with the following:
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National ambient air quality standards (NAAQSs), holding that in setting the standards EPA is not to consider economic and technological feasibility.
State implementation plans for achieving NAAQSs, holding that EPA may not consider economic and technological feasibility in approving or disapproving such plans, or that the state plan is more stringent than necessary, or does not require an EPA-preferred control method.
Interstate air pollution, holding that
This fact sheet shows how Wisconsin can harness economic opportunities in clean energy and put the state in a strong position to meet or exceed the CPP or other standards in the future. The state has already put clean energy policies in place to promote renewable development and improve energy efficiency. By expanding these successful policies, the state can reduce its power sector emissions while harnessing economic benefits from increased investment in clean energy. In addition, it would allow the state to meet, or even surpass, its 2030 target should the CPP remain intact. On the other hand, weakening clean …
View Full Resource• RPS policies collectively apply to 55% of total U.S. retail electricity sales
• Significant recent policy revisions include new or increased RPS targets in CA, HI, OR, VT, and NY (in development) while KS replaced its RPS with a voluntary goal
• More than half of all growth in renewable electricity (RE) generation (60%) and capacity (57%) since 2000 is associated with state RPS requirements
• Wind energy has been the primary form (64%) of all RPS-driven RE capacity growth to-date, but solar was the largest source (69%) of RPS builds in 2015
• Total RPS demand will double …
Energy efficiency programs are in wide use, whether administered by state governments, city governments, or utilities. Because energy efficiency is often a low-cost means for reducing power sector emissions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expects it will be broadly used to comply with the Clean Power Plan, which sets greenhouse gas standards for existing power plants. This fact sheet compares the treatment of energy efficiency under two types of Clean Power Plan compliance approaches: rate-based or mass-based emission standards.…
View Full ResourceEnergy efficiency standards based on product attributes may interact with market conditions and affect the overall stringency of the standards. In this paper we analyze the interaction between gasoline prices and the redesigned and tightened federal fuel economy standards. Tighter standards will tend to reduce the effect of gasoline prices on market shares. Furthermore, under the standards a vehicle’s fuel economy requirement depends on its size. Lower gasoline prices incentivize consumers to purchase new vehicles with lower fuel economy, which are typically larger and therefore face lower fuel economy requirements. Using monthly data from 1996 to 2015, we find that …
View Full ResourceThis fact sheet examines how Missouri can use its existing policies and infrastructure to meet its emission standards under the Clean Power Plan while minimizing compliance costs, ensuring reliability, and harnessing economic opportunities.…
View Full ResourceThis fact sheet examines how Pennsylvania can use its existing policies and infrastructure to meet its emission standards under the Clean Power Plan while minimizing compliance costs, ensuring reliability, and harnessing economic opportunities. Read about additional analyses in WRI’s fact sheet series, How States Can Meet Their Clean Power Plan Targets.…
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