OurEnergyPolicy Event Summary: “From Prevention to Power Shutdown: How Utilities Are Responding to Wildfires

On February 19, 2025, OurEnergyPolicy hosted a discussion on mitigation strategies utilities are employing to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition and damage, while balancing customer needs and safety. This resource provides a summary of the discussion held by guest panelists.…

Case Study: Thermal Energy Storage at Purchase College, State University of New York

Purchase College partnered with RTC Solutions Provider Brenmiller Energy and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to implement thermal energy storage (TES) at Purchase College’s physical education building. Completed in 2023, this $2.5 million project features a Brenmiller bGen™ TES unit paired with a combined heat and power (CHP) microturbine and equipped with electric heaters for supplemental heat during peak demand, resulting in an efficient, flexible heating system that meets nearly 100% of the building’s heating needs. The case study examines how this integrated system improved the building’s energy efficiency from 28% to 60%, reduced annual emissions by an estimated …

Not Set in Concrete: How Advance Market Commitments Can Remake Public Purchasing for Near-Zero or Zero Emissions Concrete

Concrete, the building block of modern society, has an enormous carbon footprint largely resulting from one ingredient: cement. The cement industry, one of the most emissions-intensive heavy industries, accounts for nearly 7 percent of all global human-caused carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. As concrete maintains its position as one of the most widely used materials worldwide, decarbonizing the concrete sector — especially cement production — is critical to reaching climate targets.

In the United States, building and maintaining our nation’s infrastructure accounts for 46 percent of the domestic demand for concrete materials. Manufacturers are ready to invest in innovative technologies to …

A Strategic Framework for Utility Cost Control

The electric grid will require significant investments in the coming years to address a variety of system needs, including replacing aging assets, modernizing the grid and strengthening its resilience, and preparing for projected load growth. Meeting these needs while ensuring utility costs increase no more than necessary will be critical to maintaining affordability for customers.

This report examines the major drivers behind increasing utility costs in recent years. These have included increased spending on T&D infrastructure, reliance on natural gas for electricity generation, extreme weather and wildfires, and the slow adoption of new technologies. Exacerbating these challenges is the traditional …

Get a Load of This: Regulatory Solutions to Enable Better Forecasting of Large Loads

In the United States, electricity demand, or load, has begun to grow following several stagnant decades. This trend appears first in utility forecasts, the backbone of the utility investment plans that inform billions of dollars of infrastructure investments. The scale of projected load growth and its potential risks require regulators to ensure that load forecasts remain useful in guiding consequential decisions.

This report is a resource for regulators who wish to understand the current landscape of large load forecasting and explore options for how to evolve forecasting practices as large loads emerge in their jurisdictions.

Specifically, this report includes:

– …

Case Study: Thermal Energy Storage at Purchase College, State University of New York

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) collaborated with Renewable Thermal Collaborative Solutions Provider Brenmiller Energy to implement thermal energy storage (TES) at Purchase College’s physical education building. Completed in 2023, this $2.5 million project features a Brenmiller bGen™ TES unit paired with a combined heat and power (CHP) microturbine and equipped with electric heaters for supplemental heat during peak demand, resulting in an efficient, flexible heating system designed to meet nearly 100% of the building’s heating needs. The case study examines how this integrated system aims to improve the building’s energy efficiency, decrease operational costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and …

Development of the Navigation Guide Evidence-to-Decision Framework for Environmental Health: Version 1.0

Environmental exposures, including widespread industrial pollution, impact human health and are amplified in more highly exposed communities. Policy and regulatory frameworks for making decisions and recommendations on interventions to mitigate or prevent exposures tend to narrowly focus on exposure and some health-related data related to risks. Typically, such frameworks do not consider other factors, including essentiality, health equity, and distribution of benefits and costs. Further, decisions and recommendations lack transparency regarding how they were developed.

The authors developed the Navigation Guide Evidence-to-Decision Framework for Environmental Health (E2DFEH) to provide a structured and transparent framework incorporating a range of scientific information …

Renewable Industrial Heat Navigator Brief: Thermal Energy Storage

Navigate the evolving energy landscape with WBCSD’s latest navigator brief focusing on novel thermal energy storage (TES) solutions capable of decarbonizing high-temperature heat (already up to 600°C). This brief is part of a series of navigator briefs designed to support industrial companies in assessing renewable heat solutions and providing insights for informed investment decisions that contribute to decarbonized industrial processes, reduced long-term energy costs, and enhanced operational resilience.

This brief includes a non-technical introduction into TES solutions as well as a holistic overview of its technical capabilities, location requirements, and commercial considerations. It also offers unique insights from four cutting-edge …

Upgrade your home: the complete guide to green and eco-friendly renovations for homeowners

This guide provides important insights on:

The benefits of sustainable home renovations Eco-friendly options such as solar energy, insulation, and energy-efficient windows Practical tips, including planning your living arrangements during major renovations Financial considerations, such as green financing options and special insurance policies for eco-renovations

The ultimate guide to heating your home sustainably

This resource covers current climate change goals, data on current home heating practices and practical advice to update home heating to greener options. It also discusses the benefits of switching to renewable heating, aiming to raise awareness of alternative heating that could help combat climate change.…