RMI Outlet
US Policy
Don’t Take Existing Energy Transition Funding for Granted
In the United States, while all eyes have been on the bipartisan infrastructure package and reconciliation bill, local leaders should not lose sight of the funding that already exists to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. To be fair, the promise of new federal programs to support a…
Getting Climate Policy Right in the Infrastructure Bills
The current infrastructure bills being crafted and debated in Washington, D.C. could not come at a more dramatic time. Across the United States we are seeing heat records shattered, supercharged wildfires, mass die-offs of sea creatures, and flooding in cities. Fittingly, these infrastructure packages would represent the largest US investments…
Simple Tax Changes Can Unleash Clean Energy Deployment
According to the latest US government inventory, solar will account for 39 percent of the electric generation capacity added in 2021, and wind will constitute a further 31 percent. With current technology costs and policy incentives, renewables are now unquestionably the cheapest generation assets to build and operate.
Batteries Spark Biden’s Infrastructure and Jobs Promise
President Biden’s infrastructure plan (The American Jobs Plan) aligns recovery stimulus and climate action. This is smart: experts conclude that the green stimulus delivers high returns in job creation. To date, stimulus hasn’t been that green overall globally but the US plan will make a positive difference for our nation and the planet. To reap the full benefits,…
What Is Needed to Meet US Climate Commitments
The United States has committed to reduce carbon pollution to at least 50-52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 as part of rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement. This newly ambitious nationally determined contribution (NDC) recognizes the urgency for immediate action to reduce cumulative pollution and stabilize the climate. The NDC…