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State Resource Hub

As the US transition to clean energy continues, states are taking action to address climate challenges, take advantage of available incentives, and implement innovative policies.  

On this page, explore RMI’s groundbreaking work across the United States and our resources to guide policymakers, energy professionals, and advocates in developing and implementing effective state-based solutions for the energy transition.

RMI’s Work by State

State-level leadership is driving the energy transition across the United States. In this section, explore RMI’s most impactful insights, articles, and webpages by state to see how different regions are engaging with issues across the energy transition, from building efficiency to electricity decarbonization.

Click on a state below to see state policy resources for that state.

Decision-Maker Spotlight

In this section, we have highlighted resources tailored to different decision makers, including state legislators and local government officials and regulators. This content is organized to help stakeholders at all levels of state governance, as well as advocates involved in the decision-making process, find the most relevant guidance and tools to shape state climate and energy outcomes. For additional materials on state public utilities commissions, see RMI's Regulatory Resources Dashboard.

Policymakers

Legislative processes, policy design, and statutory frameworks for officials, such as state legislators who develop, propose, and enact laws and policies.
State Agencies & Energy Offices

Program implementation, administrative strategies, energy planning, and funding programs to support state agencies, including state energy offices, in developing and overseeing climate and energy policies.
Regulators & Utility Commissions

Best practices, tools, and guidance on utility regulation, infrastructure investment, and policy alignment to support public utility commissions and other authorities in enforcing laws, ensuring compliance, and advancing clean energy and grid modernization.
Advocates & Community Organizations

Equitable energy solutions, public engagement, and amplifying community voices for nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, and grassroots entities that represent public interests in energy transition discussions.
Developers & Investors

Project siting and financing opportunities for private-sector actors engaged in the planning, funding, and construction of energy projects and other climate-related infrastructure.
Utilities

Renewable energy integration, grid modernization, and decarbonization strategies for companies or cooperatives responsible for generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity to customers.
Governors' Offices

Executive strategies for advancing energy transition plans for state executive offices responsible for developing and advancing executive orders, statewide plans, and state policy priorities.
To see more decision-maker resources, filter the resources below.
Resources and Analyses

As states embark on their individual climate and energy plans, some opportunities and policies can be applied or recreated across regions and states. In this section, we’ve compiled content showcasing major policy initiatives that can be implemented across the United States, as well as success stories demonstrating policy implementation in some states that can be used as a template for future efforts.

Featured State Policy Resources
RMI’s Guide to Federal Clean Energy Incentives

A guide to federal clean energy incentives to learn how to maximize benefits from the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and related federal policies and incentives.
Maintaining Momentum: Alternative Funding Guide for State Energy Projects

EPA just awarded $3.1B in grants to 13 state projects — here’s how states can pay for the other 600+ priority measures in their action plans.
Measuring Up States’ Priority Climate Action Plans

States’ Priority Climate Action Plans could result in 7 percent less climate pollution from the United States by 2030
Sprinting Ahead: Just 5 Policies Get States About Two-Thirds of the Way to Key Climate Goals

Addressing the threat of climate change can seem overwhelming. In coming years, risks will grow — and the reality is communities across the United States are already grappling with rapidly worsening floods, wildfires, and drought.

A Fork in the Road: States Will Determine the Future of US Transportation Pollution

How states spend federal infrastructure funding will determine whether it increases or decreases climate pollution from US transportation.
1 in 7 Families Live in Energy Poverty. States Can Ease That Burden.

States — including those leading on climate — can leverage key policies and IRA funding to lower the energy burden borne by low-income households.

Success Stories
The Sherco Clean Repowering: How One Community Turned a Coal Plant into a Hub for a New Clean Economy

Federal incentives, interconnection queue shortcuts, strong engagement and support from the community and local workers, and an involved regulator helped lead the way for to transition a coal community into a clean energy driver.
Lowering Costs and Carbon for Minnesota Co-ops

Today, Great River Energy (GRE), a generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative utility serving 700,000 families and businesses in Minnesota, announced the planned retirement of its Coal Creek Station power plant in 2022. This retirement is…
Clean Energy Jobs Are Changing Lives. These Programs Are Providing Liftoff.

Jobs supporting the energy transition are in demand, and programs supported by cities, states — and now a bipartisan coalition of governors — are helping train the future workforce.
A Marketplace for Equitable Building Retrofits

Decarbonizing existing buildings is challenging, necessitating a thriving marketplace to drive equitable solutions and meet climate goals.
Reality Check: Red-State Voters Want Clean Energy Too. Just Ask Nebraska

Nebraska public officials adopted net-zero carbon goals across the electricity sector.
Building on Success: Colorado Makes Big Additional Investments in Climate. What’s Next?

Recent bills will drive down emissions, reduce customer costs, and create new economic opportunities for Coloradans.
To see more state-level resources that can be applied across states and success stories, filter the resources below by the “All States” and “Success Stories” tags
Key Tools

In this section, explore RMI’s web tools designed to support policy analysis and decision-making at the state level.

State Clean Energy Analysis with the Energy Policy Simulator

The Energy Policy Simulator (EPS) is a free open-source model for estimating the environmental, economic, and human health impacts of hundreds of climate and energy policies. Use the national model or 48 state models to test out energy policy scenarios.

Decarbonizing Industry Resource Tool (DIRT)

Get the DIRT on industrial decarbonization incentives. This tool can help project developers, industrial companies, and investors discover the state and federal financial incentives that may be applicable to their heavy industry and transport projects.

State Clean Energy Economy Opportunity

Envision how 22 states can produce and use more clean power
State Scorecards

The Sprint ’24 State Scorecard is a free resource to clarify each state’s progress on climate.
PIMs Database

The PIMs Database is the most comprehensive index of emergent performance incentive mechanisms in the United States. These regulatory tools are used to incentivize desired outcomes from utilities across the United States, and are part of the toolkit for Performance Based Regulation.
Clean Growth Tool

Using this tool, every metro area in the US can find the clean energy industries most feasible for them to transition into based on their existing economic makeup and industrial capacities. Further, by identifying priority industries, each metro can then use this tool to identify workforce occupations where there are likely to be skills shortages in their region and begin creating workforce development strategies to overcome these potential constraints.

To see more key tools, filter the resources below by the Web Tools tag.
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Electricity

Mind the Regulatory Gap

2024 | Report

A regulatory gap has led to a costly shift in utility investment to local transmission assets, putting the energy transition at risk.

Industry

State CDR Atlas

2024 | Tool

More about the State CDR Atlas It is widely established by the best available science that carbon dioxide removal (CDR), alongside rapid and deep decarbonization, is necessary to meet our climate targets. In addition to…

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