Under the present rate structures in U.S. energy markets, utilities’ revenues depend on the amount of energy they produce and deliver to consumers. This system discourages utilities from enacting conservation and efficiency measures because they would decrease sales, and therefore …
Energy efficiency can be a cost-effective strategy to reduce emissions associated with electricity and natural gas generation and consumption. An Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS) or energy efficiency target is a mechanism to encourage more efficient generation, transmission, and use …
This map shows billion-dollar weather events in the United States since 2000, as identified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climatic Data Center. Click on any circle to learn about one of the billion-dollar weather events, or any …
A greenhouse gas emissions target refers to the emission reduction levels that states set out to achieve by a specified time. Currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia have implemented statewide greenhouse gas targets. Following the United States announced …
In 2016, the electricity sector was the second-largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Electricity-related emissions are primarily the result of combusting fossil fuels in power plants. Coal-fired power plants accounted for nearly 70 percent of greenhouse gas emission from …
The transportation sector became the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2016. While transportation sector emissions have fallen by 6.1 percent from their 2005 peak, transportation sector emissions grew about 21.5 percent from 1990 to 2016, largely driven …
The transportation sector is the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. While transportation sector emissions have fallen by 6.1% from their 2005 peak, transportation sector emissions grew about 21.5% from 1990 to 2016, largely driven by increased demand for …
Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia require electric utilities to deliver a certain amount of electricity from renewable or other clean energy sources. Most of these requirements take the form of: a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) adopted by 26 …
Many states have completed comprehensive Climate Action Plans, or are in the process of revising or developing one. The plans detail steps that the states can take to reduce their contribution to climate change. The process of developing a climate …