Energy Innovation's 2024 Policy Roundup
2024 was a busy year for climate policy - here are our research report highlights
We recently launched our newsletter, The Power Line. And since we’re new to Substack and it’s the start of a new year, it feels like the right time to introduce ourselves and to look back on some of our past work.
2024 was a busy year. In total, we released 26 reports ranging from the 45V tax exemptions to industrial heat standards to clarifying the real reason utility power prices are rising. In order, here are our top ten most downloaded reports.
10. How Repealing The Inflation Reduction Act Would Harm The Economy
Through the use of the updated Energy Policy Simulator, we analyzed the impact that repealing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) would have on the U.S. economy and employment. If the IRA is fully repealed, U.S. GDP would decrease $250 billion by 2035.
9. State Of Electric Vehicle Charging for Multifamily Housing
Nearly a third of U.S. households live in a multifamily unit, which means that those electric vehicle drivers are disproportionately reliant on public charging. Our analysis ranks the best and worst cities for public charging access.
8. Completing Pending LNG Export Projects
Early last year, the Biden Administration issued a pause on all pending Liquid Natural Gas export projects. Repealing that pause could increase in natural gas costs up to a 14 percent for American consumers.
7. Energy Parks: A New Strategy To Meet Rising Electricity Demand
As energy demand continue rising, this report proposes an innovative and affordable solution to growing electricity demand. Energy parks integrate multiple renewable energy and storage solutions and could be co-located with major energy consumers like data centers.
Transmission access has been one of the largest obstacles to meet rising electricity demand. The technology for reconductoring transmission lines with higher performance wires - advanced reconductoring - is a cost-effective and quick way to expand the capacity of existing transmission lines.
5. Thermal Batteries: Decarbonizing U.S. Industry While Supporting A High-Renewables Grid
Industry is projected to the U.S.’s largest source of emissions within a decade, but thermal batteries have the potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions and lower the cost of electricity for industrial heating by 50-63 percent. This report explains how heat batteries can convert electricity into heat and provides policy best-practices.
4. Hydrogen’s Narrow Path Forward: Delusions And Solutions
Clean hydrogen has the potential to help achieve our climate goals, but only if the proper guidelines are put in place. This report analyzes 12 potential end-uses for hydrogen and ranks them based on their competitiveness to decarbonize the sectors.
3. Second Half Of The Decisive Decade: Potential U.S. Pathways On Climate, Jobs, And Health
America is faced with a decision - maintain its continued climate leadership or adopt Project 2025’s energy provisions, which would likely include repealing the IRA, CHIPS Act, and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Our models find that a continued climate leadership scenario would create more jobs, increase GDP, cut household energy costs for Americans, and improve public health.
2. Clean Energy Isn’t Driving Power Price Spikes
Rising utility bills forced a third of American households to forego basic necessities last year. Our research finds that the biggest culprits behind rising electricity prices include natural gas price volatility, wildfires, and coal dependency.
1. Meeting Electricity Demand Without Growing Gas
Maintaining and growing a robust and reliable grid can be done without relying on fossil fuels. Our analysis suggests that policy makers and utilities should prioritize resource efficiency and consider a wider portfolio for energy solutions.
 | A guest post by
|