Policy Forum In-Depth: An Inside Look at Key Climate Policy Resources | Article

Clean energy leaders have developed a wide range of resources that provide insights into their industries and sectors and can be used by policymakers, industry, the public, and others to support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many of these leading organizations participated in EESI’s recent Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy Forum, where top executives of clean energy and energy efficiency organizations provided robust discussion on energy modernization, buildings and workforce, transportation, and energy security.

For this article, EESI sat down with the Policy Forum’s clean energy leaders to ask them to share key resources helping to inform climate policy. Check out the two other articles in our Policy Forum series, which cover local workforces and community support in the transition to a decarbonized economy, as well as implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (P.L.117-58).

A Look into Clean Energy Industries

For an annual look across all sectors of the clean energy industry, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), a coalition of energy companies and trade associations, produces the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook in partnership with BloombergNEF. The factbook is a comprehensive, data-packed resource for understanding key sustainable energy trends and facts from the previous year. It analyzes trends in the energy transformation and reports on emissions, clean energy jobs, and technological innovation. EESI’s briefing on the factbook goes into detail of the findings.

American Clean Power (ACP), a renewable energy trade association, puts together the Clean Power Annual Market Report, which provides a look into the state of the clean power industry and its role in the electricity market. It also showcases clean power companies and the role they play in decarbonization. In the 2021 report, ACP found that the United States has over 200 gigawatts of wind, solar, and battery storage on the grid, with enough wind and solar energy to power 56 million homes.

For a deeper dive into the solar sector of the industry, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the U.S. trade association for the solar power sector, produces the U.S. Solar Market Insight Report. The report, released with the research company Wood Mackenzie, explores trends, challenges, and opportunities in the U.S. solar market. The latest report found that solar accounted for 50 percent of new electricity-generating capacity added to the grid in the first quarter of 2022.

Another excellent sector-specific resource is provided by the National Hydropower Association (NHA), a nonprofit association working to advance hydropower and marine energy. NHA presented the 2021 Pumped Storage Report to take a deep dive into the markets, policies, opportunities, challenges, and technological advancements of pumped storage hydropower, a type of energy storage technology that stores and generates power from water running through a turbine between two reservoirs. The report found that pumped storage hydropower provides 94 percent of the bulk energy storage capacity in the United States, making it a crucial yet undervalued resource for creating grid reliability and resilience, especially as more intermittent renewable energy comes online. Two other key resources the NHA recommends include the Department of Energy’s 2021 Hydropower Market Report, which provides comprehensive information on the latest industry trends, and its Marine Energy in the United States Report, which discusses the potential of marine energy resources like wave, tidal, and ocean current energy.

For those looking to learn about the role of biofuels in energy policy, the biofuel trade association Growth Energy produces an Ethanol Data Hub, which compiles a wealth of datasets and colorful visuals on ethanol exports, imports, price indices, market share, and ethanol’s role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

To get the full picture of energy efficiency and clean energy in the United States, it’s important not to ignore the role of community-owned utilities in helping to transform the industry. The American Public Power Association, a member organization for community-owned utilities, produced Moving Public Power Forward: Community-Driven Solutions for Industry Transformation. This report uses case studies to highlight the ways in which public power utilities are helping pave the way for the energy transition and shares new policy and technology trends for the renewable and electric sectors. One of those examples highlights the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, which is deploying microgrids across the islands to increase grid resilience and reliability.

Shaping Policy

Achieving industry transformation will require careful guidance on what good energy policy will look like. The Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA), a trade organization for electric drive technologies and infrastructure, built a roadmap of electric vehicle policy priorities for Congress and the Biden-Harris Administration with their report EV Leadership: A 5-Year Policy Plan. It details specific policy action items like scaling the passenger vehicle market and expanding charging infrastructure.

Clean energy leaders are also working to ensure that the IIJA is effectively implemented and that key stakeholders are aware of the opportunities that support a decarbonized economy. BlueGreen Alliance, a nonprofit focusing on the labor benefits of environmental solutions, breaks down these opportunities with their User Guide to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which uses plain language to discuss the law’s timeline and implementation specifics. Many other organizations have also crafted resources for understanding the IIJA.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO), an advocacy and accreditation organization, is also working to help implement the IIJA. NAESCO’s FAQ resource answers customer and energy service company questions about how Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds can be used in school facility projects as part of their work on IIJA implementation.

By providing comprehensive, specific, and targeted information, the guides detailed here perform an essential role in keeping all stakeholders—from policymakers to the public—informed. Sharing this information will go a long way in ensuring effective and thoughtful investments in emissions reductions.

Author: Molly Brind’Amour