Energy Sector Law and Policy
This tab includes laws and policies for avoiding or reducing climate change impacts in the energy sector, including best practices and legal and policy analysis.
Resources are automatically presented by rating, but can be sorted by date or title. Apply additional filters to narrow the list by resource type, impact, jurisdictional focus, state, or region.
136 results are shown below.
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Resource
December 12, 2016
Achieving Urban Resilience illustrates the environmental, health and economic benefits that Washington, D. C. could gain from citywide adoption of smart surface technologies such as cool roofs, green roofs, solar PV, porous pavements, bio-retention, rainwater harvesting, reflective pavements, permeable pavements, and urban trees. The report quantifies the benefits of adopting cost-effective strategies to manage sun and rainfall at a city level, and documents how the District could save at least $5 billion over 40 years with smart surface strategies.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Greg Kats, Keith Glassbrook
Resource Category: Planning
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November 2016
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)'s Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience Strategies report describes the utility provider’s risk exposure to climatic hazards, as well as progress the company has made and the plans it has to address climate change impacts across California. As described in the report, “PG&E is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric companies in the U. S. Based in San Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people throughout a 70,000-square-mile service area in Northern and Central California.
Resource Category: Assessments
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September 2016
From the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE), this report examines the current and potential future impacts of climate change and extreme weather on the U. S. energy sector. The report provides step-wise guidance to building a vulnerability assessment framework and a subsequent resilience plan for electric utility assets and operations. The guide highlights a number of available tools, projections, sample metrics, and completed assessments to support planners in identifying risks, evaluating options, and developing effective plans.
Resource Category: Solutions
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March 2016
As a part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s Regional Resiliency Assessment Program (RRAP) - this research focuses on the local and regional impacts of climate change in the Casco Bay area, the most developed and populous region in Maine. The report focuses primarily on vulnerabilities that may affect the region’s ability to maintain its critical infrastructure systems, and provides corresponding Resilience Enhancement Options that DHS and other partners may utilize in climate adaptation planning.
Resource Category: Assessments
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January 2016
The Green Zone Environmental Program (GZEP) is a program run by the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment that provides young adults aged 14 to 24 with summer careers in clean energy. Every year, over 300 youth and young adults throughout the District -- with a focus on recruitment from vulnerable, under-represented communities -- enroll in a six-week training and educational Program. The DOEE and GZEP partner with local businesses to expose participants of the Program to both classroom and hands-on training in the areas of stormwater management, solar energy installments, green infrastructure construction, landscaping, and more.
Resource Category: Education and Outreach
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December 21, 2015
In December 2015, the Virginia Climate Change and Resiliency Update Commission issued its report and final recommendations to then Governor Terry McAuliffe. The report identifies the Commission's top five recommendations for climate action in the state, and includes recommendations for both preparing for climate impacts as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Virginia.
Resource Category: Solutions
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December 2015
The Bipartisan Policy Center created this model legislation to help states pass public-private partnership (P3) enabling laws to encourage private-sector investment in infrastructure (wastewater, transportation, stormwater, and green infrastructure). P3s could be an important tool for helping state and local governments finance the investments they need to make to adapt infrastructure systems. P3s allow the government to contract with a private sector partner to fulfill one or more traditional government functions, including financing, delivery, operations, and maintenance of public infrastructure.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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October 14, 2015
This report from the Clean Energy Group uses project data for buildings in New York, Chicago, and Washington, D. C. , to examine the financial case for installing solar photovoltaics (PV) and battery storage systems (“solar+storage”) to support multifamily affordable housing. With the right market structures and incentives, solar+storage systems can provide an economic return, on par with energy efficiency or stand-alone solar. They can also help make affordable housing energy resilient by guaranteeing power for common area lighting, water, and communications.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Lew Milford, Robert Sanders, Seth Mullendore
Resource Category: Solutions
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October 8, 2015
AB 1482 requires the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), in coordination with the Strategic Growth Council, to oversee and coordinate state agency actions to adapt to climate change. The bill requires CNRA to update the state’s climate adaptation strategy (Safeguarding California), by July 1, 2017, and every three years thereafter. As part of the update, the CNRA will coordinate with other state agencies to identify the agency or agencies to lead adaptation efforts in each sector. The updates to the plan are to include climate change vulnerabilities by sector and the priority actions needed to reduce risks, for at least the following sectors:
Water
Energy
Transportation
Public health
Agriculture
Emergency services
Forestry
Biodiversity and habitat
Ocean and coastal resources
To address the vulnerabilities as identified in the updated plan, state agencies are directed to fulfill the objectives of:
Educating the public about the consequences of climate change, such as sea-level rise, extreme weather events, the urban heat island effect, habitat loss, wildfire, drought, threats to infrastructure and agriculture, worsening air and water quality, and public health impacts.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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October 2015
In October 2015, officials within the Missouri Department of Economic Development and the Division of Energy released the Comprehensive State Energy Plan, which outlined recommendations that would help the state transition to cleaner, more affordable, and more reliable energy. As a result of numerous public meetings and significant stakeholder participation, the agencies were able to divide their recommendations into five categories that would help Missouri achieve its energy goals: promoting efficiency of use; ensuring affordability; diversifying and promoting security in supply; undertaking regulatory improvements; and stimulating innovation, emerging technologies, and job creation. Compliance with these statewide recommendations will help to create new jobs, expand the economy, facilitate more efficient use of energy in all sectors, and help households more effectively manage their energy budgets – all in a more equitable manner. The Plan is a living document that serves as a resource for all elected officials, communities, businesses, and even individuals. In local, frontline communities especially, it is intended to serve as the basis for developing community-specific plans that not only emphasize its energy resources, but the priorities of the area.
Resource Category: Planning
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