Electricity demand is rising and we must cut climate pollution, but more than 2,000 gigawatts of new clean energy projects are stuck waiting in the interconnection queue. If that power is ready to go and so desperately needed, what’s taking so long? One big obstacle stands in the way—lack of transmission access. New research from Energy Innovation, GridLab, and UC Berkeley highlights a new technology that can be part of the solution, along with figuring out how to build new lines faster: reconductoring with advanced conductors. 

New Energy Innovation analysis finds the Biden Administration’s recent pause on all pending LNG export projects could insulate consumers from massive natural gas cost increases – up to 14 percent higher in added costs per year. In aggregate, approving pending LNG export terminals would increase expenditures on natural gas by U.S. households, businesses, and industry by $11-18 billion per year, with the largest burdens falling on low-income households.

New research uses the Energy Policy Simulator to assess the impact of additional state adoption of California's Advanced Clean Cars II rule, setting a 100 percent zero-emission vehicles sales standard by 2035. The modeling shows adoption by California and 16 other states would accelerate electric vehicle adoption, cut 1.3 gigatons of carbon emissions (equivalent to closing 13 coal plants), create 300,000 new jobs, save households $230 per year, and prevent 5,000 deaths in 2050.

This research uses the new state Energy Policy Simulators (EPS) to model climate policies across six states with vastly different emissions profiles, including Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and finds just five policies can dramatically cut state greenhouse gas emissions, create anywhere from 13,000 to 118,000 jobs, and prevent between 90 and 3,800 asthma attacks annually in 2030.

This study assesses Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) impacts on light- and heavy-duty electric vehicle (EV) sales in the United States, finding light-duty EV sales shares could range from 56 percent to 67 percent by 2032, the final year of the IRA tax credits, and heavy-duty EV sales shares could range from 44 percent to 52 percent by 2032. With the IRA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can set more stringent vehicle greenhouse gas standards at lower cost and higher benefit.

Modeling using the California Energy Policy Simulator finds a handful of smart policy actions, including stronger clean industry policies, can achieve 55 percent emissions reductions in California by 2030. The analysis also finds these policies would add $55 billion to the state's economy, create 235,000 jobs, and avoid $20 billion in climate and health damages.

Updated EPS modeling shows the Inflation Reduction Act's climate and clean energy provisions could cut greenhouse gas emissions 37 to 43 percent below 2005 levels, prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths from air pollution in 2030, and create up to 1.3 million jobs in 2030. Further, for every ton of emissions generated by IRA oil and gas provisions, at least 28 tons of emissions are avoided by the other provisions. This updated research note models final IRA provisions and improves on the previous note's methodologies and assumptions.

Updated California Energy Policy Simulator research finds California must more than triple its decarbonization rate to meet state climate goals. EPS modeling identifies a proven set of climate strategies that could cut emissions 47 percent, add $28 billion to the state's economy, create 170,000 jobs, prevent 26,000 asthma attacks, and save households an average of $1,500 in 2030.

New research finds that in most states, new electric vehicles (EVs) are cheaper to own than gasoline-powered vehicles from the day they are driven off the lot on a monthly basis, even if the sticker price is higher. These savings are contingent on extending the existing federal EV tax credit; if EV incentives currently proposed in Congress are included then EVs become cheaper in nearly every instance, opening up ownership for all Americans looking to purchase a new car.

New World Resources Institute research using EI's India Energy Policy Simulator finds a long-term strategy for decarbonizing India could cut emissions 65 percent, add 39 million jobs, and avoid 9.4 million premature deaths by 2050.