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Electricity

Almost 30% of United States greenhouse gas emissions come from electricity production, but renewable energy production is growing quickly. This topic presents a wide array of ideas on how to dramatically reduce or eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels for energy. Please vote to identify shared goals.

Sub Topics

 General Energy Policy

. Mandate 100% renewable energy power generation by 2030 - 2050.

. Require zero-emissions electricity generation by 2030 - 2050.

. CLEAN Future Act: Require all electric suppliers to obtain 100% of their energy from "clean energy sources" defined as .82 metric tons per kilowatt hour.

Documents: DB137

. Require a specific, significant level of renewable energy generation on government-owned property.

Documents: DB112

. Enact binding laws to ensure the fundamental right to renewable energy for all, based on democratic and community control.

Documents: D11

. Transition to public, community-owned utilities and clean and renewable energy.

Documents: D10 D11 D17 D18 D41 D66 D120 D151

. Link renewable energy incentives to local purchasing and employment requirements.

Documents: D15

. Support distributed energy generation in our homes and communities.

Documents: D17 D18 D66 DB113 DL117 DB137

. CLEAN Future Act: Creates loan and technical assistance grant program for distributed energy.

Documents: DB137

. End all fossil fuel tax subsidies.

Documents: DB2 D31 D75 D130 D151

. Make public investments in the research and development of new clean and renewable energy technologies and industries.

Documents: DB3 D75 DB95 DB145

. Redirect federal research funds from fossil fuels to research for wind, solar, tidal and geothermal.

Documents: D49

. Provide funding for access to capital for women-owned businesses in the clean energy industry.

Documents: DL59

. Create a public bank to fund energy transition.

Documents: D75 DB137

. Prohibit state and local bans on renewable energy facilities, and require efficient decisions on facility siting.

Documents: D6

. Change federal impact analysis for certain renewable projects to a presumption of "Finding of No Significant Impact" (FONSI).

Documents: D6

. Require applicants for intrastate fossil fuel projects to provide renewable alternatives.

Documents: D92

. Include social and health benefits in energy systems planning.

Documents: D41

. Create incentives to include "equity" considerations in public funding of energy investment, public and private research and development of new technologies.

Documents: D41

. Ban fracking and associated activities.

Documents: D19 DB37 D92

. Ban mountaintop coal mining and coal ash ponds.

Documents: D19

. Enact an immediate moratorium on all new fossil fuel electric generating facilities and pipelines.

Documents: DB2 D9 D19 DB37 D54 DB91 D92 D130 D151

. Cease approval of federal permits for the expansion of, or any new, hydraulic fracturing operations or fracked oil and natural gas infrastructure, including pipelines, terminals, storage, and generation plants.

Documents: DB37

. EPA should conduct a national survey of all oil and gas wells in the United States to determine location, production rates, and health and safety violations, and immediately revoke permits for those operating within 2,500 feet of a home, school, or any inhabited structure.

Documents: DB37

. Impose penalties on public utilities that fail to meet renewable energy standards.

Documents: DL56 DL59 DL61 DL116

. Oppose large-scale hydroelectric dams.

Documents: D10 D11

. Stop selling off or leasing publicly owned lands, water, and mineral rights for development to fossil fuel producers.

Documents: D5

. Ban the export of crude oil and end the export of all other fossil fuels.

Documents: DB2 D5 D19 D130

. Create liability on extractive industries for air, water and land pollution, including cleanup costs.

Documents: D5 D19

. Create redevelopment plans for closed electric generation facilities.

Documents: DL58

. Make the Tennessee Valley Authority 100% renewable.

Documents: D33

. CLEAN Future Act: Incentivize efficiency improvements at hydroelectric facilities.

Documents: DB137

. CLEAN Future Act: Improve the licensing process for hydroelectric facilities.

Documents: DB137

. CLEAN Future Act: Repeal oil and gas production exemptions from environmental laws.

Documents: DB137

. CLEAN Future Act: Regulate methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. Reduce emissions 65% below 2021 levels by 2025, and 90% by 2030, prohibit routine flaring for new sources, and limit routine flaring for existing sources to 80% below 2017 levels by 2025, and 100% by 2028.

Documents: DB137

. CLEAN Future Act: Provide grants to states to reduce methane emissions from natural gas infrastructure by accelerating inspection, repair and replacement of aging pipelines, and provide financial support to offset any rate increases on low-income customers.

Documents: DB137

. CLEAN Future Act: Direct EPA to reduce black carbon emissions, join international efforts and provide support for Arctic indigenous communities affected by black carbon.

Documents: DB137

. Oil and gas sector must reduce methane emissions by at least 40% below 2012 levels by 2025.

Documents: DB101 D150

. Provide technical assistance to other countries seeking to contain methane and collaborate with international methane-reduction initiatives.

Documents: DB101

. Create program to study dual-use renewable energy and cropping or livestock systems.

Documents: DB138

. Conduct energy audits and implement energy efficiency improvements on 50% of farms by 2030, and 100% of farms by 2040.

Documents: DB138

. Ban offshore drilling and new refineries.

Documents: D19

. Establish Clean Energy Victory Bonds to finance clean energy, energy efficiency, electric grid enhancements, innovation research, and zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and manufacturing, at the federal, state, and local levels.

Documents: DB95

. Provide tax incentives, tax credits and grants for clean energy technology.

Documents: DB95

. Create federal credit and loan guarantees for small business green investment in clean energy production, manufacturing, agriculture and building retrofits.

Documents: D75

. Mandate that utilities meet customer energy efficiency standards.

Documents: D31

. Phase out coal power by 2025.

Documents: D31 D150

. Establish dedicated office and streamlined permitting process (within one year) for renewable energy projects over 25MW.

Documents: DL147

. Establish state program and power to identify sites for renewable energy projects, to work with private developers to make build-ready, build and operate sites.

Documents: DL147

. Establish state program and power to identify sites for renewable energy projects, to work with private developers to make build-ready, build and operate sites.

Documents: DL147

. Create utility bill discounts for residents of communities that host renewable energy projects.

Documents: DL147

. Provide clean energy workforce training grants to communities to host renewable energy projects.

Documents: DL147

. AEIA: Extend Energy Policy Act incentives for hydroelectric production and efficiency through 2036.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Expedite approval of exports of certain volumes of natural gas.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Establish an inter-agency committee to analyze the use of water needed to produce energy and the energy required for water treatment for consideration in federal and regional programs.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Secure critical minerals supply chain with publicized information, expedited permitting, R&D on recycling and alternatives, and education workforce programs.

Documents: DB145

. Require utilities to prioritize energy efficiency and demand-side management before considering new generation.

Documents: D151

 Wind Turbines (Onshore)

. Make major public investment in wind energy.

Documents: D11 DB113 DB145

. Support community wind projects and grids.

Documents: D9 D17 D18

. Create a streamlined permitting process for onshore wind projects.

Documents: D6

. Increase federal permitting staff and capacity for wind projects.

Documents: D6

. Consider all onshore wind facilities, and all offshore wind facilities up to a certain capacity, as being in the public interest.

Documents: DL115

. AEIA: Establish a federal wind energy technology program to conduct research, development, testing, evaluation, demonstration, and commercialization.

Documents: DB145

. Detach wind rights from land rights so that royalties from wind power go to the public, rather than landowners.

Documents: D152

 Wind Turbines (Offshore)

. Invest in offshore wind technology.

Documents: D32

. Mandate a specific, large requirement for offshore wind capacity by 2025-2030.

Documents: DL58 DL119

. Mandate public utilities procure a certain percentage of offshore wind energy by 2030.

Documents: DL59

. Create streamlined permitting process for offshore wind projects.

Documents: D6

 Utility-Scale Solar

. Make major public investment in solar energy.

Documents: D11 DB145

. Mandate public utilities procure a certain percentage of solar energy by 2030.

Documents: DL59 DB113

. Increase federal permitting staff and capacity for solar projects.

Documents: D6

. Support community solar projects.

Documents: D6 D9 D17 D18

. Create incentives and training for farmers to manage their own solar power.

Documents: D84

. AEIA: Establish a federal solar energy program to conduct research, development, testing, evaluation, demonstration, and commercialization.

Documents: DB145

 Concentrated Solar

. Invest in and expand concentrated solar technology and implementation.

Documents: D1

. Incentivize and/or mandate solar water heating in new construction.

Documents: D1

 Distributed Solar

. Include distributed, consumer-produced local solar in utility renewable energy procurement mandates.

Documents: D6 DL58

. Simplify and standardize permitting and installation requirements for rooftop PV and solar thermal.

Documents: D6

. Ensure the right of property owners to sell energy to the grid ("net metering"), until better measurements are available.

Documents: D6

. Allow non-utilities to sell excess power to neighbors.

Documents: D6

. Price energy sold to the grid based on time-of-use rates.

Documents: D6

. Make residential solar tax credits the same as commercial or utility.

Documents: D6 D11

. Create a loan and grant program to install solar panels in low-income communities

Documents: DB137

. Facilitate third-party ownership models for solar, which allow customers to lease from solar companies or enter into power purchase agreements to lower their electric bills.

Documents: D6

. Mandate community solar rights for customers to join projects located anywhere within the utility's service territory.

Documents: DL119

. Make major public investment in geothermal.

Documents: D11 DB145

. AEIA: Establish a program to transfer and adapt key oil and gas technologies for geothermal development.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Create a prize competition for the production of critical minerals from geothermal brines.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Expand research into enhanced geothermal systems and heat pumps.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Establish national goals for geothermal development.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Allow noncompetitive leasing for geothermal energy on federal lands if it will be coproduced from an existing oil or gas well.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Expedite geothermal energy exploration on public lands under environmentally protective parameters.

Documents: DB145

. Phase out nuclear power.

Documents: D5 D10 D151

. Eliminate subsidies for nuclear.

Documents: D5 D151

. Allow renewable portfolio and zero-emission standards to include all "clean" energy, including nuclear.

Documents: D6

. Consider tax credits for nuclear to avoid early retirements, and/or subsidies comparable to renewables.

Documents: D6

. Use public funding or public-private partnerships to develop and deploy small modular reactors and advanced non-light water reactor nuclear technologies.

Documents: D6

. Establish a power purchase agreement pilot program for advanced nuclear technology.

Documents: DB137

. Create "Nuclear Waste Administration" to address repository issues.

Documents: D6

. AEIA: Establish a program to achieve maximum benefit from existing nuclear generation, through technology development, performance improvement, and reduced plant operating and maintenance costs.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Conduct advanced nuclear fuels research on next-generation light water reactor and advanced reactor fuels.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Reauthorize university nuclear scholarship program to meet the workforce needs of the nuclear energy industry.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Construct a fast neutron-capable research facility to test important reactor components, demonstrate safe and reliable operation, and license advanced reactor concepts.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Ensure governmental supply of a minimum amount of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to US developers until a long-term domestic supply is developed.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Establish authority to create bilateral research and development agreements on nuclear energy with foreign nations.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Establish a research & development program focused on integration of nuclear energy with renewable energy, fossil energy, and energy storage.

Documents: DB145

 Wave and Tidal

. Make public investments in technology that generates electricity from waves.

Documents: D32

. AEIA: Establish higher-education centers for research on marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy.

Documents: DB145

 Methane Digesters

. Create capture systems for methane from livestock manure, organic trash in landfills, and sludge from wastewater treatment facilities, to capture 50% of wasted methane by 2040.

Documents: D21

. Support adoption of organic-waste processors (a/k/a methane digesters) to capture biogas and make fertilizer.

Documents: D1 D150

. Oppose geo engineering including carbon capture and storage (CCS); carbon capture, use & storage (CCUS); and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BCCS).

Documents: D10 D151

. Support bio-energy power generation with carbon capture and sequestration.

Documents: DB7

. Oppose large-scale use of biofuels and biomass.

Documents: D10 D11 D151 D151

. Include biomass in definition of "renewable energy".

Documents: DL59 DL61 DL111

. Correct accounting measures in renewable energy directives that treat bioenergy as carbon neutral.

Documents: D86

. Phase out subsidies for bioenergy that is grown on land that could be used for food.

Documents: D86

. Remove subsidies for wood-burning power plants and other highly polluting biomass technologies.

Documents: D151

. Support development of in-stream hydro, similar to tidal energy, ensuring flow of river

Documents: D1

 Cogeneration

. Employ technology to capture heat energy created in electricity generation.

Documents: DB7 D46

. CLEAN Future Act: Reauthorize the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Technical Assistance Partnership Program to facilitate deployment of energy efficient CHP systems.

Documents: DB137

. AEIA: Create "Combined Heat & Power (CHP) Technical Assistance Partnership Program" to encourage deployment of CHP, waste heat to power, and efficient district energy with education, outreach and advisory support to building & industrial professionals.

Documents: DB145

 Waste-to-Energy

. Oppose waste-to-energy, trash incineration plans.

Documents: D10 D151

. Capture all waste into energy in the short term, phasing out over time.

Documents: D1

 Energy Storage (Distributed)

. Upgrade national electricity grid to be smart, efficient, and decentralized, incorporating battery storage and distributed energy systems.

Documents: DB3 D5 D15 D18 D46 DB95 DB137 D151

. Include distributed storage and microgrid capacity requirements in utility procurement mandates.

Documents: D6

. Create streamlined permitting and installation for energy storage.

Documents: D6

 Energy Storage (Utility)

. Set a mandate for a specific, large amount of utility energy storage capacity by 2030.

Documents: DL58 DL119

. AEIA: Establish program for research and development and demonstration projects for energy storage technologies.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Provide energy storage technical and planning assistance to rural electrical cooperatives and municipal utilities.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Establish a recycling price competition for energy storage materials.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Regulate eligibility and process for cost recovery for energy storage resources.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Establish a program for R&D of grid-scale energy storage systems, power conversion, testing and analysis of devices, safety and reliability.

Documents: DB145

 Grid Flexibility

. Support advanced grid flexibility to support mixed renewable energy sources, tailored to local contexts.

Documents: D1

. AEIA: Establish a grant program to modernize electric grid, including distribution system technologies.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Develop voluntary model pathways for modernizing the electric grid with sample policies that can be used by states, regions, and regulators.

Documents: DB145

. AEIA: Provide assistance to states, regional organizations, and utilities to develop electricity distribution plans.

Documents: DB145

. Create a grant program to develop energy storage and microgrid projects in rural communities.

Documents: DB137

. Promote the development of microgrids for critical infrastructure.

Documents: DB137

. Codify microgrids' legal status in order to ensure replicable approaches to development and operation.

Documents: D68

. AEIA: Establish program to promote development of microgrids for isolated communities and to increase resilience of critical infrastructure

Documents: DB145

 State Renewable Targets

. CA: Require 100% renewable and zero-carbon electricity by 2045 for all retail sales and state agency procurement.

Documents: DL56

. CO: Reduce statewide GHG emissions 26% by 2025, 50% by 2030 and 90% by 2050 (relative to 2005 levels)

Documents: DL57

. HI: Utility renewable portfolio: 30% by 2020, 40% by 2030, 70% by 2040, and 100% by 2045

Documents: DL110

. ME: 80% by 2030, 100% by 2050.

Documents: DL111

. NY: Reduce GHGs emissions by 40% by 2030, and 85% by 2050, of 1990 levels.

Documents: DL58

. NY: 70% of electric energy renewable by 2030, 100% zero emissions by 2050.

Documents: DL58

. PA: 100% of electricity by 2035, 100% of all energy by 2050.

Documents: DB112

. IL: 100% of procurement of renewable energy credits by 2050.

Documents: DB113

. NM: 50% of retail electric sales by 2030, 80% by 2040, and 100% zero carbon by 2050.

Documents: DL60

. OR: Reduce GHG emissions by 45% by 2035, 80% by 2040, of 1990 levels.

Documents: DB114

. WA: Retail sales electricity GHG neutral (non emitting and renewable sources) 80% by 2030, 100% by 2045.

Documents: DL61

. NV: Renewable portfolio standard 50% by 2030, 100% carbon-free by 2050.

Documents: DL116

. NJ: Renewable portfolio 21% by 2020, 35% by 2025, 50% by 2030.

Documents: DL119

. MD: Electric suppliers 50% renewables, with 14.5% solar, and up to 10% offshore wind.

Documents: DL59

. VT: Renewable energy 55% in 2016, 75% by 2032.

Documents: DL117

. DC: Renewable portfolio of 100% by 2032, with 10% solar.

Documents: DL118

. VA: Increase utility wind facilities considered to be "in the public interest" to 5,000 megawatts.

Documents: DL115

. NY: Create mandates for 3 gigawatts of statewide energy storage capacity by 2030.

Documents: DL58

. NJ: Mandate 600 MW of energy storage by 2021 and 2,000 MW by 2030.

Documents: DL119

. IL: Build more than 2500 wind turbines by 2030.

Documents: DB113

. VA: Establish by law that offshore wind facilities up to 16 megawatts, and all onshore wind facilities are in the public interest.

Documents: DL115

. NJ: Set goal of 3,500 MW of offshore wind by 2030, supported by an offshore wind renewable energy credit.

Documents: DL119

. MD: Require that 10% of renewable energy utility quotas by 2030 be offshore wind.

Documents: DL59

. MD: By 2030, public utilities must procure 14.5% of electricity from solar energy

Documents: DL59

. PA: Expand solar and other renewable energy generation capacity for state-owned facilities: 100 MW by 2020, adding 25 MW every 5 years.

Documents: DB112

. IL: Build more than 40 million solar panels by 2030.

Documents: DB113

. VT: Mandate distributed renewable generation of 10% of utility's sales by 2032.

Documents: DL117

. NY: Energy efficiency goal of 184 trillion BTUs from 2025 forecast.

Documents: DL58

. NY: Mandate 9 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2025.

Documents: DL58

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