#solar rebate program in Virginia

[renewenergy123]

Unlocking Solar Incentives in Virginia: Empowering the Sunshine State

In recent years, the state of Virginia has emerged as a promising frontier for renewable energy, particularly solar power. With a growing emphasis on sustainability and a shift towards clean energy solutions, the Commonwealth of Virginia has implemented several incentives to encourage residents and businesses to adopt solar technology. These incentives not only promote environmental stewardship but also offer financial benefits that make solar energy more accessible and affordable for everyone. In this blog post, we will explore the various solar incentives available in Virginia, focusing on how they contribute to the state's renewable energy goals and why now is the perfect time to invest in solar panels.

Understanding Solar Incentives in Virginia

Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC)

One of the most significant incentives driving solar adoption across the United States, including Virginia, is the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). This incentive allows homeowners and businesses to deduct a significant portion of the cost of installing a solar energy system from their federal taxes. As of the latest updates, the ITC provides a tax credit of 26% of the total system costs for installations completed in 2022. This credit is scheduled to decrease to 22% in 2023 and 10% for commercial installations thereafter, making 2022 an optimal year to take advantage of higher savings.

Virginia Solar Energy Rebate Program

To further bolster solar adoption at the state level, Virginia offers the Solar Energy Rebate Program. Administered by the Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy (DMME), this rebate program provides financial incentives for residential and commercial solar installations. Rebates are awarded based on the system's size and are intended to offset upfront costs, making solar more affordable from the outset.

Net Metering

Net metering is another critical incentive that enhances the financial viability of solar installations in Virginia. Under net metering, solar system owners can offset their electricity bills by earning credits for the excess electricity they generate and feed back into the grid. This allows consumers to effectively reduce their utility costs and potentially earn credits that can be applied to future bills.

Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs)

In addition to direct financial incentives, Virginia participates in the market for Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs). These certificates represent the environmental benefits of generating electricity from solar energy and can be sold to utilities to meet their renewable energy requirements. By generating SRECs, solar system owners can generate additional revenue streams over time, enhancing the overall return on their solar investment.

Why Invest in Solar Panels in Virginia Now?

Economic Benefits

Investing in solar panels in Virginia offers a range of economic benefits. Beyond the immediate incentives like the Federal ITC and state rebates, solar energy helps stabilize energy costs over the long term. With rising energy prices and potential utility rate increases, solar power provides a hedge against future electricity expenses. Moreover, installing solar panels can increase the value of your property, making it a sound financial investment.

Environmental Impact

Virginia's commitment to renewable energy extends beyond financial incentives; it is also driven by environmental considerations. By harnessing solar energy, residents and businesses contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change. Solar power generation produces clean, renewable energy without emitting harmful pollutants, making it a sustainable choice for a cleaner environment and healthier communities.

Energy Independence and Resilience

Solar power enhances energy independence by diversifying Virginia's energy mix and reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels. In times of power outages or disruptions, solar panels paired with battery storage systems can provide critical backup power, ensuring continuity of essential services and enhancing community resilience.

How to Get Started with Solar in Virginia

Assess Your Solar Potential

Before investing in solar panels, it's essential to assess your property's solar potential. Factors such as roof orientation, shading, and available space will influence the feasibility and efficiency of your solar installation. Many solar providers offer free consultations and assessments to help homeowners and businesses understand their solar potential and determine the best system size and configuration.

Choose a Qualified Solar Installer

Selecting a reputable and experienced solar installer is crucial to the success of your solar project. Qualified installers can help navigate the complexities of incentive programs, ensure compliance with local regulations, and maximize the performance and longevity of your solar energy system. Be sure to obtain multiple quotes, review customer testimonials, and verify credentials before making a decision.

Financing Options

Various financing options are available to make solar more accessible and affordable for Virginia residents and businesses. In addition to upfront purchase options, homeowners can explore solar loans, leases, or power purchase agreements (PPAs) that allow them to pay for solar installations over time while still benefiting from savings on their electricity bills.

Conclusion

As Virginia continues to embrace renewable energy solutions, solar power stands out as a cornerstone of its clean energy future. Through a combination of federal and state incentives, net metering policies, and environmental benefits, solar panels offer a compelling opportunity for homeowners and businesses alike to reduce energy costs, support sustainable practices, and contribute to a cleaner environment. Whether driven by financial savings, environmental stewardship, or energy independence, now is the time to explore the benefits of solar energy in Virginia.

By leveraging solar incentives and embracing solar technology, residents and businesses can join the movement towards a more sustainable and resilient energy landscape in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Take the first step towards solar empowerment today and unlock the full potential of clean, renewable energy for a brighter tomorrow.

[esgagile]

Advantages of LEED-Certified Structures

As an LEED Consultancy, "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" is an acronym that can be reduced to "LEED." The LEED certification program assesses how well-designed and built buildings are about the environment, considering things like making material selection, responsible land use, energy efficiency, water usage, air quality, and accessibility to public transit. These factors are considered in the process of evaluation. Currently, the most well-known example of its kind worldwide is the LEED certification program. Obtaining LEED certification is proof that environmentally responsible building practices have been used.  This can have a significant positive impact on the reputation of the building owner and the contractor that creates LEED-certified buildings.

Being an LEED Consultant, Buildings with a track record of completing LEED-certified structures can help builders establish a name for themselves as leaders in the construction industry. LEED certification may offer considerable financial and other rewards besides its PR benefits. As per the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED-certified buildings have the advantage of having quicker lease-up rates and might be eligible for various perks, such as tax refunds and zoning exemptions. A rise in commercial construction enterprises operating in the industry is also encouraged by their continued maintenance of higher-than-average property values. Residential building businesses may benefit from LEED accreditation since it can increase the speed and price at which homes sell.

We are an LEED Consultancy, the builder of a house constructed in compliance with LEED criteria can be qualified for tax breaks. This is done so that the two kinds of residences in the same neighbourhood can be compared. Based on available data, a construction company can maintain profitability and productivity even during poor economic growth by using LEED. A LEED certification has advantages for the bottom line, the environment, and public health. These advantages include tax rebates, tenant recruitment, operating cost savings, lower energy use and carbon emissions, and achieving environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. These benefits are shown in the following chart.

One of the financial advantages of earning LEED certification is that it entitles a building to specific tax credits. Several states, including Maryland, New Mexico, New York, and Virginia, have implemented LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) incentive programs to recognize and honour structures and communities that strive to live more sustainably. Find out more about the green incentives offered in your state by visiting the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE). Another financial advantage of being LEED-certified is the building's ability to attract new tenants. One of the main objectives is to design a building that offers a healthy environment for all individuals who work, reside in, or visit the facility to obtain LEED certification.

As an expert LEED Consultant, A LEED certification has several health benefits, including improved indoor air quality. Buildings with the LEED certification have more natural light, improved air quality, and no potentially harmful chemicals in some paints and finishes. An improvement in the indoor air quality of your building may be especially beneficial to those who often come and have health issues like stress, depression, respiratory allergies, or asthma. Installing energy-efficient lights and appliances, more efficient waste management systems, water-saving faucets and toilets, solar or wind energy systems, air scrubbers, and other parts that can help reduce your building's overall carbon footprint should be your first step. Once the required modifications are made, you can apply online to become a LEED-certified professional.

[sciencespies]

Climate and Tax Bill Clears Test Vote in Senate

https://sciencespies.com/environment/climate-and-tax-bill-clears-test-vote-in-senate/

Climate and Tax Bill Clears Test Vote in Senate

Democrats united behind the plan and advanced it over unanimous Republican opposition, signaling that they had finally coalesced behind a bill that could become law within days.

WASHINGTON — A divided Senate took a crucial step on Saturday toward approving Democrats’ plan to tackle climate change, bring down health care costs and raise taxes on large corporations, with a test vote that paved the way to enact a significant piece of President Biden’s domestic agenda in the coming days.

The measure advanced on a party-line vote of 51 to 50, with all Republicans opposed and Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie.

The action suggested that Democrats, after more than a year of internal feuding and painstaking negotiation, had finally coalesced behind legislation that would provide hundreds of billions of dollars for climate and energy programs, extend Affordable Care Act subsidies and create a new federal initiative to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, particularly for older Americans.

Much of the 755-page legislation would be paid for by tax increases, which Democrats have said are intended to make the tax code more equitable.

The vote put the bill on track to pass the Senate as early as Sunday, with the House expected to give its approval by the end of the week. That would provide a major boost to Mr. Biden at a time when his popularity is sagging, and it would hand Democrats a victory going into midterm elections in November in which their congressional majorities are at stake.

“I think this legislation is long overdue and is critically important,” Ms. Harris said after casting her vote. “It’s going to lower costs for American families.”

Senator Joe Manchin III had been a key holdout, and the deal he reached with Mr. Schumer stunned lawmakers late last month.Tom Brenner for The New York Times

The hard-won agreement, which includes the most substantial investment in history to counter the warming of the planet, came after a flurry of intense negotiations with two key Democratic holdouts, Senators Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

Just weeks ago, Mr. Manchin, a conservative-leaning Democrat from a red state, had said he could not agree to include climate, energy and tax measures in the domestic policy plan this summer given his concerns that doing so would exacerbate inflation. But he and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, stunned lawmakers in both parties late last month with the news that they had quietly returned to the negotiating table and struck a deal that included those proposals.

And on Thursday, Ms. Sinema announced she, too, would move forward after extracting concessions, including dropping a provision that would have narrowed a tax break that allows private equity executives and hedge fund managers to pay substantially lower taxes on some income than other taxpayers do.

What’s in the Democrats’ Climate and Tax Bill

Card 1 of 6

A new proposal. The $369 billion climate and tax package that Senate Democrats proposed in July could have far-reaching effects on the environment and the economy. Here are some of the key provisions:

Auto industry. Currently, taxpayers can get up to $7,500 in tax credits for purchasing an electric vehicle, but there is a cap on how many cars from each manufacturer are eligible. The new bill would eliminate this cap and extend the tax credit until 2032; used cars would also qualify for a credit of up to $4,000.

Energy industry. The bill would provide billions of dollars in rebates for Americans who buy energy efficient and electric appliances and tax credits for companies that build new sources of emissions-free electricity, such as wind turbines and solar panels. It would also set aside $60 billion to encourage clean energy manufacturing in the United States. It would also require businesses to pay a financial penalty per metric ton for methane emissions that exceed federal limits starting in 2024.

Low-income communities. The bill would invest over $60 billion to support low-income communities and communities of color that are disproportionately burdened by effects of climate change. This includes grants for zero-emissions technology and vehicles, as well as money to mitigate the negative effects of highways, bus depots and other transportation facilities.

Fossil fuels industry. The bill would require the federal government to auction off more public lands and waters for oil drilling and expand tax credits for coal and gas-burning plants that rely on carbon capture technology. These provisions are among those that were added to gain the support of Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia.

West Virginia. The bill would also bring big benefits to Mr. Manchin’s state, the nation’s second-largest producer of coal, making permanent a federal trust fund to support miners with black lung disease and offering new incentives for companies to build wind and solar farms in areas where coal mines or coal plants have recently closed.

“The bill, when passed, will meet all of our goals: fighting climate change, lowering health care costs, closing tax loopholes abused by the wealthy and reducing the deficit,” Mr. Schumer said on the Senate floor on Saturday. “This is a major win for the American people and a sad commentary on the Republican Party as they actively fight provisions that lower costs for the American family.”

Democrats were speeding the bill through Congress under the arcane budget process known as reconciliation, which shields certain tax and spending measures from a filibuster but also strictly limits what can be included.

Republicans remain unanimously opposed to the measure and have feverishly worked to derail it, fuming at the resurgence of a plan they thought was dead. Blindsided by the deal between Mr. Schumer and Mr. Manchin, they have scrambled to attack the bill as a big-spending, tax-hiking abomination that will exacerbate inflation and damage the economy at a precarious moment.

“Democrats are misreading the American people’s outrage as a mandate for yet another — yet another — reckless taxing and spending spree,” said Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader.

He condemned a “tidal wave of Washington meddling” that he said would result from the prescription drug plan, which he said would take “a buzz saw to the research and development behind new, lifesaving medical treatments and cures.”

Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced on Thursday that she would move forward after securing changes to the legislation.Tom Brenner for The New York Times

But Democrats have rebranded the transformative cradle-to-grave social safety net and climate plan they once called “Build Back Better” as the Inflation Reduction Act. Operating with a razor-thin Senate majority that gave their most conservative members strong influence over the measure, Democrats have jettisoned hundreds of billions of dollars in proposed spending on domestic programs, as well as many of the tax increases they had pitched to pay for it.

Outside estimates have indicated that the measure would not force a huge increase in federal spending or impose substantial tax hikes outside of large corporations, and it is projected to reduce the federal budget deficit by the end of the decade.

That did not stop Republicans from arguing that it would be disastrous for the economy and for Americans. Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, branded it the “Manchin-Schumer Tax Hike of 2022.”

Republicans spent much of the past week trying to devise ways of slowing or blocking the legislation by arguing that it violated the reconciliation rules. (They did, however, refrain from forcing the Senate clerks to read the bill aloud, after a similar maneuver last year prompted an outcry.)

Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian, and her staff labored into the early hours of Saturday morning to determine whether the bill’s components violated those rules, which require that each provision have a direct effect on federal spending or revenue. Early Saturday, she instructed Democrats to trim the scope of a proposal intended to keep the increase in drug prices from outpacing inflation, saying that a proposed rebate could apply only to drugs purchased by Medicare, not by private insurers.

Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian, was tasked with determining whether the bill’s components violated reconciliation rules.J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press

But top Democrats announced that most of the legislation remained intact after Ms. MacDonough’s review, including a plan to allow Medicare to directly negotiate the price of prescription drugs for the first time, restrictions on new electric vehicle tax breaks and a fee intended to curtail excessive emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that is commonly emitted from oil and gas leaks.

In a last-ditch effort to defeat the measure, Republicans were set as early as Saturday evening to begin forcing a rapid-fire series of votes on politically toxic amendments — an hourslong ritual known as a vote-a-rama that reconciliation measures must survive in order to be approved. In the evenly divided Senate, all 50 members of the Democratic caucus will have to remain united to ward off changes proposed by Republicans and win final passage.

“What will vote-a-rama be like? It’ll be like hell,” vowed Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina. Of Democrats, he said: “They deserve this.”

Democrats, too, still could change the bill. They are expected to essentially dare Republicans to strip a proposal to cap the cost of insulin for all patients, a popular measure that violates the budget rules because it would not directly affect federal spending.

Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, said the bill amounted to a “reckless taxing and spending spree.”Tom Brenner for The New York Times

And at least one member of the Democratic caucus, Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont and the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, has said he plans to force votes on amendments to improve the legislation.

“This is a totally inadequate bill, but it does, to some degree, begin to address the existential threat facing the planet,” Mr. Sanders said in an interview on Friday. “I’m disappointed.”

Most Democrats, however, were trying to rally their colleagues to stay united against any amendments — including those that could be offered by fellow members of their caucus — to preserve the delicate consensus around the bill and make sure it could become law.

“What I care about is that we get to 50 votes, OK, at the end, and that means we have got to keep this deal together,” Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, told reporters. “What matters is that we’ve cut a deal, and we need to keep that deal intact.”

Lisa Friedman, Stephanie Lai and Sheryl Gay Stolberg contributed reporting.

#Environment

[perfectirishgifts]

Reaching Net Zero Emissions In Virginia Could Increase State GDP More Than $3.5 Billion Per Year

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/reaching-net-zero-emissions-in-virginia-could-increase-state-gdp-more-than-3-5-billion-per-year/

Reaching Net Zero Emissions In Virginia Could Increase State GDP More Than $3.5 Billion Per Year

When Governor Ralph Northam signed the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) into law this April, the state joined the vanguard of U.S. states enacting ambitious policy to transition from fossil fuels to a clean energy economy. But while the VCEA would significantly decarbonize Virginia’s power sector by 2050, it will still fall short of the emissions reductions needed for a safe climate future.

New modeling using the Virginia Energy Policy Simulator (EPS), developed by Energy Innovation and Rocky Mountain Institute, estimates the VCEA will reduce power sector emissions nearly 64% and cut economy-wide emissions 26% by 2050 compared to business-as-usual. While the VCEA puts Virginia on the path to significant decarbonization, it does not cover the rest of the state’s economic sectors, and falls short of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s recommended pathway to limit warming to 1.5° Celsius for a safe climate future.

Installation of solar panels on rooftop in Arlington, Virginia (Photo by Susan Biddle/The The … [] Washington Post via Getty Images)

Fortunately, a more ambitious policy package that implements climate policies across the transportation, buildings, industrial, land, and agricultural sectors could put Virginia on a 1.5°C pathway and generate massive economic benefits: By 2050, this scenario could achieve net-zero emissions, generate more than 12,000 job-years, and increase state GDP by more than $3.5 billion per year.

Virginia’s power sector decarbonization is underway. What about other sectors?

Virginia’s second-largest source of emissions is the electricity sector. Before the VCEA was enacted, the state’s power sector emissions were projected to grow from roughly 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (MMT CO2e) in 2019 to about 35 MMT CO2e in 2050.

The VCEA will spur significant electricity sector emissions reductions by requiring the state’s investor-owned utilities to decarbonize, including requiring Dominion to achieve 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2045 and Appalachian Power to achieve 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050. It also requires closing nearly all coal-fired power plants by 2024 and most natural gas, biomass, and petroleum-fired power plants by 2045.

The VCEA would also supercharge Virginia’s renewable energy industry with targets for 5,200 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind by 2034, 3,100 MW of energy storage capacity by 2035, and significant energy efficiency growth. For context, Virginia currently has 2,300 MW of installed renewable energy capacity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

But while the VCEA delivers significant electricity sector reductions, Virginia’s emissions are more complex than just power plants, and the state’s other major emitting economic sectors must also be addressed. Transportation is the largest current source of statewide emissions, followed by industry and buildings as the third- and fourth-largest greenhouse gas contributors. By cutting electricity sector emissions the VCEA creates an important foundation for economy-wide decarbonization, creating a compound emissions reduction impact of electric vehicles and buildings.

But even with the VCEA in place, Virginia must accelerate its electricity sector decarbonization target and implement climate policy in these other economic sectors to put itself on a path to a safe climate future.

A 1.5°C policy pathway to cover electricity, transportation, buildings, industry

Modeling of the VCEA and 1.5°C pathway was conducted using the open-source and peer reviewed Virginia EPS computer model, which allows users to estimate climate and energy policy impacts on emissions, the economy, and public health. The model uses publicly available data to estimate annual emissions, infrastructure, and economic impacts of policies through 2050, accounting for how policies like a clean electricity standard and electric vehicle sales target interact with one another. EPS models have been developed for more than a dozen countries and several subnational regions including California, and the Virginia EPS is the first of 20 planned state-level EPS models being developed by Energy Innovation and Rocky Mountain Institute.

The illustrative 1.5°C pathway outlines one set of policies Virginia could use to achieve emissions reductions in line with this target, while generating massive economic growth. This policy package would reduce economywide emissions 63% below 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050, putting the state on a path broadly consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C. And in addition to the economic benefits, the scenario would reduce harmful air pollution, creating health benefits for Virginians.

To achieve transportation sector decarbonization, the Virginia EPS relies on a strong electric vehicle sales standard, requiring all new passenger cars sold to be electric by 2035, and all new trucks to be electric by 2045. This standard aligns with California’s transportation sector policies and the multi-state Memorandum of Understanding on moving to zero emissions medium and heavy duty vehicles that 17 states follow. The scenario also includes investing in alternatives to passenger car travel, with supportive land use and transportation policies that empower people to use public transit or walk and bike, resulting in a 20% passenger car travel reduction by 2050.

In the buildings sector, a sales standard requiring all newly sold building equipment to be electric by 2030 would shift gas space and water heating systems to all-electric heat pumps, which are already commercially available and common in many parts of the U.S. Strong efficiency standards (potentially state standards on new equipment sales, a utility rebate program, or a statewide energy efficiency resource standard) further improve the efficiency of newly sold building equipment.

The Virginia EPS 1.5°C pathway builds on the VCEA to deepen and accelerate electricity sector decarbonization through a carbon-free electricity standard that covers the entire electricity sector (including municipal and cooperative utilities) and targets 100% clean power by 2035 (instead of 2045 to 2050 for different utilities). The VCEA’s offshore wind, energy storage, and power plant closure requirements are also included along with additional policies to expand the transmission system, spur demand response, and add even more storage for valuable grid flexibility.

Virginia’s industry sector emissions come from sources including energy combustion, leaking heating and cooling equipment refrigerants, and natural gas system leakage from production to consumption, and methane leakage from coal mines and water or waste management. To reduce energy-related emissions, the scenario requires industrial facilities electrify all end-uses where possible, to switch to a zero-carbon fuel (in this case hydrogen) for all others by 2050, and for the hydrogen to be produced through the zero-carbon process known as electrolysis. Policies promoting more efficient use of industrial materials and improved industrial energy efficiency achieve additional reductions.

For non-energy combustion industrial emissions, the Virginia EPS includes standards requiring natural gas utilities, water and waste management facility operators, and coal mine operators to capture leaking methane. Appliance manufacturers are required to switch to low global warming potential refrigerants. The remaining industry sector emissions are addressed using carbon capture and sequestration.

Finally, implementing land use and agricultural policies like requiring anaerobic digesters to capture manure emissions or land afforestation, creates additional emissions reductions in non-energy sectors.

Reaching net zero Virginia emissions could generate massive economic, health benefits

Transitioning to a low-carbon economy may seem challenging, but Virginia could achieve emissions reductions in line with a safe climate future using proven policies and existing technologies that have been successfully implemented in other states and nations, while generating wide-reaching economic and health benefits. The Virginia EPS 1.5°C pathway could generate tens of thousands of jobs statewide as new infrastructure is built, homes are upgraded, and factories begin retooling. By 2050, this scenario would generate more than 12,000 job-years and increase Virginia’s GDP by more than $3.5 billion per year.

Moving away from fossil fuels also improves air quality by reducing particulate matter emissions and other pollutants that harm human health – this scenario avoids more than 16,000 asthma attacks per year by 2050.

Virginia is among America’s leaders on ambitious policy to transition from fossil fuels to a clean energy-based economy, but requires careful planning for a rapid and equitable transition. The economic benefits of the low-carbon transition are enormous, and continuing the momentum begun by the VCEA can ensure Virginia captures the significant benefits of a low-carbon future

From Energy in Perfectirishgifts

[kristablogs]

What a Green New Deal would look like in every state

In the absence of a federal mandate, some local governments and institutions are stepping up. (Unsplash/Pixabay/DepositPhotos/)

In 2018, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change set a deadline: Snuff greenhouse gas emissions 45 percent by 2030 to keep warming from creeping past 1.5 degrees Celsius, the threshold beyond which lie the worst consequences of an overheated planet. Technologically, the scientists pointed out, we have the tools to make such a drastic clamp-down happen, but we’ve struggled to put them to work.

The past two years have provided an especially dire preview of what may come if we don’t. In 2019, wildfires flared in southern California and eastern Australia, destroying homes and habitats. And already 2020 has seen more fires Down Under, massive flooding in the Southeast, and Antarctic temps hitting close to 70 degrees Fahrenheit in February—accelerating melting and pushing up sea levels worldwide.

In the US, 2019’s proposed Green New Deal, the brainchild of Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY) and Edward Markey (MA), presented the most ambitious climate blueprint to ever cross lawmakers’ desks. The resolution—inspired by both FDR's sweeping 1930s social and economic safety net and modern, groundbreaking climate policies in progressive states like California—called for a transformation of energy, economic, and social structures. The grand plan aims to slash greenhouse gas emissions by switching to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, while providing a safety net for displaced workers, increasing the efficiency of buildings, and decarbonizing agriculture and manufacturing. Recognizing that climate change often hurts low-income communities the most, it also addresses income inequality through goals like providing training opportunities for a new wave of green jobs.

Washington has not yet answered the GND’s call to action. Bills that would advance objectives like making buildings more efficient and curbing emissions have sputtered, the US has no federal renewable-energy target, and the current administration has overwritten emissions-reduction efforts like former president Barack Obama’s plan to phase out coal.

The state level, however, is a different story. In the absence of a federal mandate, local governments and institutions are stepping up. “Since the Green New Deal, we've seen more [state] governments put forth more policies,” says Ben Beachy, Director of Sierra Club's Living Economy Program. At least 20 states have adopted, or are considering, a 100 percent renewables requirement for electric utilities, according to a report last year from EQ Research, and 100 cities have done so, too. A few governments, including those representing Maine, Los Angeles, and New York City, branded their policies as Green New Deal avatars. In others, the influence is more covert.

As states pursue fixes tailored to their individual priorities—from phasing out coal-fired power to getting more electric vehicles on the road—the GND doctrine is gaining momentum, climate policy experts say. State initiatives can light the way for the specific federal policies needed to realize Green New Deal goals, such as electric vehicle rebates or a carbon tax, says Rob Klee, a professor at the Yale School of Environmental Studies and a former commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “To me that’s exciting; it’s showing the potential to create a functioning government and policy that actually works.”

These are the climate policies, fixes, and initiatives that could help each state gain ground on Green New Deal goals—or get a boost if a national effort gets underway.

Scroll through, or use the links below to jump to your state:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

ALABAMA could weather extreme temps

In September 2019, amid a “flash drought” that saw the mercury reach 103 degrees in some parts of the state, Auburn University earned a $3 million grant to fund an unusual climate program. An interdisciplinary team of researchers will educate graduate students about climate resilience and then send them into communities to apply what they know. That could include showing farmers how to switch to heat-tolerant crops such as less-thirsty strains of corn or helping emergency-response workers prepare for especially high temps. Gearing up for sweltering times is key in this poor, hot state: The EPA estimates that in 75 years, Alabama will annually endure 30 to 60 days above 95 degrees, compared with about 15 days today. By 2060, extreme temperatures will claim 760 additional lives each year, by some estimates.

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ALASKA could retrain for renewables

Alaskan temperatures have risen more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 50 years, which is twice the pace of much of the world. The rapid warming puts many of the state’s ecosystems at risk; for example, thawing permafrost along the coast threatens homes, and vanishing sea ice makes it increasingly difficult for Inuit communities to hunt for primary food sources like seals and polar bears. The simplest way to reduce the 586,000-square-mile state’s 40 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions (among the highest per capita in the nation) would be to transition from oil to alternatives like wind. But state and federal lawmakers continue to reject proposals to do so. Senator Lisa Murkowski, for instance, advocates carbon capture and new nuclear power plants—expensive and controversial prospects. Regional environmental groups like the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition are pushing for an Alaskan version of the Green New Deal, which would provide retraining for thousands of fossil-fuel workers to ensure a “just transition” to jobs in solar, wind, and other renewable sources.

An oil pipeline cuts across Alaska, a state where thousands of fossil-fuel workers will require retraining for green jobs. (DepositPhotos/)

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ARIZONA could slash electricity costs

Despite the Southwestern state’s vast solar potential (the industry already supports some 7,500 jobs) and higher-than-average warming (temperatures have risen 3.2 degrees over the past century), Senator Kyrsten Sinema was one of only three Democrats to reject the federal GND resolution. A 2018 state ballot measure to adopt a renewables target of 50 percent by 2030 also failed. Yet, incentives from a GND could speed sluggish compliance with a 2010 mandate aimed at tamping down rising electricity demand. That directive from utility regulator Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) requires utilities to achieve 22 percent energy savings by 2020 by, among other things, offering rebates on energy-efficient lightbulbs, HVAC systems, and smart thermostats. The Grand Canyon chapter of the Sierra Club, Mi Familia Vota, and other groups have urged the ACC to extend the target date to 2030 and up the goal to 35 percent. “I think it’s helpful to have a Green New Deal out there for communities who are thinking about doing something” to rein in climate change, says Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter.

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ARKANSAS could go big on carbon farming

Agriculture is the Natural State’s largest industry (there are 49,346 farms there) and research out of the University of Arkansas shows that all that acreage could play a big role in offsetting emissions by pulling carbon from the atmosphere into the ground. The practices that reduce greenhouse gases, such as planting cover crops and going easy on tilling, also enhance soil health and help retain moisture, which can help farmers withstand more-intense droughts as climate change worsens. Arkansas has been a locus of experimentation in so-called carbon farming for several years: In 2017, Microsoft struck a deal to buy carbon-offset credits from four rice farmers. But among state policymakers and officials, there’s been little effort to encourage farmers to adopt the practices, which could be achieved through incentives like technical assistance from the state’s Department of Agriculture. This southern story isn’t without its bright spots, though: Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan has signed onto the national Climate Mayors coalition, and the city’s Energy Action Plan sets a target of 100 percent clean power for municipal operations by 2030 and citywide by 2050.

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CALIFORNIA could boost building efficiency

The Golden State’s commitment to reaching 100 percent clean energy by 2045 inspired the Green New Deal. One of the hallmarks of its plan, which tackles the challenge of reining in emissions in the nation’s most populous state, is its focus on climate-minded building. In 2018, lawmakers passed a measure to take steps to require that homes and commercial buildings—California’s second-largest climate polluter, after transportation—consume 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Much of those gains could be achieved by swapping out natural-gas-powered stoves and heaters for electric versions. To help households make the transition, the California Public Utilities Commission approved $50 million to invest in electric-everything buildings for low-income residents in the central San Joaquin Valley. In April 2019, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled a plan to make similar retrofits to commercial buildings and homes by 2050. The effort would also create a zero-emissions transportation network to encourage residents of the famously car-dependent city to use public transit, scooters, and other low-carbon ways of getting around.

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COLORADO could make homes greener

Buoyed by the GND resolution and the election of Governor Jared Polis—who wants to switch the state to 100 percent renewables by 2040 and cut emissions 90 percent below 2005 levels by 2050—green-minded lawmakers and environmental groups like Conservation Colorado successfully pushed several broad carbon-cutting bills in the state legislature in spring 2019. One measure, which Polis signed this past May, establishes new energy-efficiency standards for air conditioners, lightbulbs, and other power hogs; the Natural Resources Defense Council estimates the effort could avoid 3 million metric tons of carbon pollution over 15 years. But the city of Boulder has gone further, declaring a climate emergency in July 2019, and committing to going fully renewable by 2030 and slashing greenhouse emissions by 80 percent by 2050. The centerpiece of the effort: replacing natural-gas furnaces in homes with electric heaters powered by renewables like wind and solar.

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CONNECTICUT could go big on wind

The Constitution State, with its 618 miles of Long Island Sound shoreline, is awhirl in wind, and a recent piece of legislation aims to harness a lot more of it—and turn Connecticut into a regional hub for gusty offshore wind power. Under a 2019 law signed by Governor Ned Lamont, the state will increase its capacity from 300 to 2,300 megawatts by 2030, enough to run about 1 million homes. The buildout, along with a new effort to swap public buses and other parts of the state’s vehicle fleet for zero-emission models, aims to help meet a 2018 goal to slash emissions 45 percent below 2001 levels by 2030, while providing new opportunities for economic development.

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DELAWARE could capture even more sun

As one of 25 states and territories in the US Climate Alliance, a coalition that will adhere to the goals of the Paris Agreement, the “small wonder” state is drawing up a crucial plan, due in December 2020, to achieve a 26-to-28 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2025. About 2.8 percent of the state’s electricity already comes from solar, a large step toward its target of 3.5 percent in the same time frame. Its pioneering Green Energy Grant program grants, established back in 1999, have funded more than $54.3 million in renewable projects, all of which has increased installed solar capacity from 8.6 megawatts in 2010 to more than 100 megawatts in 2019. A separate program, the Energy Efficiency Investment Fund, gives grants to local governments, businesses, and nonprofits to fund efficiency upgrades like better insulation and weatherstripping.

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FLORIDA could get residents off the beach

South Florida’s imminent inundation from sea-level rise makes national headlines—about 2.4 million people live within 4 feet of the high-tide line. After replacing Rick Scott, who was widely criticized for his lack of action on climate, new Governor Ron DeSantis has managed to push the state forward. In August 2019, he hired the first climate resilience officer and persuaded the legislature to allocate $5.5 million to help local governments plan for sea-level rise. Most action is occurring at the local level already, but one community’s solution can become another community’s problem. In Miami, for example, social-justice advocates are working to help low-income residents in Little Haiti, which sits on higher ground, withstand “climate gentrification” as wealthier people retreat from beachfront property. Efforts include preserving existing affordable housing and advocating for new low-income projects. The Miami City Council recently adopted a resolution to study climate impacts on housing and potential solutions, including how to manage taxes so residents can stay in their homes.

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GEORGIA could protect crops from extreme weather

Economic hardship from climate change is expected to hit Georgia especially hard. According to a 2008 study, a 2007 drought caused $1.3 billion in losses, including $92.5 million in peanut crops—a preview of what’s to come as prolonged dry periods become more frequent and severe. The number of dangerously hot days is increasing, and sea levels are rising an inch per decade, faster than much of the rest of the East Coast, eroding beaches and flooding low-lying areas. In the absence of government action, researchers at three universities created the Georgia Climate Project, which aims to develop an economically beneficial and socially equitable path to carbon neutrality in the Peach State. To do that, says Kim Cobb of Georgia Tech, advocates must “decouple the conversation from the national-level, tit-for-tat mudslinging-fest” and instead focus on local benefits. In May 2018, the project published a “road map” that laid out priorities, including girding the coast; helping farmers increase resilience to weather extremes with strategic crop choices; and identifying and protecting the state’s at-risk, low-income communities. It remains to be seen whether officials will turn the project’s ideas into actual policy.

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HAWAII could gird its shorelines

Mindful that the Aloha State’s celebrated Waikiki Beach could be underwater in 20 years, the Hawaiian legislature might soon accelerate its ambitious target of going 100 percent renewable by 2045. House bill 1487 creates a pilot project to buffer Honolulu’s shoreline against sea-level rise and storms by expanding parks and establishing emergency access routes; it also requires the state to study the feasibility of a carbon tax. In September 2019, Hawaii issued “climate equity” recommendations that call for the most-vulnerable communities to be identified, protected, and made part of climate policy decisions. To speed an all-out switch to renewables, the state must also upgrade the grid with devices called smart inverters; the tech helps smooth out energy spikes and dips to provide consistent power around the clock.

As sea levels rise, Hawaii’s iconic beaches face increasing risk. (DepositPhotos/)

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IDAHO could go deeper into geothermal

State lawmakers held their first-ever meeting on climate change in March 2019, two months after Governor Brad Little acknowledged that warming is, indeed, happening. So far, they have only called for more research, but Boise is blazing its own path. City officials are expanding its geothermal system, which now powers 92 residences and businesses downtown (some six million square feet) with 177-degree water circulating through more than 20 miles of underground pipes. The build-out, which will involve adding 10 million to 15 million more gallons of hot water a year, is part of a plan to transition to all sustainable power by 2035. If it succeeds, Boise will be the only Idaho city to run solely on renewables.

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ILLINOIS could retrofit more homes

The Green New Deal owes its call for climate action that helps lift people out of poverty in part to this state’s 2016 Future Energy Jobs Act, which the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition regards as a model for how nationwide climate legislation should work. In addition to a standard raft of new energy standards, the law also set aside $5 billion for programs to help households improve insulation and make other efficiency upgrades. The measure will create 7,000 new retrofitting jobs each year and cut $4 billion in energy costs for Illinois families. Under the law, the state now also provides training for solar installation, and gives priority to those with low incomes and the formerly incarcerated. The measure also helps low-income families purchase solar systems.

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INDIANA could afford to quit coal

According to an October 2019 report from a Hoosier State task force set up to develop new energy policies, keeping the state’s aging coal plants running for another 30 years would cost customers $20 billion more than switching to renewables. Environmental organizations such as the Hoosier chapter of the Sierra Club, however, are doubtful that the task force’s findings will do much to rally support for GND-like measures, given the resistance among state lawmakers. Still, utility companies are eyeing an eventual switch to renewable sources like solar and wind. In November, the Indiana Public Service Company announced it will go coal-free within a decade—though, it’s also asking for permission to raise rates to help pay for the effort.

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IOWA could keep renewable installers working

Between June 2018 and May 2019, 50 inches of rain—the most precipitation in a 12-month period since record-keeping began in 1895—drenched Iowa. Yet state officials are rolling back climate-mitigation measures already on the books. A law passed by the legislature in spring 2018 capped the cost of energy-efficiency programs and lifted green-power requirements for municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives. Environmental groups say the move will likely increase the state’s emissions and spur layoffs of energy auditors, insulation installers, and other workers in the efficiency industry. One bright spot is Iowa City, whose action plan aims to snuff emissions 45 percent by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050. Among the proposals to get there: expanding the city’s carbon-grabbing and street-cooling tree canopy with up to 10,000 saplings, creating community solar projects, and encouraging energy-efficient construction by rebating a portion of building permit fees in exchange for green updates.

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KANSAS could help farms go green

Across the wind-whipped Great Plains, market forces are driving GND-like programs more than policy mandates. Kansas—which gets 36 percent of its power from wind, more than any other state—is Exhibit A in how to grow a renewables industry in a hostile political climate. Senators Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran voted against the GND resolution, but an increasing number of farmers and ranchers are boosting their income by leasing some of their land to wind developers. Some agriculturalists are also beginning to manage fields so that they suck more carbon from the atmosphere—another item on the GND to-do list. These types of soil improvements, such as alternating cash crops with carbon-sequestering cover crops like radishes and wheat, help offset emissions while improving farmers’ bottom lines: A new program pays them to manage for carbon, and harvestable cover crops can boost income.

Kansas already gets more than one-third of its power from wind, as many farmers lease land to renewable-energy developers. (DepositPhotos/)

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KENTUCKY could retrain its miners

Before the Green New Deal was a glint in Edward Markey’s and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s eyes, a group in the Bluegrass State was cooking up the “Empower Kentucky” plan. Crafted in 2017 by Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, a justice advocacy group, the blueprint emphasizes energy efficiency, renewables, and placing a price on carbon dioxide pollution to discourage industrial emissions—all while helping miners find work in other professions. Now comes the hard part: implementation. The group worked to restore full funding for the federal Black Lung Disability Trust Fund (the coal tax that supports it was slashed by 55 percent for 2019), which provides medical benefits and monthly assistance.

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LOUISIANA could safeguard shoreline communities

In mid-2019, Louisiana issued an ambitious plan—the first of its kind in the US—to help people at risk from rising sea levels, hurricanes, and high-tide “sunny day flooding” relocate from coastal areas. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has funded the first phase, which identifies and offers buyouts to the most vulnerable residents in six Gulf-adjacent parishes, where a combination of swelling oceans, erosion, and sinking land (called subsidence) is already eating away at the ground. On Isle de Jean Charles, 80 miles from New Orleans, relocation is already underway under a previous HUD-funded effort, though only about half of residents have opted to move so far. The next (and as-yet-unfunded) phase of the plan will also help those who choose to stay by elevating homes, relocating urban centers, and altering transportation routes to bypass flood-prone areas.

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MAINE could retrain its lobstermen

In Maine, it’s not fossil-fuel workers who need help, it’s lobstermen, who have watched their catches migrate north to cooler waters. In 2019, lawmakers passed a measure to establish the state’s own version of the Green New Deal aimed at lifting up lobstermen and other workers while torpedoing climate pollution. The law created a task force to craft a strategy for boosting renewables—especially offshore wind and solar, which could help the state, one of sunniest in New England, hit its ambitious target of 45 percent reduction below 1990 levels by 2030 and an 80-percent dip by 2050—while creating good jobs and ensuring low-income households have access to affordable solar power. “We know these climate-change solutions are coming, and we want to make sure workers are at the table, so we make sure they support working people,” says Andy O’Brien, a spokesman for the Maine AFL-CIO. The law also includes a provision that about a quarter of jobs during construction of grid-scale renewables, such as a large solar array, go to workers enrolled in an apprenticeship program. The trainees include former lobstermen, military veterans, and recent graduates.

In Maine, lobstermen will require retraining instead of fossil-fuel workers, as the shellfish move north to cooler waters. (DepositPhotos/)

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MARYLAND could get going on a renewable switch

The Old Line State, where sea-level rise could cause $19 billion worth of damage by 2100, has some major climate culprits: vehicles, the military, and six coal-fired power plants. Governor Larry Hogan has unveiled a clean-energy plan, but it favors building small “modular” nuclear plants and using carbon-capture technology to limit emissions from natural gas plants—decidedly un-GND-like solutions. Lawmakers have also floated a proposal to charge a fee on fossil-fuel imports as a means to fund renewable alternatives. Climate activists favor a more aggressive approach: a full-on energy switch by 2023; renewables training for fossil-fuel workers, people of color, and those in marginalized communities; and a reduction in pollution from military installations and aircraft. It’s a tall order. The state is striving to deliver on a 2016 promise to cut emissions 40 percent below 2006 levels by 2030. “We want to keep pushing because we’re absolutely one of the most vulnerable states,” said David Smedick of the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club. “We are really susceptible to sea-level rise, and we are already seeing property at risk.”

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MASSACHUSETTS could become more resilient

The Pilgrim State recently set aside a big pot of money—more than $2.4 billion—much of which to help communities gird against inland flooding, rising seas, and extreme weather. Through the Municipal Vulnerabilities Preparedness program, towns from Acton to Worcester have received grants to craft adaptation and resilience plans, restore wetlands to help soak up floodwaters, plant trees, replace culverts to improve drainage, and other projects. As of February 2020, 82 percent of communities had enrolled, according to the Governor Charlie Baker’s office. Now, he wants to up the ante: The administration’s proposed budget for 2021 would provide millions more for resilience efforts. In January, Baker called for upping the state’s climate target to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, from a current goal of 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. “Time is not our friend,” the governor said during his January 22 State of the Commonwealth speech.

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MICHIGAN could speed its renewable switch

Fresh leadership has thrust Michigan to the forefront of state climate action. Newly elected Attorney General Dana Nessel entered the fray specifically to stop a project to restore a section of Enbridge’s aging Line 5 oil pipeline beneath the Straits of Mackinac, out of fears of a spill that would foul Lakes Michigan and Huron. And new Governor Gretchen Whitmer—one of a handful of gubernatorial candidates who campaigned on climate action in the wake of the GND—quickly created an Office of Climate and Energy and signed up the state to heed the Paris Agreement’s call for reducing emissions. Meanwhile, in a separate undertaking up north, the Upper Peninsula Power Co., which charges some of the nation’s highest electricity rates, plans to deliver energy from a new solar array within two years. Once running, it will boost its solar capacity by 50 percent and, ultimately, lower costs for customers.

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MINNESOTA could help homeowners go green

While statewide initiatives inspired by the Green New Deal have faltered in the legislature (they’ll try again in the new session), several Minnesota cities have stepped up their own efforts to take on climate culprits. St. Paul, where 60 percent of total emissions come from buildings, has a draft climate plan that calls for swapping natural-gas heating units for electric ones. To help tackle the 30 percent of emissions that come from transportation, officials are gearing up to trade the current fleet of police cruisers for electric vehicles. Across the river in Minneapolis, a new rule would require an energy audit when a home is sold, with the idea that buyers will be inspired to make efficiency upgrades like installing better insulation and weatherstripping around doors and windows. Meanwhile, the state’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, has vowed to go carbon-neutral by 2050.

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MISSISSIPPI could beat the heat

Despite the specter of rising sea levels along the Gulf Coast, lingering effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and flooding in the Mississippi River Delta in 2018, the state has done little to address climate change. New Governor Tate Reeves, elected last November, has said he sees no need to take action, and has called the GND a “disaster.” But that doesn’t mean Magnolia State residents wouldn’t stand to benefit from a federal program. GND-fueled investment could provide relocation help for poor residents in the most at-risk flood areas (like Long Beach on the coast, and Vicksburg and Natchez on the Mississippi River) and help hospitals prepare for a potential spike in heat-related illnesses. The state faces some 90 days a year with a heat index of 105 degrees F in the coming decades, high enough to cause deadly heat stroke. Funds could also go toward retraining workers in the state’s oil and gas industry, which employs about 60,000 people.

Wetlands along the Gulf shoreline face regular inundation, leaving many Mississippi residents in need of relocation assistance (Unsplash/)

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MISSOURI could update more buildings

In a state that stands apart for its coal dependency—only Texas consumes more, according to the Energy Information Administration—St. Louis is doubling down on slashing emissions. A centerpiece of its blueprint is improving its buildings, which generate 77 percent of the city’s greenhouse gases. The Mississippi River town has already added weatherstripping, LEDs, updated HVACs, and other changes to three municipal structures, achieving Energy Star certification; with 2018 grant money from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ American Cities Climate Challenge, the city will expand the program to structures in the private sector. St. Louis has also tweaked its building code to further increase efficiency: The requirements mandate that owners of structures larger than 50,000 square feet track and report their energy and water consumption each year, the first step toward curbing such use; those who don’t comply can be fined. Energy advocates consider the measures some of the strongest in the Midwest.

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MONTANA could invest in carbon farming

Montana’s congressional delegation opposes the GND, but the resolution has emboldened local advocates to push for stronger climate protections. In February 2019, a group of local students and residents associated with the Sunrise Movement held a rally outside Senator Steve Daines’s office in Bozeman calling for a localized Green New Deal focused in part on the agriculture industry, which occupies 65 percent of the state’s land and contributes $4 billion to the economy each year. The idea involves working with ranchers and farmers to manage land in ways that draw more carbon dioxide from the air and into flora and soils, such as planting perennial crops that are superstars at sucking up CO2. The group is also pushing the state to upgrade buildings with better insulation and more-efficient appliances, and to expand alternative transportation options.

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NEBRASKA could prepare for severe rains

Nebraska endured a bitter reminder of the ravages of climate change in spring 2019, when severe flooding inundated 2,000 homes, destroyed bridges, damaged $800 million worth of crops and livestock, and wrecked an Air Force base. Climate scientists say warming likely made the “bomb cyclone” worse than it otherwise would have been—excess humid air above seas turbocharges cyclones—and University of Nebraska analysis has warned of looming threats to the state’s economy, environment, and citizens. But Nebraska is one of only a handful of states that has not created its own resilience plan. That leaves local communities to take on the challenge themselves. One bright spot is state climatologist Martha Shulski’s outreach efforts; she is working with municipalities to help them prepare. The town of Bellevue, for example, has constructed rain gardens to help absorb runoff from parking lots, streets, and rooftops during downpours. Others are designating “heat shelters” to give the elderly and poor a cool place to go when temps spike.

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NEVADA could run more on solar

While Nevada’s elected officials overwhelmingly opposed the Green New Deal, their constituents appear to be warming to the idea of climate action. According to a January 2019 poll by Colorado College, 74 percent of Nevada voters view climate change as a serious problem—a 16 percent jump since the last such poll in 2016. Las Vegas, known more for its excesses than its governance, has emerged as a leader in the state, which happens to boast some of the highest solar-energy potential in the nation: As of 2016, Sin City, which also happens to be the country’s fastest-warming burgh, runs all government buildings on 100 percent renewable power.

Nevada boasts the highest solar-energy potential in the US, as desert arrays help feed demand for bright towns like Las Vegas. (DepositPhotos/)

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NEW HAMPSHIRE could finally ramp up its renewables

Under Governor Chris Sununu, a frequent target of environmentalist dismay, the Granite State has lagged behind its New England neighbors in climate action. Most recently, Sununu pulled out of the 11-state Transportation and Climate Initiative. New Hampshire has had a plan on the books since 2005 but could use a Green New Deal-style renewables surge, advocates like Environment New Hampshire say. The state boasts significant wind, hydropower, and biomass resources but has struggled to capitalize on them. In 2018, Sununu issued an “all-of-the-above” energy plan that still included fossil fuels, and, in February 2020, the 448-megawatt Merrimack coal-fired power plant announced it would stay open through at least 2024. But the tide might be turning: Sununu has convened a task force to explore how the state can tap into the stiff winds off its shores.

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NEW JERSEY could make offshore wind happen

According to one recent study from Rutgers University, the Garden State will see a full foot of sea-level rise by 2030. State officials view offshore wind development as key to lowering emissions and boosting economic development. In fact, harnessing ocean breezes is a centerpiece of the new Energy Master Plan, which aims for 100 percent clean energy by 2050. After years of false starts, the blueprint, which echoes a November 2019 executive order, calls for firing up 7,500 megawatts by 2035, enough to juice 3 million homes. (That’s more than double the previous goal of 3,500 MW.) Still, the state has no offshore turbines now, so meeting the target will require a rapid buildout. Last June, the state approved what will be one of the largest such projects in the US, the 1,100 MW Ocean Wind development, which will sit 15 miles off the coast near Atlantic City. New Jersey is also working with other Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states to tamp down emissions from the transportation sector, and is part of a 25-state coalition (that tally includes Puerto Rico) that’s agreed to adhere to the Paris Agreement.

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NEW MEXICO could retrain coal workers

In spring 2019, new Governor Michele Lujan Grisham signed the landmark Energy Transition Act, which echoes the Green New Deal’s call to provide a safety net for fossil-fuel workers sidelined by the renewables revolution. When the San Juan Generating Station, the state’s largest polluter, closes in 2022—along with the nearby coal mine that feeds it—$20 million in workforce-training funds will help ease the pain of lost jobs; another $20 million will go to San Juan County to help offset reduced tax revenue. “We’re going to lead the country in investments in technology and renewable energy,” Grisham says. But critics note that even as New Mexico—the second-fastest-warming state in the US—weans itself off coal, it will continue to rely on oil and gas revenues from the Permian Basin, which produces more than 4 million barrels of crude oil a day and is a major emitter of the greenhouse gas methane.

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NEW YORK could revamp more buildings

NYC has its very own Green New Deal, with its most iconic building at the center. Buildings contribute 70 percent of the Big Apple’s emissions, but the Empire State Building is leading the way on efficiency updates. Retrofits of the 102-story prewar tower include resealed windows and elevators that capture the energy generated during drops to help power ascents; the tweaks amount to a 38 percent reduction in its consumption. Following the Empire State’s lead, the city council passed a law this past year requiring about 50,000 large structures (above 25,000 square feet) to slash pollution from heaters and other outmoded systems by 40 percent by 2030, and 80 percent by 2050. Property owners will have to install things like power-sipping lights, upgraded heating and cooling systems, and better insulation. The upgrades, which should create about 20,000 jobs, are estimated to cost about $4 billion, though owners will recoup some through energy savings. The law dovetails with an ambitious statewide effort, which, in addition to its own raft of building-efficiency updates, will focus on switching to clean energy—a move that could net some 212,000 new jobs in the Empire State.

The Empire State Building is an icon in the NYC skyline, and now it’s also a model for how to retrofit old buildings with efficiency in mind. (Unsplash/)

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NORTH CAROLINA could maintain its solar momentum

North Carolina is a climate leader in the sunny South, boasting more solar infrastructure than any other state in the region and ranking second nationwide. But the state is poised to backtrack: Its solar tax credit expired in 2015, and only one wind farm has gone up, despite ample potential. A Green New Deal would help spur expanded solar and wind development while also creating new jobs, or so say the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and other environmental advocates. Governor Roy Cooper supports a renewables renaissance and, in October 2019, the state Department of Environmental Quality unveiled a plan that calls for accelerating “clean energy innovation, development, and deployment.” The goal: Cut greenhouse emissions from the power sector by 70 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, and make the state carbon-neutral by 2050. An online portal will allow the public to track the effort’s progress.

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NORTH DAKOTA could double down on wind

Some North Dakota lawmakers oppose climate action, and the Green New Deal, so strongly that they came close to banning wind farms in 2017. Rep. Kelly Armstrong has dubbed the GND “ridiculous” and warned it “would end North Dakota’s economy as we know it.” But despite elected officials’ antipathy toward GND principles, the state’s private sector is embracing emissions-slashing renewable development. One of the nation’s four most blustery states, North Dakota produces 25.8 percent of its power from wind. The wind industry employs between 3,000 and 4,000 people, and as prices continue to fall, the potential in the region is as vast as its zephyr-swept plains. “That’s not because of any kind of government intervention,” says Scott Skokol of the Dakota Resource Council. “If anything, the government is an inhibitor of the industry rather than something that’s fostering it.”

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OHIO could finally tap into renewables

The Buckeye State remains heavily reliant on coal and natural gas, and ranks No. 6 in state greenhouse gas emissions. Ohio officials have largely ignored the Green New Deal and climate action in general, despite considerable green-power potential in the state. For example, turbines could produce about 55,000 megawatts, yet almost no new wind development has occurred since 2014. Cleveland, however, is forging its own path. Mayor Frank Jackson committed to cutting the city’s emissions by 80 percent (by prioritizing projects like 70 new miles of bike lanes) and going 100 percent renewable (see: plans to install solar panels atop Progressive Field) by 2050. The lakeside burg also hopes to plant 50,000 trees, a project that will absorb carbon dioxide while creating more walkable neighborhoods and, they hope, a healthier population; cut residential and commercial energy use by 50 percent and industrial use by 30 percent; and keep 50 percent of discarded food and other types of waste out of methane-belching landfills by 2030. The efforts have earned Cleveland an A grade from the Carbon Disclosure Project, making it among the 7 percent of towns to receive the top score.

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OKLAHOMA could work out energy storage

Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe is one of the nation’s loudest climate-change skeptics, but the state is nonetheless pursuing at least one Green New Deal tenet: a renewable-energy ramp-up. That’s because, in the Sooner State—one of the top four wind producers in the country, with more than 30 percent of its power generated by zephyrs—it’s good for business. Already about 7,000 Oklahomans work in wind, the state’s dominant renewable resource, more than natural gas and coal employ combined. The state is also working to solve the central problem with wind and solar: storing energy for times when the wind isn’t blowing and/or the sun isn’t shining. In July 2019, Western Farmers Electric Cooperative and NextEra Energy Resources announced a 700-megawatt hybrid wind-and-solar project that features state-of-the-art battery storage to even out lulls. Excess energy from peak production times tucks into the battery to fill in gaps. The facility, which will be the largest such project in the country, will create about 300 new construction jobs and up to 15 operational ones.

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OREGON could expand green infrastructure

In 2018, Portland voters approved an innovative ballot referendum that will create a “clean energy fund.” The 1 percent tax on major retailer profits should generate between $30 million and $70 million annually, according to the community coalition that led the effort, which will support a range of GND-like efforts. Those include job training for workers to transition to the renewables industry, green infrastructure projects like planting trees and rain gardens that capture stormwater runoff, and regenerative agriculture—a conservation-minded way of farming and ranching that, among other things, keeps livestock moving to avoid overgrazing, uses cover crops to keep fields sucking up CO2 between regular plantings, and adds compost to fields to improve soil health. At least half the revenue is earmarked to support such projects in low-income areas and communities of color. Statewide climate efforts in 2019 weren’t quite as successful: In June, Republican lawmakers left the state to prevent Democrats from having the quorum they needed to pass a bill that would have demanded emissions cuts from businesses.

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PENNSYLVANIA could manage floodwaters

Like other East Coast states, flooding is one of the biggest threats Pennsylvania faces—though not from sea-level rise. In the case of places like landlocked Pittsburgh, heavier downpours are the danger. Pittsburgh United’s Clean Rivers Campaign has come up with an innovative solution: It’s working to secure public investments in green infrastructure—rainwater gardens to absorb intense storms, for example. The projects aim to reduce flooding in some of the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods while creating jobs, and could provide a model for other cities facing similar risks. The effort reached a milestone last year, when the mayor’s budget included funding to complete the design for the Four Mile Run green infrastructure project, which will absorb rainwater from parts of five neighborhoods and help reduce the amount of sewage flowing into rivers when systems overflow during storms. Stormwater that once rushed across pavement will instead route to a new surface channel built to mimic the path of historic streams and handle some of the overflow.

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RHODE ISLAND could harness the wind

The tiniest state in the union faces an outsize climate threat from sea-level rise, but few residents have the means to prepare for it: Rhode Island has the highest poverty rate in New England. With the aim of stimulating the economy and creating green jobs through renewables growth, it recently began working on its own version of the Green New Deal. Representatives from the fishing and farming industries, climate scientists, energy experts, and social justice advocates are studying the state’s climate risks and economic challenges and opportunities. For example, on the opportunities side of the ledger, Rhode Island has largely untapped offshore wind resources; about 95 percent of its wind potential lies at sea, yet breezes provide only about 0.5 percent of the state’s power. Renewables advocates hope the group’s efforts will see the state’s estimated 70 megawatts of land-based wind potential and 25 gigawatts of offshore resources finally developed.

Even landlocked cities and towns like Pittsburgh need to prepare for more-frequent floods and heavy downpours. (DepositPhotos/)

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SOUTH CAROLINA could capture the sun

The Palmetto State has some of the choicest renewable resources in the South: Nearly every square meter gets hit by almost 5.4 kilowatt hours of solar radiation each day. Yet only about 1 percent of the state’s power comes from the sun, though several new projects are underway. Climate advocates with the Coastal Conservation League point out that efforts could have been much farther along if the government had made good on a promise former Governor Mark Sanford’s administration made more than a decade ago to achieve a modest 5 percent emissions reduction from 1990 levels by 2020. This year, lawmakers passed a bill that aims to change that; it removes a 2 percent cap on generation from home solar panels served by Duke Energy and other utilities, a step that industry analysts said is vital for the nascent industry and could incentivize more residents to invest in panels. Crucially, the act, which received bipartisan support, frames the effort as economic development more than climate action. “There wasn’t a robust discussion of ‘we need to reduce emissions.’ It was ‘we need to lower bills and encourage clean energy,’” says John Tynan, executive director of Conservation Voters of South Carolina. “We have to find a way to advance clean energy that’s characteristically South Carolina.”

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SOUTH DAKOTA could build out more wind

South Dakota takes advantage of some of the windiest conditions in the US and now has sufficient turbines online to produce more than 1,218 megawatts of power—enough for 1.2 million homes. While elected officials have opposed the Green New Deal as government overreach that would hurt farmers and ranchers, native tribes have pushed forward. The Rosebud Sioux erected the first commercial turbine on tribal lands back in 2003. Now, six tribes are collaborating on the Oceti Sakowin Power Project, which will be the biggest renewables effort on tribal land. Leaders expect it will create at least 500 much-needed jobs during construction and 30 permanent ones for some of the poorest populations in the country. While these efforts were well underway before the GND resolution, climate justice advocates say they illustrate the importance of its call to use solutions like renewables development as a tool for lifting people out of poverty.

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TENNESSEE could ditch nuclear

In a state that has embraced a controversial vision on climate (case in point: Senator Lamar Alexander’s “New Manhattan Project for Clean Energy” relies on nuclear power, which the GND’s framers oppose), Nashville is kicking up some GND dust. City Council member Freddie O’Connell wants to create the “Green New Deal of the East” and, last June, Music City’s leaders unanimously passed a measure that puts its government on a schedule to transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2041. Nashville’s gasoline-powered vehicle fleet will switch to electric models by 2050, and the city will adopt new green building standards, including energy-efficiency retrofits, for at least 12.5 percent of its municipal offices by 2032.

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TEXAS could protect against floods

Austin, a longtime progressive outlier in the conservative Lone Star State, is one of the few cities to outright endorse the Green New Deal. In May 2019, the city council also directed staff to explore what a climate-resilience plan for the flood-prone burg would look like. Like Houston, which endured record inundation from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the capital will need to focus on stormwater infrastructure upgrades to sweep away excess rainfall from roads and homes. The blueprint officials create could provide a model that other cities in conservative states can follow, according to Cyrus Reed, conservation director for the Sierra Club’s Lone Star chapter. The efforts run in stark contrast to a continued oil rush in the Permian Basin. Meanwhile, wind-power companies hurry to squeeze what’s left of federal tax incentives for renewables development.

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UTAH could speed its renewable switch

In Utah, which ranks fifth among states with the fastest-rising temperatures and struggles with poor air quality, the legislature passed a bill in March 2019 that creates a new program to help municipalities reach 100 percent renewable power. Communities can opt to partner with the state’s largest utility, Rocky Mountain Power, which will coordinate efforts for the switch and provide all the necessary supply and infrastructure updates. At least 12 municipalities have taken advantage of the opportunity, including Salt Lake City, Moab, Park City, and Summit County. In the process, Salt Lake will cut its carbon emissions in half, and will “create a replicable roadmap for others across the country,” Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski said in a statement. Officials were responding in part to lobbying from young people in the Sunshine Movement, but the measure also gained the support of free-market advocates who see the expansion of renewables as key to the state’s economic development.

Park City, Utah, is among the municipalities in the state to have signed on to go 100-percent renewable. (Unsplash/)

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VERMONT could shake off nuclear

Famously progressive Vermont is a case study in the difficulty of achieving lofty climate goals. While the Green Mountain State pledged back in 2005 to cut emissions 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2028 and 75 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, the state’s emissions are now 16 percent higher than they were in 1990. That’s partly because it has proved difficult to entirely replace a shuttered nuclear plant, which provided about half the state’s electricity, with renewables. Despite a doubling of solar generation between 2016 and 2018, the state has struggled to build enough new facilities to fill the gap. Instead, they’ve wound up importing hydropower from Canada. But the biggest culprit are vehicles: Cars and trucks are responsible for some 40 percent of emissions. In the 2020 legislative session, lawmakers are mulling a bill, the Global Warming Solutions Act, that would establish mandatory emissions cuts across all sectors, including transportation, of 26 percent below 2005 levels in the next five years. In addition, the bill gives specific attention to the impact of climate change on the state’s rural communities.

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VIRGINIA could fund efficiency upgrades

Arlington, a wealthy D.C. suburb, is leading the way on climate action. In 2017, the city became the first in the country to receive the LEED for Communities Platinum certification for its programs, which include providing rebates on power-sipping appliances and free expert advice for homeowners on efficiency upgrades like insulation or weatherstrips for windows. Local entrepreneurs have also set up a solar and electric vehicle charger co-op; members leverage their purchasing power and get discounts on installation of either solar panels, a level-2 EV charger, or both. Statewide, more than 50 groups, including the Sierra Club, the Richmond Food Justice Alliance, and Virginia Interfaith Power and Light, are pushing toward key GND objectives: switching to 100 percent renewables, retraining displaced fossil-fuel workers, making efficiency upgrades to residential and commercial buildings, prioritizing clean and affordable transportation, and investing in local agriculture. A bill to turn much of that wish list into a reality quickly stalled in the last legislative session, but supporters continue to build momentum for the effort.

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WASHINGTON could fund low-income home updates

The state legislature, at the urging of governor and former presidential candidate Jay Inslee, passed the most ambitious clean-energy bill in the country in 2019. The measure calls for Washington, which now gets 10 percent of its power from coal, to ditch fossil fuel by 2025, become carbon-neutral by 2030, and achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2045. Low-income communities get “energy assistance,” meaning that utilities will have to help fund the weatherization of homes and other efficiency improvements, with a goal of aiding 60 percent of eligible customers by 2030 and 90 percent by 2050. The new law also requires that utilities ensure that low-income neighborhoods have the same access to new energy projects, such as wind facilities or electric-vehicle charging stations, as wealthier ones do.

Statewide, Vermont has struggled to hit its emissions-reduction targets, but some individuals are already making the switch on their own. (Department of Energy/Flickr/)

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WEST VIRGINIA could keep miners working

In West Virginia, where coal is still king, per capita carbon emissions are among the highest in the country, and state and federal lawmakers have resisted climate action at almost every turn. All the while, the repercussions of global warming are coming home to roost, in the form of a 5-to-10 percent increase in precipitation in some regions by the middle of the 21st century. So environmental and social-justice groups are taking a bottom-up approach to dealing with the coming crisis, working to help displaced coal workers retrain for other occupations, such as coding and renewables installation, and find jobs. (As of 2018, 12,253 West Virginians worked as coal miners, compared with 20,925 in 2009, according to yearly figures from the West Virginia Coal Association.) Solar Holler, for example, has been retraining displaced workers—some former miners, some miners’ sons and daughters—in solar installation since its founding in 2013.

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WISCONSIN could train a green workforce

Under a new GND-like initiative in Milwaukee, supporters like County Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde hope to see an influx of jobs in solar installation, efficiency upgrades, and other climate-change-fighting work. The swing could help many of the city’s black residents rise above the poverty line, where 30 percent of that community currently resides. The local task force in charge of the push promised to conjure a Green New Deal “with teeth” that will reduce emissions by 45 percent of 2010 levels by 2030.

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WYOMING could harness more wind

In the coal-rich Cowboy State, where Senator Mike Enzi recently called the Green New Deal a “pipe dream,” the only effort that has been palatable among elected officials is carbon capture of emissions from coal plants—an idea at direct odds with the GND’s call to put an end to fossil fuel use. Governor Mark Gordon has asked lawmakers to commit $10 million for a pilot project that would trap 75 percent of pollution from such facilities. And in March 2019, he signed a bill that further encourages keeping coal plants open by requiring owners to look for new buyers before closing such facilities. Still, the blustery plains have attracted renewable-energy developers—there’s already 1,410 megawatts of wind power up and running—but environmental groups say officials could do far more to harness the GND’s promise of a new energy economy. “It’s all talk and no action,” says Jeremy Nichols, climate-change campaign manager for WildEarth Guardians. Job training and other aid would ensure a soft landing for fossil-fuel workers, “but transition is still a dirty word in Wyoming,” he says.

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[scootoaster]

What a Green New Deal would look like in every state

In the absence of a federal mandate, some local governments and institutions are stepping up. (Unsplash/Pixabay/DepositPhotos/)

In 2018, the United Nations’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change set a deadline: Snuff greenhouse gas emissions 45 percent by 2030 to keep warming from creeping past 1.5 degrees Celsius, the threshold beyond which lie the worst consequences of an overheated planet. Technologically, the scientists pointed out, we have the tools to make such a drastic clamp-down happen, but we’ve struggled to put them to work.

The past two years have provided an especially dire preview of what may come if we don’t. In 2019, wildfires flared in southern California and eastern Australia, destroying homes and habitats. And already 2020 has seen more fires Down Under, massive flooding in the Southeast, and Antarctic temps hitting close to 70 degrees Fahrenheit in February—accelerating melting and pushing up sea levels worldwide.

In the US, 2019’s proposed Green New Deal, the brainchild of Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY) and Edward Markey (MA), presented the most ambitious climate blueprint to ever cross lawmakers’ desks. The resolution—inspired by both FDR's sweeping 1930s social and economic safety net and modern, groundbreaking climate policies in progressive states like California—called for a transformation of energy, economic, and social structures. The grand plan aims to slash greenhouse gas emissions by switching to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, while providing a safety net for displaced workers, increasing the efficiency of buildings, and decarbonizing agriculture and manufacturing. Recognizing that climate change often hurts low-income communities the most, it also addresses income inequality through goals like providing training opportunities for a new wave of green jobs.

Washington has not yet answered the GND’s call to action. Bills that would advance objectives like making buildings more efficient and curbing emissions have sputtered, the US has no federal renewable-energy target, and the current administration has overwritten emissions-reduction efforts like former president Barack Obama’s plan to phase out coal.

The state level, however, is a different story. In the absence of a federal mandate, local governments and institutions are stepping up. “Since the Green New Deal, we've seen more [state] governments put forth more policies,” says Ben Beachy, Director of Sierra Club's Living Economy Program. At least 20 states have adopted, or are considering, a 100 percent renewables requirement for electric utilities, according to a report last year from EQ Research, and 100 cities have done so, too. A few governments, including those representing Maine, Los Angeles, and New York City, branded their policies as Green New Deal avatars. In others, the influence is more covert.

As states pursue fixes tailored to their individual priorities—from phasing out coal-fired power to getting more electric vehicles on the road—the GND doctrine is gaining momentum, climate policy experts say. State initiatives can light the way for the specific federal policies needed to realize Green New Deal goals, such as electric vehicle rebates or a carbon tax, says Rob Klee, a professor at the Yale School of Environmental Studies and a former commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “To me that’s exciting; it’s showing the potential to create a functioning government and policy that actually works.”

These are the climate policies, fixes, and initiatives that could help each state gain ground on Green New Deal goals—or get a boost if a national effort gets underway.

Scroll through, or use the links below to jump to your state:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

ALABAMA could weather extreme temps

In September 2019, amid a “flash drought” that saw the mercury reach 103 degrees in some parts of the state, Auburn University earned a $3 million grant to fund an unusual climate program. An interdisciplinary team of researchers will educate graduate students about climate resilience and then send them into communities to apply what they know. That could include showing farmers how to switch to heat-tolerant crops such as less-thirsty strains of corn or helping emergency-response workers prepare for especially high temps. Gearing up for sweltering times is key in this poor, hot state: The EPA estimates that in 75 years, Alabama will annually endure 30 to 60 days above 95 degrees, compared with about 15 days today. By 2060, extreme temperatures will claim 760 additional lives each year, by some estimates.

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ALASKA could retrain for renewables

Alaskan temperatures have risen more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 50 years, which is twice the pace of much of the world. The rapid warming puts many of the state’s ecosystems at risk; for example, thawing permafrost along the coast threatens homes, and vanishing sea ice makes it increasingly difficult for Inuit communities to hunt for primary food sources like seals and polar bears. The simplest way to reduce the 586,000-square-mile state’s 40 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions (among the highest per capita in the nation) would be to transition from oil to alternatives like wind. But state and federal lawmakers continue to reject proposals to do so. Senator Lisa Murkowski, for instance, advocates carbon capture and new nuclear power plants—expensive and controversial prospects. Regional environmental groups like the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition are pushing for an Alaskan version of the Green New Deal, which would provide retraining for thousands of fossil-fuel workers to ensure a “just transition” to jobs in solar, wind, and other renewable sources.

An oil pipeline cuts across Alaska, a state where thousands of fossil-fuel workers will require retraining for green jobs. (DepositPhotos/)

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ARIZONA could slash electricity costs

Despite the Southwestern state’s vast solar potential (the industry already supports some 7,500 jobs) and higher-than-average warming (temperatures have risen 3.2 degrees over the past century), Senator Kyrsten Sinema was one of only three Democrats to reject the federal GND resolution. A 2018 state ballot measure to adopt a renewables target of 50 percent by 2030 also failed. Yet, incentives from a GND could speed sluggish compliance with a 2010 mandate aimed at tamping down rising electricity demand. That directive from utility regulator Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) requires utilities to achieve 22 percent energy savings by 2020 by, among other things, offering rebates on energy-efficient lightbulbs, HVAC systems, and smart thermostats. The Grand Canyon chapter of the Sierra Club, Mi Familia Vota, and other groups have urged the ACC to extend the target date to 2030 and up the goal to 35 percent. “I think it’s helpful to have a Green New Deal out there for communities who are thinking about doing something” to rein in climate change, says Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter.

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ARKANSAS could go big on carbon farming

Agriculture is the Natural State’s largest industry (there are 49,346 farms there) and research out of the University of Arkansas shows that all that acreage could play a big role in offsetting emissions by pulling carbon from the atmosphere into the ground. The practices that reduce greenhouse gases, such as planting cover crops and going easy on tilling, also enhance soil health and help retain moisture, which can help farmers withstand more-intense droughts as climate change worsens. Arkansas has been a locus of experimentation in so-called carbon farming for several years: In 2017, Microsoft struck a deal to buy carbon-offset credits from four rice farmers. But among state policymakers and officials, there’s been little effort to encourage farmers to adopt the practices, which could be achieved through incentives like technical assistance from the state’s Department of Agriculture. This southern story isn’t without its bright spots, though: Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan has signed onto the national Climate Mayors coalition, and the city’s Energy Action Plan sets a target of 100 percent clean power for municipal operations by 2030 and citywide by 2050.

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CALIFORNIA could boost building efficiency

The Golden State’s commitment to reaching 100 percent clean energy by 2045 inspired the Green New Deal. One of the hallmarks of its plan, which tackles the challenge of reining in emissions in the nation’s most populous state, is its focus on climate-minded building. In 2018, lawmakers passed a measure to take steps to require that homes and commercial buildings—California’s second-largest climate polluter, after transportation—consume 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Much of those gains could be achieved by swapping out natural-gas-powered stoves and heaters for electric versions. To help households make the transition, the California Public Utilities Commission approved $50 million to invest in electric-everything buildings for low-income residents in the central San Joaquin Valley. In April 2019, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled a plan to make similar retrofits to commercial buildings and homes by 2050. The effort would also create a zero-emissions transportation network to encourage residents of the famously car-dependent city to use public transit, scooters, and other low-carbon ways of getting around.

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COLORADO could make homes greener

Buoyed by the GND resolution and the election of Governor Jared Polis—who wants to switch the state to 100 percent renewables by 2040 and cut emissions 90 percent below 2005 levels by 2050—green-minded lawmakers and environmental groups like Conservation Colorado successfully pushed several broad carbon-cutting bills in the state legislature in spring 2019. One measure, which Polis signed this past May, establishes new energy-efficiency standards for air conditioners, lightbulbs, and other power hogs; the Natural Resources Defense Council estimates the effort could avoid 3 million metric tons of carbon pollution over 15 years. But the city of Boulder has gone further, declaring a climate emergency in July 2019, and committing to going fully renewable by 2030 and slashing greenhouse emissions by 80 percent by 2050. The centerpiece of the effort: replacing natural-gas furnaces in homes with electric heaters powered by renewables like wind and solar.

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CONNECTICUT could go big on wind

The Constitution State, with its 618 miles of Long Island Sound shoreline, is awhirl in wind, and a recent piece of legislation aims to harness a lot more of it—and turn Connecticut into a regional hub for gusty offshore wind power. Under a 2019 law signed by Governor Ned Lamont, the state will increase its capacity from 300 to 2,300 megawatts by 2030, enough to run about 1 million homes. The buildout, along with a new effort to swap public buses and other parts of the state’s vehicle fleet for zero-emission models, aims to help meet a 2018 goal to slash emissions 45 percent below 2001 levels by 2030, while providing new opportunities for economic development.

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DELAWARE could capture even more sun

As one of 25 states and territories in the US Climate Alliance, a coalition that will adhere to the goals of the Paris Agreement, the “small wonder” state is drawing up a crucial plan, due in December 2020, to achieve a 26-to-28 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2025. About 2.8 percent of the state’s electricity already comes from solar, a large step toward its target of 3.5 percent in the same time frame. Its pioneering Green Energy Grant program grants, established back in 1999, have funded more than $54.3 million in renewable projects, all of which has increased installed solar capacity from 8.6 megawatts in 2010 to more than 100 megawatts in 2019. A separate program, the Energy Efficiency Investment Fund, gives grants to local governments, businesses, and nonprofits to fund efficiency upgrades like better insulation and weatherstripping.

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FLORIDA could get residents off the beach

South Florida’s imminent inundation from sea-level rise makes national headlines—about 2.4 million people live within 4 feet of the high-tide line. After replacing Rick Scott, who was widely criticized for his lack of action on climate, new Governor Ron DeSantis has managed to push the state forward. In August 2019, he hired the first climate resilience officer and persuaded the legislature to allocate $5.5 million to help local governments plan for sea-level rise. Most action is occurring at the local level already, but one community’s solution can become another community’s problem. In Miami, for example, social-justice advocates are working to help low-income residents in Little Haiti, which sits on higher ground, withstand “climate gentrification” as wealthier people retreat from beachfront property. Efforts include preserving existing affordable housing and advocating for new low-income projects. The Miami City Council recently adopted a resolution to study climate impacts on housing and potential solutions, including how to manage taxes so residents can stay in their homes.

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GEORGIA could protect crops from extreme weather

Economic hardship from climate change is expected to hit Georgia especially hard. According to a 2008 study, a 2007 drought caused $1.3 billion in losses, including $92.5 million in peanut crops—a preview of what’s to come as prolonged dry periods become more frequent and severe. The number of dangerously hot days is increasing, and sea levels are rising an inch per decade, faster than much of the rest of the East Coast, eroding beaches and flooding low-lying areas. In the absence of government action, researchers at three universities created the Georgia Climate Project, which aims to develop an economically beneficial and socially equitable path to carbon neutrality in the Peach State. To do that, says Kim Cobb of Georgia Tech, advocates must “decouple the conversation from the national-level, tit-for-tat mudslinging-fest” and instead focus on local benefits. In May 2018, the project published a “road map” that laid out priorities, including girding the coast; helping farmers increase resilience to weather extremes with strategic crop choices; and identifying and protecting the state’s at-risk, low-income communities. It remains to be seen whether officials will turn the project’s ideas into actual policy.

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HAWAII could gird its shorelines

Mindful that the Aloha State’s celebrated Waikiki Beach could be underwater in 20 years, the Hawaiian legislature might soon accelerate its ambitious target of going 100 percent renewable by 2045. House bill 1487 creates a pilot project to buffer Honolulu’s shoreline against sea-level rise and storms by expanding parks and establishing emergency access routes; it also requires the state to study the feasibility of a carbon tax. In September 2019, Hawaii issued “climate equity” recommendations that call for the most-vulnerable communities to be identified, protected, and made part of climate policy decisions. To speed an all-out switch to renewables, the state must also upgrade the grid with devices called smart inverters; the tech helps smooth out energy spikes and dips to provide consistent power around the clock.

As sea levels rise, Hawaii’s iconic beaches face increasing risk. (DepositPhotos/)

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IDAHO could go deeper into geothermal

State lawmakers held their first-ever meeting on climate change in March 2019, two months after Governor Brad Little acknowledged that warming is, indeed, happening. So far, they have only called for more research, but Boise is blazing its own path. City officials are expanding its geothermal system, which now powers 92 residences and businesses downtown (some six million square feet) with 177-degree water circulating through more than 20 miles of underground pipes. The build-out, which will involve adding 10 million to 15 million more gallons of hot water a year, is part of a plan to transition to all sustainable power by 2035. If it succeeds, Boise will be the only Idaho city to run solely on renewables.

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ILLINOIS could retrofit more homes

The Green New Deal owes its call for climate action that helps lift people out of poverty in part to this state’s 2016 Future Energy Jobs Act, which the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition regards as a model for how nationwide climate legislation should work. In addition to a standard raft of new energy standards, the law also set aside $5 billion for programs to help households improve insulation and make other efficiency upgrades. The measure will create 7,000 new retrofitting jobs each year and cut $4 billion in energy costs for Illinois families. Under the law, the state now also provides training for solar installation, and gives priority to those with low incomes and the formerly incarcerated. The measure also helps low-income families purchase solar systems.

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INDIANA could afford to quit coal

According to an October 2019 report from a Hoosier State task force set up to develop new energy policies, keeping the state’s aging coal plants running for another 30 years would cost customers $20 billion more than switching to renewables. Environmental organizations such as the Hoosier chapter of the Sierra Club, however, are doubtful that the task force’s findings will do much to rally support for GND-like measures, given the resistance among state lawmakers. Still, utility companies are eyeing an eventual switch to renewable sources like solar and wind. In November, the Indiana Public Service Company announced it will go coal-free within a decade—though, it’s also asking for permission to raise rates to help pay for the effort.

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IOWA could keep renewable installers working

Between June 2018 and May 2019, 50 inches of rain—the most precipitation in a 12-month period since record-keeping began in 1895—drenched Iowa. Yet state officials are rolling back climate-mitigation measures already on the books. A law passed by the legislature in spring 2018 capped the cost of energy-efficiency programs and lifted green-power requirements for municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives. Environmental groups say the move will likely increase the state’s emissions and spur layoffs of energy auditors, insulation installers, and other workers in the efficiency industry. One bright spot is Iowa City, whose action plan aims to snuff emissions 45 percent by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050. Among the proposals to get there: expanding the city’s carbon-grabbing and street-cooling tree canopy with up to 10,000 saplings, creating community solar projects, and encouraging energy-efficient construction by rebating a portion of building permit fees in exchange for green updates.

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KANSAS could help farms go green

Across the wind-whipped Great Plains, market forces are driving GND-like programs more than policy mandates. Kansas—which gets 36 percent of its power from wind, more than any other state—is Exhibit A in how to grow a renewables industry in a hostile political climate. Senators Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran voted against the GND resolution, but an increasing number of farmers and ranchers are boosting their income by leasing some of their land to wind developers. Some agriculturalists are also beginning to manage fields so that they suck more carbon from the atmosphere—another item on the GND to-do list. These types of soil improvements, such as alternating cash crops with carbon-sequestering cover crops like radishes and wheat, help offset emissions while improving farmers’ bottom lines: A new program pays them to manage for carbon, and harvestable cover crops can boost income.

Kansas already gets more than one-third of its power from wind, as many farmers lease land to renewable-energy developers. (DepositPhotos/)

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KENTUCKY could retrain its miners

Before the Green New Deal was a glint in Edward Markey’s and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s eyes, a group in the Bluegrass State was cooking up the “Empower Kentucky” plan. Crafted in 2017 by Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, a justice advocacy group, the blueprint emphasizes energy efficiency, renewables, and placing a price on carbon dioxide pollution to discourage industrial emissions—all while helping miners find work in other professions. Now comes the hard part: implementation. The group worked to restore full funding for the federal Black Lung Disability Trust Fund (the coal tax that supports it was slashed by 55 percent for 2019), which provides medical benefits and monthly assistance.

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LOUISIANA could safeguard shoreline communities

In mid-2019, Louisiana issued an ambitious plan—the first of its kind in the US—to help people at risk from rising sea levels, hurricanes, and high-tide “sunny day flooding” relocate from coastal areas. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has funded the first phase, which identifies and offers buyouts to the most vulnerable residents in six Gulf-adjacent parishes, where a combination of swelling oceans, erosion, and sinking land (called subsidence) is already eating away at the ground. On Isle de Jean Charles, 80 miles from New Orleans, relocation is already underway under a previous HUD-funded effort, though only about half of residents have opted to move so far. The next (and as-yet-unfunded) phase of the plan will also help those who choose to stay by elevating homes, relocating urban centers, and altering transportation routes to bypass flood-prone areas.

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MAINE could retrain its lobstermen

In Maine, it’s not fossil-fuel workers who need help, it’s lobstermen, who have watched their catches migrate north to cooler waters. In 2019, lawmakers passed a measure to establish the state’s own version of the Green New Deal aimed at lifting up lobstermen and other workers while torpedoing climate pollution. The law created a task force to craft a strategy for boosting renewables—especially offshore wind and solar, which could help the state, one of sunniest in New England, hit its ambitious target of 45 percent reduction below 1990 levels by 2030 and an 80-percent dip by 2050—while creating good jobs and ensuring low-income households have access to affordable solar power. “We know these climate-change solutions are coming, and we want to make sure workers are at the table, so we make sure they support working people,” says Andy O’Brien, a spokesman for the Maine AFL-CIO. The law also includes a provision that about a quarter of jobs during construction of grid-scale renewables, such as a large solar array, go to workers enrolled in an apprenticeship program. The trainees include former lobstermen, military veterans, and recent graduates.

In Maine, lobstermen will require retraining instead of fossil-fuel workers, as the shellfish move north to cooler waters. (DepositPhotos/)

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MARYLAND could get going on a renewable switch

The Old Line State, where sea-level rise could cause $19 billion worth of damage by 2100, has some major climate culprits: vehicles, the military, and six coal-fired power plants. Governor Larry Hogan has unveiled a clean-energy plan, but it favors building small “modular” nuclear plants and using carbon-capture technology to limit emissions from natural gas plants—decidedly un-GND-like solutions. Lawmakers have also floated a proposal to charge a fee on fossil-fuel imports as a means to fund renewable alternatives. Climate activists favor a more aggressive approach: a full-on energy switch by 2023; renewables training for fossil-fuel workers, people of color, and those in marginalized communities; and a reduction in pollution from military installations and aircraft. It’s a tall order. The state is striving to deliver on a 2016 promise to cut emissions 40 percent below 2006 levels by 2030. “We want to keep pushing because we’re absolutely one of the most vulnerable states,” said David Smedick of the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club. “We are really susceptible to sea-level rise, and we are already seeing property at risk.”

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MASSACHUSETTS could become more resilient

The Pilgrim State recently set aside a big pot of money—more than $2.4 billion—much of which to help communities gird against inland flooding, rising seas, and extreme weather. Through the Municipal Vulnerabilities Preparedness program, towns from Acton to Worcester have received grants to craft adaptation and resilience plans, restore wetlands to help soak up floodwaters, plant trees, replace culverts to improve drainage, and other projects. As of February 2020, 82 percent of communities had enrolled, according to the Governor Charlie Baker’s office. Now, he wants to up the ante: The administration’s proposed budget for 2021 would provide millions more for resilience efforts. In January, Baker called for upping the state’s climate target to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, from a current goal of 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. “Time is not our friend,” the governor said during his January 22 State of the Commonwealth speech.

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MICHIGAN could speed its renewable switch

Fresh leadership has thrust Michigan to the forefront of state climate action. Newly elected Attorney General Dana Nessel entered the fray specifically to stop a project to restore a section of Enbridge’s aging Line 5 oil pipeline beneath the Straits of Mackinac, out of fears of a spill that would foul Lakes Michigan and Huron. And new Governor Gretchen Whitmer—one of a handful of gubernatorial candidates who campaigned on climate action in the wake of the GND—quickly created an Office of Climate and Energy and signed up the state to heed the Paris Agreement’s call for reducing emissions. Meanwhile, in a separate undertaking up north, the Upper Peninsula Power Co., which charges some of the nation’s highest electricity rates, plans to deliver energy from a new solar array within two years. Once running, it will boost its solar capacity by 50 percent and, ultimately, lower costs for customers.

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MINNESOTA could help homeowners go green

While statewide initiatives inspired by the Green New Deal have faltered in the legislature (they’ll try again in the new session), several Minnesota cities have stepped up their own efforts to take on climate culprits. St. Paul, where 60 percent of total emissions come from buildings, has a draft climate plan that calls for swapping natural-gas heating units for electric ones. To help tackle the 30 percent of emissions that come from transportation, officials are gearing up to trade the current fleet of police cruisers for electric vehicles. Across the river in Minneapolis, a new rule would require an energy audit when a home is sold, with the idea that buyers will be inspired to make efficiency upgrades like installing better insulation and weatherstripping around doors and windows. Meanwhile, the state’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, has vowed to go carbon-neutral by 2050.

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MISSISSIPPI could beat the heat

Despite the specter of rising sea levels along the Gulf Coast, lingering effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and flooding in the Mississippi River Delta in 2018, the state has done little to address climate change. New Governor Tate Reeves, elected last November, has said he sees no need to take action, and has called the GND a “disaster.” But that doesn’t mean Magnolia State residents wouldn’t stand to benefit from a federal program. GND-fueled investment could provide relocation help for poor residents in the most at-risk flood areas (like Long Beach on the coast, and Vicksburg and Natchez on the Mississippi River) and help hospitals prepare for a potential spike in heat-related illnesses. The state faces some 90 days a year with a heat index of 105 degrees F in the coming decades, high enough to cause deadly heat stroke. Funds could also go toward retraining workers in the state’s oil and gas industry, which employs about 60,000 people.

Wetlands along the Gulf shoreline face regular inundation, leaving many Mississippi residents in need of relocation assistance (Unsplash/)

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MISSOURI could update more buildings

In a state that stands apart for its coal dependency—only Texas consumes more, according to the Energy Information Administration—St. Louis is doubling down on slashing emissions. A centerpiece of its blueprint is improving its buildings, which generate 77 percent of the city’s greenhouse gases. The Mississippi River town has already added weatherstripping, LEDs, updated HVACs, and other changes to three municipal structures, achieving Energy Star certification; with 2018 grant money from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ American Cities Climate Challenge, the city will expand the program to structures in the private sector. St. Louis has also tweaked its building code to further increase efficiency: The requirements mandate that owners of structures larger than 50,000 square feet track and report their energy and water consumption each year, the first step toward curbing such use; those who don’t comply can be fined. Energy advocates consider the measures some of the strongest in the Midwest.

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MONTANA could invest in carbon farming

Montana’s congressional delegation opposes the GND, but the resolution has emboldened local advocates to push for stronger climate protections. In February 2019, a group of local students and residents associated with the Sunrise Movement held a rally outside Senator Steve Daines’s office in Bozeman calling for a localized Green New Deal focused in part on the agriculture industry, which occupies 65 percent of the state’s land and contributes $4 billion to the economy each year. The idea involves working with ranchers and farmers to manage land in ways that draw more carbon dioxide from the air and into flora and soils, such as planting perennial crops that are superstars at sucking up CO2. The group is also pushing the state to upgrade buildings with better insulation and more-efficient appliances, and to expand alternative transportation options.

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NEBRASKA could prepare for severe rains

Nebraska endured a bitter reminder of the ravages of climate change in spring 2019, when severe flooding inundated 2,000 homes, destroyed bridges, damaged $800 million worth of crops and livestock, and wrecked an Air Force base. Climate scientists say warming likely made the “bomb cyclone” worse than it otherwise would have been—excess humid air above seas turbocharges cyclones—and University of Nebraska analysis has warned of looming threats to the state’s economy, environment, and citizens. But Nebraska is one of only a handful of states that has not created its own resilience plan. That leaves local communities to take on the challenge themselves. One bright spot is state climatologist Martha Shulski’s outreach efforts; she is working with municipalities to help them prepare. The town of Bellevue, for example, has constructed rain gardens to help absorb runoff from parking lots, streets, and rooftops during downpours. Others are designating “heat shelters” to give the elderly and poor a cool place to go when temps spike.

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NEVADA could run more on solar

While Nevada’s elected officials overwhelmingly opposed the Green New Deal, their constituents appear to be warming to the idea of climate action. According to a January 2019 poll by Colorado College, 74 percent of Nevada voters view climate change as a serious problem—a 16 percent jump since the last such poll in 2016. Las Vegas, known more for its excesses than its governance, has emerged as a leader in the state, which happens to boast some of the highest solar-energy potential in the nation: As of 2016, Sin City, which also happens to be the country’s fastest-warming burgh, runs all government buildings on 100 percent renewable power.

Nevada boasts the highest solar-energy potential in the US, as desert arrays help feed demand for bright towns like Las Vegas. (DepositPhotos/)

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NEW HAMPSHIRE could finally ramp up its renewables

Under Governor Chris Sununu, a frequent target of environmentalist dismay, the Granite State has lagged behind its New England neighbors in climate action. Most recently, Sununu pulled out of the 11-state Transportation and Climate Initiative. New Hampshire has had a plan on the books since 2005 but could use a Green New Deal-style renewables surge, advocates like Environment New Hampshire say. The state boasts significant wind, hydropower, and biomass resources but has struggled to capitalize on them. In 2018, Sununu issued an “all-of-the-above” energy plan that still included fossil fuels, and, in February 2020, the 448-megawatt Merrimack coal-fired power plant announced it would stay open through at least 2024. But the tide might be turning: Sununu has convened a task force to explore how the state can tap into the stiff winds off its shores.

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NEW JERSEY could make offshore wind happen

According to one recent study from Rutgers University, the Garden State will see a full foot of sea-level rise by 2030. State officials view offshore wind development as key to lowering emissions and boosting economic development. In fact, harnessing ocean breezes is a centerpiece of the new Energy Master Plan, which aims for 100 percent clean energy by 2050. After years of false starts, the blueprint, which echoes a November 2019 executive order, calls for firing up 7,500 megawatts by 2035, enough to juice 3 million homes. (That’s more than double the previous goal of 3,500 MW.) Still, the state has no offshore turbines now, so meeting the target will require a rapid buildout. Last June, the state approved what will be one of the largest such projects in the US, the 1,100 MW Ocean Wind development, which will sit 15 miles off the coast near Atlantic City. New Jersey is also working with other Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states to tamp down emissions from the transportation sector, and is part of a 25-state coalition (that tally includes Puerto Rico) that’s agreed to adhere to the Paris Agreement.

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NEW MEXICO could retrain coal workers

In spring 2019, new Governor Michele Lujan Grisham signed the landmark Energy Transition Act, which echoes the Green New Deal’s call to provide a safety net for fossil-fuel workers sidelined by the renewables revolution. When the San Juan Generating Station, the state’s largest polluter, closes in 2022—along with the nearby coal mine that feeds it—$20 million in workforce-training funds will help ease the pain of lost jobs; another $20 million will go to San Juan County to help offset reduced tax revenue. “We’re going to lead the country in investments in technology and renewable energy,” Grisham says. But critics note that even as New Mexico—the second-fastest-warming state in the US—weans itself off coal, it will continue to rely on oil and gas revenues from the Permian Basin, which produces more than 4 million barrels of crude oil a day and is a major emitter of the greenhouse gas methane.

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NEW YORK could revamp more buildings

NYC has its very own Green New Deal, with its most iconic building at the center. Buildings contribute 70 percent of the Big Apple’s emissions, but the Empire State Building is leading the way on efficiency updates. Retrofits of the 102-story prewar tower include resealed windows and elevators that capture the energy generated during drops to help power ascents; the tweaks amount to a 38 percent reduction in its consumption. Following the Empire State’s lead, the city council passed a law this past year requiring about 50,000 large structures (above 25,000 square feet) to slash pollution from heaters and other outmoded systems by 40 percent by 2030, and 80 percent by 2050. Property owners will have to install things like power-sipping lights, upgraded heating and cooling systems, and better insulation. The upgrades, which should create about 20,000 jobs, are estimated to cost about $4 billion, though owners will recoup some through energy savings. The law dovetails with an ambitious statewide effort, which, in addition to its own raft of building-efficiency updates, will focus on switching to clean energy—a move that could net some 212,000 new jobs in the Empire State.

The Empire State Building is an icon in the NYC skyline, and now it’s also a model for how to retrofit old buildings with efficiency in mind. (Unsplash/)

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NORTH CAROLINA could maintain its solar momentum

North Carolina is a climate leader in the sunny South, boasting more solar infrastructure than any other state in the region and ranking second nationwide. But the state is poised to backtrack: Its solar tax credit expired in 2015, and only one wind farm has gone up, despite ample potential. A Green New Deal would help spur expanded solar and wind development while also creating new jobs, or so say the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and other environmental advocates. Governor Roy Cooper supports a renewables renaissance and, in October 2019, the state Department of Environmental Quality unveiled a plan that calls for accelerating “clean energy innovation, development, and deployment.” The goal: Cut greenhouse emissions from the power sector by 70 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, and make the state carbon-neutral by 2050. An online portal will allow the public to track the effort’s progress.

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NORTH DAKOTA could double down on wind

Some North Dakota lawmakers oppose climate action, and the Green New Deal, so strongly that they came close to banning wind farms in 2017. Rep. Kelly Armstrong has dubbed the GND “ridiculous” and warned it “would end North Dakota’s economy as we know it.” But despite elected officials’ antipathy toward GND principles, the state’s private sector is embracing emissions-slashing renewable development. One of the nation’s four most blustery states, North Dakota produces 25.8 percent of its power from wind. The wind industry employs between 3,000 and 4,000 people, and as prices continue to fall, the potential in the region is as vast as its zephyr-swept plains. “That’s not because of any kind of government intervention,” says Scott Skokol of the Dakota Resource Council. “If anything, the government is an inhibitor of the industry rather than something that’s fostering it.”

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OHIO could finally tap into renewables

The Buckeye State remains heavily reliant on coal and natural gas, and ranks No. 6 in state greenhouse gas emissions. Ohio officials have largely ignored the Green New Deal and climate action in general, despite considerable green-power potential in the state. For example, turbines could produce about 55,000 megawatts, yet almost no new wind development has occurred since 2014. Cleveland, however, is forging its own path. Mayor Frank Jackson committed to cutting the city’s emissions by 80 percent (by prioritizing projects like 70 new miles of bike lanes) and going 100 percent renewable (see: plans to install solar panels atop Progressive Field) by 2050. The lakeside burg also hopes to plant 50,000 trees, a project that will absorb carbon dioxide while creating more walkable neighborhoods and, they hope, a healthier population; cut residential and commercial energy use by 50 percent and industrial use by 30 percent; and keep 50 percent of discarded food and other types of waste out of methane-belching landfills by 2030. The efforts have earned Cleveland an A grade from the Carbon Disclosure Project, making it among the 7 percent of towns to receive the top score.

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OKLAHOMA could work out energy storage

Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe is one of the nation’s loudest climate-change skeptics, but the state is nonetheless pursuing at least one Green New Deal tenet: a renewable-energy ramp-up. That’s because, in the Sooner State—one of the top four wind producers in the country, with more than 30 percent of its power generated by zephyrs—it’s good for business. Already about 7,000 Oklahomans work in wind, the state’s dominant renewable resource, more than natural gas and coal employ combined. The state is also working to solve the central problem with wind and solar: storing energy for times when the wind isn’t blowing and/or the sun isn’t shining. In July 2019, Western Farmers Electric Cooperative and NextEra Energy Resources announced a 700-megawatt hybrid wind-and-solar project that features state-of-the-art battery storage to even out lulls. Excess energy from peak production times tucks into the battery to fill in gaps. The facility, which will be the largest such project in the country, will create about 300 new construction jobs and up to 15 operational ones.

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OREGON could expand green infrastructure

In 2018, Portland voters approved an innovative ballot referendum that will create a “clean energy fund.” The 1 percent tax on major retailer profits should generate between $30 million and $70 million annually, according to the community coalition that led the effort, which will support a range of GND-like efforts. Those include job training for workers to transition to the renewables industry, green infrastructure projects like planting trees and rain gardens that capture stormwater runoff, and regenerative agriculture—a conservation-minded way of farming and ranching that, among other things, keeps livestock moving to avoid overgrazing, uses cover crops to keep fields sucking up CO2 between regular plantings, and adds compost to fields to improve soil health. At least half the revenue is earmarked to support such projects in low-income areas and communities of color. Statewide climate efforts in 2019 weren’t quite as successful: In June, Republican lawmakers left the state to prevent Democrats from having the quorum they needed to pass a bill that would have demanded emissions cuts from businesses.

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PENNSYLVANIA could manage floodwaters

Like other East Coast states, flooding is one of the biggest threats Pennsylvania faces—though not from sea-level rise. In the case of places like landlocked Pittsburgh, heavier downpours are the danger. Pittsburgh United’s Clean Rivers Campaign has come up with an innovative solution: It’s working to secure public investments in green infrastructure—rainwater gardens to absorb intense storms, for example. The projects aim to reduce flooding in some of the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods while creating jobs, and could provide a model for other cities facing similar risks. The effort reached a milestone last year, when the mayor’s budget included funding to complete the design for the Four Mile Run green infrastructure project, which will absorb rainwater from parts of five neighborhoods and help reduce the amount of sewage flowing into rivers when systems overflow during storms. Stormwater that once rushed across pavement will instead route to a new surface channel built to mimic the path of historic streams and handle some of the overflow.

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RHODE ISLAND could harness the wind

The tiniest state in the union faces an outsize climate threat from sea-level rise, but few residents have the means to prepare for it: Rhode Island has the highest poverty rate in New England. With the aim of stimulating the economy and creating green jobs through renewables growth, it recently began working on its own version of the Green New Deal. Representatives from the fishing and farming industries, climate scientists, energy experts, and social justice advocates are studying the state’s climate risks and economic challenges and opportunities. For example, on the opportunities side of the ledger, Rhode Island has largely untapped offshore wind resources; about 95 percent of its wind potential lies at sea, yet breezes provide only about 0.5 percent of the state’s power. Renewables advocates hope the group’s efforts will see the state’s estimated 70 megawatts of land-based wind potential and 25 gigawatts of offshore resources finally developed.

Even landlocked cities and towns like Pittsburgh need to prepare for more-frequent floods and heavy downpours. (DepositPhotos/)

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SOUTH CAROLINA could capture the sun

The Palmetto State has some of the choicest renewable resources in the South: Nearly every square meter gets hit by almost 5.4 kilowatt hours of solar radiation each day. Yet only about 1 percent of the state’s power comes from the sun, though several new projects are underway. Climate advocates with the Coastal Conservation League point out that efforts could have been much farther along if the government had made good on a promise former Governor Mark Sanford’s administration made more than a decade ago to achieve a modest 5 percent emissions reduction from 1990 levels by 2020. This year, lawmakers passed a bill that aims to change that; it removes a 2 percent cap on generation from home solar panels served by Duke Energy and other utilities, a step that industry analysts said is vital for the nascent industry and could incentivize more residents to invest in panels. Crucially, the act, which received bipartisan support, frames the effort as economic development more than climate action. “There wasn’t a robust discussion of ‘we need to reduce emissions.’ It was ‘we need to lower bills and encourage clean energy,’” says John Tynan, executive director of Conservation Voters of South Carolina. “We have to find a way to advance clean energy that’s characteristically South Carolina.”

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SOUTH DAKOTA could build out more wind

South Dakota takes advantage of some of the windiest conditions in the US and now has sufficient turbines online to produce more than 1,218 megawatts of power—enough for 1.2 million homes. While elected officials have opposed the Green New Deal as government overreach that would hurt farmers and ranchers, native tribes have pushed forward. The Rosebud Sioux erected the first commercial turbine on tribal lands back in 2003. Now, six tribes are collaborating on the Oceti Sakowin Power Project, which will be the biggest renewables effort on tribal land. Leaders expect it will create at least 500 much-needed jobs during construction and 30 permanent ones for some of the poorest populations in the country. While these efforts were well underway before the GND resolution, climate justice advocates say they illustrate the importance of its call to use solutions like renewables development as a tool for lifting people out of poverty.

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TENNESSEE could ditch nuclear

In a state that has embraced a controversial vision on climate (case in point: Senator Lamar Alexander’s “New Manhattan Project for Clean Energy” relies on nuclear power, which the GND’s framers oppose), Nashville is kicking up some GND dust. City Council member Freddie O’Connell wants to create the “Green New Deal of the East” and, last June, Music City’s leaders unanimously passed a measure that puts its government on a schedule to transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2041. Nashville’s gasoline-powered vehicle fleet will switch to electric models by 2050, and the city will adopt new green building standards, including energy-efficiency retrofits, for at least 12.5 percent of its municipal offices by 2032.

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TEXAS could protect against floods

Austin, a longtime progressive outlier in the conservative Lone Star State, is one of the few cities to outright endorse the Green New Deal. In May 2019, the city council also directed staff to explore what a climate-resilience plan for the flood-prone burg would look like. Like Houston, which endured record inundation from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the capital will need to focus on stormwater infrastructure upgrades to sweep away excess rainfall from roads and homes. The blueprint officials create could provide a model that other cities in conservative states can follow, according to Cyrus Reed, conservation director for the Sierra Club’s Lone Star chapter. The efforts run in stark contrast to a continued oil rush in the Permian Basin. Meanwhile, wind-power companies hurry to squeeze what’s left of federal tax incentives for renewables development.

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UTAH could speed its renewable switch

In Utah, which ranks fifth among states with the fastest-rising temperatures and struggles with poor air quality, the legislature passed a bill in March 2019 that creates a new program to help municipalities reach 100 percent renewable power. Communities can opt to partner with the state’s largest utility, Rocky Mountain Power, which will coordinate efforts for the switch and provide all the necessary supply and infrastructure updates. At least 12 municipalities have taken advantage of the opportunity, including Salt Lake City, Moab, Park City, and Summit County. In the process, Salt Lake will cut its carbon emissions in half, and will “create a replicable roadmap for others across the country,” Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski said in a statement. Officials were responding in part to lobbying from young people in the Sunshine Movement, but the measure also gained the support of free-market advocates who see the expansion of renewables as key to the state’s economic development.

Park City, Utah, is among the municipalities in the state to have signed on to go 100-percent renewable. (Unsplash/)

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VERMONT could shake off nuclear

Famously progressive Vermont is a case study in the difficulty of achieving lofty climate goals. While the Green Mountain State pledged back in 2005 to cut emissions 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2028 and 75 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, the state’s emissions are now 16 percent higher than they were in 1990. That’s partly because it has proved difficult to entirely replace a shuttered nuclear plant, which provided about half the state’s electricity, with renewables. Despite a doubling of solar generation between 2016 and 2018, the state has struggled to build enough new facilities to fill the gap. Instead, they’ve wound up importing hydropower from Canada. But the biggest culprit are vehicles: Cars and trucks are responsible for some 40 percent of emissions. In the 2020 legislative session, lawmakers are mulling a bill, the Global Warming Solutions Act, that would establish mandatory emissions cuts across all sectors, including transportation, of 26 percent below 2005 levels in the next five years. In addition, the bill gives specific attention to the impact of climate change on the state’s rural communities.

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VIRGINIA could fund efficiency upgrades

Arlington, a wealthy D.C. suburb, is leading the way on climate action. In 2017, the city became the first in the country to receive the LEED for Communities Platinum certification for its programs, which include providing rebates on power-sipping appliances and free expert advice for homeowners on efficiency upgrades like insulation or weatherstrips for windows. Local entrepreneurs have also set up a solar and electric vehicle charger co-op; members leverage their purchasing power and get discounts on installation of either solar panels, a level-2 EV charger, or both. Statewide, more than 50 groups, including the Sierra Club, the Richmond Food Justice Alliance, and Virginia Interfaith Power and Light, are pushing toward key GND objectives: switching to 100 percent renewables, retraining displaced fossil-fuel workers, making efficiency upgrades to residential and commercial buildings, prioritizing clean and affordable transportation, and investing in local agriculture. A bill to turn much of that wish list into a reality quickly stalled in the last legislative session, but supporters continue to build momentum for the effort.

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WASHINGTON could fund low-income home updates

The state legislature, at the urging of governor and former presidential candidate Jay Inslee, passed the most ambitious clean-energy bill in the country in 2019. The measure calls for Washington, which now gets 10 percent of its power from coal, to ditch fossil fuel by 2025, become carbon-neutral by 2030, and achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2045. Low-income communities get “energy assistance,” meaning that utilities will have to help fund the weatherization of homes and other efficiency improvements, with a goal of aiding 60 percent of eligible customers by 2030 and 90 percent by 2050. The new law also requires that utilities ensure that low-income neighborhoods have the same access to new energy projects, such as wind facilities or electric-vehicle charging stations, as wealthier ones do.

Statewide, Vermont has struggled to hit its emissions-reduction targets, but some individuals are already making the switch on their own. (Department of Energy/Flickr/)

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WEST VIRGINIA could keep miners working

In West Virginia, where coal is still king, per capita carbon emissions are among the highest in the country, and state and federal lawmakers have resisted climate action at almost every turn. All the while, the repercussions of global warming are coming home to roost, in the form of a 5-to-10 percent increase in precipitation in some regions by the middle of the 21st century. So environmental and social-justice groups are taking a bottom-up approach to dealing with the coming crisis, working to help displaced coal workers retrain for other occupations, such as coding and renewables installation, and find jobs. (As of 2018, 12,253 West Virginians worked as coal miners, compared with 20,925 in 2009, according to yearly figures from the West Virginia Coal Association.) Solar Holler, for example, has been retraining displaced workers—some former miners, some miners’ sons and daughters—in solar installation since its founding in 2013.

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WISCONSIN could train a green workforce

Under a new GND-like initiative in Milwaukee, supporters like County Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde hope to see an influx of jobs in solar installation, efficiency upgrades, and other climate-change-fighting work. The swing could help many of the city’s black residents rise above the poverty line, where 30 percent of that community currently resides. The local task force in charge of the push promised to conjure a Green New Deal “with teeth” that will reduce emissions by 45 percent of 2010 levels by 2030.

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WYOMING could harness more wind

In the coal-rich Cowboy State, where Senator Mike Enzi recently called the Green New Deal a “pipe dream,” the only effort that has been palatable among elected officials is carbon capture of emissions from coal plants—an idea at direct odds with the GND’s call to put an end to fossil fuel use. Governor Mark Gordon has asked lawmakers to commit $10 million for a pilot project that would trap 75 percent of pollution from such facilities. And in March 2019, he signed a bill that further encourages keeping coal plants open by requiring owners to look for new buyers before closing such facilities. Still, the blustery plains have attracted renewable-energy developers—there’s already 1,410 megawatts of wind power up and running—but environmental groups say officials could do far more to harness the GND’s promise of a new energy economy. “It’s all talk and no action,” says Jeremy Nichols, climate-change campaign manager for WildEarth Guardians. Job training and other aid would ensure a soft landing for fossil-fuel workers, “but transition is still a dirty word in Wyoming,” he says.

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[floydmmahon88]

Keeping Up With Electric Vehicles

This article originally appeared in the October edition of Seascape.  As of January 2018, there were nearly 2,500 registered electric vehicles (EV) in Santa Monica. That represents a 150% increase since 2015, which means EV adoption is accelerating quickly. To meet the growing need for charging, the City is moving quickly to expand access for drivers. All new charging stations are smart charging stations. These smart stations can notify drivers when their batteries are full or time has expired, track energy usage, and send maintenance alerts when needed. In order to use the stations, drivers must have a ChargePoint RFID card (provided for all City fleet vehicles) or the ChargePoint app. All public stations are free to use.  REBATE PROGRAM The City launched a Multi-Unit Dwelling EV Charging Station Rebate Pilot Program in July to help offset station costs for residents who live in buildings with three or more units. Fifteen applications were received and up to five applicants will receive funding. The rebate covers 75-100% of the station and installation cost depending on project type and eligibility, with a maximum rebate amount of $3,800 per applicant.

NEW INSTALLATIONS 31 charging stations at Civic Center Parking Structure for City fleet vehicles • Frees up all first floor charging stations for public use exclusively 12 charging stations in the Main Library Parking Structure • 10 stations open for public use • Three reserved for City fleet vehicles from 3 p.m. – 9 a.m

REPLACEMENTS FOR SMART STATIONS • Civic Center Solar Port • Santa Monica Pier • 1109 Montana Avenue • Virginia Avenue Park 

For more information, visit smgov.net/electricvehicles.

from https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/keeping-up-with-electric-vehicles

from Santa Monica Day - Blog http://santamonicaday.weebly.com/blog/keeping-up-with-electric-vehicles

[caseinpoints]

Federal study shows PACE accelerated California solar growth

A federally funded study published this week offers evidence that the innovative home-improvement financing option known as Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) has been “uniquely successful” as a driver of residential solar-power systems in California.

The analysis by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) covered the years 2010-2015, when residential PACE programs such as Renovate America’s HERO financing were expanding rapidly across California. While previous studies demonstrated that early, regional PACE programs increased the deployment of residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, this new analysis is the first to demonstrate these impacts from HERO and other large, statewide residential PACE (R-PACE) programs.

“Our estimates imply that the majority of PV deployment financed by R-PACE programs would likely not have occurred in the absence of the programs,” researchers Jeffrey Deason and Sean Murphy wrote. “These results suggest that R-PACE programs have increased PV deployment in California even in relatively recent years, as R-PACE programs have grown in market share and as alternate approaches for financing solar PV have developed.”

PACE programs like HERO empower homeowners to make energy and efficiency improvements to their homes and pay for them over time at a competitive, fixed interest rate through an additional, voluntary assessment on their property taxes.

“PACE was designed to encourage the adoption of more clean-energy technologies, and it’s encouraging to see evidence that these programs are really moving the needle when it comes to driving deployment of distributed solar PV and empowering homeowners to go solar,” said Renovate America CEO Roy Guthrie.

Since it launched in late 2011, HERO has financed the deployment of over 183 megawatts of residential solar capacity across over 30,000 homes – more than any other PACE provider. That’s equivalent to almost 5% of the total residential solar PV capacity installed across the territory covered by the three California investor-owned utilities (SDGE, PG&E, SCE). To put it another way, HERO has financed the installation of more PV capacity than exists in the following 14 states, combined (as reported by SEIA as of March 2018): Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, both Dakotas, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The LBNL analysis, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy – Building Technologies Office, noted that California’s residential PACE programs are worth studying because they have in many respects been “uniquely successful” among energy-efficiency and solar PV financing programs. California is the nation’s largest market for PACE financing.

The researchers also noted that California has identified PACE as one of the tools that will help it meet the energy-efficiency targets laid out in Senate Bill 350, the 2015 law that calls for the state to double energy-efficiency savings by 2050. They added that several states are considering an increasing focus on financing programs like PACE as opposed to utility rebates to drive deployment of energy efficiency.

The full LBNL study is available here.

News item from Renovate America

The post Federal study shows PACE accelerated California solar growth appeared first on Solar Power World.

[lrmartinjr]

A package of Dominion Energy-backed legislation aimed at overhauling utility regulation in Virginia, after a week of mediated negotiations convened by Gov. Ralph Northam, advanced out of a Senate subcommittee Monday morning with significantly broadened support, including the governor's. "It's my understanding that white smoke is coming from the chimney of the Vatican on this bill," said Sen. Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach, referring to the traditional signal when a new pope has been selected.  The newest version of the utility bills, closely watched for their effects on base rates and refunds for some three million Virginia utility customers as well as provisions that deal with upgrading the electric grid to better accommodate renewable power like solar and wind, spending on energy efficiency programs and pricey plans to put transmission and distribution lines underground, dropped this morning in the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee's Electric Utilities Subcommittee.  Many lobbyists, environmental groups and representatives of large industrial users were still reviewing the provisions. However, they appeared to reflect the work of a mediation group convened by Northam last week with increased rebates for the 2.5 million customers of Dominion, Virginia's largest utility; more spending on energy efficiency; and language intended to prevent Dominion from using spending on grid upgrades and renewable projects to make the case for a rate increase; among other changes. "The goal of that legislation should be simple: Give Virginians as much of their money back as possible, restore oversight to ensure that utility companies do not overcharge ratepayers for power and make Virginia a leader in clean energy and electrical grid modernization," Northam said in a statement. "After many hours of meetings between representatives of my administration, the Attorney General’s office, utility providers, conservation advocates, clean energy companies, consumer advocates, and other key stakeholders, we have approached the legislators carrying these bills with a compromise that makes substantial improvements to the original proposed legislation and to current law." 

[renewenergy123]

Enlightening the Path: Solar Incentives in Virginia Empower Renewable Energy Adoption

In the pursuit of a greener, more sustainable future, Virginia is stepping into the spotlight as a leader in renewable energy innovation. With an increasing emphasis on solar power, the state offers a range of incentives and programs to encourage homeowners, businesses, and communities to embrace solar energy solutions. In this blog post, we'll shine a light on the solar incentives in Virginia, exploring the opportunities they provide and the benefits they bring to residents across the state.

Understanding Solar Incentives in Virginia

Solar incentives in Virginia are designed to make solar energy more accessible and affordable for residents and businesses. These incentives come in various forms, including tax credits, rebates, grants, and performance-based incentives, and are aimed at offsetting the upfront costs of installing solar panel systems. By leveraging these incentives, Virginians can lower their investment costs and accelerate the adoption of clean, renewable energy.

One of the primary incentives available to homeowners and businesses in Virginia is the Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC). The ITC allows eligible taxpayers to claim a percentage of the cost of installing a solar energy system as a credit against their federal income taxes. Currently set at 26% for residential and commercial solar installations, the ITC provides a significant financial incentive for solar projects and is scheduled to step down in the coming years, making early adoption even more advantageous.

In addition to the federal tax credit, Virginia offers its own state-level incentives to support solar energy adoption. One such incentive is the Solar Energy Equipment Grant Program, which provides grants to public sector entities, including local governments, schools, and public institutions, for the installation of solar energy equipment. These grants help offset the upfront costs of solar projects and promote solar deployment in public facilities across the state.

Solar Panel Incentives in Virginia: Driving Renewable Energy Growth

Beyond grants and tax credits, Virginia offers other incentives and policies to encourage solar panel installations and promote renewable energy growth. One notable program is net metering, which allows solar energy system owners to receive credit for excess electricity they generate and feed back into the grid. Under net metering, homeowners and businesses can offset their electricity bills with the energy they produce, providing a financial incentive for solar adoption.

Another key incentive in Virginia is the Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC) program. SRECs are tradable certificates that represent the environmental attributes of electricity generated from solar energy systems. Solar system owners can sell these certificates to utilities or other entities required to meet renewable energy targets, providing an additional revenue stream and incentive for solar investment.

Furthermore, Virginia offers property tax exemptions for solar energy equipment, allowing homeowners and businesses to avoid property tax increases resulting from the installation of solar panels. This exemption helps reduce the financial burden associated with solar installations and makes solar energy more appealing for property owners.

The Benefits of Solar Incentives in Virginia

The availability of solar incentives in Virginia brings numerous benefits to residents and the state as a whole. Some of these benefits include:

1. Cost Savings: Solar incentives help lower the upfront costs of solar panel installations, making solar energy more affordable for homeowners and businesses. By leveraging incentives, residents can enjoy significant savings on their electricity bills over the lifespan of their solar systems.

2. Environmental Impact: By encouraging the adoption of solar energy, incentives contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants associated with fossil fuel-based electricity generation. This helps mitigate climate change and improve air quality in Virginia and beyond.

3. Economic Development: Solar incentives stimulate economic activity and job creation in Virginia's clean energy sector. By incentivizing solar installations, the state supports local businesses, contractors, and manufacturers involved in the solar supply chain, driving economic growth and innovation.

4. Energy Independence: Solar energy offers a reliable and renewable source of electricity, reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels and enhancing energy security for Virginia residents. By generating clean energy onsite, homeowners and businesses can become more self-sufficient and resilient to disruptions in the grid.

Conclusion: Harnessing the Power of Solar Incentives in Virginia

As Virginia continues to embrace solar energy as a key component of its energy future, the availability of solar incentives plays a critical role in driving renewable energy growth and sustainability. By providing financial support and incentives for solar installations, the state empowers residents and businesses to take control of their energy future, lower their carbon footprint, and contribute to a cleaner, more resilient energy system.

As we look ahead, let us seize the opportunities presented by solar incentives in Virginia and work together to build a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come. With continued investment in solar energy and supportive policies, Virginia can lead the way towards a cleaner, greener, and more prosperous tomorrow.

[takebackthedream]

How States Can Fight Climate Change On Their Own by Michelle Chen

Confronting the climate crisis shouldn’t be rocket science — to push society to decarbonize, just treat greenhouse gases the way governments treat liquor and cigarettes: Raise the price. With the climate-change movement at an impasse as the Paris climate treaty clashes with Trump’s anti-science agenda, the bottleneck around carbon policy today is more political than technological. And despite Trump’s rejection of the Paris Treaty, the global backlash shows that even the economics are coming around.

Photo credit: Eric Wüstenhagen / flickr

A new state-by-state analysis by the Carbon Tax Center (CTC) shows that carbon taxation, while often dismissed as a political nonstarter, could actually be a common-sense policy measure for local communities. A carbon tax could build on global momentum toward decarbonization while at the same time boosting public coffers, reducing inequality and providing a democratic mechanism for a public reckoning with the true cost of pollution.

The idea of a carbon tax is financially elegant: Make each ton of carbon cost more to burn. The idea of a pollution levy is simultaneously progressive — it targets polluting industries and redistributes their wealth downward — but it can also work within the structures of a “free market” economy, by regulating social costs to encourage energy transition across the supply chain, starting with electricity plants and down to the gas pump.

Coupled with support for the growing renewable-energy sectors, a comprehensive carbon tax would ideally provide complementary sticks and carrots to mainstream renewable energy and phase out coal. But so far no state has implemented a carbon tax, and emissions-reductions targets on the state level have led to plans for more business-friendly “cap and trade” market schemes rather than straight taxes.

Congress has seen some proposals for carbon taxation in recent years, but given the chaos in Washington, the CTC turns to the states to spur localized efforts both to limit fossil-fuel use and expand green-energy production instead.

Coupled with support for the growing renewable-energy sectors, a comprehensive carbon tax would ideally provide complementary sticks and carrots to mainstream renewable energy and phase out coal.

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and Washington have recently considered carbon-tax legislation, and residents in other states have campaigned for carbon-pricing ballot measures. The CTC report estimates that Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Washington and the District of Columbia are the most promising localities for instituting carbon taxes. The political prospects are driven by technological advancement as well as market forces and consumer pressure, along with the regional emissions-target framework set by California and a coalition of Northeastern states.

According to a Brookings Institution analysis, a carbon tax of $20 per ton of emissions could bring in billions in revenue, and, depending on the state’s population, might even support a significant portion of state budgets. For example, California alone could yield more than $7 billion, though this would only be about 0.3 percent of the state’s annual budget.

Ironically, some big fossil fuel–producing states could see some of the biggest yields. Wyoming would generate only about $1.4 billion in carbon-tax revenue, but in proportion to the state’s smaller economy, the emissions price translates into over 3 percent of the budget.

According to analysts, “Alaska, Wyoming and West Virginia, are experiencing sharp downturns in revenues associated with oil, gas and coal production as the prices and/or production volumes decline,” but the loss could be recovered through the pollution tax. The promise of that steady funding stream might bring states with large fossil-fuel industries toward a green-economic tipping point, as residents can then capitalize on the market’s global shift from dirty to clean power sources.

On a national scale, the CTC calculates that a $20-per-ton carbon-tax rate (in line with other comparable legislation, and set to ratchet up over time) yields a potential emissions reduction of 105 billion tons — a considerable dent in the Obama administration’s target under the Paris Accord.

Under the most comprehensive major recent national-level proposal, the Managed Carbon Price Act of 2015, the tax rate, scaled to increase incrementally over time, would within a decade lead to “CO2 emissions falling 31 to 32 percent below today’s baseline projections for 2026, and 41 percent below actual CO2 emissions in 2005,” CTC estimates. The tax would help reshape ongoing evolution in consumption patterns, driving nationwide petroleum consumption to nearly 20 percent lower than the business-as-usual scenario.

The social benefits have been demonstrated more concretely in other rich countries that have already started taxing carbon. Australia, long one of the world’s biggest carbon polluters, implemented a pioneering carbon tax in 2012, and before it was repealed in 2014 under political pressure, power-generation emissions fell nearly 8 percent and solar use spiked by 28 percent.

British Columbia has made major progress toward the Paris Climate Treaty goals with a carbon pricing system introduced in 2008. In the first half decade, average per capita emissions fell about 13 percent in local per capita emissions — amounting to a decline of three-and-a-half times the rate throughout the rest of Canada during the pre-tax period.

With many states facing steep budget cuts for public services, and funds for environmental regulation on the state and federal levels in short supply, an advantage of the carbon tax is that it harnesses profits from a market shift driven by popular demand and global regulatory policy. Renewables are getting cheaper and more widely available, and people are willing to pay a few pennies more to trade the smog-belching factory next door for a rooftop solar garden.Nonetheless, though carbon taxes may bring fresh revenue, the internal politics over how the revenue will be spent are complex; such conflicts bedeviled Washington state’s failed carbon-tax proposal last year. Going forward, passing the tax may actually be the easy part, since communities must ultimately negotiate over whether to use the funds for “revenue neutral” offsets in the general budget or rebates for poorer consumers, or to invest more in “just transition,” such as clean-energy jobs programs or public-transit expansion.

Charles Komanoff, co-author of the CTC report, says selling a carbon tax in a high fossil-fuel consumption state hinges on a shift in the cultural climate, not just fiscal and partisan calculations: “states that have high CO2 per capita are going to be states where fossil fuels…are just embedded in people’s lives in their psyches, in how they live, in what they live for, in their dreams…their way of life is built on this stuff.” The public will recognize the true value of carbon pricing, he says, only if they “begin to have a visceral…concrete sense of the alternative [system] that a carbon tax is trying to pull us toward.”

A carbon tax isn’t a radical economic policy, it would just align our politics with the radical changes already happening to people and the planet.

Cross-posted from BillMoyers.com

[renewenergy123]

Unveiling Solar Incentives in Virginia: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Panel Incentives

In recent years, Virginia has seen a surge in interest in solar energy as homeowners seek sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to traditional electricity sources. With abundant sunshine and a growing focus on renewable energy, the Commonwealth offers various incentives to encourage the adoption of solar panels. In this guide, we'll explore the range of solar incentives available in Virginia and how homeowners can benefit from them to make the switch to solar power.

Understanding Solar Incentives in Virginia

Solar incentives in Virginia are designed to make solar energy more affordable and accessible to homeowners, thereby promoting the transition to clean, renewable energy sources. These incentives come in various forms, including tax credits, rebates, and performance-based incentives. By taking advantage of these incentives, homeowners can significantly reduce the upfront cost of solar panel installation and enjoy long-term savings on their electricity bills.

Key Solar Panel Incentives in Virginia

1. Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC): The federal solar investment tax credit allows homeowners in Virginia to deduct a percentage of the cost of solar panel installation from their federal income taxes. As of 2022, the federal ITC provides a tax credit equal to 26% of the cost of solar panel systems installed before the end of 2022. This tax credit is scheduled to decrease in subsequent years, making now an optimal time for homeowners to invest in solar energy.

2. Net Metering: Virginia's net metering program allows homeowners with solar panels to receive credit for the excess electricity they generate and feed back into the grid. These credits can offset the cost of electricity drawn from the grid during times when solar production is low, effectively reducing electricity bills. Net metering provides homeowners with a financial incentive to generate their electricity from solar energy and promotes grid stability by balancing supply and demand.

3. Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs): SRECs represent the environmental attributes of solar energy generation and can be sold to utilities or other entities to meet renewable energy requirements. In Virginia, homeowners with solar panels can generate SRECs based on the amount of solar electricity produced by their systems. By selling these credits, homeowners can earn additional income and offset the cost of solar panel installation.

4. Local Utility Incentives: Many utility companies in Virginia offer incentives and rebates for solar panel installation to their customers. These incentives vary by utility company and may include cash rebates, performance-based incentives, and special financing options. By taking advantage of these incentives, homeowners can further reduce the cost of solar panel installation and accelerate their return on investment.

Navigating Solar Panel Incentives in Virginia

For homeowners in Virginia, navigating the various solar incentives available can seem overwhelming. However, with the right information and guidance, homeowners can make informed decisions and maximize their savings on solar panel installation. Here are some tips for navigating solar panel incentives in Virginia:

1. Research Available Incentives: Take the time to research the various solar incentives available in Virginia, including federal, state, and local incentives. Understand the eligibility requirements, application process, and potential savings associated with each incentive.

2. Consult with Solar Providers: Reach out to local solar providers to discuss your options and get personalized recommendations based on your energy needs, budget, and location. Experienced solar providers can help you navigate the complexities of solar incentives and find the best solution for your home.

3. Maximize Your Savings: Take advantage of all available incentives to maximize your savings on solar panel installation. Combine federal tax credits, state rebates, utility incentives, and financing options to lower the upfront cost of solar panels and achieve a faster return on investment.

4. Plan for the Future: Consider the long-term benefits of solar energy when making your decision. Solar panels not only provide immediate savings on electricity bills but also increase the value of your home and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future for Virginia.

Conclusion

Solar incentives in Virginia offer homeowners a unique opportunity to embrace clean, renewable energy and take control of their electricity bills. By understanding the various incentives available and working with experienced solar providers, homeowners can make the transition to solar energy with confidence and enjoy the numerous benefits that solar power has to offer.

In summary, with abundant sunshine and a commitment to sustainability, Virginia is paving the way towards a cleaner, greener future powered by solar energy. By taking advantage of solar incentives, homeowners can unlock affordable solar energy solutions and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient energy grid for generations to come.

[renewenergy123]

Virginia's Solar Revolution: A Deep Dive into Solar Incentives and Panel Programs

Virginia, with its rolling landscapes and historic charm, is embracing a new era of energy sustainability through robust solar incentives and panel programs. The Commonwealth is making significant strides towards a greener future by encouraging residents and businesses to adopt solar energy solutions. In this blog, we'll unravel the details of Virginia's solar incentives and panel programs, shedding light on the opportunities they present for a cleaner and more sustainable energy landscape.

Virginia Solar Incentives:

1. Virginia Solar Investment Tax Credit:

   At the forefront of Virginia's solar incentives is the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). This credit allows individuals and businesses to claim a percentage of the total cost of their solar energy system as a credit against their state income tax. Currently set at 26%, the ITC significantly reduces the financial barrier to solar adoption, making it an attractive option for Virginians looking to invest in renewable energy.

2. Net Metering:

   Virginia's Net Metering program is a game-changer for those considering solar panel installations. This program allows solar system owners to receive credits for any excess electricity they generate and feed back into the grid. Homeowners and businesses can offset their electricity bills, potentially even earning credits during times of peak solar production.

3. Property Tax Exemptions:

   Virginia offers property tax exemptions for the added value of solar panel installations. This means that the increase in property value attributed to the solar system is not factored into property tax assessments, providing additional financial relief for homeowners and businesses embracing solar energy.

4. Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs):

   Residents participating in the solar market can earn Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) for the clean energy generated by their solar panels. These certificates can be sold to utilities and other entities looking to meet renewable energy requirements, creating an additional revenue stream for solar adopters.

5. PACE Financing Programs:

   Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing programs in Virginia offer an innovative way for residents and businesses to finance the upfront costs of solar installations. The investment can be repaid over time through property tax assessments, making solar adoption more accessible and financially feasible.

Virginia Solar Panel Incentives:

1. Solarize Virginia Campaigns:

   Community-driven initiatives like Solarize Virginia are playing a crucial role in promoting solar panel installations. These campaigns aim to simplify the process by negotiating reduced pricing through bulk purchasing, making solar panels more cost-effective for residents and businesses alike.

2. Local Utility Rebates:

   Some local utilities in Virginia offer solar rebates to incentivize residents and businesses to adopt solar technology. These rebates provide an additional financial benefit on top of state incentives, further reducing the overall cost of solar panel installations.

3. Performance-Based Incentives:

   In addition to upfront incentives, some utility companies in Virginia offer performance-based incentives. These incentives reward solar system owners based on the amount of clean energy their systems generate, creating ongoing benefits for the adoption of solar technology.

4. Community Solar Initiatives:

   Virginia's community solar initiatives enable residents to benefit from solar energy without installing panels on their own properties. By participating in community solar projects, individuals can still enjoy the advantages of solar energy without the need for rooftop installations.

Conclusion:

Virginia's commitment to a cleaner and more sustainable future is exemplified by the comprehensive solar incentives and panel programs in place. The combination of financial incentives, streamlined policies, and community-driven initiatives creates an environment conducive to widespread solar adoption.

As more Virginians transition to solar power, the impact extends beyond individual households and businesses. The reduction in carbon emissions, increased energy independence, and the economic benefits contribute to a resilient and sustainable energy landscape for the Commonwealth.

The solar revolution in Virginia, fueled by incentives and innovative programs, is not just a trend but a transformative shift towards a greener tomorrow. It's an opportunity for residents and businesses to play an active role in shaping the future of energy in the Commonwealth, embracing the power of the sun for a cleaner and more sustainable Virginia.

[renewenergy123]

The Solar Stimulus Program in Virginia: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Panel Installation

Understanding the Solar Stimulus Program in Virginia

Virginia has embarked on a renewable energy journey, and the Solar Stimulus Program is at the forefront of this movement. This comprehensive guide aims to shed light on the solar panel installation opportunities available in Virginia, focusing on the Solar Stimulus Program, which is making renewable energy more accessible than ever.

The Benefits of Solar Panel Installation in Virginia

Before diving into the specifics of the Solar Stimulus Program, it's essential to understand why solar panel installation is gaining momentum in the state.

Advantages of Solar Panels: A Win-Win for You and the Environment

Solar panels offer a myriad of advantages. Firstly, they allow homeowners and businesses to generate their electricity, resulting in substantial cost savings. This not only reduces electricity bills but also creates a reliable source of clean, renewable energy.

Environmental Impact: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint with Solar Energy

Furthermore, solar panel installations contribute significantly to reducing carbon emissions. By harnessing the power of the sun, you are actively participating in the fight against climate change and promoting a greener, more sustainable future for Virginia.

Eligibility and Requirements for the Solar Stimulus Program in Virginia

Now that you're aware of the benefits, let's explore the criteria for participation in the Solar Stimulus Program.

Solar Panel Eligibility: Who Can Participate?

The Solar Stimulus Program is available for both residential and commercial properties in Virginia. To be eligible, properties must meet specific criteria, including the suitability of the roof or land for solar panel installation. Each property type has different requirements, so it's crucial to understand the specific criteria for your situation.

Documentation: What You Need to Apply

When applying for the Solar Stimulus Program, you will need certain documentation to prove eligibility. This may include property ownership records, structural assessments, and utility usage history. Ensuring you have all the necessary paperwork in order will streamline the application process.

The Process of Installing Solar Panels in Virginia: Step-by-Step Guide

With eligibility and documentation in place, you can proceed with the solar panel installation process in Virginia.

Finding a Qualified Solar Installer in Virginia

First and foremost, it's essential to find a qualified solar installer in Virginia. These professionals will assess your property, provide recommendations, and handle the installation process. Look for certified installers with a strong track record to ensure a successful project.

Obtaining Permits and Approvals

Solar panel installations often require permits and approvals from local authorities. Your chosen installer should handle this aspect, but it's essential to be aware of the regulatory steps involved. The Solar Stimulus Program may offer guidance on this matter.

Funding and Financial Incentives Available through the Solar Stimulus Program in Virginia

Financial incentives play a crucial role in making solar panel installation affordable and accessible.

Solar Rebates and Incentives in Virginia

Virginia offers a range of solar rebates and incentives to reduce the upfront costs of installation. These incentives can significantly offset the initial investment, making solar energy an attractive option for many.

Federal Tax Credits for Solar Installations

In addition to state incentives, homeowners and businesses can benefit from federal tax credits for solar installations. These credits provide a substantial reduction in federal income tax liability, further increasing the financial appeal of solar panel installation.

Financing Options for Solar Projects

For those who may not have the upfront capital for a solar installation, various financing options are available. These include solar loans, power purchase agreements, and leasing arrangements. These flexible options make it possible for a wide range of property owners to participate in the Solar Stimulus Program.

Case Studies: Successful Solar Panel Installations through the Solar Stimulus Program in Virginia

Real-life examples speak volumes about the effectiveness of the Solar Stimulus Program.

Benefits Experienced by Participants

By examining successful case studies, we can see how participants in the program have reaped the rewards of solar panel installation. From reduced energy bills to positive environmental impacts, these stories demonstrate the tangible benefits of embracing renewable energy.

Conclusion: Embrace Renewable Energy with a Solar Panel Installation through the Solar Stimulus Program in Virginia

In conclusion, the Solar Stimulus Program in Virginia offers an exciting opportunity for residents and businesses to harness the power of the sun, reduce their environmental impact, and save on energy costs. With the advantages of solar panel installation well-established, eligibility criteria clarified, and a step-by-step guide to the installation process, it's easier than ever to get started.

Financial incentives, including solar rebates, federal tax credits, and various financing options, further sweeten the deal. And, as demonstrated by real-life case studies, the positive impacts of solar panel installation in Virginia are not just theoretical; they're being experienced by those who have already embraced this renewable energy source.

So, if you've been considering a solar panel installation in Virginia, now is the time to explore the Solar Stimulus Program and take advantage of the numerous benefits it offers. By doing so, you're not only improving your own financial well-being but also contributing to a cleaner, greener future for the great state of Virginia. Embrace renewable energy today and be a part of the solar revolution in the Old Dominion!

[renewenergy123]

Lighting the Way: Virginia's Residential Solar Incentives

In today's world, sustainability and clean energy have become paramount. With the urgent need to address climate change, states are increasingly embracing renewable energy sources. Virginia, known for its historical significance, is making substantial progress in this endeavor with its Residential Solar Incentives. In this blog post, we will explore these incentives in detail and shed light on how they are paving the way for a greener and more sustainable future for Virginia homeowners.

Virginia Residential Solar Incentives: Illuminating Clean Energy

Virginia's commitment to clean energy and sustainability has led to the creation of a range of programs and incentives aimed at encouraging residents to adopt solar energy solutions. The Virginia Residential Solar Incentives, in particular, play a pivotal role in making solar power more accessible and affordable for homeowners across the state.

Understanding Virginia's Solar Incentives

Before delving into the incentives themselves, it's essential to grasp the overarching goals of these programs:

1. Promoting Renewable Energy: The primary aim of Virginia's Residential Solar Incentives is to encourage the use of renewable energy sources, particularly solar power, among homeowners. By doing so, the state aims to reduce its carbon footprint and combat climate change.

2. Lowering Energy Costs: Solar power systems have the potential to significantly reduce homeowners' electricity bills. Virginia's incentives are designed to make solar installations more cost-effective, enabling residents to enjoy long-term energy savings.

3. Stimulating Economic Growth: The adoption of solar energy creates jobs within the solar industry, spanning from solar panel manufacturing to installation and maintenance. This economic growth benefits both the state and its residents.

Incentives and Benefits for Virginia Homeowners

Now, let's explore the specific incentives and benefits that Virginia homeowners can access when they choose to invest in solar energy:

1. Solar Investment Tax Credit: Among the most prominent incentives is the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). This federal incentive allows homeowners to claim a percentage of their solar installation costs as a tax credit. The federal ITC significantly reduces the upfront cost of installing solar panels on residential properties.

2. Net Metering: Virginia's net metering policy permits homeowners with solar panels to receive credits on their utility bills for any excess electricity generated by their solar system. Essentially, when your solar panels produce more electricity than your home consumes, you can earn credits to offset future electricity costs.

3. Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs): Virginia offers a unique incentive in the form of SRECs. When homeowners generate solar energy, they earn SRECs that can be sold in a market to utilities looking to meet their renewable energy requirements. This additional income stream can make solar investments even more financially attractive.

4. Low-Interest Loans and Financing Options: Virginia provides low-interest loans and financing options to assist homeowners in covering the initial costs of solar installations. These financial assistance programs make it easier for residents to adopt solar energy without the burden of high-interest loans.

5. Local Utility Programs: Some local utility companies in Virginia offer their incentives and rebates for solar installations. These programs vary by utility provider, so homeowners should consult their specific utility company for details.

6. Federal Solar Tax Credit Extension: The federal government has extended the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) through 2023, making solar installations even more cost-effective for homeowners. This extension offers substantial savings on federal income taxes for homeowners.

How to Leverage Virginia's Residential Solar Incentives

If you're a homeowner in Virginia looking to reap the benefits of these incentives, here's a step-by-step guide to get started:

1. Consult a Solar Installer: Begin by consulting with a reputable solar installation company in your area. They can assess your property, discuss your energy requirements, and provide a tailored solar solution.

2. Financial Assessment: Work closely with your chosen installer to conduct a financial assessment. They will help you understand the costs involved and the potential long-term savings associated with your solar installation.

3. Apply for Incentives: Your solar installer will guide you through the application process for various incentives and rebates, including the Solar Investment Tax Credit, SRECs, and any local utility programs.

4. Installation and Inspection: After your incentives are approved, the solar panels will be installed on your property. Post-installation, the system will undergo a thorough inspection to ensure it meets safety and performance standards.

5. Start Saving and Earning: Once your solar system is operational, you can begin enjoying the benefits of reduced energy bills and, in some cases, additional income from selling SRECs or participating in net metering.

Conclusion: A Radiant, Sustainable Future for Virginia Homeowners

Virginia's Residential Solar Incentives represent a significant leap toward a brighter and more sustainable future for homeowners in the state. By removing financial barriers to solar energy adoption, these incentives empower residents to make environmentally responsible choices while enjoying long-term savings on their energy bills.

As the world pivots toward cleaner energy sources, Virginia's commitment to making solar power accessible and affordable serves as a guiding light for other states to follow suit. With these incentives in place, Virginia homeowners can take control of their energy future, reduce their carbon footprint, and contribute to a more sustainable planet. It's a win-win for both homeowners and the environment, illuminating the path to a greener tomorrow.