California’s solar market is thriving. Ten years ago, solar panels atop roofs were a rarity. Today, solar is taking hold in cities across the state, from coastal metropolises to agricultural and industrial hubs in the Central Valley. This report provides a snapshot of the development of California’s solar market partway through the year 2011, quantifying the amount of solar power installed by city and recommending further steps toward a clean energy future. (January 2012)

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Nuclear power plants can threaten drinking water supplies through leaks or accidents. The Fukushima disaster, for instance, led to public health warnings about drinking water sources as much as 130 miles away. "Too Close to Home" examines the proximity of nuclear power plants and drinking water in the United States, where 49 million people receive their drinking water from systems with intakes within 50 miles of a nuclear plant. (January 2012)

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In recent years, Houston has emerged as a nationwide leader in expanding its production and use of clean energy. The City of Houston has adopted strong, energy-saving building codes, ramped up purchases of renewable energy, and begun laying the groundwork for widespread adoption of electric cars – all steps that have jump-started the area’s transition toward a clean energy economy. However, Houston still has a great deal of untapped potential to save energy and avoid pollution. This report illustrates how Houston can build on its current momentum through a number of clean energy technologies, including net-zero energy home construction, rooftop solar installations and electric vehicles (EVs).

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Maryland electricity consumers are beginning to reap the benefits of the state’s ambitious efforts to improve energy efficiency and measures to cut peak demand. Consumers are saving money and avoiding paying for expensive new infrastructure projects, while employers have been able to increase their competitiveness and hire new staff. A Smart Solution documents these benefits, and makes recommendations on how to further strengthen efficiency measures so that the state achieves the goals of EmPOWER Maryland. (November 2011)

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In early November 2011, California passed the major milestone of installing more than 1,000 megawatts of rooftop solar power capacity -- more than all but five nations in the world. This success is the result of an innovative policy effort, launched in 2007, to make solar technology accessible to everyday Californians. As 2011 winds down, we are approaching the halfway point of this policy initiative. In Building a Solar Future, we take a closer look at the progress the program has achieved. (November 2011)

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California has taken strong action to promote cleaner cars, increase the amount of power it receives from renewable sources, and reduce emissions of global warming pollutants from throughout its economy. These policies have put California on a path toward cleaner air and improved public health, but fully achieving all potential environmental benefits will require the day-to-day work of tens of thousands of people trained in designing, implementing and repairing green technologies. Building a Clean Energy Workforce reviews the depth of green job training programs in the state and how they provide unique points of entry for California workers into the clean energy economy. (July 2011)

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America's dependence on oil inflicts a heavy toll on our environment - harming our air, water and land. And with oil companies now having to go to greater lengths – and take greater risks – to satisfy the world’s demand for oil, the environmental impact of oil consumption will only increase in the years to come. Getting Off Oil describes how the United States can use a combination of local, state and federal policies to curb our consumption of oil for energy by 31 percent by 2030. (July 2011)

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Energy efficiency protects Illinois' environment, saves consumers money, and reduces dependence on fossil fuels. It is also sparking the growth of new industries that are potent job creators. Saving Energy, Growing Jobs surveys Illinois' "energy efficiency industry," highlighting the hundreds of companies statewide that are working to put Illinois on track to a cleaner, more energy efficient economy. (May 2011)

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In recent years, energy efficiency programs launched at part of the EmPOWER Maryland Act have delivered significant benefits to Maryland’s economy and environment, saving money on consumers’ power bills and reducing health-threatening air pollution. The state will be unable to maximize these benefits, however, because it is not on track to meet the electricity savings goals established by EmPOWER Maryland, due in part to the mismanagement of the program by the Public Service Commission (PSC). In order to achieve all the benefits of energy efficiency, the PSC must do more to ensure that utilities meet EmPOWER Maryland goals by taking advantage of all opportunities to save energy that deliver a net benefit to the state. (March 2011)

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As the eyes of the world focused on the nuclear crisis in Fukushima, Japan, Americans have raised important questions about the safety of nuclear power plants in the United States. Unacceptable Risk documents two decades of "close calls," radioactive leaks, and other problems at U.S. nuclear power plants, and demonstrates that nuclear power is an inherently dangerous technology that endangers public safety and the environment. (March 2011)

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Offshore wind energy provides a tremendous environmental and economic opportunity for Maryland. Catching the Wind describes how Maryland’s vast offshore wind resource can reduce dependence on coal-fired power plants and help the state meet its renewable energy requirements. It also describes offshore wind's potential to create thousands of jobs in dozens of fields – helping to sustain existing Maryland firms and encouraging the creation of brand-new industries. (March 2011)

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Ohio currently generates 85 percent of its electric power from coal, one of the dirtiest energy sources in existence. That makes our state the nation’s second-leading emitter of global warming pollution, costs us $1.5 billion annually on coal imported from other states, and threatens public health and the environment by releasing hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic chemicals into our air each year. Renewable energy and energy efficiency offer better ways to power our state. By decreasing the need for electricity from fossil fuels, these technologies help clean up our air and protect our environment, while also creating new jobs and new investment. (March 2011)

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Solar water heating has the potential to reduce America’s dependence on fossil fuels and curb pollution that causes global warming and respiratory problems. By taking advantage of America’s full potential to produce hot water for homes and businesses from solar energy, the nation could reduce natural gas consumption by 2.5 percent and electricity use by nearly one percent, while avoiding 52 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution per year – equivalent to emissions from 13 coal-fired power plants or 9.9 million cars. The United States should take aggressive steps to encourage the installation of solar water heaters on homes and businesses and to promote other solar water heating technologies that can make an even bigger dent in our consumption of fossil fuels. (March 2011)

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America's current fleet of cars and trucks leaves us dependent on oil, and contributes to air pollution that fuels global warming and harms our health. Charging Ahead, explores the potential of plug-in hybrids, which can get up to 100 miles per gallon of gasoline, and electric vehicles, which use no gasoline at all, to address our energy and global warming challenges. It also tracks the progress of auto manufacturers in the race to produce plug-in cars. (June 2010)

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Solar power can curb pollution, protecting public health and North Carolina’s environment. It can also drive North Carolina’s economy forward – creating jobs that can’t be outsourced, and launching new companies to manufacture and install solar power equipment. If the state developed its solar resources on a trajectory to supply 14 percent of the state’s electricity consumption by the year 2030, it would prevent the emission of millions of tons of pollution that contributes to global warming and respiratory health problems, save billions of gallons of water, and create more than 28,000 good-paying jobs. To realize these benefits, North Carolina should nurture and expand demand for solar energy while helping to incubate local solar businesses. (May 2010)

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Maryland adopted the EmPOWER Maryland Act in 2008, establishing clear energy efficiency goals for the state. However, the state is not on track to achieve all of these goals. While utilities are planning to cut power use at peak times, they have failed to propose adequate energy efficiency programs. As a result, Maryland is likely to fall roughly 25 percent short of the energy savings promised under the EmPOWER Maryland Act. Maryland’s utilities must do more to deliver the benefits of energy efficiency to Marylanders. The Public Service Commission needs to make sure that utilities are doing their part to make Maryland more energy efficient. (April 2010)

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America has virtually limitless potential to tap the power of the sun. Solar energy is clean, safe, proven, and available everywhere, and the price of many solar technologies is declining rapidly. Building a Solar Future describe the many ways that solar energy can power America's homes, businesses and industry, sets an ambitious target of obtaining 10 percent of America's energy from the sun by 2030, and details a policy vision for overcoming the barriers that have prevented solar energy from making a major contribution to America's energy needs. (March 2010)

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Energy efficiency is the cleanest, fastest, cheapest way to meet Ohio's energy needs. Investments in energy efficiency reduce pollution and curb dependence on fossil fuels, but they also create jobs and economic opportunity. Ohio's Green Energy Economy: The Energy Efficiency Industry highlights the more than 1,100 businesses in Ohio that help make our homes, businesses and industrial facilities more energy efficient, and suggests policies to further increase Ohio's energy efficiency. (February 2010)

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Over the past decade, New Jersey has taken important steps on the road to a clean energy future – conserving energy, reducing our contribution to global warming, protecting our air and water quality and improving public health. However, at the beginning of the new decade, the state’s commitment to a clean energy future is less certain. Dirty energy companies are once again lining up at New Jersey’s doorstep, working to build an experimental coal-fired power plant and new power lines that could increase New Jersey’s global warming footprint. Newly elected Governor Chris Christie has an opportunity to ensure continued progress. By embracing the state’s existing clean energy goals – and by enacting real, concrete policies to make those goals reality – Governor Christie can help the state do its part to stop the worst impacts of global warming and ensure a reliable, affordable electricity supply. (January 2010)

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America's current fleet of cars and trucks leaves us dependent on oil, and contributes to air pollution that fuels global warming and harms our health. Plug-In Cars: Powering America Toward a Cleaner Future, explores the potential of plug-in hybrids, which can get up to 100 miles per gallon of gasoline, and electric vehicles, which use no gasoline at all, to address our energy and global warming challenges. The white paper also identifies potential barriers to the spread of plug-in cars and public policies that can surmount those barriers. (January 2010)

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The wind blowing over the ocean along Maryland's coast is a vast, untapped energy resource. Capturing just a fraction of this resource can help to modernize Maryland's electricity system for the 21st century and give the state greater control over its energy destiny. The Power of Offshore Wind shows how wind turbines deployed offshore could deliver large amounts of pollution-free electricity at a stable price – a bargain-rate insurance policy against unpredictable spikes in the cost of electricity and against the serious prospect of global warming. The report suggests policies that could result in the development of a new offshore wind farm along the Atlantic coast by 2014. (November 2009)

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Solar power is a real energy option for North Carolina, blessed with sunlight on nearly 250 days per year. North Carolinians have already started tapping into the state’s solar energy reserves. In 2008, North Carolina’s installed solar capacity grew more than six-fold, from 0.7 to 4.7 megawatts. Solar energy can become a major source of electricity for North Carolina in the next two decades – Growing Solar in North Carolina quantifies how much energy solar power could provide using available rooftops and land in the state, and how much could be installed over the next two decades with favorable policies. (November 2009)

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Texas can reduce its dependence on dirty, dangerous and expensive fossil fuels by adopting new, high performance home designs. Using energy-efficient technology and small-scale solar energy systems, homes can be built to generate as much energy as they use, achieving “net-zero energy” performance. If all new homes reach this level of performance by 2020, then by 2030 the state would avoid the need to build seven new large power plants, reduce annual global warming pollution by an amount equivalent to eliminating emissions from more than 3 million Texas cars and trucks, and reduce homeowners’ energy bills by more than $5 billion. To unlock the potential of high-performance homes, Texas and federal officials should encourage the spread of efficient home designs and small-scale renewable energy technologies such as solar energy systems. (October 2009)

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America’s dependence on fossil fuels is costly – both in terms of up-front costs and in the negative economic and environmental side-effects of fossil fuel use. Fossil fuels cost the United States billions of dollars each year, and nationwide spending could total as much as $30 trillion between 2010 and 2030. Secondary impacts from our fossil fuel use, such as global warming, air pollution and fossil fuel-related disasters like oil spills, also inflict billions of dollars of expense on our economy. Instead of paying to maintain our costly status quo, the United States should invest in a clean energy future. (June 2009)

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Wisconsin has begun a transition away from fossil fuels and toward a clean energy future. The state is developing local wind, biomass and solar energy resources, while using energy more wisely. Wisconsin's Clean Energy Future documents how these efforts are reducing the state’s contribution to global warming, protecting its air and water quality, and improving public health. At the same time, the report shows how clean energy is giving Wisconsin’s economy a needed boost by keeping more energy dollars in-state, creating jobs, and building new industries. Wisconsin has the potential to accomplish a great deal more. (June 2009)

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Although the U.S. nuclear industry has been in decline for more than three decades, concerns over global warming are driving utilities to reconsider nuclear power as a low-emission source of electricity. More than 20 companies have announced plans to build as many as 34 new nuclear reactors over the coming decades. However, The High Cost of Nuclear Power shows that new nuclear power is among the most costly approaches to solving America’s energy problems. Per dollar of investment, clean energy solutions – such as energy efficiency and renewable resources – deliver far more energy than nuclear power. By directing resources toward the most cost-effective solutions, we can make greater progress toward a secure, reliable and safe supply of electricity to power America’s economy. (March 2009)

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The United States already has the technology, the tools and the know-how to use energy more wisely and to get more of our energy from clean, renewable sources. What's more, clean energy can be produced right here at home, creating new jobs in all sectors of the nation's economy-including many jobs that can never be outsourced. Renewing America is a blueprint for how we can repower America for the 21st century, cleaning our environment while revitalizing our economy. (November 2008)

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The energy sources Ohio uses wreak havoc on household budgets across the state, create air pollution and contribute to global warming. The cleanest, cheapest and fastest way to address this crisis is to use energy more wisely by improving efficiency. The Power of Efficiency explains how electric utilities in Ohio can obtain energy savings of 22 percent of their annual sales by 2025 by improving energy efficiency by following the lead of states across the country that have adopted strategies to increase energy efficiency. These programs help to reduce energy use while delivering financial savings for citizens, businesses and institutions. Ohio deserves nothing less. (October 2008)

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Coloradans are paying increasingly steep prices to heat their homes each winter. To help homeowners with their bills, Colorado should improve home heating energy efficiency. Because heating accounts for more than half of all energy used in a typical Colorado home, heating efficiency improvements can have a big impact. Efficiency measures from high performance furnace systems to improved weatherization can directly save families money. Moreover, reduced demand for energy will reduce energy prices, benefiting everyone in the state. (September 2008)

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Constellation Energy has announced plans to build a third nuclear reactor at Calvert Cliffs, which the company says could provide a large amount of electricity with little global warming or health-threatening pollution, at less cost than natural gas. Others advocate that Maryland follow a “clean energy” path that uses improvements in energy efficiency and new sources of renewable energy to address the state’s electricity challenges. Powering Maryland’s Future compares the two pathways and shows that by any measure—reliability, cost, safety, environmental impact, or support for a growing Maryland economy—clean energy is likely to outperform a nuclear-based strategy for powering Maryland’s future. (July 2008)

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