Category: Policy Watch America

RGGI Is Funding Lower Household Bills as Data Centers Spike Prices in the US

RGGI Is Funding Lower Household Bills as Data Centers Spike Prices in the US

August 24, 2026 | ,

States are investing in clean energy and lowering electricity bills through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Demand for energy is growing in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, spiking electricity bills and pollution in some states.  The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)—which sets a declining cap on carbon emissions from power plants and returns the program’s proceeds to fund energy and environmental programs—is serving as an essential stopgap for offsetting household electricity bills while reducing climate pollution. States must stay on track with RGGI to protect these consumer benefits.

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New US Western Grid: EDAM, Markets+ redefining wholesale power across the West

New US Western Grid: EDAM, Markets+ redefining wholesale power across the West

August 3, 2026 | ,

The US’ western energy markets are undergoing a major transformation. On May 1, 2026, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and PacifiCorp switched on the extended day-ahead market (EDAM), the biggest expansion of centralised electricity trading in the US Western Interconnection in a decade. For the first time, a day-ahead, security-constrained economic dispatch (SCED) will co-optimise generation and transmission across balancing authority areas (BAAs) that stretch from California to Wyoming. It builds on the real-time Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM), which has generated cumulative benefits of USD8.6 billion since its launch in 2014 across a region representing approximately 80 per cent of western electricity demand.

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New Community Solar Policy Interventions in Various US States

New Community Solar Policy Interventions in Various US States

June 22, 2026 | ,

In 2026, the United States surpassed 6 million solar installations, just two short years after it reached 5 million installations. For Americans looking to save on their utility bills and, for those who add batteries, ensure resilient access to power during a grid outage, solar and storage are the go-to solutions. There is enough solar installed in the United States to power roughly 50 million households, and by 2034, there will be enough solar capacity to power 100 million homes. In 2025, a new solar project was installed every 59 seconds, and solar and storage combined to provide 79% of all new energy capacity added to the U.S. grid.

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Maine’s New Plug-in Solar Law

Maine’s New Plug-in Solar Law

April 13, 2026 | ,

A new plug-in solar law passed in April 2026 clears the way for Maine renters, homeowners, and local business owners to take advantage of clean, cheap solar power to reduce their electricity bills. These small, portable solar panels are expected to generate a lot of interest because they’ll give Mainers the opportunity to generate solar power right at home to offset electricity use. A typical kit consists of between one and up to four to six solar panels, an inverter, and a plug, with the option of a battery.  Now Mainers will be well positioned to make their own energy decisions, reduce their high electric bills, and take direct advantage of the cheapest energy on the planet.  

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Federal Government Launches the Climate Plan 2024-2035 and Sets Guidelines for Brazil’s Climate Transition

Federal Government Launches the Climate Plan 2024-2035 and Sets Guidelines for Brazil’s Climate Transition

March 30, 2026 | ,

On March 16, 2026, Brazil’s Federal Government launched the new National Climate Change Plan, a central instrument of the National Policy on Climate Change (PNMC), establishing guidelines and targets to steer greenhouse gas emissions mitigation and climate adaptation efforts in Brazil over the next decade. The Climate Plan consolidates Brazil’s strategy to implement its Nationally Determined Contribution, which provides for a reduction in net emissions of between 59% and 67% by 2035 (compared to 2005 levels), as well as the achievement of climate neutrality by 2050.

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Policy Landscape for Geothermal Energy Development in US

Policy Landscape for Geothermal Energy Development in US

March 2, 2026 | ,

While recent capacity gains have been modest, there are reasons to believe that the geothermal market could experience rapid growth in the near term. Market growth could result from anticipated improvements to both mature and emerging technologies, as well as emerging value-added uses. The expected load growth in the electric grid due to the proliferation of data center and industrial manufacturing hubs across the US is anticipated to increase the demand for baseload, flexible, and resilient energy sources like geothermal.

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US FERC to Widen Authority: DOE asks regulator to make large load interconnection rules

US FERC to Widen Authority: DOE asks regulator to make large load interconnection rules

January 12, 2026 | ,

The US is witnessing an unprecedented rise in electricity demand, driven by AI-based data centres, semiconductor fabrication plants and other energy-intensive industries, which are straining the existing transmission and interconnection framework. In line with the US administration’s broader goals to strengthen domestic manufacturing, support AI infrastructure, and ensure that access to the transmission grid remains efficient, timely and non-discriminatory, the US DOE, on October 23, 2025, directed the FERC to begin the rulemaking process on establishing standardised interconnection procedures for large electrical loads.

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US DOE’s Speed to Power: To accelerate large-scale grid projects to support AI

US DOE’s Speed to Power: To accelerate large-scale grid projects to support AI

December 15, 2025 | , ,

The US DOE, through its Grid Deployment Office, launched the Speed to Power initiative to speed up the development of large-scale power transmission and generation projects, to enable the grid to meet the growing energy demands from AI and manufacturing. The initiative aims to accelerate the development of such projects, starting with a RFI titled, “Accelerating Speed to Power/Winning the AI Race: Federal Action to Rapidly Expand Grid Capacity and Enable Electricity Demand Growth”, to get input into near-term investment opportunities, project readiness, load growth expectations and infrastructure constraints that DOE can address.

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Energy Transition Policy Framework in Brazil

Energy Transition Policy Framework in Brazil

November 17, 2025 | ,

Brazil’s primary energy objective is to ensure a sufficient energy supply to support its economic growth. Historically, the country has also been an energy importer, however. Therefore, to achieve the goal of supply security, the country has developed a series of public policies that focus on fostering competitive domestic solutions. These public policies have played a crucial role in diversifying energy sources, strengthening energy security and taking advantage of national resources. They have also resulted in a reliable, affordable and low-emissions energy mix for Brazilian society. 

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Federal Action to Fuel Data Center Boom

Federal Action to Fuel Data Center Boom

September 14, 2025 | ,

On July 23, 2025, President Donald Trump signed three Executive Orders aiming to push data centers’ development in the United States. By adopting the Executive Order “On Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure”, the Trump Administration has announced a significant policy shift aimed at strengthening American manufacturing and technological leadership. Central to this initiative is the implementation of comprehensive industrial strategies designed to advance the United States’ position in key emerging technologies, with a particular emphasis on AI data centers and the necessary supporting infrastructure.

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Argentina’s Power Reforms: Aims to promote efficiency and private investment

Argentina’s Power Reforms: Aims to promote efficiency and private investment

August 18, 2025 | ,

Argentina’s electricity sector is undergoing significant reforms under the current administration, which took office in December 2023. The government has taken a series of measures to deregulate the sector and promote private investment. The latest structural reforms were brought about in July 2025 by Decree 450/2025. The aim is to foster competition, liberalise the electricity market, rationalise subsidies and ensure economic efficiency in the energy sector.

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New Policy Announcements for Wind Power Projects in the US

New Policy Announcements for Wind Power Projects in the US

August 4, 2025 | , ,

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced four policy measures to advance President Donald J. Trump’s commonsense approach to affordable, reliable energy development in America.  In alignment with President Donald J. Trump’s directives, the Department of the Interior is ending special treatment for unreliable energy sources, such as wind. This includes evaluating whether to stop onshore wind development on some federal lands and halting future offshore wind lease sales.

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Mexico’s Power Reforms: Duality of consolidating state control, opening to private investments

Mexico’s Power Reforms: Duality of consolidating state control, opening to private investments

July 21, 2025 | ,

Mexico’s power sector has been undergoing major reforms under the new administration. It aims to expand renewable energy to 45 per cent of the installed generation capacity by 2030, signalling a shift towards a more diversified energy mix, as part of the “Plan Mexico” initiative. On the one hand, the government is on a nationalisation drive to wield greater control over the energy companies. On the other hand, the reforms reopen the sector to private sector investment after six years of regulatory restrictions and a halt on such opportunities.

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4 Takeaways from California’s Carbon Dioxide Removal Policies

4 Takeaways from California’s Carbon Dioxide Removal Policies

July 4, 2025 | ,

Although states across the U.S. have different political contexts and levels of interest in climate policy, the way that California has approached carbon removal in policy can provide valuable insights and potentially a model for other states on how to use target-setting to maximize climate impact, support demand creation and ensure there are governance frameworks in place. At the same time, given the magnitude of California’s commitment toward carbon removal — 75 million metric tons of CO2 per year by 2045 — there is still room for additional innovation and creativity to help achieve this ambitious goal.

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Interregional Transmission in US: Northeast Collaborative releases strategic action plan

Interregional Transmission in US: Northeast Collaborative releases strategic action plan

June 23, 2025 | ,

Interregional transmission is critical to the electric power system of the US, allowing regions to transport energy between one another in periods of need. An expanded network of interconnected transmission not only improves reliability by providing access to additional power generation sources in the face of uncertainties such as fuel or generation loss, transmission outages, and extreme weather events, but also enhances system stability by expanding the geographic diversity of variable energy resources. The urgent need for more interregional transmission has only increased in recent years, due to the increasingly frequent and severe weather events. The lack of interregional transfer capacity between nearly every neighbouring grid region is putting the American grid at risk. The release of the action plan clearly indicates a shift in the governance by placing the states in the lead, and the Collaborative provides a unique opportunity to address the inter-regional transmission challenges.

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Advancing US Floating OWT: DOE and BOEM release transmission action plan for West Coast

Advancing US Floating OWT: DOE and BOEM release transmission action plan for West Coast

May 5, 2025 | , ,

The US West Coast offshore wind (OSW) sector received a policy roadmap in the form of a transmission action plan, just days before the new administration paused new leasing activity in federal waters. The US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released the “Action Plan for Offshore Wind Transmission Development in the US West Coast Region” on January 16, 2025. However, on January 20, 2025, the new administration ordered the temporary withdrawal of all areas on the outer continental shelf from OSW leasing pending a review of the leasing and permitting practices for wind projects. While this creates uncertainty in the short- to medium-term, particularly on the West Coast where OSW is yet to take off due to deep waters off the Pacific Coast requiring floating OSW technology, the region could potentially host substantial floating OSW capacity in the long term.

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California’s Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation

California’s Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation

May 5, 2025 | , ,

On April 28, 2023, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation. The first of its kind globally, the ACF requires medium and heavy-duty vehicle (MHDV) fleets to reduce emissions through requirements to phase-in zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), starting with model year (MY) 2024. It also sets an end date for combustion MHDV sales in California; these will not be allowed starting with MY 2036. The ACF rule is part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce heavy-duty transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and provide cleaner air, especially in the communities most heavily impacted by air pollution.

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Policies Drive Grid Scale Storage Deployments in US

Policies Drive Grid Scale Storage Deployments in US

April 28, 2025 | , ,

As the electricity sector relies more on variable energy sources like wind and solar, grid-connected energy storage will become increasingly important to support reliable electricity supply. Storage can transfer electricity generated during hours when renewable energy is plentiful to meet demand at other times of the day. Grid-scale storage specifically can also provide key grid services, such as reserve power, frequency response, and flexible ramping, to support grid stability. As the needs of the grid evolve, storage can provide effective solutions, but it does not always fit neatly into the market designs and operating practices in the electricity sector. This extract focuses on policies in place and under discussion that could have an impact on grid-scale storage deployment and the market structures that affect storage operations and incentives.

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Pros and Cons of Georgia Power’s New IRP

Pros and Cons of Georgia Power’s New IRP

April 7, 2025 | ,

Georgia Power’s 2025 IRP addresses the state’s growing energy demand and the need for infrastructure upgrades. While it proposes new transmission lines and some renewable energy projects, it also continues reliance on fossil fuels, raising environmental and cost concerns. The PSC reviews the plan to ensure reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy. Expanding transmission is vital, but must be done fairly, considering costs, environmental impact, and access for renewable energy sources, especially in rural areas.

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Chile’s Energy Transition: Focus on accelerating transmission development

Chile’s Energy Transition: Focus on accelerating transmission development

March 17, 2025 | ,

Chile has been formulating policies and a legal framework to achieve its 2030 target of meeting 70 per cent of its energy consumption from renewable energy sources (RES) and the 2050 carbon neutrality goal. This is, however, contingent on identifying and relieving congested transmission networks, continued collaboration among all stakeholders and proactive investment. The timely and orderly implementation of the Energy Transition Law will help accelerate the expansion of the transmission system, unlock the country’s RES potential and ensure a sustanable energy future.

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