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U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Publications on Energy Policy

Get information on clean energy policy in publications produced by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

A Guide to Community Solar: Utility, Private, and Non-Profit Project Development
This DOE Solar America Communities guide provides information on tax policies and incentives, policy best practices, and examples of operational community solar projects. It is a resource for community organizers, solar energy advocates, government officials, and utility managers who want to develop community solar projects.

Clean Energy Policy Analyses: Analysis of the Status and Impact of Clean Energy Policies at the Local LevelPDF
This NREL technical report provides an initial overview of the local clean energy policy landscape in an effort to develop a better understanding of the current policy environment and identify areas for further research.

Decoupling Policies: Options to Encourage Energy Efficiency Policies for UtilitiesPDF
This NREL publication discusses the policy of decoupling and how it can be used to encourage energy efficiency. Decoupling is a rate adjustment mechanism that breaks the link between the amount of energy a utility sells and the revenue it collects to recover the fixed costs of providing service to customer in utilities.

Effective Community-Wide Policy Technical AssistancePDF
This NREL document compiles lessons learned from DOE/NREL technical assistance provided to help states and localities develop, implement, and evaluate effective clean energy development policies. Learn about the key components of technical assistance, how to build trust within a community, measuring outcomes, and more.

Government Program Briefing: Smart MeteringPDF
This NREL technical report provides an overview of the benefits, costs, and challenges of smart metering.

Green Building Policy Options for New OrleansPDF
This NREL technical report outlines ideas for and potential impacts of various green building policies in New Orleans in the years following Hurricane Katrina.

Potential Next Steps for the New Orleans City Council Energy Efficiency ResolutionPDF
This NREL technical report provides details on the suggestions provided to the New Orleans Utility Committee for next steps related to the Energy Efficiency Resolution passed by the New Orleans City Council.

Southeast Regional Clean Energy Policy AnalysisPDF
This NREL technical report highlights the efforts of the southeastern states, with technical assistance from DOE deployment programs, to move toward a clean energy economy. Learn about the clean energy resources in the region, policies and programs that states have implemented, and the resulting energy savings and clean energy production.

State and Local Clean Energy Policy PrimerPDF
This NREL fact sheet proposes a framework for how states and localities can build policy portfolios by first setting the stage for clean energy in the market with low cost policies, and then growing the market with successive policies until the need for financial incentives can be reduced and eventually eliminated.

State of the States 2010: The Role of Policy in Clean Energy Market TransformationPDF
This NREL technical report uses statistical methods to better quantify the connection between a broad array of energy efficiency and renewable energy policies and actual reductions in energy use and increases in renewable resource development.

2009 U.S. State Clean Energy Data BookPDF
This reference book provides a graphical summary of the status as of 2009 of state-level energy efficiency and renewable energy developments and supporting policy implementation.