Climate Change Policy Measures: Identifying Priorities, Particularly Outside of the Usual Suspects

Over the last 10 years, the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which offers a federal income tax credit worth 30% of a homeowner’s solar installation costs, has opened up solar to millions of homeowners by dropping that huge financial hurdle. But the ITC is set to begin phasing out at the end of 2019 and a group in Congress has introduced legislation to extend it for an additional five years. Obviously the solar industry would benefit from an extension, but has the tax credit succeeded in its mission already? And does an industry that’s so healthy still need this crutch today? Read More...

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute is a non-profit organization located in Washington DC whose mission is "to accelerate the transition to a new, low-emissions economy based on energy efficiency and renewable energy." The organization works towards these goals through their briefings on Capitol Hill (as well as webcasts, papers, and more) to educate policymakers and other stakeholders on important energy and environment issues, coalition-building among diverse stakeholders, direct policy development assistance, and technical assistance. Read More...

Installing solar panels on a household's rooftop is an exciting moment for any family, but it's also one that can come with some fear and hesitation due to the high costs. Mosaic is trying to change that and allow all homes to reap  the benefits of installed solar systems. Read More...

The US is seeing record amounts of solar energy production recently. In April, renewable energy – including solar, wind, and hydropower – actually outperformed coal for the first in U.S. history. However, solar is still a small percentage of the nation's overall electricity. How do we compare with the rest of the world? And with the recent replacement of Obama’s sweeping Clean Power Plan and 180 on the Paris Agreement, what does the future hold for solar energy in the U.S. and world at-large? Read More...

Climate change policy has finally taken a place on the priority of the mainstream population and politicians and candidates looking to represent them. However, climate advocates can no longer support leaders who pass the bar of saying they support climate action, but rather we need to be debating and choosing the specific types of climate change policies that will work most effectively and most quickly to prevent the worst effects of the climate crisis. Read More...

Silicon is by far the most common material in photovoltaic solar, but that could all change in the next decade as researchers around the world continue to develop new photoelectric materials. Read More...