Future of Power
Substantial reduction of US greenhouse gas emissions will require widespread decarbonization of the power sector and the economy. Experts at RFF are undertaking research and policy engagement activities that holistically evaluate market designs and local, state, and federal policies to facilitate a smooth transition to a decarbonized power sector.
RFF's Future of Power Initiative
Experts at RFF are working to holistically evaluate market designs and state and federal policies to facilitate a smooth transition to a decarbonized power sector.
Read About the Initiative
Reducing Risk in Wind and Solar
Read about how financial hedges can reduce investment risk.
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Clean Energy Standards
Read our issue brief on options available to federal and state policymakers.
Read moreTopics
Carbon Capture and Storage
Modeling how carbon capture and storage technologies will affect emissions and the economy
Clean Power Plan
Analyzing policy solutions for states to achieve compliance
Coal
Analyzing the role of coal in the global and domestic energy sectors
Electricity Markets and Regulation
Exploring how these markets respond to uncertainties
Electrification
Exploring emissions reductions through electrification of the US economy
Energy Efficiency
Examining policies to help close the existing energy efficiency gap
Nuclear Energy
Examining the implications of advancing nuclear power technologies for the economy and environment
Renewable Energy
Evaluating the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of clean energy policies
Featured Content
- Highlights
- Publications
- Events
- News
- Resources Magazine
Press Release — Mar 3, 2021
New Explainer Series Makes Federal Climate Policy Accessible
A new set of explainers, which detail federal climate policies across a range of sectors, presents comprehensive information about some of today’s most politically salient topics.
Common Resources — Mar 2, 2021
What Happened in Texas? Understanding the Blackouts and Drawing Lessons for the Power Grid
Last month’s electricity outages in Texas meant that some consumers saw power costs spike by several thousand percent. What happened, and what have we learned?
Press Release — Feb 25, 2021
Electric Grid of the Future Should Prioritize Sustainability, Resilience, Equity, and More
At the request of Congress and the Department of Energy, a committee of experts put forward a comprehensive evaluation of the US grid and how it how it might evolve in response to advances in new energy technologies, changes in demand, and future innovation.
Working Paper — Jul 5, 2018
Retirements and Funerals: The Emission, Mortality, and Coal-Mine Employment Effects of a Two-Year Delay in Coal and Nuclear Power Plant Retirements
A leaked US government memo proposes preventing the scheduled retirement of coal and nuclear power plants for two years. Using a detailed simulation model, we estimate the effects of such a policy on emissions, mortality, and coal-mine jobs.
Working Paper — Nov 29, 2018
The Welfare Costs of Misaligned Incentives: Energy Inefficiency and the Principal-Agent Problem
I measure the welfare costs of the principal-agent problem in the context of an energy efficiency appliance upgrade program. I find that the principal-agent problem turns an otherwise welfare-increasing program into a welfare-reducing program.
Issue Brief — Jan 24, 2019
Clean Energy Standards
Exploring the options available for policymakers to implement a CES at the state or federal level.
Policy Leadership Series — Mar 11, 2021
Policy Leadership Series with bp CEO Bernard Looney
A discussion with the head of one of the world's largest oil and gas companies about bp's net-zero ambitions and more
RFF Live — Mar 9, 2021
A Hydrogen Future? Exploring Pathways to Decarbonization
A discussion on strategies to reduce barriers to deployment for decarbonized "blue" and "green" hydrogen
Workshop/Seminar — Dec 16, 2020
Market Design for the Clean Energy Transition: Advancing Long-Term Approaches
A two-day virtual workshop aimed at advancing proposals for organized long-term electricity market designs
Press Release — Mar 3, 2021
New Explainer Series Makes Federal Climate Policy Accessible
A new set of explainers, which detail federal climate policies across a range of sectors, presents comprehensive information about some of today’s most politically salient topics.
Press Release — Feb 25, 2021
Electric Grid of the Future Should Prioritize Sustainability, Resilience, Equity, and More
At the request of Congress and the Department of Energy, a committee of experts put forward a comprehensive evaluation of the US grid and how it how it might evolve in response to advances in new energy technologies, changes in demand, and future innovation.
Media Highlight — Feb 17, 2021
GECF Joins IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium to Discuss Global Energy Security, Outlook, Market Stability
A globally syndicated story discusses a joint report between RFF and the International Energy Forum on energy outlooks for the oil & gas industry.
Common Resources — Mar 2, 2021
What Happened in Texas? Understanding the Blackouts and Drawing Lessons for the Power Grid
Last month’s electricity outages in Texas meant that some consumers saw power costs spike by several thousand percent. What happened, and what have we learned?
Resources Magazine — Feb 25, 2021
Big Decisions: The Future of US Environmental and Energy Policy
On the Resources Radio podcast, guest hosts Richard G. Newell and Susan F. Tierney talked with leading decisionmakers, analysts, researchers, and reporters about the big decisions that will impact US environmental and energy policy in the years to come.
Resources Magazine — Feb 25, 2021
Decarbonizing Global Industry
A dazzling infographic summarizes recent work from RFF Senior Fellow Dallas Burtraw and others about how to decarbonize the global industrial sector, given that no one-size-fits-all approach exists for decarbonizing industry.