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# States Lead The Way

## Sitemaps

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## Posts

- [Balcony (Plug-In) Solar](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/09/balcony-plug-in-solar/) - Balcony (Plug-In) SolarBalcony or plug-in solar panels provide low-cost, easy-to-install, renter-friendly access to clean energy. Why This Matters Essentially all renters are excluded from owning or leasing rooftop solar. Many homeowners are also excluded because of the unsuitability of their roofs. Low- and moderate-income homeowners often cannot afford the high upfront costs of rooftop solar,
- [Utility Billing Transparency](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/utility-billing-transparency/) - Utility Billing TransparencyStandardized, transparent utility billing gives households access to the individual components of their utility bills, empowering them to both make smart home energy decisions and to hold utilities accountable. Why This Matters The general lack of transparency in utility billing opens the door to deceptive billing practices and limited utility accountability. In the
- [Inclusive Utility Investments (Including Pay-As-You-Save®)](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/inclusive-utility-investments-including-pay-as-you-save/) - Inclusive Utility Investments (Including Pay-As-You-Save®)Inclusive utility investments provide support for cost-effective energy-saving measures through an energy service charge attached to the site, rather than a loan to the resident. Why This Matters Investments in clean energy measures in buildings, in particular energy efficiency measures, can reduce energy consumption, bills, and greenhouse gas emissions, but often
- [Weatherization](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/weatherization/) - Weatherization Weatherization programs can reduce energy cost burdens, facilitate the transition to clean and efficient energy, reduce peak demand on the electric grid, and improve the health and safety of residents. Why This Matters The U.S. housing stock has a median age of 44 years, higher than at any other time in U.S. history.1 Over half
- [Utility Shutoff Protections](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/10/utility-shutoff-protections/) - Utility Shutoff Protections Bans on utility shutoffs (disconnections) protect household health and safety, particularly for low- and moderate-income households and other at-risk individuals. Why This Matters In 2024, 3.8 million U.S. households were estimated to have experienced a utility shutoff (also referred to as a disconnection) due to non-payment of utility bills. Nearly 24% of all
- [Residential Solar (+Storage) Programs](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/10/residential-solar-storage-programs/) - Residential Solar (+Storage) ProgramsResidential solar+storage programs can facilitate the equitable and affordable adoption of these technologies, lower energy costs, and increase climate resilience. Why This Matters Although solar installations have been trending up among low- and moderate-income households, they are doing so at a slower pace that higher-income households, and energy storage capacity (e.g. batteries)
- [Residential Building Codes](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/residential-building-codes/) - Residential Building CodesBuilding codes for residential construction and stronger energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing can enhance energy efficiency, reduce residential utility bills, and increase health and comfort. Why This Matters Buildings are responsible for 40% of energy used in the US,1 and as much as 80% of a building’s energy load is subject to
- [Rental Efficiency Standards](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/rental-efficiency-standards/) - Rental Efficiency StandardsRental efficiency standards ensure that renters are not saddled with high bills due to inefficient appliances and unweatherized units. Why This Matters Of the approximately 35% of U.S. households who rent their homes,1 43% (vs. 24% of homeowners) experience energy insecurity.2 Rental homes are typically less efficient than owner-occupied homes, in part due
- [Protecting Ratepayers from Utility Political Spending](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/10/protecting-ratepayers-from-utility-political-spending/) - Protecting Ratepayers from Utility Political SpendingProhibitions on using ratepayer funds for utility lobbying and political spending can lower utility bills. Why This Matters Investor-owned utilities engage in many costly activities unrelated to or even in conflict with their obligations of service to ratepayers, mostly notably political activities. But, until recently, comprehensive state laws or rules
- [Progressive Income-Based Fixed Charges](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/12/progressive-income-based-fixed-charges/) - Progressive Income-Based Fixed ChargesProgressive income-based fixed charges reduce the fixed charges on utility bills for lower-income customers. Why This Matters About a quarter of U.S. households face high energy cost burdens, paying more than 6% of their income towards energy bills.1 Utility bills are typically split into two components: volumetric rates that are proportional to
- [Pre-Weatherization Programs](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/pre-weatherization-programs/) - Pre-Weatherization ProgramsAccessible, affordable pre-weatherization assistance programs can increase the number of homes meeting the criteria for weatherization, advance equitable access to weatherization, reduce energy cost burdens, and improve resident health and well-being. Why This Matters Over five million low-income homeowners live with energy cost burdens and homes in need of repair, estimated to cost $22.5
- [Outage Compensation](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/outage-compensation/) - Outage CompensationRequiring utilities to provide compensation to their customers for prolonged and/or frequent outages can reduce the financial effects of outages on customers, especially energy-burdened households. Why This Matters The frequency and duration of utility outages has been increasing in recent years for several reasons, including: Severe weather-related events (e.g., hurricanes, snowstorms); Preventive shutoffs (e.g.,
- [Green Banks](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/12/green-banks/) - Green banksGreen banks can provide the capital for financing renewable energy investments and building decarbonization projects. Why This Matters Funding is sorely needed to effectuate deployment and scale up climate solutions across various aspects of the energy transition. In the absence of direct public funding, many types of investments and projects, such as energy efficiency
- [Limiting Gas Infrastructure Investments](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/limiting-gas-infrastructure-investments/) - Limiting Gas Infrastructure InvestmentsLimiting utility investments in gas infrastructure can protect ratepayers from volatile fossil fuel costs, unnecessary upgrades, and future stranded assets. Why This Matters Utilities receive guaranteed rates of return on their infrastructure investments—which ratepayers pay back for decades—leading to perverse incentives to expand infrastructure whenever possible, whether or not those investments are
- [Affordability Drivers and Impacts Study](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/affordability-drivers-and-impacts-study/) - Affordability Drivers and Impacts StudyA baseline study on drivers of high energy costs and the populations most affected by energy cost burdens can help guide energy affordability policy strategy. Why This Matters One of the largest barriers to effectively addressing energy affordability challenges is a lack of publicly-accessible data about 1) the specific drivers of
- [Electrification Readiness Programs](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/10/electrification-readiness-programs/) - Electrification Readiness ProgramsElectrification readiness programs can facilitate fuel switching by increasing eligibility for electrification programs, thereby reducing cost barriers on needed upgrades. Why This Matters In the transition to a clean energy economy, an estimated 60% of single-family homes are not electrification ready, with electrical panels unable to handle required loads (e.g., less than 200
- [Efficient Residential Electrification](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/10/efficient-residential-electrification/) - Efficient Residential Electrification Programs supporting efficient electrification upgrades can facilitate the equitable and affordable adoption of energy-efficient home electrification, reducing greenhouse gases and in-home emissions of health-damaging air pollutants. Why This Matters Space and water heating account for approximately 60% of total residential energy use.1 More than half of households rely on fossil fuels—primarily methane gas—for
- [Distribution System Interconnection Reform](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/distribution-system-interconnection-reform/) - Distribution System Interconnection ReformRegulatory reforms to expedite and equitably prioritize interconnection of distributed energy resources can contribute to affordability, clean energy inclusion, and grid decarbonization. Why This Matters Distributed energy resources (DERs), such as rooftop and community solar and battery storage, have grown exponentially in recent years,1 but interconnecting DERs to the electricity grid—a process
- [Demand Response Programs](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/demand-response-programs/) - Demand Response ProgramsDemand response programs compensate households for reducing energy use during peak periods while supporting grid reliability. Why This Matters In traditional electricity systems, the utility supplies electricity and customers consume it and pay the bills. Power is primarily sourced through centralized generation: primarily fossil fuel generation, complemented by nuclear, hydropower, and renewables. Consumers
- [Cost Containment for Data Centers and Other Major Loads](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/12/cost-containment-for-data-centers-and-other-major-loads/) - Cost Containment for Data Centers and Other Major LoadsLegislation and regulatory oversight can ensure that the energy demands of data centers and other major loads do not result in cost shifting to other commercial and residential ratepayers. Why This Matters The skyrocketing energy demands of data centers and other energy-intensive new loads, such as cryptocurrency
- [Transmission Planning and Interconnection Queue Reform](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2026/01/08/transmission-planning-and-interconnection-queue-reform/) - Transmission Planning and Interconnection Queue ReformImproved transmission planning and interconnection queue reform can help accelerate the interconnection of low-cost renewables and energy storage, lower high capacity prices, and bring down system costs. Why This Matters Electricity transmission infrastructure plays a central role in the electric grid, connecting utility-scale power generation to load centers like cities
- [Realizing the Full Value of Distributed Energy Resources](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2026/01/07/realizing-the-full-value-of-distributed-energy-resources/) - Realizing the Full Value of Distributed Energy ResourcesFully valuing and compensating distributed energy resources such as solar and storage can optimize their cost-effective integration into the grid. Why This Matters Current utility planning often fails to adequately value (or entirely omits) distributed energy resources (DERs)—such as solar and/or storage, demand response, electric vehicles, and energy
- [Appliance Efficiency Standards](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/appliance-efficiency-standards/) - Appliance Efficiency StandardsState action to develop and/or expand, enforce, and provide consumer education about appliance energy efficiency standards can provide additional energy cost savings to consumers and establishes an infrastructure for future state action. Why This Matters Appliance efficiency standards, associated labeling programs, and enforcement are generally implemented at the federal level. Over 70 products,
- [Limit Utility Investor Return on Equity](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/limit-utility-investor-return-on-equity/) - Limit Utility Investor Return on Equity Restricting excessive authorized utility profits, including the rate of return on equity, helps bring down the overall costs of the electricity system. Why This Matters Utility commissions authorize utility shareholders to earn a Return on Equity (ROE) on the money they put into capital investments. Utility ROEs typically exceed the
- [Community Solar](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/community-solar/) - Community Solar Equitable community solar projects enable households who would not otherwise benefit from solar energy to participate in the clean energy transition. Why This Matters Households unable to install rooftop solar because of cost considerations, roof condition, or renter status are typically denied access to the benefits and utility bill savings associated with a
- [Cap and Invest](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/cap-and-invest/) - cap and investStates can develop impactful and equitable regulatory programs that utilize market mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while generating revenue for necessary climate and clean energy investments. Why This Matters To achieve economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions reductions, we need broadly applied, economically effective emissions reduction policies. But we also need to generate significant
- [Utility Bill Credits](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/utility-bill-credits/) - Utility Bill CreditsUtility bill credits from programs such as cap-and-invest can provide non-ratepayer funding for additional bill assistance. Why This Matters A quarter of U.S. households are energy-burdened1—paying more than six percent of income towards utility bills—and could benefit from forms of bill assistance, but the amount of assistance that can be funded by increasing
- [Arrearage Management Programs and Debt Forgiveness](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/10/arrearage-management-programs-and-debt-forgiveness/) - Arrearage Management Programs and Debt ForgivenessArrearage management programs and debt forgiveness can be important tools to assist households struggling to pay rising energy costs. Why This Matters In 2024, 17.4 million households—or about 13% of all U.S. households—had outstanding utility bill balances (arrearages), amounting to $17.4 billion. About 24% of all households also experienced at
- [Low-Income Rates](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/low-income-rates/) - Low-Income RatesDiscounted rates for low-income households can help bring down utility bills. Why This Matters About a quarter of U.S. households face high energy cost burdens, paying more than 6% of their income towards energy bills.1 An inability to pay for utility bills leads to difficult trade-offs between paying for energy bills or for other
- [Polluter Pays Strategies](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/polluter-pays-strategies/) - Polluter Pays StrategiesPolluter Pays strategies present one pathway for financing climate change planning, preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery without raising taxes or relying on other regressive solutions. Why This Matters States and local governments face growing costs to infrastructure, public health, and basic services resulting from climate change.1 Resources to address these rising costs, however,
- [Percentage-of-Income Payment Plans (PIPP)](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/10/percentage-of-income-payment-plans-pipp/) - Percentage-of-Income Payment Plans (PIPP)Percentage-of-Income Payment Plans improve energy affordability by capping utility bills at a percentage of household income. Why This Matters Roughly a quarter of households across the country are “energy-burdened,” meaning they pay more than 6% of their income towards energy bills.1 Urban low-income households pay an average of 8.3% of their incomes
- [State and Local Taxes for Clean Energy and Climate Resilience Funding](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/12/state-and-local-taxes-for-clean-energy-and-climate-resilience-funding/) - State and Local Taxes for Clean Energy and Climate Resilience FundingTargeted state or local taxes provide a non-rate funding source for clean energy investments, building decarbonization, and climate resilience. Why This Matters Across society, we face an urgent need to rapidly adopt efficient, clean energy resources, shift away from fossil fuels, decarbonize across all sectors,
- [Utility Bill Assistance](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/utility-bill-assistance/) - Utility Bill Assistance Utility bill assistance programs can reduce energy insecurity for millions of people, thereby improving health and welfare outcomes. Why This Matters In 2020, more than one-quarter of all households and 41% of renters in the U.S. experienced energy insecurity. About one in 10 households received a disconnection notice and/or kept their homes at
- [State-Level Progressive Residential Energy Credits](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/state-level-progressive-residential-energy-credits/) - State-Level Progressive Residential Energy Credits Progressively designed state-level residential energy tax credits can fill a crucial gap in clean energy affordability and equity. Why This Matters Residential energy tax credits are a key mechanism for household access to clean energy systems, such as rooftop solar and battery storage, energy efficiency upgrades for building envelopes, and electric
- [Balcony (Plug-In) Solar #3](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/11/balcony-plug-in-solar-2/) - Balcony (Plug-In) SolarBalcony or plug-in solar panels provide low-cost, easy-to-install, renter-friendly access to clean energy. Why This Matters Essentially all renters are excluded from owning or leasing rooftop solar. Many homeowners are also excluded because of the unsuitability of their roofs. Low- and moderate-income homeowners often cannot afford the high upfront costs of rooftop solar,
- [New Layout Template #2 #2](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/09/pre-weatherization-programs-3-2-2/) - Pre-Weatherization ProgramsAccessible, affordable pre-weatherization assistance programs can increase the number of homes meeting the criteria for weatherization, advance equitable access to weatherization, reduce energy cost burdens, and improve resident health and well-being. Why This Matters Weatherization is an effective means of increasing energy efficiency—thereby decreasing energy cost burdens and reducing greenhouse gas emissions—and improving the
- [New Layout Template #2](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/09/pre-weatherization-programs-3-2/) - Pre-Weatherization ProgramsAccessible, affordable pre-weatherization assistance programs can increase the number of homes meeting the criteria for weatherization, advance equitable access to weatherization, reduce energy cost burdens, and improve resident health and well-being. Why This Matters Weatherization is an effective means of increasing energy efficiency—thereby decreasing energy cost burdens and reducing greenhouse gas emissions—and improving the
- [New Layout Template](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/12/02/pre-weatherization-programs-3/) - Pre-Weatherization ProgramsAccessible, affordable pre-weatherization assistance programs can increase the number of homes meeting the criteria for weatherization, advance equitable access to weatherization, reduce energy cost burdens, and improve resident health and well-being. Why This Matters Weatherization is an effective means of increasing energy efficiency—thereby decreasing energy cost burdens and reducing greenhouse gas emissions—and improving the
- [Hello world!](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/2025/08/18/hello-world/) - Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

## Pages

- [Home](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/) - We’re teaming up with state climate justice coalitions and organizations to put affordability At the center of the clean energy transition Energy affordability sits at the intersection of climate justice, racial equity, and economic security. High energy costs don’t merely strain household budgets; they deepen inequality, undermine health, and push families further from stability. Just
- [Choosing the Right Energy Affordability Policies for Your State](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/developing-affordability-policies-for-your-state/) - Choosing the Right Energy Affordability Policies for Your State Energy affordability is a crisis across the country, but the reasons bills are high vary from state to state. In some places, climate impacts and wildfire costs are driving rate hikes; in others, it’s new infrastructure, data centers, or aging, inefficient housing.The Just Solutions Energy Affordability
- [The Policy Library](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/the-policy-library/) - A centralized, searchable hub that helps communities to more quickly assess, compare, and advance state and local energy affordability policy concepts.
- [Affordability Visualization Tools](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/affordability-visualization-tools/) - Affordability Visualization Tools [DRAFT] Cost of Capital Use the sliders below to visualize how changes to debt and equity financing ratios and rates of return affect the total cost of capital. Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) Cost of Equity (%) Cost of Debt (%) % Financing from Long-Term Debt WACC: 7.50% Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 1.00
- [How Do I Use the Energy Affordability Policy Library?](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/energy-affordability-library-how-to/) - HOW DO I USE THE ENERGY AFFORDABILITY POLICY LIBRARY? The Energy Affordability Policy Library is designed to help climate justice advocates, organizers, and policy staff to learn more about a wide range of policies that can be enacted at the state or local level to ensure households can access clean, reliable, affordable energy. The library
- [Pathways for Action](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/pathways-for-action-affording-our-clean-energy-future/) - Pathways for Action: Affording Our Clean Energy Future A framework of policy solutions that can help states find a path to an enduring, equitable, and affordable clean energy future Pathways for Action Across the country, households are struggling to pay for mounting energy costs. From state to state, the costs of everything from mitigating wildfires
- [About Affording Our Energy Future](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/about-affording-our-energy-future/) - Just Solutions Launches New National Effort to Support Our State Partners August 5, 2025 – For tens of millions of households, the energy bill isn’t just another expense: it determines if the lights stay on or the fridge keeps medicine cold. And in communities across the country, the squeeze is getting tighter. Utility rates have climbed
- [The Library](https://statesleadtheway.justsolutionscollective.org/the-library/) - Coming Soon

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