Union of Concerned Scientists
Andrew Belden – Steven Clemmer – Kathryn Wright
July 2015
States can help increase investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency by utilizing “green banks,” institutions that use innovative financing initiatives to assist customers with developing clean energy.
This promising avenue for scaling up investments in clean energy is particularly useful in the context of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, which requires states to reduce carbon emissions from existing power plants.
To demonstrate this approach in action, this report highlights the efforts of six state governments (Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Iowa, and Massachusetts) and one national government (Germany) to mobilize public and private capital to strengthen clean energy investment.