National Policy — policy in action

The Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) committed to achieve “net-zero” carbon emissions from NPPD generation resources by 2050. Nebraska is the only state in the country with fully publicly owned power.

Nevada is investing $100 million in transportation electrification across the state, creating partial tax abatements for certain renewable energy facilities and furthering energy efficiency through utilities.

Under Nevada's AB465 (2019), electric utilities are obligated to provide an enhanced solar access program to both residential customers and certain nonresidential customers with monthly electricity consumption below 10,000 kilowatt-hours.

Decarbonization is becoming more accessible through the creation of a community solar program for low to medium income customers in the passage of S270.

By passing this law in which oil and gas drilling is banned within 18 miles of the state’s coast, New Hampshire is indicating its support for the transition toward decarbonization.

This act established an electric vehicle charging stations infrastructure commission in state and federal highway corridors and at public transportation hubs and parking garages.

New Jersey enacted a first-in-the-nation tax credit for the utilization of low-carbon concrete, giving a credit of up to 5% of the project’s total concrete cost for materials with low levels of embodied carbon, with an additional 3% credit for companies that deliver concrete created by carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies.

Designers can help integrate clean energy into their projects: New Jersey’s Governor tasked the Board of Public Utilities with developing an Energy Master Plan that would promote the transition to a clean energy market, aiming for 100% electricity sold in the state to be derived from clean electricity sources by January of 2035.

Designers can refer to this legislation, which establishes minimum energy and water efficiency standards for products not under federal regulation which are sold and leased in New Jersey, ranging from shower heads to computer monitors.

New Jersey requires all new warehouses that are 100,000 square feet or larger to be a “solar-ready building,” reserving at least 40% of its roof space as a “solar-ready zone.”

New Mexico’s proposed bill would require all new residential construction to include photovoltaic systems to supply solar power and electrical receptacles for charging electric vehicles.

New Mexico has established a grant program aimed at enhancing energy efficiency in low-income households. This initiative empowers counties, municipalities, Indian nations, tribes, pueblos, and the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority to seek grants for energy efficiency projects.

Through this Executive Order, 30% of the state’s land and waters are protected for conservation measures and 20% for climate stabilization through enhancing biodiversity and carbon sequestration capacity, preventing degradation, and supporting animal life.

The Community Solar Act outlines the administration and rulemaking around community solar, representing the shift towards expanded access to solar and opportunity to design for decarbonization in New Mexico.

The New York Power Authority has broad ability to build renewables and must retire fossil fuel plants by 2030 thanks to Part QQ of New York’s 2023 budget. Moreover, through this budget New York is the first in the nation to ban gas stoves and fossil fuels in new buildings starting in 2026.

New Yorkers voted in favor of the Clean Water, Clean Energy, Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act which includes $4.2B for climate change mitigation measures, fodder for designers to advance climate action across the built environment.

This law sets forth local building and planning regulations to accommodate the use of renewable and alternative energy including solar thermal, photovoltaics, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal electric, tidal energy, wave energy, ocean thermal, farm waste electric generating equipment, and fuel cells.

The Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act expands community heating and cooling by encouraging gas and electric utilities to supply thermal energy for buildings' heating, cooling, and power needs. The act aims to create fair market access, support workforce development, and advance building electrification while considering climate justice goals.

This law directs the State Office of General Services to set guidelines for procuring low embodied carbon concrete for state construction projects, awarding future contracts to companies based on climate performance and price. In addition, the law promotes the use of performance incentives and other policy interventions aimed at accelerating innovation in the sector.

Designers can help North Carolina actualize its mid-term and long-term greenhouse gas reduction targets of 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 and to achieve net-zero as soon as possible, no later than 2050. Moreover, this Executive Order sets the goal to achieve a minimum of 1,250,000 registered Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) by 2030 and elevate the share of ZEV sales to constitute 50 percent of new in-state vehicle sales by the same year.

This Executive Order directs the state’s first offshore wind target for as much as 8 gigawatts of wind power to be built off the coast by 2040, indicating the advancement of renewable energy and opportunity to decarbonize further in the state. This amount of energy could power about 8 medium sized cities.