Environmental considerations are central to state energy planning, policies, and investments. Climate, human health, and natural resource impacts from emissions, effluents, wastes, and site development are channeling energy system innovation and investments. While environmental concerns have constrained energy-related economic development in some areas, they have driven new development, innovation, and economic opportunity in others.
State Energy Officials need to be cognizant of these interactions and opportunities as they develop plans and policies, advise Governors and legislators, and implement programs to meet state energy, environmental, climate, and economic development objectives.
NASEO offers these pages to provide resources and tools to State Energy Offices to better understand and incorporate energy-environmental interactions in their work and advance opportunities for environmentally-favorable economic development in the energy sphere.
The sections below focus on recognizing (1) energy efficiency as an effective means to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, (2) carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) as an opportunity for new technologies and investment to advance climate-friendly industrial development, and (3) hydrogen as offering potential pathways for decarbonizing the electricity system, hard-to-electrify industrial and heating applications, and heavy transportation.
Also see NASEO's Critical Energy-Related Minerals: Considerations for State Energy Planning, Policy, and Programs report.