The Spotlight States Policy dashboard is a comprehensive source for enacted policies and proposed legislation in states. Details associated with proposed legislation are tracked using Legiscan. We track enacted legislation manually along with policies not originating from a state legislature, such as utility incentives. These enacted policies are sourced from original research and data collection for Buildings Hub.
To read more about our methodology click here.
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Methodology
Atlas staff pull data from Legiscan on a weekly basis with the help of an AI prompt to identify bills relevant to building electrification and decarbonization. The AI classifies bills according to the policy categories identified by Atlas staff and detailed in the tab below titled Policy Categories. Staff manually verify, enter, and validate AI classification of bills before they are surfaced on the dashboard.
For enacted policies not originating from a state legislature, Atlas staff monitor state and federal agency websites, news sources, investor-owned utility websites, social media, and email lists. As soon as Atlas is aware of a new policy or incentive, at least two staff process and validate each other’s entries. If you notice data that is missing or needs to be updated on this dashboard, please let us know.
For legislation tracking, Atlas supplements the data collection process described above using a free service from Legiscan that provides the bill number, bill status, legislation sponsors, and active legislative session.
Atlas developed a set of standardized policy categories and subcategories to organize, sort, and visualize qualitative policy data. Each policy or piece of legislation is categorized under this system when it is entered. One policy may be listed under multiple categories.
| Map Name | Map Category | Description |
| Building Code | All-Electric or All-Electric Ready | A building or energy code that requires buildings to be all-electric, including a code that prohibits fossil fuel infrastructure. All-electric codes may have exceptions for certain end uses or building types. |
| Commercial | A building or energy code for commercial buildings. | |
| EVSE Building Standards | A building or energy code that incorporates standards for EV supply equipment. | |
| Industrial Building | A building or energy code for industrial facilities. | |
| Low-Carbon Building Materials | A building or energy code that incorporates provisions for low-carbon building materials. | |
| Public Buildings | A building or energy code for public buildings. | |
| Reach/Stretch Code | An optional, more ambitious building or energy code that jurisdictions can choose to adopt. | |
| Residential | A building or energy code for residential buildings. | |
| Clean Energy Program | All-Electric or All-Electric Ready | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes a provision for all-electric or all-electric ready buildings. |
| Commercial | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes provisions for commercial buildings. | |
| Electrification Target | A target that a certain number or percentage of buildings will be served by electricity by a specific date. | |
| Energy Storage | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes provisions that promote behind-the-meter energy storage located at homes or businesses. | |
| Equity/Justice | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes equity or justice requirements. | |
| Fuel Switching | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes switching from gas, oil, or propane to a lower carbon fuel. | |
| Gas Transition Plan | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes a plan to transition the heating system away from gas. | |
| Geothermal | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes geothermal heat generation. | |
| Grant Program | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes grants. | |
| Industrial Building | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes provisions for industrial facilities. | |
| Loan Program | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes a loan program. | |
| Public Buildings | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes provisions for public buildings. | |
| Residential | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes provisions for residential buildings. | |
| Solar | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes residential solar. | |
| Workforce Development | A plan or program to advance the electrification of buildings at the utility, state, or local level that includes workforce development programs. | |
| Energy/Emissions Reduction |
Commercial | A standard that requires commercial buildings to meet particular limits for emissions. |
| Industrial | A standard that requires industrial buildings to meet particular limits for emissions. | |
| Low-Carbon Building Materials | A standard that requires buildings to meet particular limits for emissions that incorporates emissions from building materials. | |
| Public Buildings | A standard that requires public buildings to meet particular limits for emissions. | |
| Residential | A standard that requires residential buildings to meet particular limits for emissions. | |
| Technology | A standard that requires specific technologies to meet particular limits for emissions. | |
| Energy/Efficiency Standard |
Appliance/Equipment Efficiency | A standard that sets limits on the energy use of appliances or other building equipment. |
| Building Performance Standard | A standard that sets limits on emissions or energy use from buildings in a specific jurisdiction. | |
| Electrification Target | A target that a certain number or percentage of buildings will be served by electricity by a specific date. | |
Financing |
Customer Rebate | A utility-administered rebate for customers who purchase energy efficiency upgrades. |
| Equity/Justice | A program administered by a government, utility, or other institution with provisions that financing be disbursed in accordance with equity and justice principles or goals. | |
| Grant Program | A program administered by a government, utility, or other institution that provides grants for building electrification measures. | |
| Loan Program | A program administered by a government, utility, or other institution that provides loans for building electrification measures. | |
| Midstream Rebate | A rebate for distributors who sell electric appliances. | |
| Tax Credit | A tax credit provided by a state agency or affiliated administrator for building electrification measures. | |
| Fuel Switching | All-Electric or All-Electric Ready | Fuel switching programs or requirements that stipulate all-electric or all-electric ready buildings. |
| Building Performance Standard | A standard that sets limits on emissions or energy use from buildings in a specific jurisdiction. | |
| Commercial | A policy incentivizing fuel switching in commercial buildings. | |
| Industrial Building | A policy incentivizing fuel switching in industrial facilities. | |
| Preemption Policy | A state-level ban on local jurisdictions enacting policies incentivizing switching heating systems from fossil fuels to electricity. | |
| Public Buildings | A policy incentivizing fuel switching in public buildings. | |
| Research or Technical Study | A requirement that an entity undertake a study related to switching the heating system from fossil fuels to electricity. | |
| Residential | A policy incentivizing fuel switching in residential buildings. | |
| State Incentive | Customer Rebate | A state-administered rebate for customers who purchase energy efficiency upgrades. |
| State Plan | Direct Installation Program | A building electrification plan set by the state that allows a program designated by the state to install solutions in buildings. |
| Economy Wide | A state decarbonization plan that requires economy-wide reductions in greenhouse gases. | |
| Education | A building electrification plan set by the state that includes measures to educate the public or installers on building decarbonization. | |
| Electrification Target | A target that a certain number or percentage of buildings will be served by electricity by a specific date. | |
| Energy Storage | A building electrification plan set by the state that includes provisions for energy storage in homes or businesses. | |
| Equity/Justice | A building electrification plan set by the state that includes provisions for decarbonizing buildings in accordance with equity and justice principles or goals. | |
| Gas Transition Plan | A state plan to transition the heating system away from gas. | |
| Geothermal | A building electrification plan set by the state that includes geothermal heating. | |
| Net Zero | A building electrification plan set by the state that includes a goal to achieve net-zero emissions or net-zero energy use. | |
| Research or Technical Study | A building electrification plan set by the state that calls for a study of a topic related to building electrification. | |
| Resilience | A building electrification plan set by the state that includes provisions to increase the resilience of the building stock. | |
| Solar | A building electrification plan set by the state that includes solar power. | |
| Technology | A building electrification plan set by the state that calls for specific technologies. | |
| Workforce Development | A building electrification plan set by the state that includes provisions related to building the energy efficiency or clean energy workforce. | |
| State Requirement
|
Education | A legislative requirement that a state program provide education to building owners or installers on electrification. |
| Electrification Target | A legislative requirement that the state set a target for a certain number or percentage of buildings or end uses be served by electricity by a specific date. | |
| Technology | A legislative requirement that the state administer a building electrification program focused on a particular technology. | |
| Utility Incentive | Customer Rebate | A utility-administered rebate for customers who purchase energy efficiency upgrades. |
| Midstream Rebate | A utility-administered rebate for distributors who sell electric appliances. | |
| Utility Plan | Demonstration Project | A building electrification plan set by a utility that includes small-scale projects to test the viability of a larger program. |
| Electrification Target | A building electrification plan set by a utility that includes a target that a certain number or percentage of buildings or end uses will be served by electricity by a specific date. | |
| Energy Storage | A building electrification plan set by a utility that includes installing energy storage at homes or businesses. | |
| Equity/Justice | A building electrification plan set by a utility that includes equity and justice provisions or goals. | |
| Gas Transition Plan | A plan to transition a utility’s heating system away from gas. | |
| Geothermal | A building electrification plan set by a utility that includes geothermal heating. | |
| Net Zero | A building decarbonization plan set by a utility that includes a goal to achieve net-zero emissions or net-zero energy use. | |
| Rates and Spending | A utility plan that includes provisions related to electricity rates or spending. | |
| Renewables Generation Target | A building electrification plan set by a utility that includes a target to generate a certain amount or percentage of electricity from renewable energy sources. | |
| Research or Technical Study | A utility plan that calls for a study of a topic related to building electrification. | |
| Resilience | A building electrification plan set by a utility that includes provisions to increase the resilience of the building stock. | |
| Solar | A building electrification plan set by a utility that includes solar power. | |
| Technology | A building electrification plan set by a utility that includes provisions for specific technologies. | |
| Workforce Development | A building electrification plan set by a utility that includes provisions related to building the energy efficiency or clean energy workforce. | |
| Utility Requirement | Clean Heat Standard | A requirement for utilities providing heating to supply a specified amount from zero-carbon sources or electricity. |
| Demonstration Project | A requirement for utilities to carry out small-scale projects to test the viability of a larger program. | |
| Direct Installation Program | A requirement for utilities to install specific appliances in buildings. | |
| Electrification Target | A requirement for utilities to set a target that a certain number or percentage of buildings or end uses will be served by electricity by a specific date. | |
| Energy Storage | A requirement for utilities to install energy storage at homes or businesses. | |
| Gas Transition Plan | A requirement for utilities to create a plan to transition its heating system away from gas. | |
| Rates and Spending | A requirement that a utility undertake a change related to its electricity rates or spending. | |
| Renewables Generation Target | A requirement for utilities to set a target to generate a certain amount or percentage of electricity from renewable energy sources. | |
| Technology | A requirement for utilities to set a target to deploy specific technologies. | |
| Workforce Development | A requirement that a utility develop a plan or policy related to building the energy efficiency or clean energy workforce. |