Clean-energy policies and electricity sector carbon emissions in the U.S. states

•This study evaluates state clean energy policies.•RPS and EERS are negatively correlated with electricity carbon intensity.•More aggressive policies are needed to reduce total carbon emissions.

State governments in the United States have enacted various clean-energy policies to decarbonize electric utilities, diversify energy supplies, and stimulate economic development. With a panel data set for 48 continental states from 1990 to 2008, fixed-effect panel regressions are estimated to test the impacts of clean-energy policies on total carbon emissions, electricity consumption, and carbon intensity. The results indicate that supply-side policy tools, such as RPS and EERS, are negatively correlated with carbon intensity in the electricity sector. More aggressive policies are needed to reduce total carbon emissions.