## Climate Policy Diffusion Across US States

_IMF Working Papers, September 13, 2024_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Climate Policy Diffusion Across US States](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2024/09/13/climate-policy-diffusion-across-us-states-554226)

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## Bibliographic details
- Authors: Mitali Das, Manuel Linsenmeier, Gregor Schwerhoff
- Published: September 13, 2024
- Series: IMF Working Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400285622.001

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### Key findings
- State-level climate policy is effective in accelerating the adoption of solar energy.
- State policies generate positive spillovers to other states by increasing the likelihood that neighboring states adopt climate policy.
- By proportionally attributing spillover effects, many US states achieve more climate benefits through spillovers to other states than within their own jurisdiction.
- Climate policies in the energy sector are distinct from other climate policies in two ways:
  - They have a significant effect on solar capacity growth.
  - They diffuse more broadly across states.

### Data and scope
- Uses comprehensive data from US states on climate policy and policy outcomes.
- Subject areas: Climate change, Climate policy, Environment, Greenhouse gas emissions, Renewable energy.
- Keywords used in the study: Climate change, climate policies in the energy sector, Climate policy, Global, Greenhouse gas emissions, policy diffusion, policy evaluation, policy outcome, Renewable energy, spillovers, state policy, subnational.

### Implications and interpretation
- Subnational (state-level) action on climate can be effective not only within the state that implements policies but also by inducing policy adoption and benefits in neighboring states.
- Energy-sector climate policies are particularly effective at expanding solar capacity and have broader diffusion patterns compared with climate policies targeted at other sectors or GHG reductions generally.
- The presence of measurable spillovers suggests that assessments of state climate policy benefits should account for cross-state effects rather than restricting evaluation to within-jurisdiction outcomes.

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- **Working Paper**
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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2024/09/13/climate-policy-diffusion-across-us-states-554226_