Three states have alternative energy portfolio standard (AEPS). While the standards in 29 states and DC are legally binding, eight other states just have targets that aren’t binding. The rules vary from state to state, but this approach, particularly in the absence of a federal RPS, is encouraging.

But with the exception of a handful of states—California, Hawaii, New York, Maine, Vermont—the RPS target percentages aren’t ambitious enough even though mandated RPS targets rose last year in DC, Maryland, Michigan, Rhode Island, and Oregon.

Every indication we’re getting is that the climate change is happening faster than expected. And that the International Panel on Climate Change’s computer-modeled scenarios showing the most extreme outcomes are the most likely to occur. It is not too hard to imagine that even those extremes will be even worse than the worst-case scenario now on the books.

Scientists don’t know how great the change in climate will be. Nor do they know whether transforming the world’s energy system will allow us to escape some of the worst predicted impacts. What they and we do know is that if we don’t work as quickly to make the switch, climate change impacts will be worse.

For that reason, climate activists and their allies should push Democrats to adopt a strong federal RPS, lobby state legislatures to increase their RPS if they have one, encourage states with voluntary RPS policies to make them mandatory, spur the 13 states which don’t have any RPS to get with the program. We should also push to make as many installations as possible community owned. For example, “community solar” designed right means lower-income people and people living in situations where they can’t themselves install solar can benefit from the energy transformation.

All lobbying, pushing, spurring and encouraging will be a lot of work. But it’s essential. And there is no excuse for waiting. Delay is, after all, just a passive-aggressive form of climate science denial.

Below are three summaries of summaries of RES or RPS from the NCSL:

COLORADO Title: Renewable Energy Standard.

Renewable Energy Standard. Established: 2004.

2004. Requirement: 30 percent by 2020 (IOUs); 10 percent or 20 percent for municipalities and electric cooperatives depending on size.

30 percent by 2020 (IOUs); 10 percent or 20 percent for municipalities and electric cooperatives depending on size. Applicable Sectors: Investor owned utility, municipal utilities, cooperative utilities.

Investor owned utility, municipal utilities, cooperative utilities. Cost Cap: 2.0 percent.

2.0 percent. Details: Distributed Generation: 3 percent of IOU retail sales by 2020, 1 percent of cooperative retail sales by 2020 (for those providing service to 10,000 or more meters) or 0.75 percent of cooperative retail sales by 2020 (for those providing service to less than 10,000 meters). The state has several credit multipliers for different technologies. SOUTH CAROLINA Title: Renewables Portfolio Standard.

Renewables Portfolio Standard. Established: 2014.

2014. Requirement: 2 percent by 2021.

2 percent by 2021. Applicable Sectors: Investor-owned utility.

Investor-owned utility. Details: Systems less than 1 MW: 1 percent of aggregate generation capacity, including at least 0.25 percent of total generation from systems less than 20kW. 1 – 10 MW facilities: 1 percent of aggregate generation capacity.

Systems less than 1 MW: 1 percent of aggregate generation capacity, including at least 0.25 percent of total generation from systems less than 20kW. 1 – 10 MW facilities: 1 percent of aggregate generation capacity. Enabling Statute, Code or Order: House Bill 1189.

VIRGINIA