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The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) reports that utilities in seven PJM states passed over $4.3 billion in data center connection costs to all customers in 2024. This occurs because large data centers (100–1,000 MW) require high-voltage transmission infrastructure, which falls under federal FERC jurisdiction and is typically allocated across all customers, unlike low-voltage distribution connections. UCS finds that in 95% of cases, these costs are not paid by the data center owners. The brief recommends that FERC and state PUCs require utilities to track and assign these specific costs to the customers causing them.

The report advocates for the transition of California's agricultural landscapes from resource-intensive practices to nature-based solutions (NbS). It details specific strategies such as multibenefit managed aquifer recharge, floodplain restoration, and agrivoltaics to tackle groundwater depletion, flooding, and energy insecurity. Through case studies in Okieville, Dos Rios, Fairmead, and Allensworth, the document demonstrates how these interventions can simultaneously improve water security, restore biodiversity, and provide economic opportunities for disadvantaged communities. It further provides implementation guidance on community engagement, permitting, and funding sources to support the state's climate and water goals.

The report details the methodological framework for identifying 'attacks on science' (AOS), defined as actions by elected officials or political appointees that result in the censoring, manipulation, or misinforming of scientific data. It describes the use of human coding for news articles, analysis of federal funding data from USASpending.gov, and tracking of federal advisory committee terminations. The methodology specifically addresses the tracking of federal workforce cuts, the impact of Clean Air Act exemptions on overburdened communities using spatial buffers, and the monitoring of federal environmental webpages via the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI).

The Union of Concerned Scientists reports that the Trump administration launched 402 attacks on science between January and June 2025, exceeding the total from his first term. These actions include the layoff of over 120,000 federal employees, the dismantling of science-focused federal advisory committees, and the censorship of environment and climate webpages. The report highlights the suspension of NIH grant reviews and the bypassing of public comment processes to benefit the fossil fuel industry, which disproportionately impacts marginalized communities. The document recommends that Congress pass the Scientific Integrity Act and the EXPERTS Act to protect evidence-based policymaking.

The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that major transmission projects in California are experiencing significant delays, averaging an additional 6.1 years beyond original estimates. These delays, driven by utility reprioritization and permitting hurdles, hinder the integration of clean energy and threaten grid reliability. The brief recommends expanding competitive solicitation, increasing agency permitting capacity, implementing public financing, and deploying grid-enhancing technologies.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analysis finds that vehicle-grid integration (VGI) in California could save the electricity system between $1.8 billion and $11.7 billion annually by 2045. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology offers significantly higher savings than managed charging (V1G) alone, primarily by reducing the need for grid infrastructure upgrades and gas generation.

The analysis finds that VGI, particularly bidirectional charging (V2G), can generate annual system savings between $1.8 billion and $11.7 billion by 2045. These savings primarily stem from reduced requirements for electricity delivery infrastructure and utility-scale storage. The report recommends that California mandate bidirectional charging capabilities in new EVs and update battery warranties to cover discharging to encourage widespread adoption.

The report examines the vulnerabilities of the US power grid to climate change, highlighting how extreme heat, wildfires, winter storms, and hurricanes cause widespread outages. It argues that current planning focuses on reliability under typical conditions rather than resilience to high-impact, low-frequency events. The authors emphasize that structural inequities, such as the legacy of redlining, leave low-income communities and people of color disproportionately vulnerable to the life-threatening consequences of power loss. The document recommends that regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs) adopt forward-looking climate risk assessments, integrate energy justice principles, and reform economic metrics like the Value of Lost Load (VOLL) to prioritize human vulnerability over economic activity.

The Union of Concerned Scientists calls for a fundamental shift in how electric transmission systems are planned and invested in to address the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events. The report emphasizes that current grid planning is unprepared for climate reality and risks perpetuating inequities in marginalized communities. It recommends that utilities, states, and regional transmission operators adopt forward-looking climate risk assessments projecting at least 30 years into the future and integrate energy justice principles—such as shared governance and community advisory boards—to ensure that resilience investments protect the most vulnerable populations.

The Danger Season 2025 microsite integrates National Weather Service (NWS) alerts, population data, social disadvantage metrics from the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index (CSI), and EPA/AirNow’s Air Quality Index (AQI). The methodology focuses on the period from May to October, identifying counties under extreme weather alerts or experiencing unhealthy air quality. It calculates four daily indicators: the total population facing alerts, the percentage of disadvantaged people affected, the percentage of the population facing at least one alert, and the proportion of extreme heat alerts attributable to climate change. The scope includes the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawai'i, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, though certain datasets like CSI and AQI have specific geographic gaps.

The report presents evidence that major fossil fuel companies possessed accurate knowledge of the catastrophic effects of their products on the global climate as early as the 1980s but instead funded campaigns of disinformation and deception. It highlights specific internal documents from Shell and ExxonMobil, a 1998 American Petroleum Institute 'Roadmap' to increase public uncertainty, and allegations of a criminal hacking scheme targeting climate advocates. The Union of Concerned Scientists calls for these corporations to cease greenwashing, pay for climate damages, and accelerate a global phaseout of fossil fuels.

The document argues for a "just land transition" in California to address groundwater depletion, which may require repurposing up to 1 million acres of irrigated agriculture. It outlines a framework based on community-centered principles and provides a roadmap of interventions for the state legislature, regulatory agencies, local governments, and philanthropy to ensure benefits reach frontline communities and agricultural workers.

The document argues that the market price of fossil fuels fails to account for significant 'hidden costs' or externalities occurring during extraction, transport, and combustion. It details the severe health impacts of coal mining, such as black lung and cardiovascular disease, and the environmental degradation caused by mountaintop removal in Appalachia. The paper also examines the risks of oil and gas drilling, including methane leakage, water contamination from fracking, and catastrophic spills. Finally, it quantifies the economic burden of air pollution and global warming emissions, contrasting these with the lower impacts of renewable energy sources.

The Union of Concerned Scientists advocates for the Scientific Integrity Act (H.R. 1106) to codify protections for federal scientists and ensure that independent science informs US policy. The brief highlights a history of political interference, noting 326 violations between 2001 and 2024, and argues that such interference endangers public safety and disproportionately affects marginalized communities.

A coalition of 123 organizations argues that dismantling the EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) would undermine the scientific basis for protecting public health from toxic chemicals. The letter specifically opposes H.R. 1415 and S. 623, asserting that IRIS provides essential, peer-reviewed toxicity evaluations used for Superfund cleanups, air toxics standards, and drinking water safeguards. The authors warn that removing these scientific resources would increase risks of cancer and birth defects, particularly in industrial areas like Geismar, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas.

The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that the 122 largest fossil fuel and cement producers, termed 'Carbon Majors', are responsible for nearly half of present-day surface temperature increases and nearly one-third of observed global mean sea level rise. The research indicates that past emissions from these entities have already guaranteed an additional 10 to 22 inches of sea level rise by 2300. The document argues that these corporations knowingly misled the public and obstructed climate policy, and it advocates for using legal pathways and multilateral negotiations to hold them financially and legally responsible for climate damages, particularly for vulnerable island nations.

The document outlines four core principles for the EPA to implement cumulative impact assessments: decreasing disproportionate burdens through distributive and restorative justice, expanding beyond traditional risk assessments to include social determinants of health, accounting for historical burdens, and adopting a precautionary approach that shifts the burden of proof to regulated actors.

The document argues that the EPA's definition of cumulative impacts must be actionable, culturally competent, and explicitly inclusive of social determinants of health. It recommends that the EPA workshop and improve the Office of Research and Development's current definition through engagement with frontline communities to ensure it reflects lived experiences and supports health equity.

The document outlines short-term and long-term strategies for the EPA to better address cumulative impacts, including expanding hyper-local pollution monitoring, enhancing polluter transparency via real-time apps, and integrating existing health data into cleanup thresholds and risk assessments.

The document outlines a framework for cumulative impact assessments (CIAs) that integrates equity, justice, and public health practices. It argues that the EPA and other government entities should use transparent principles to ensure assessments inform regulatory decisions, such as permit denials or pollution cleanup, while incorporating diverse stressors and community-led trust building.