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The report finds that significant portions of the U.S. East and Gulf Coast electricity grids are currently exposed to storm surge, with risks increasing as sea levels rise. In southeastern Virginia, 43 percent of major substations and four power plants are at risk today. The authors advocate for a shift from centralized grids to decentralized, resilient power systems—including microgrids and renewable energy with storage—to maintain critical services during outages and reduce the carbon emissions driving climate change.

The document describes the methodology for assessing the exposure of power plants and substations to flooding under a Category 3 hurricane scenario across five U.S. coastal regions. It utilizes the National Climate Assessment's Intermediate-High sea level rise scenario and the SLOSH model for storm surge, projecting risks through 2070. The analysis identifies a growing number of 'exposed' facilities, particularly in the Central Gulf Coast and Southeastern Florida, while noting limitations such as the exclusion of small distribution-level substations and the potential for local flood protection measures to mitigate risk.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) analysis finds that two-thirds of U.S. states may be exposing electricity consumers to financial risks due to overreliance on natural gas. These risks include price volatility, potential carbon pricing costs, and the possibility of stranded assets such as underused plants and pipelines. The report rates states across five categories, identifying Florida as the only state with a "High" risk rating in all five. To mitigate these risks, the report advocates for prioritizing renewable energy and energy efficiency over natural gas as a primary solution for carbon reduction under the federal Clean Power Plan.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed 50 U.S. states to identify those at high risk of natural gas overreliance in the power sector. The analysis uses five metrics: the share of in-state electricity production from natural gas in 2014, the increase in that share from 2008 to 2014, the share of new capacity being built from natural gas (2014–2017), total projected natural gas capacity in 2017, and 2013 power sector carbon dioxide emissions. The report highlights that excessive reliance on natural gas exposes ratepayers to fuel price volatility and the risk of 'stranded assets' from infrastructure that may become underused or abandoned. It also notes that a shift from coal to gas is insufficient for long-term climate goals due to continued significant emissions upon combustion.

The study finds that U.S. imports of illegal wood declined by 32% to 44% since the 2008 Lacey Act amendments, with China accounting for two-thirds of this reduction. While the law contributed to this decline, it has not eliminated illegal imports, which were estimated at $2.8 billion in 2013. The report highlights that the reduction was driven more by U.S. buyers avoiding high-risk products and countries rather than discriminating between legal and illegal wood within the same product category.

The EV Emissions Tool calculates CO2e emissions for plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles in the US by combining vehicle efficiency data from the EPA with regional electricity grid emissions data from eGrid and the GREET model. It accounts for both direct and indirect emissions, including fuel production and transport, but excludes emissions from vehicle manufacturing and disposal. The tool uses a 'sales-weighted' approach for national averages based on 2016-2021 registration and sales data.

Large-scale solar PV systems have grown rapidly, accounting for over half of all solar capacity installed between 2010 and 2014. These projects benefit from economies of scale, with costs in 2013 averaging half of those in 2010, making them significantly cheaper than residential solar. While they generate electricity without carbon emissions or water consumption, they require substantial land area, which can impact habitats. Mitigation strategies include using degraded lands, such as landfills. Growth is supported by federal tax credits, state renewable electricity standards, and permitting reforms.

Rooftop solar in the United States experienced rapid growth between 2008 and 2014, driven by a 45% decrease in household system prices from 2010 to 2014 and the rise of third-party ownership models. The technology provides significant environmental benefits, including zero carbon emissions and minimal water use during electricity generation, while supporting a domestic industry that employed over 170,000 people by 2014. Growth is further sustained by federal and state policies such as net metering, feed-in tariffs, and a 30% federal investment tax credit.

The document describes the physics of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, which use doped silicon layers to create an electric field that converts sunlight into electricity. It details three main cell types—single-crystal, polycrystalline, and thin film—and discusses the benefits and challenges of integrating both rooftop and large-scale solar systems into the electricity grid, including issues of variability and transmission.

The report examines how California's local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) can develop effective measurable objectives to avoid 'undesirable results' and achieve sustainable yield by 2040. It outlines six characteristics of effective objectives—including clear baselines, quantitative thresholds, and adaptive management—and recommends that the state provide a common framework, identify consistent data sources, and define shared assumptions for modeling sustainable yield.

The report argues that achieving sustainable groundwater management in California requires the establishment of clear, quantitative measurable objectives to avoid 'undesirable results' such as land subsidence and seawater intrusion. It advocates for an adaptive management approach involving clear baselines, quantitative thresholds, and protective triggers. The authors propose a six-step preliminary framework for setting thresholds and recommend that the state develop a common framework to ensure consistency in data, assumptions, and metrics across different groundwater sustainability agencies.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed the second wave of INDCs for China, Canada, Ethiopia, and Morocco, focusing on agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU). The analysis reveals a disparity between developed and developing nations: Morocco and Ethiopia provided detailed, ambitious land-sector plans, while Canada and China showed significant gaps. Canada's submission lacked specific mitigation actions and excluded natural disturbances from accounting, while China failed to distinguish between new and existing programs and lacked a detailed accounting framework. Morocco's INDC was identified as the strongest, offering concrete actions and differentiating between unconditional and conditional goals.

A group of Ph.D. researchers and scholars call upon Governor Brown and California legislators to pass SB 32 and SB 350. The signatories argue that human activity is the primary cause of global warming and that California is already experiencing climate impacts such as increased wildfires and extreme heat waves. They advocate for three specific targets: reducing heat-trapping emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, increasing renewable electricity to 50% by 2030, and reducing transportation petroleum use by 50% by 2030.

The analysis finds that California can reach a 50 percent renewable electricity mix by 2024 using existing technology. While increasing the Renewables Portfolio Standard to 50 percent would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 22 percent without further grid investment, implementing advanced grid management tools like storage and demand response could increase that reduction to 27 percent and significantly decrease renewable energy curtailment.

The report analyzes the impact of raising California's Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 50 percent by 2024. It finds that while this transition reduces GHG emissions and production costs, it increases renewable curtailment, primarily driven by downward reserve and regional generation requirements. The study concludes that non-fossil flexibility—including electricity storage, advanced demand response, and allowing renewables to provide reserves—is significantly more effective at reducing curtailment and emissions than increasing the flexibility of natural gas power plants.

The United States generates over 250 million tons of municipal solid waste and 9 trillion gallons of wastewater annually, yet recovers less than 18 percent of the potential 10.5 million metric tons of biomethane available. Current landfill systems are inefficient, leading to significant fugitive methane emissions, while many wastewater treatment facilities lack anaerobic digesters or flare excess biogas. The document advocates for a shift toward organic waste diversion and anaerobic digestion, which can result in negative lifecycle emissions. It highlights the potential for waste-derived fuel to power 10.4 million cars or 13.7 million homes and suggests that the EPA's designation of biogas-derived electricity as a renewable biofuel could generate 90 million renewable identification numbers (RINs) annually to support electric vehicle infrastructure.

The report details a survey of 254 science writers conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Society of Professional Journalists. It examines the role of public information officers (PIOs) in mediating access to government scientists, finding that while PIOs are generally helpful during crises and in meeting deadlines, they often impose restrictions such as requiring approval for interviews, monitoring conversations, and routing requests away from specific experts. The analysis suggests that science agencies may be more open than other government sectors, though a majority of respondents believe these barriers prevent the public from receiving all necessary information.

The report examines clean energy financing tools used by six U.S. states and Germany to scale up renewable energy and energy efficiency investments. It highlights the role of 'green banks' and other mechanisms in reducing financial risks for the private sector and overcoming barriers like high upfront costs and limited technical understanding among financiers. Case studies include Connecticut and New York's green banks, Pennsylvania and Kentucky's use of the Warehouse for Energy Efficiency Loans (WHEEL), Iowa's revolving loans, and Massachusetts's Mass Save HEAT Loan. The report concludes that these tools can help states achieve Clean Power Plan targets by leveraging limited public funds to attract significant private capital.

The document analyzes proposed US heavy-duty vehicle standards for model years 2018–2029, noting they would reduce oil consumption by 550,000 barrels per day by 2035 and avoid 1 billion metric tons of emissions. However, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) argues that a 40 percent reduction in fuel consumption is achievable by 2025, which would save an additional 200,000 barrels of oil per day and avoid 40 million metric tons of annual emissions compared to the government's 36 percent target for 2027.

The report presents seven 'deception dossiers' containing approximately 85 internal documents that reveal how fossil fuel companies and trade associations intentionally spread climate misinformation. It details tactics such as the secret funding of contrarian scientists, the creation of 'astroturf' grassroots groups, and the use of forged letters to Congress to undermine climate science and delay the transition to clean energy.