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The Electric Utility Toolkit explains the technical and regulatory framework of the US power grid, highlighting systemic inequalities in energy access and affordability. It details the role of Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) and provides actionable steps for citizens to engage in the regulatory process to promote energy justice and decarbonization.

Climate change is increasing the intensity of extreme precipitation across the U.S., with the Northeast and Midwest seeing the largest increases since 1958. Under 2°C of global warming, 85% of U.S. counties are projected to experience a 10% or higher increase in precipitation on the heaviest 1% of days. This intensification contributes to flash flooding and landslides, disproportionately affecting racial minorities and those in mobile homes, particularly in the South and rural areas. Between 1988 and 2021, warming-induced rainfall intensification caused an estimated $84 billion in inland flood damages.

The report finds that private equity-owned companies accounted for approximately 21% of all healthcare bankruptcies in 2023, with a further wave expected in 2024. It attributes this trend to the private equity business model's reliance on excessive leverage, dividend recapitalizations, and aggressive growth strategies, which leave companies vulnerable to rising interest rates and labor costs. Case studies of firms like Envision Healthcare and Air Methods highlight how the No Surprises Act further impacted companies reliant on surprise billing. The report warns that these financial failures lead to service closures, layoffs, and threats to publicly-funded healthcare infrastructure.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocated $12.1 billion to advance carbon management technologies in the United States. Two years into implementation, the Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have launched several key programs. The Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Program has selected nine FEED study projects and three demonstration projects, including the Baytown, Project Tundra, and Sutter projects. The Carbon Storage Validation and Testing Program has awarded funding to projects across multiple states, including Texas, Louisiana, and Wyoming, to develop large-scale sequestration and transport infrastructure. Additionally, the EPA has allotted $48 million to 25 state and Tribal recipients to support the regulation of UIC Class VI wells. In the realm of carbon removal, the Regional Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hubs Program has selected two commercial-scale hubs in Texas and Louisiana for award negotiations. The document notes that while progress is underway, agencies have until 2026 to allocate remaining funds, and future success depends on shared transport networks and community engagement.

On July 7, 2023, the United States destroyed the last of its declared chemical weapons stockpile, marking the elimination of 100 percent of the world's declared chemical weapons. The process was overseen by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and faced delays due to technical challenges and local opposition to incineration methods at sites like the Pueblo Chemical Depot and Blue Grass Army Depot. Despite this milestone, the report highlights ongoing noncompliance by Burma, Iran, Russia, and Syria, and the use of Novichok nerve agents. It argues that the U.S. must retain its scientific and technical countering-WMD expertise to assist in treaty verification and respond to future contingencies, especially as other nonproliferation frameworks, such as the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, face increasing fragility.

The report details how private equity firms utilize institutional capital to invest in companies providing healthcare, labor, food, electronic monitoring, telecommunications, and construction services for the U.S. detention and surveillance industry. It argues that these investments often lead to substandard care, exploitative wages, and inflated costs for captive audiences, disproportionately affecting working-class, Black, indigenous, and immigrant communities.

The report finds that electric vehicle (EV) drivers in all U.S. states can expect cost savings per trip and annually compared to gas vehicle drivers. The highest savings occur in Washington State due to high gasoline prices and low residential electricity rates, while the lowest savings are found in Hawaii due to higher electricity costs. The analysis focuses on three vehicle classes—sedans, SUVs, and trucks—using 2023 base models and a mix of home and public charging data.

The report examines how 'heirs' property'—land passed down without clear legal titles—contributes to the systemic loss of Black-owned farmland in the US. It highlights that Black farmers lost nearly 90% of their land during the 20th century, with heirs' property acting as a primary driver of involuntary land loss through forced partition sales and limited access to federal funding. The document argues that the USDA and Congress must provide direct grants, streamline farm number establishment, and fund community-based legal services to resolve clouded titles and support BIPOC farmers.

The document reports a significant increase in billion-dollar severe storms in the U.S., with a shift in tornado activity toward the Southeast and Mid-South. It highlights the vulnerability of mobile home residents and projects a nationwide increase in supercell frequency and a shift toward more winter and early spring storms by the end of the century.

The document details the environmental impact of 56 TVA coal ash dumpsites, noting that groundwater monitoring data indicates significant contamination at both regulated and unregulated sites. It calls for the EPA to strengthen the 2015 Coal Ash Rule to eliminate exemptions for legacy ponds and inactive landfills.

The World Resources Institute analyzes CEJST 1.0, finding that while it identifies more disadvantaged populations than the beta version, it lacks a mechanism to prioritize communities facing multiple overlapping burdens. The analysis reveals that non-white populations are disproportionately exposed to higher cumulative burdens, yet the tool treats all disadvantaged communities as equal for funding purposes. The authors recommend incorporating cumulative burden metrics, adjusting low-income eligibility for severely burdened areas, and establishing a rigorous monitoring framework for the Justice40 Initiative.

The document examines how healthy soils in agriculture and natural ecosystems (forests, wetlands, and grasslands) can act as carbon sinks. It highlights regenerative agriculture practices, the importance of protecting peatlands and native prairies, and the role of Indigenous knowledge. However, it warns that soil sequestration cannot replace the need for greenhouse gas emission cuts and faces challenges such as measurement standardization and the risk of displacing food production.

RMI analysis indicates that while Georgia Power's plan significantly reduces coal reliance, it remains heavily dependent on gas and fails to align with a 1.5°C pathway. The utility's demand forecasts appear to underestimate the electricity needs required for the electrification of transportation and industry in Georgia.

The report examines Packers Sanitation Services Inc (PSSI), a food sanitation company owned by the Blackstone Group, highlighting a pattern of severe workplace injuries and fatalities. It argues that private equity practices, specifically dividend recapitalizations that load companies with debt, create financial pressures that lead to safety shortcuts and the exploitation of vulnerable immigrant and formerly incarcerated workers.

Coal producers in the US and Canada plan to invest $4.8 billion USD in 15 new metallurgical coal mines to produce 38 million tonnes annually for export, primarily to Asia Pacific markets. However, Global Energy Monitor argues these projects face high risks of economic and regulatory stranding. The global steel industry is under pressure to shift from coal-based blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) processes to lower-emissions alternatives like electric arc furnaces (EAF) and direct reduced iron (DRI) to meet net-zero targets. Major importers such as China, Japan, South Korea, and India have committed to carbon reduction, while domestic steel production in the US and Canada is already declining or transitioning away from coal. Furthermore, existing reserves in North America are sufficient to sustain current production levels until at least 2032, making new capacity largely unnecessary.

The report examines the hazards of coal ash disposal, particularly in the Ohio River Valley, and advocates for 'clean closure' (excavation) over 'cap-in-place' methods. Through case studies of the Sebree Generating Station in Kentucky and the J. M. Stuart Station in Ohio, the authors demonstrate that comprehensive cleanup generates significantly more jobs and economic output than utility-proposed plans. The document highlights the disproportionate impact of coal ash pollution on low-income communities and people of color, and calls for stronger EPA enforcement and state-level regulations to ensure the safe removal of toxic waste.

The report details how Apollo Global Management leveraged LifePoint Health to generate profits and expand its healthcare footprint while the company received $1.64 billion in CARES Act support. It highlights a $1.6 billion profit made by Apollo selling LifePoint from one of its funds to another and the acquisition of Kindred Healthcare, which created the largest private-equity-owned healthcare company in the US. The document argues that these financial maneuvers prioritize private equity returns over patient care, noting that LifePoint hospitals lag national quality averages and faced critical ICU capacity shortages during COVID-19 surges.

The Union of Concerned Scientists recommends strategic investments in USDA conservation programs, agricultural research, and debt relief for underserved producers to help the US reach its 2030 and 2050 climate goals. Key recommendations include $4 billion for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and $9 billion for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), both of which are currently oversubscribed. The brief also calls for $500 million each for SARE and AFRI to address research gaps in agroecology and systems science, $50 million for USDA Climate Hubs, and at least $200 million for Conservation Technical Assistance to support the adoption of climate-beneficial practices.

Phosmet is a U.S. registered pesticide used in 40 states, primarily on orchards and grapes, and is currently under registration review. It is associated with serious health effects, including cancer, neurodevelopmental harm, and reproductive toxicity, with exposure occurring via food, drinking water, and occupational contact. The pesticide is applied to a significant percentage of several common crops, including peaches (55%) and nectarines (50%).

The document outlines several federal programs that leverage veterans' skills for roles in land management, agriculture, and conservation. Key initiatives include the Veterans Fire Corps for wildland firefighting, the BattleGround to Breaking Ground program for farming and ranching in Texas, and the VetsWork and NOAA Veterans Corps Fisheries programs for natural resource management and habitat restoration across multiple U.S. states.