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The report examines the procurement processes of vertically integrated utilities in the United States, highlighting how monopsony power and financial incentives often lead to the over-procurement of capacity and a bias toward self-built, gas-fired generation. Using Xcel Colorado as a model, the authors recommend five best practices for regulators: determining technology-neutral needs through resource planning, requiring competitive all-source bidding with robust evaluation, conducting advance review of procurement terms, ensuring utility ownership does not conflict with competitive bidding, and upholding rules for fairness and transparency. The report analyzes case studies from Colorado, New Mexico, Georgia, Minnesota, Indiana, Texas, California, Virginia, and North Carolina to illustrate the effectiveness of all-source RFPs in reducing costs and increasing renewable energy deployment.

The document analyzes a proposed $0.25 per gallon federal gas tax increase, finding it would generate approximately $1.1 trillion in revenue through 2050 and reduce total fuel consumption by over 1.3 billion barrels. The tax would incentivize the adoption of electric vehicles, adding roughly 2.5 million additional EVs to U.S. roads by 2050. Additionally, the report notes that a $0.25 gas tax is equivalent to a carbon tax of $25 to $29 per ton, which exceeds the record high allowance auction prices of the California-Quebec and Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative cap-and-trade systems.

The Union of Concerned Scientists conducted a poll of 1,000 GM owners in March and April 2020. The findings indicate that GM's lawsuit to revoke the authority of California and other states to set vehicle pollution standards significantly damaged its reputation, with favorability dropping from 93% to 44%. The poll found that 87% of GM owners believe the company should support stronger pollution standards. Consumer support for the lawsuit decreased when participants were informed about GM's low environmental performance ranking, the closure of the Lordstown, Ohio plant, and the projected $160 billion cost to consumers through 2050. Consequently, the number of owners considering another brand rose from 30% to 67% after learning about these corporate activities.

The briefing argues that expanding the U.S. electric bus fleet would create manufacturing jobs, reduce carbon emissions by 7 million tons annually, and improve public health by replacing diesel engines. It proposes utilizing $20 billion in federal grants to replace 60,000 buses—approximately 10% of the national fleet—through existing programs like Clean Cities and the Low and No Emission Vehicle Program.

The document examines the increasing risk of wildfires in Canada due to climate change and evaluates the FireSmart program as a tool for community resilience. It highlights the high cost of disasters like the Fort McMurray fire and argues for a shift from reactive response to proactive risk reduction through updated building codes, limited urban sprawl, and integrated forest management.

The document argues that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires in Canada, necessitating a shift from reactive to preventive strategies. It highlights the FireSmart program as an effective tool for reducing building vulnerability through vegetation management and fire-resistant materials, while noting that individual efforts must be supported by updated building codes, limited urban sprawl, and inclusive community consultations to protect vulnerable populations.

This guide outlines six strategies for homeowners to save money and reduce carbon emissions during the COVID-19 crisis: optimizing thermostat settings, switching to LED lighting, scheduling appliance use during low-emissions periods, reviewing utility rate structures, planning for the removal of gas appliances, and improving indoor air quality by opening windows.

The briefing highlights a significant opportunity for electric vehicles (EVs) to become a dominant class of renewable energy buyers, potentially requiring 640 TWh of electricity by 2030. It urges EV charge point operators (CPOs), electric mobility service providers (eMSPs), and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to develop seamless 100% renewable energy charging solutions, starting with large centralized fleets. The author suggests using energy attribute certificates (EACs) to link electricity consumption with renewable purchases and argues that the incremental cost of renewables is low enough to be absorbed by providers to accelerate adoption. Finally, the document advocates for industry-wide technical standards and interoperable digital infrastructure to enable EVs to participate in energy markets and decarbonization schemes.

A coalition led by Earthjustice urges the California Air Resources Board to increase zero-emission (ZE) truck sales targets, arguing that initial proposals are insufficient to meet the state's 2045 carbon neutrality goals. Citing analysis from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the authors claim that without stronger mandates, carbon emissions from trucking would only drop by 18% by 2045. The letter proposes specific higher sales percentages for Class 7-8 tractors to meet drayage fleet goals by 2035 and calls for a 'work backwards' approach from 2040 fleet goals to eliminate internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales for urban delivery by 2033. The coalition asserts that technological advancements, falling battery costs, and corporate commitments from entities like Amazon and UPS make these higher targets feasible, shifting the primary barriers from technical or economic to logistical planning.

The report argues that natural gas is not a viable 'bridge' fuel but rather a risk to climate stability and shareholder value. It highlights that new gas infrastructure is increasingly incompatible with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal and faces significant economic threats from the falling costs of renewables and storage. The document details how utilities face 'stranded asset' risks, regulatory pressure from state and city decarbonization mandates, and customer defection to community choice aggregations and corporate clean energy contracts. It suggests that 'steel for fuel' strategies—replacing fossil fuel generation with capital investment in renewables—offer a more sustainable financial model. The report concludes by urging investors to demand better disclosure on emissions and transition plans and to support policies like performance-based regulation and securitization to facilitate a just and rapid energy transition.

Carbon Market Watch argues that while the proposed EU state aid guidelines for indirect cost compensation under the EU ETS show improvement by reducing eligible sectors and requiring energy efficiency investments, they remain insufficient. The author contends that there is no evidence of carbon leakage to justify these subsidies, which cost nearly 1.2 billion Euros between 2017 and 2018, and argues that EU ETS auctioning revenues should be used entirely for carbon neutrality rather than being returned to industry.

The report details how American Securities' ownership of Global Tel Link (GTL) has led to predatory pricing and fee harvesting in the US correctional telecommunications market. It highlights the financial burden on low-income families, the recording of privileged attorney-client calls, and a bribery scandal in Mississippi. The document also examines GTL's expansion into digital tablets and video calling, arguing that these services often replace in-person visits and create new revenue streams from a captive market. Finally, it notes a growing trend of municipalities moving toward free correctional calls and increased legislative scrutiny of private equity's role in prison services.

The briefing introduces 'hours of safety' to measure building resilience during extreme cold events. Simulations in Duluth, Minnesota, show that high-performance envelopes, such as Passive House standards, maintain safe temperatures significantly longer than older or code-compliant homes, highlighting the potential for this metric to guide resilience planning and weatherization efforts.

The report examines the deep links between California's water and energy sectors, noting that water services account for approximately 20% of electricity and 30% of natural gas consumption, while hydropower provides an average of 15% of electricity. Using WEAP and LEAP modeling, the study finds that water conservation and potable reuse can reduce energy demands and costs, whereas desalination increases them. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, the report emphasizes the necessity of massive growth in solar, wind, and energy storage, alongside the continued role of low-cost hydropower. It also warns that federal policy interference could increase electricity production costs by $23 billion and raise CO2 emissions by 16% compared to the state's policy baseline.

The document outlines the technical approaches used to estimate children's exposure to chlorpyrifos and PFAS, the process for tracking children's product recalls, and the use of EPA Regulatory Impact Analyses to quantify the health benefits lost when air pollution standards were weakened or repealed.

The report finds that ride-hailing typically increases climate pollution and urban congestion because it displaces lower-carbon travel modes and adds 'deadheading' miles. It argues that the industry must rapidly electrify its fleet and increase ride-pooling to mitigate these effects, while governments should prioritize multimodal transportation and mass transit over car-centric models.

The report analyzes the climate impact of transportation network companies (TNCs) in seven major U.S. cities. It finds that non-pooled ride-hailing trips emit 47% more than private vehicle trips of the same length, largely due to 'deadheading' (driving without passengers). When accounting for the modes of transport that ride-hailing displaces—including mass transit, walking, and biking—typical ride-hailing trips are approximately 69% more polluting than the trips they replace. The analysis suggests that a transition to electric vehicles and an increase in pooling rates to 50% could reduce these emissions by 52% relative to displaced trips.

The report investigates the feasibility of shifting specialty crop production from California to the mid-Mississippi Delta region due to climate-driven uncertainties in California. While the Delta offers fertile soil, abundant water, and economic development opportunities, it faces hurdles including high humidity, pest pressure, a lack of specialty crop infrastructure, and labor shortages. The document outlines a plan for Phase II, focusing on seed varietal testing, innovative financing, and the design of a pilot program to diversify the region's commodity-heavy agricultural base.

The document argues that South Africa can achieve strategic goals—including preparing for ICAO's CORSIA framework, supporting its tourism sector against 'flight shame', and creating green jobs—by developing a domestic SAF industry. It identifies a wide range of policy tools such as blending mandates, financial incentives, and taxation. The brief proposes a phased roadmap for South Africa: short-term (2020-2025) focus on a 2-3% blending mandate and a long-term (beyond 2030) target to replace 50% of aviation fuel with locally produced SAF by 2050.

The document details the extreme scale of the Australian fire season, noting that over 15 million acres burned. It attributes the increase in dangerous long-term conditions for bushfires to climate change, which has led to an earlier start of the fire season and record-breaking heat and dryness in 2019.