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The document examines biomethane derived from landfills, wastewater treatment centers, and dairies as a replacement for diesel and natural gas in California's heavy-duty vehicle fleets. While acknowledging its climate benefits over fossil fuels, the authors highlight that California's total biomethane potential from waste would meet only 3% of the state's natural gas demand and 15% of its diesel consumption. The report warns that promoting compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles could inadvertently increase reliance on fossil natural gas due to this supply gap. It concludes that biomethane provides the greatest emissions reductions when used to generate electricity or hydrogen for electric vehicles, but that battery electric vehicles powered by the grid remain the most effective path for meeting climate goals.

The report argues that electrifying heavy-duty vehicles in California can significantly reduce hazardous air pollutants and global warming emissions while creating economic opportunities. It finds that battery and fuel cell electric buses have substantially lower life cycle emissions than diesel or CNG alternatives. The authors highlight that low-income communities and people of color are disproportionately exposed to heavy-duty vehicle pollution. While the sector offers growth in manufacturing, infrastructure, and maintenance, the report emphasizes the need for targeted electrical skills training to make these jobs accessible to underserved populations.

First Environment, Inc. conducted a pre-issuance verification of BART's General Obligation Bonds (Election of 2016 2017 Series A and Election of 2004 2017 Refunding Series E) between March 27 and April 24, 2017. The verification assessed whether the bonds, intended to fund electrified public transport infrastructure, met the Climate Bonds Standard Version 2.1 and the Low Carbon Land Transport sector criteria Version 1.0. The verifier concluded that the bonds conformed in all material respects to these standards, providing a limited level of assurance based on ISAE 3000 and ISO 14065 principles.

Amory B. Lovins of RMI argues that subsidies for distressed nuclear plants are unjustified because closing high-cost nuclear units and reinvesting their operating expenses into energy efficiency can reduce more carbon than maintaining the plants. He contends that 'baseload' power is not a grid requirement and that variable renewables are more resilient and cost-effective than central thermal plants.

The Institute for Policy Integrity recommends that the California Air Resources Board enhance its 2017 Scoping Plan Update by using the Social Cost of Methane to assess methane emissions and by monetizing the co-benefits of greenhouse gas reduction measures.

RMI opposes the Protecting Americans from Credit Exploitation bill, which seeks to apply bank and mortgage lending regulations to Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing. RMI contends that PACE is a property assessment, not a mortgage, and that applying mortgage-style regulations would jeopardize its ability to provide affordable financing for energy and water efficiency retrofits. The document advocates for national consumer protection standards tailored to the nature of PACE, citing California's existing regulatory framework as a successful model.

The authors argue that the Proposed Plan underestimates the readiness and effectiveness of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). They assert that CCS is technologically viable, citing sixteen integrated projects in North America and the necessity of the technology for deep decarbonization in industrial sectors like steel and cement. The coalition recommends that the Scoping Plan explicitly include CCS for both industrial and power sectors, identify potential synergies with the reduction of toxics and criteria pollutants, and remove regulatory barriers, such as the requirement that carbon capture occur onsite at crude oil production facilities.

The policy brief examines how traditional utility demand charges create a financial barrier for public DC fast-charging networks, often accounting for over 90% of electricity costs. It proposes a shift toward time-varying volumetric rates and low fixed charges to better align costs with the sporadic usage patterns of EV charging.

The document outlines twelve key signs of climate change, including rising global, ocean, and soil temperatures, increasing ocean acidity, and rising sea levels. It attributes these phenomena to the buildup of heat-trapping gases caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of tropical forests. The text highlights specific regional impacts, such as the rapid warming of the Gulf of Maine and the thawing of permafrost in the Arctic, and notes the resulting increase in extreme weather events and shifts in species ranges.

The report argues that California's carpet stewardship program, led by the industry-controlled Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), has failed to meet recycling goals and instead increased the incineration of carpet waste. It contends that incineration—including Waste-to-Energy (WTE), cement kilns, and Carpet as Alternative Fuel (CAAF)—is a wasteful practice that violates the California Public Resources Code's waste management hierarchy. The document highlights significant environmental and health risks, noting that burning carpets containing PVC releases dioxins and unregulated nanoparticles. Financially, it claims WTE is the most expensive energy generation method in the U.S. and can lead to municipal bankruptcy. From a climate perspective, it cites CalRecycle data showing that WTE incineration adds approximately 26,000 metric tons of CO2, whereas recycling saves about 36,000 metric tons. The authors recommend that CalRecycle reject CARE as the stewardship organization and mandate an industry-funded program with enforceable recycling targets.

The report argues that electricity systems can transition to near-total renewable energy at a cost competitive with gas-based systems, provided a portfolio of flexibility resources is deployed. It identifies six types of flexibility needs—ranging from instantaneous reserves to seasonal balancing—and evaluates technologies such as batteries, demand-side management, and hydroelectric power. Regional analysis shows that while most areas are well-positioned for the next decade, long-term needs for intraday and interday balancing will require significant investment and market redesign to avoid costly lock-in of fossil fuel assets.

The paper examines how subnational governments, with a focus on Washington State, can effectively use carbon tax revenues for greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. It argues against a narrow focus on the lowest-cost reductions, which often leads to pitfalls such as overpayment, lack of additionality, and long ramp-up periods. Instead, it recommends a strategic approach that targets market failures, promotes social equity, and leverages existing state programs to ensure rapid and effective deployment of funds.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) developed the Clean Energy Momentum State Ranking to evaluate how US states are driving the transition to clean energy. The ranking uses 12 metrics across three categories: technical progress (renewable energy generation, energy savings, and electric vehicle sales), direct effects (job creation and pollution reduction), and future-oriented policies (renewable energy, energy efficiency, and carbon reduction). California is identified as the overall leader, while Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Hawaii also rank in the top five. The analysis concludes that state-level leadership is critical for national momentum, particularly in creating jobs and improving public health, and recommends that states facilitate business involvement and improve energy equity for low-income communities.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) created the Clean Energy Momentum State Ranking to evaluate how US states are advancing renewable energy, energy efficiency, and vehicle electrification. California, Vermont, and Massachusetts are identified as top overall leaders. The report emphasizes that state-level policy is a critical driver of progress, particularly in the absence of consistent federal leadership, and that clean energy momentum creates jobs and improves public health by reducing power plant emissions.

The Union of Concerned Scientists ranked U.S. states on their clean energy momentum using 12 metrics divided into technical progress, direct effects, and policy environments. California ranked first overall, followed by Vermont and Massachusetts. The analysis found that 13 percent of U.S. electricity was generated from renewable energy in 2015, and 36 percent of generating capacity being built between 2016 and 2019 is expected to be renewable. Significant reductions in power plant emissions were noted between 2011 and 2015, with sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide declining by 47, 24, and 11 percent, respectively.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) evaluated the 50 US states using 12 indicators to rank their progress in clean energy, focusing on renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, and transport electrification. California leads the ranking, followed by Vermont and Massachusetts. The analysis highlights that clean energy progress is tangible across the US, with wind farms in 41 states and over half a million electric vehicles on the road. The report argues that state-level leadership is critical for job creation and public health improvements, and recommends that states adopt multi-dimensional policies, facilitate corporate participation, and improve energy equity for low-income and minority communities.

The analysis finds that February 2017 was the second warmest February on record for the contiguous United States, with temperatures 3.1°C above the 1981–2010 normal. By combining historical observations with CMIP5, HadGEM3-A, and Weather@Home model ensembles, the study concludes that the probability of such a warm event has increased more than threefold due to human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. While the 2017 event had a return period of approximately 12 years in the current climate, it would have been a 1-in-160-year event around 1900. Projections suggest that by 2050, temperatures like those seen in February 2017 will be 'completely normal', occurring roughly every three years.

RMI defends its research on grid defection, asserting that while full disconnection from the utility may currently only be economical in Hawaii, the declining costs of distributed energy resources (DERs) create a risk of stranded utility assets. RMI critiques a Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) study for focusing only on present-day costs and a limited set of DER options, arguing that the threat of future defection empowers customers and necessitates reforms in utility business models and retail pricing to achieve an integrated, cost-optimal grid.

The document outlines how the built environment influences travel behavior, emphasizing that walkable neighborhood design increases the frequency of walking, cycling, and transit use. It details the '5 D's' of community design—Density, Diversity, Design, Destination, and Distance—as the primary factors impacting these choices. Key elements include population density to support services, land use diversity to place destinations in close proximity, safety-enhancing design features like bicycle lanes and traffic calming, and the accessibility of destinations and transit stops within specific distance thresholds.

The report analyzes the California-Quebec linked cap-and-trade program, finding that allowance supply has consistently exceeded emissions from 2013 to 2015, leading to periodic undersubscription at auctions. While recent low auction sales (11% in May 2016 and 18% in February 2017) are viewed as aberrations, the author argues that systemic oversupply persists. Prospective analysis suggests that 78-86% of remaining allowances will be needed for compliance through 2020, with auction demand likely averaging 71-81%. To improve stringency and revenue stability, the report recommends lowering caps, switching to annual compliance, increasing the price floor, and reducing free allowance allocations.