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A coalition of organizations advocates for Colorado's Air Quality Control Commission to adopt clean truck rules to mitigate the health impacts of diesel pollution in marginalized communities, specifically those along the I-70 corridor.

The document outlines the financial landscape for electric school bus (ESB) adoption in the US, noting that while ESBs can cost up to three times more than diesel buses upfront, they offer significant lifetime operational savings. It details various funding mechanisms—including grants, rebates, vouchers, and loans—and identifies specific funding sources from the federal government (such as the IIJA), state programs (like California's HVIP), and local utilities or air quality districts. The guide also emphasizes the role of financing and 'stacking' multiple funding streams to make electrification viable for school districts.

The statement criticizes the City of Denver for supporting a settlement with Xcel Energy that delays the retirement of the Comanche 3 coal plant until 2035 and allows continued use of fracked gas for at least 40 years. The author contends that this agreement contradicts Denver's goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and harms vulnerable Latino communities in Pueblo and North Denver who suffer from pollution-related health issues.

The report argues that Canada requires comprehensive federal just transition legislation to provide certainty for workers and communities as the country moves toward a low-carbon economy. It identifies critical gaps in Canada's previous approach to the coal transition, such as a lack of negotiating power for advisory bodies and insufficient monitoring. Drawing on case studies from Spain, New Zealand, the US, South Africa, and the EU, the authors recommend that new legislation entrench International Labour Organization (ILO) principles, mandate a comprehensive just transition strategy, and establish a dedicated implementation agency. Key priorities include the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples as full partners, the use of 'tripartite-plus' social dialogue, and the enforcement of corporate accountability to ensure the polluter-pays principle is upheld.

GreenLatinos advocates for the immediate passage of the Build Back Better Act (BBBA), arguing that the legislation is essential for providing climate justice, clean energy infrastructure, and water security to disproportionately affected Latino and Indigenous communities. The organization specifically calls on Senator Joe Manchin and Colorado Senators Hickenlooper and Bennett to support the bill's provisions on coastal restoration, lead removal from drinking water, and sustainable transportation.

The report finds that most of the 88+ GW of proposed US gas power plants are economically uncompetitive compared to Clean Energy Portfolios (CEPs), which combine wind, solar, storage, energy efficiency, and demand flexibility. At least 70 GW of proposed gas capacity could be avoided using CEPs, potentially saving $22 billion and reducing CO2 emissions by 873 million metric tons over 20 years. The analysis highlights six key headwinds—including declining renewable costs, rising gas prices, and public health impacts—that increase the risk of project cancellations or stranded assets. Specifically, in a central analysis case, 40% of proposed combined cycle (CC) plants would cost more to operate than a new CEP would cost to build within 10 years, a figure that could rise to 80-90% under certain economic scenarios. The report also notes that CEPs create more jobs and avoid significant health costs, particularly in low-income communities and communities of color.

GreenLatinos supports the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework for its investments in public transit, lead pipe replacement, and electric grid modernization, while calling for the immediate passage of the Build Back Better Act to address the climate crisis and protect frontline Latino communities.

The report evaluates zero-emission alternatives to natural gas-driven pneumatic controllers, which are known to release methane. It focuses on electric controllers and solar-powered instrument air systems, finding that both are cost-effective compared to the social cost of methane. The analysis highlights that electric controllers generally offer the lowest abatement costs and that recent technological advancements, such as vertical solar panel stacking and new failsafe systems for Emergency Shut Down (ESD), have expanded the viability of these technologies.

The Union of Concerned Scientists documents how the fossil fuel industry in Colorado employs four primary disinformation tactics—The Fix, The Diversion, The Screen, and The Fake—to maintain political control and undermine public health and safety. The report details the industry's use of front groups, lobbying, and misleading economic claims to thwart regulations and ballot initiatives, while highlighting the disproportionate impact of pollution on communities of color and low-income residents. It concludes with recommendations for state regulators to prioritize science and community voices over industry profits.

The Union of Concerned Scientists outlines how state legislation can leverage energy storage to advance equity, focusing on replacing fossil fuel peaker plants, increasing community resiliency, and expanding access to distributed energy resources for low-income and overburdened communities.

The briefing highlights that transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, driven by a reliance on personal vehicles and sprawling land use. It asserts that reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by 20% by 2030 is necessary to limit warming to 1.5°C, regardless of electric vehicle adoption. The author proposes a combination of smart growth development, transportation pricing signals, and roadway redesign to achieve these reductions, noting that an integrated transportation demand management (TDM) plan can compound these benefits.

As of August 2021, fewer than 1% of U.S. school buses are electric, with adoption heavily concentrated in California and suburban areas. While 33 states have committed to electric buses, the report emphasizes that targeted public funding is essential to ensure these benefits reach vulnerable communities and rural areas, which currently lag in deployment despite the health risks posed by diesel emissions to students.

As of December 2021, 1,828 electric school buses were committed across 36 US states, representing a 57% increase since June 2021. California is the primary leader in adoption, holding nearly half of all commitments. While adoption correlates with high median household income, it is more evenly distributed across different poverty levels. The report notes that the vast majority of the US school bus fleet (95%) still relies on diesel, and that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has allocated $5 billion over five years to accelerate the transition to lower-emission buses.

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 argues that substituting portland cement with SCMs—such as fly ash, ground glass, natural pozzolans, and blast furnace slag—is a cost-effective way to reduce the embodied carbon of concrete. It highlights that up to 40% substitution is possible in the US, potentially saving 27 Mt CO2e per year and reducing emissions for specific applications by up to 80%. However, it notes that supply for some SCMs is geographically constrained or declining due to the phase-out of coal power, suggesting the reclamation of stored fly ash and the use of natural pozzolans as viable future alternatives.

The document outlines a comprehensive modeling framework designed to assess the impact of three policy scenarios—the California Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) Rule, the NOx Omnibus Rule, and a '100 x 40 ZEV + Clean Grid' scenario—on the U.S. medium- and heavy-duty (M/HD) vehicle fleet. The framework integrates five analyses: fuel use and emissions, health impacts, economic and jobs effects, utility impacts, and infrastructure gaps. It utilizes tools such as the STate Emission Pathways (STEP) Tool, EPA's MOVES3 and COBRA, and IMPLAN software to quantify changes in greenhouse gases, criteria pollutants (NOx and PM), and macroeconomic metrics like GDP and employment. The report details specific assumptions regarding battery cost trajectories, charging infrastructure requirements, and the social cost of greenhouse gases to ensure a standardized approach for subsequent state-specific reports.

The document outlines the legal and procedural steps of federal rulemaking and place-specific environmental actions, such as permitting and Superfund cleanups. It provides strategic advice for citizens to submit effective comments, request meetings with officials, and use legal mechanisms like citizen suits to ensure agency accountability. A significant portion of the guide is dedicated to environmental justice, explaining how marginalized communities are disproportionately affected by pollution and climate change and detailing resources and grants available to help these communities participate in decision-making.

The report finds that a vast majority of U.S. coal capacity is now more expensive to operate than building new wind or solar power. As of 2020, 72% of coal capacity (166 GW) was deemed uneconomic or slated for retirement by 2025. The authors argue that this 'cost crossover' is accelerating due to rapid declines in renewable costs and falling coal capacity factors. The document recommends that policymakers implement all-source competitive procurement and coal asset securitization to transition to cleaner, cheaper energy portfolios while managing the financial risks of early plant retirement.

The report evaluates Colorado's emissions trajectory and proposes a '1.5°C Scenario' to bridge the gap between current policies and climate goals. This scenario emphasizes a rapid transition to 100% clean electricity by 2035, the electrification of transportation and buildings, and the reduction of industrial methane leaks. Implementing these measures is projected to reduce net emissions by 85% below business-as-usual levels by 2050, while creating up to 36,000 new jobs and providing significant public health benefits, including the prevention of over 1,400 deaths annually by 2050.

RMI analysis indicates that Colorado's plan to add nearly 200 new highway lane-miles by 2030 could induce 1 to 1.5 billion additional annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT), equivalent to adding 70,000 more vehicles to the roads each year. The report argues that road expansion fails to provide long-term congestion relief because travel demand increases proportionally to new capacity, a phenomenon known as induced travel. These expansions are estimated to increase cumulative direct and upstream greenhouse gas emissions by 8 to 15 million tons of CO2-equivalent through 2050, costing over $3 billion in direct project costs. RMI advocates for shifting investment toward public transit, micro-mobility, and compact, mixed-use community development to achieve a 10 percent reduction in VMT by 2030.