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The report outlines the activities of the St. Louis Controlled Environment Agriculture (STLCEA) Coalition, which selected AeroFarms to develop a large-scale commercial vertical farm and community-based farms in the St. Louis region. It evaluates various energy strategies to reduce the high carbon footprint of indoor farming, including the use of stranded assets like river cooling, underwater turbines, and waste-to-energy systems. Additionally, the document describes the establishment of a Center of Excellence (CoE) led by The Yield Lab Institute to foster knowledge sharing and technological innovation in the fragmented CEA industry while addressing food insecurity and racial inequality in north St. Louis.

The document outlines the shift from static school bus business models to new arrangements necessitated by the different cost structures of electric school buses (ESBs). While ESBs have higher upfront capital costs, they offer lower operating costs and a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) over time, with TCO parity with diesel buses projected by 2029. The guide identifies six key roles in the ESB ecosystem—bus owner, charger owner, bus operator, bus maintenance provider, energy/fuel manager, and electricity customer—and provides examples of various business models, including Charging-as-a-Service and Transportation-as-a-Service, implemented by districts in California, Quebec, Virginia, Illinois, and Maryland.

The report analyzes the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on the U.S. building sector, highlighting its potential to reduce annual emissions by 32 to 33 million metric tons of CO2e by 2030. It details various residential rebates (HEEHRA, HOMES), tax credits (25C, 25D, 45L), and commercial incentives (179D), while emphasizing that these must be paired with stricter appliance standards and updated building codes to overcome slow stock turnover. The document provides specific implementation guidance for State Energy Offices and utility regulators to ensure an equitable transition, particularly for low-to-moderate-income households.

The Pembroke-Hopkins Park Energy Efficiency Pilot (PEEP) provides an alternative to fossil fuel infrastructure in rural Illinois by implementing energy efficiency and electrification upgrades in low-income homes. The project, led by the Community Development Corporation of Pembroke and Hopkins Park (CDC-PHP) in collaboration with RMI and other partners, replaces propane and wood heating with electric air source heat pumps and induction stoves while improving insulation. Early results show reduced energy bills and improved indoor comfort for participants. The project aims to serve as a transferable model for other disenfranchised rural communities across the United States by focusing on community trust and relatable examples of clean energy success.

The report examines the shift from traditional energy efficiency programs, which focus on raw energy savings, toward 'climate-forward efficiency' that prioritizes GHG reductions. It identifies two types of performance incentive mechanisms (PIMs): 'explicit GHG' PIMs, which directly reward carbon reductions, and 'policy intent' PIMs, which implicitly encourage GHG reductions through fuel switching or time-based savings. The document highlights early implementations in New York, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., and suggests that tracking metrics and scorecards can serve as a starting point for states not yet ready for full PIMs.

The report examines the intersection of the U.S. nursing shortage and private equity's expansion into travel nursing. It argues that while the pandemic exacerbated staffing issues, structural problems and profit-seeking by hospitals created a vulnerability that travel nursing agencies and private equity firms have exploited. The document details how private equity firms use leveraged buyouts and dividend recapitalizations to extract value from staffing agencies, while agencies have seen profit margins grow from 15% in 2019 to 62% in 2022. It also covers legislative efforts to address price gouging and the push for mandated staffing ratios.

A coalition of 121 public interest groups and tribal communities is calling on the EPA to strengthen the Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) Rule. They argue that current exemptions for 'legacy ponds' (surface impoundments at plants retired before October 19, 2015) and 'inactive landfills' (those that stopped receiving waste by that date) leave nearly a billion tons of toxic waste unregulated. The petitioners claim the EPA is in violation of a 2018 D.C. Court of Appeals order and its own statutory duties under RCRA to review regulations every three years. The document highlights specific contamination sites in Indiana, Tennessee, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Illinois, emphasizing that these pollutants disproportionately affect low-income and BIPOC communities.

The Climate Central Temperature Attribution System (CC-TAS) Version 1.0 operationalizes a multi-method framework to attribute temperature events to anthropogenic climate change. It utilizes two empirical methods (median-scaling and quantile-scaling) and a model-based method using CMIP6 simulations. To improve upon previous frameworks, CC-TAS incorporates high-resolution CFS reanalysis temperatures, ERA5 reanalysis for scale factors, and skew-normal parameterized distributions. The system introduces the 'occurrence ratio' (OR) as a primary metric to assess both warm and cold events, which is then converted into a conservative categorical 'Climate Shift Index' (CSI) for public mapping, primarily focusing on the contiguous United States.

The document argues that Michigan can meet all electricity needs with wind, solar, and batteries by 2035, leading to significant public health savings, job growth, and emissions reductions, provided the transition is managed equitably.

The document argues that Minnesota can meet its electricity needs with 100 percent renewable energy by 2035, leading to significant public health savings, job growth, and emissions reductions, provided the transition is managed equitably.

The report finds that USCA states can meet 100% of their electricity consumption with renewables by 2035, even with increased demand from electrification. This transition would significantly reduce air pollution, prevent 6,000 to 13,000 premature deaths, and lower average household energy burdens from 3.7% to 3.0% by 2040. While the transition creates substantial net jobs in renewable installation, the authors argue that proactive equity policies are necessary to ensure benefits reach marginalized communities and fossil fuel workers.

The guide explains that Community Project Funding (CPF), a form of discretionary spending available to U.S. senators and representatives, provides a flexible alternative to competitive federal grants for local climate action. It highlights the case of Cohoes, New York, which used $3 million in CPF to build a 3.2 MW floating solar array, and provides strategic advice for communities to secure similar funding by engaging representatives early and focusing on shovel-ready, community-supported projects.

The paper argues that Canada should implement federal legislation to mandate a comprehensive just transition strategy, embedding International Labour Organization principles of social dialogue and decent work. It recommends linking this transition to a 1.5°C-aligned pathway, ensuring the respectful inclusion of Indigenous Peoples, and establishing independent advisory bodies with adequate authority and accountability. Beyond legislation, the author suggests mainstreaming just transition principles across government departments, improving corporate accountability, and planning a managed wind-down of fossil fuel production to support workers.

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.

The report analyzes the transition of Illinois's medium- and heavy-duty (M/HD) vehicle fleet to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) under three scenarios: the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Rule, the ACT plus NOx Omnibus Rule, and a highly ambitious '100 x 40 ZEV + Clean Grid' scenario. The most aggressive scenario is projected to yield cumulative net societal benefits of over $44.6 billion by 2050, including 878 avoided premature deaths and 995 fewer hospital visits. While ZEVs currently have higher purchase costs, the analysis projects that the average ZEV will reach lifetime cost parity with combustion vehicles by 2030. The transition is expected to have positive macroeconomic effects, including net national job gains and increased GDP by 2035, although these gains depend on the development of U.S.-based component manufacturing. Significant infrastructure investment is required, with the 100 x 40 ZEV scenario requiring an average of $130 million annually for depot charging and $169 million for public charging networks through 2050.

Ethylene oxide (EtO) is a colorless, flammable gas used primarily for sterilizing medical equipment and as a chemical building block. Classified as a carcinogen by the EPA and other bodies, chronic inhalation is linked to white blood cell cancers and breast cancer. The document highlights that EtO emissions disproportionately affect low-income communities and people of color, with some areas in Louisiana experiencing cancer risks over 200 times the EPA's acceptable levels. While the EPA has updated the Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing (MON) rule, the document argues that current regulations fail to require fenceline monitoring or a complete phaseout of the chemical, calling for stronger enforcement and the adoption of less toxic alternatives.

The report analyzes how Highland Park, Michigan, can transition to 100 percent locally generated clean energy to achieve energy sovereignty. It identifies a total average annual electricity demand of approximately 86,200 MWh and proposes a mix of rooftop solar, community solar, energy efficiency, distributed solar, and a community water and energy resource center (CWERC) to meet this need. The analysis highlights that current utility restrictions and state policies create long payback periods for solar investments, but a proposed policy scenario—including full retail-rate net metering and state tax credits—could increase rooftop solar's contribution from 13 percent to nearly 30 percent of the city's energy needs. The document concludes with recommendations for Michigan policymakers to eliminate distributed generation caps and for Highland Park leaders to enact solar ordinances and establish local financing mechanisms.

The document outlines the use of HOMER Grid software to optimize energy systems in Highland Park, MI, assuming investments made in 2023. It details building stock estimates, electricity rate tariffs from DTE Energy, and the impact of policy incentives like net metering and SRECs on payback periods for residential and commercial solar installations.

The document examines the environmental and health risks of coal ash, one of the largest industrial waste streams in the US, and advocates for 'clean closure' (full remediation and excavation) over limited cleanup plans. Using case studies from the J. M. Stuart plant in Ohio and the Sebree Generating Station in Kentucky, the authors demonstrate that comprehensive cleanup generates significantly more jobs and economic output than utility-proposed plans. The report highlights that coal ash sites disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color, particularly in the Ohio River Valley, and recommends stronger EPA enforcement, polluter-pays funding, and the prioritization of dislocated workers in hiring.

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.