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The report argues that rate-regulated utilities use 'self-commitment' to bypass market merit order, running coal plants that are objectively uneconomic and passing the resulting losses to captive customers through state fuel-cost-recovery processes. Using PLEXOS modeling for the MISO region in 2018, the authors find that this practice cost customers $350 million and suppressed regional market clearing prices by 2.4%. The report identifies Cleco and DTE Energy as significant contributors to these distortions and recommends that state regulators disallow the recovery of imprudent, above-market costs to incentivize efficient dispatch.

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 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 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 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.

Minnesota's electric cooperatives, serving 30% of the state's customers, remain tied to coal-fired power plants in North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming through Generation & Transmission (G&T) co-ops. While investor-owned utilities in Minnesota are phasing out coal, these co-ops face 'all-requirements' contracts and long-term fuel agreements that restrict their ability to adopt renewables. Many of these out-of-state plants operate uneconomically, costing customers over $93 million between 2015 and 2017.

The document advocates for a transition to cleaner transportation fuels in the US Midwest, highlighting the region's leadership in biofuels and wind energy. It proposes clean fuels standards as a mechanism to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation, promote higher ethanol blends, and accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).

The report argues that a negative feedback loop exists in the United States where restrictive voting laws and partisan gerrymandering insulate legislators from accountability, leading to the adoption of policies that exacerbate public health disparities. Using data from America's Health Rankings and the Cost of Voting Index, the author finds that states with greater partisan bias and higher barriers to voting are associated with lower life expectancy and more severe health declines between 2010 and 2017. Specifically, the report links extreme gerrymandering to higher increases in opioid deaths among African Americans in high-poverty states and higher infant mortality for non-Hispanic black communities. To break this cycle, the document recommends reforms to reduce the costs of eligibility (such as automatic voter registration), reduce the costs of casting a vote (such as early in-person voting), and protect the equal value of votes through independent redistricting commissions and public campaign financing.

The report analyzes future extreme heat in the US, finding that a 'no action' emissions scenario would lead to a staggering increase in dangerously hot days, particularly in the Sunbelt and Midwest, while rapid action could significantly limit these risks.

The document details the systemic contamination of groundwater by coal ash at 91% of monitored U.S. coal plants, highlighting the toxicity of substances like arsenic and lead. It describes legal actions and community advocacy used to challenge the Trump administration's attempts to weaken the 2015 coal ash rule and discusses the implementation of the Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act (Senate Bill 9) in Illinois to ensure financial assurance and transparency in cleanups.

The report details how Securus Technologies, under the ownership of Platinum Equity, extracts high fees from incarcerated individuals and their families for phone calls, money transfers, and e-messaging. It highlights the disproportionate impact on women of color and low-income communities, noting that one in three families go into debt to cover these costs. The document also outlines regulatory risks, including FCC fines and legislative efforts to make prison calls free, as well as severe privacy breaches involving the recording of attorney-client privileged calls and the use of biometric voice prints.

The report finds that a significant portion of the U.S. coal fleet is now more expensive to operate than replacing it with new local wind and solar power. In 2018, 74% of the fleet was 'at risk' of being undercut by renewables, a figure projected to rise to 86% by 2025. The analysis emphasizes that these findings are conservative because they only consider resources within 35 miles of existing plants and do not account for broader transmission expansion or combined energy portfolios.

The document explores the integration of customer clean energy demand into utility planning, focusing on the role of Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs) in the US. It argues that early collaboration between utilities and customers can lead to more efficient clean energy procurement, faster decarbonization, and lower costs. The report details the IRP process, identifies barriers to customer engagement—such as limited resources and lack of transparency—and provides pathways for involvement through direct engagement, stakeholder forums, and regulatory proceedings.

In August 2017, Cummins signed a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with EDP Renewables (EDPR) North America for 75 megawatts (MW) of wind capacity to expand the Meadow Lake Wind Farm in Northwest Indiana. The deal is designed to avoid 165,000 tCO2e per year starting January 1, 2019, representing a significant scale-up from Cummins' existing 8 MW of solar capacity. To secure internal buy-in, Cummins utilized Monte Carlo simulations on historical price data to assess financial risk and validated the deal's value through the Business Renewables Center and Schneider Electric. The project emphasizes 'additionality' by adding new capacity to the grid and focuses on local community benefits in Benton and White Counties, Indiana.

The report details how neonicotinoids contaminate plants, soil, and water, leading to the decline of pollinators and other essential invertebrates. It argues that these chemicals provide marginal economic benefits while posing significant risks to ecosystem services, and criticizes the Canadian regulatory system for its slow re-evaluation process and historical use of conditional registrations.

The United States produces over 70 million tons of organic waste annually, yet utilizes less than 20 percent of its biogas potential. By employing anaerobic digestion to process livestock manure, food waste, and crop residues, the U.S. could add 13,500 new biogas systems, creating over 350,000 total jobs and significantly reducing methane emissions. Biogas can be used for on-site heat and power or refined into renewable natural gas (RNG) for pipelines and vehicles, with the potential to replace 10 percent of U.S. natural gas. Key policy drivers include the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and various USDA and DOE funding programs, though some face appropriation reductions.

The United States produces over 70 million tons of organic waste annually, yet only 2,200 biogas systems are currently operating, representing less than 20 percent of the total potential. Biogas, produced via anaerobic digestion, can be used for heat, electricity, or upgraded to renewable natural gas (RNG) for pipelines and vehicles. The document highlights that expanding to 13,500 additional systems could create over 335,000 construction jobs and 23,000 permanent jobs while significantly reducing methane emissions. Key feedstocks include food waste, landfill gas, livestock manure, wastewater sludge, and crop residues. Federal support is provided through the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the Farm Bill, and agency programs like AgSTAR and the Landfill Methane Outreach Program.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) implements minimum efficiency standards for over 60 categories of residential and commercial products to reduce energy waste and carbon emissions. These standards, supported by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, have resulted in billions of dollars in consumer savings and significant greenhouse gas reductions. While federal mandates provide a baseline, voluntary programs like ENERGY STAR and state-level regulations, such as those in California, further drive efficiency. The document highlights the transition to LED lighting and the emergence of 'smart' technologies and net-zero buildings as key drivers for future energy reductions in the building sector.

The document details how the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) uses the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 to mandate minimum efficiency standards for over 60 product categories. It highlights the economic and environmental benefits of these standards, including billions in consumer savings and significant reductions in carbon emissions. The text also discusses voluntary programs like ENERGY STAR, the impact of LED lighting, and the potential for future standards targeting electronic 'plug load' and smart building technologies.

The document argues that federal light-duty vehicle standards set by the EPA and NHTSA provide significant financial and environmental advantages to Indiana. By 2030, the average Indiana household is projected to be $2,050 richer due to gas savings, and the state is expected to see 20,800 new jobs. To date, Indiana has saved $680 million. Environmentally, the standards eliminate global warming emissions equivalent to half of those produced by providing electricity to Indianapolis.