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wind energy
The U.S. experienced significant growth in wind electricity generation between 2000 and 2020, with wind turbines accounting for 8.4% of total utility-scale electricity generation. Research from Net Zero America's 'High Electrification (E+)' scenario suggests that by 2050, Texas could lead the country with over 180 gigawatts of installed capacity, while Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, and Nebraska could each exceed 100 gigawatts. Offshore wind potential is particularly high along the East Coast, with Environment America estimating a potential for over 7,200 terawatt-hours of electricity per year. The document also highlights job growth potential, noting that Texas could support over 130,000 wind energy jobs by 2050, and rural states like Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, and Iowa could see more than 200 jobs per 10,000 residents.
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Document type: Briefing
Conservation Corps: Pairing Climate Action with Economic Opportunity
Conservation corps in the United States employ youths, veterans, and seniors in environmental restoration and resilience projects. These programs, modeled after the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps, provide workforce training in green skills while reducing federal land maintenance costs. Current efforts to expand these programs include President Biden's 2021 Civilian Climate Corps Initiative and various legislative proposals to increase national service positions and funding for reforestation and public land restoration.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Conservation Corps: Pairing Climate Action with Economic Opportunity
The document details the evolution of conservation corps in the U.S., from the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps to modern initiatives like the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps. It highlights the environmental benefits of these programs, such as reforestation and disaster response, and their economic impact, including workforce development and cost-efficient land management. The text also outlines various funding mechanisms and recent legislative efforts, including President Biden's 2021 executive order for a Civilian Climate Corps Initiative, aimed at scaling up resilience and sustainability efforts.
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Document type: Fact sheet
MODELING SHOWS MINNESOTA’S CLIMATE POLICIES WILL CUT EMISSIONS 8 PERCENT, BUT ADDITIONAL POLICIES NEEDED TO LIMIT WARMING TO 1.5°C
The report finds that Minnesota's business-as-usual scenario would only reduce emissions by 8% by 2050, failing to meet state goals or 1.5°C targets. While a proposed 100% clean electricity standard by 2040 could reduce emissions by 19% below the reference scenario, a more comprehensive '1.5°C Scenario'—incorporating aggressive electrification of buildings and transport, industrial fuel switching, and land management—could cut statewide emissions by over 75% by 2050. This deep decarbonization pathway is projected to add $11 billion annually to the state's economy and create 39,000 additional job-years by 2050, while avoiding 700 premature deaths and 20,000 asthma incidents annually.
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Document type: Research paper
The Clean Air Act at 50
The Clean Air Act has significantly improved U.S. air quality and public health since 1970, with benefits outweighing costs by 30-to-1 in 2020. However, the Clean Air Task Force notes that communities of color and low-income populations still suffer disproportionate pollution burdens, and the Trump Administration's rollbacks of climate and methane regulations have undermined the Act's goals.
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Document type: Statement
Clean Transportation Strategies for Rural Communities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States
The report analyzes rural transportation in four Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, finding that while rural households face barriers like lower incomes and limited charging infrastructure, they stand to gain the most financially from electric vehicle (EV) adoption due to higher mileage and less efficient existing fleets. It proposes a comprehensive strategy including EV incentives, expanded public transit, active transportation planning, and broadband expansion to reduce the need for travel.
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Document type: Report
A RESILIENT FUTURE FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES
The report outlines 30 federal policy recommendations to improve coastal resilience in the United States, emphasizing community-led planning, nature-based solutions, and equitable financing. It argues that federal policies must shift from relying on past climate data to anticipating future conditions, particularly for infrastructure and land use. Key priorities include integrating climate justice, supporting tribal sovereignty in adaptation planning, and reforming benefit-cost analysis tools to better value social and environmental outcomes. The document also advocates for the creation of a national 'green bank' and a federal climate heritage coordination office to manage the intersection of cultural preservation and climate change.
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Document type: Report
Rural Communities and the Transportation and Climate Initiative
The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) is a regional program designed to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector by limiting total emissions and requiring fuel distributors to pay into a fund. This fund could generate an estimated $68 billion over ten years for participating states, including Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia. The document highlights that rural residents, who drive more than 13,000 miles annually—over 20% above the regional average—stand to save up to twice as much per capita as urban residents by switching to electric vehicles (EVs). To support this transition, the author suggests higher purchase incentives for low- and moderate-income drivers, expanded rural charging infrastructure, and the growth of vanpools and paratransit services. Additionally, the document emphasizes the need for climate-resilient infrastructure, citing the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene in Vermont as a precedent for the increasing intensity of storms in the region.
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Document type: Fact sheet
CCI Maine Statewide July 2020 Toplines
The July 2020 poll of 600 likely voters in Maine shows strong support for suing oil and gas companies for climate-related damages, with 69% of statewide respondents supporting such action post-messaging. A significant majority of respondents (80% statewide) expressed concern about current climate impacts, primarily citing health risks. The data indicates that providing information about the industry's historical knowledge of climate change and its local economic impacts increases the likelihood of support for legal accountability.
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Document type: Report
Regulatory Solutions for Building Decarbonization
The report argues that current utility regulation is incompatible with an all-electric future and proposes ten strategies to decarbonize US buildings. It emphasizes electrification via heat pumps as the primary solution, warning that alternative fuels like biomethane are costly and limited in scale. Key recommendations include reforming electricity rate designs, updating energy efficiency standards to account for total emissions, and proactively managing the retirement of gas infrastructure to avoid stranded asset risks and inequitable cost burdens on low-income customers.
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Document type: Report
Genie in a bottle
The briefing highlights a crisis in California's bottle bill, where redemption rates have fallen to 66% due to the closure of over 1,200 recycling centers between 2013 and 2019. It proposes reforming the system by implementing 'no-touch' reverse vending machines (RVMs) and bag-drop systems, and expanding the scope to include wine and liquor containers. According to analysis by Eunomia Research & Consulting, moving to a 'best-in-class' (BiC) system with a 96% redemption rate would create 5,000 additional jobs, save 400,000 metric tons of GHG emissions annually, and significantly reduce plastic and aluminum litter in the environment and oceans.
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Document type: Briefing
2020.04.02 - HIG - Letter vFINAL
The Private Equity Stakeholder Project and partner organizations demand that H.I.G. Capital address the 'predatory behavior' of its portfolio companies, Wellpath and TKC Holdings, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors argue that Wellpath's history of understaffing and denying care, alongside TKC Holdings' high costs for commissary and telecom services, exploits incarcerated people and their families. The letter calls for immediate actions, including the release of emergency response plans, free hygiene products, and unlimited free communication to mitigate the health and social impacts of the pandemic in correctional facilities.
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Document type: Statement
Brewing Solutions
The document highlights the economic importance of the beer industry and the risks posed by climate change to barley, hops, and water supplies. It details adaptation efforts, such as the development of drought-resistant crops and water preservation partnerships, alongside operational sustainability measures like using recycled glass and clean energy.
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Document type: Briefing
Voters in Upcoming Primary States Support Climate Action
A February 2020 survey of 1,934 registered voters across 26 U.S. primary states reveals strong support for government action on climate change and a preference for renewable energy over fossil fuels. A majority of respondents support the Green New Deal and specific policies such as a 100% national renewable portfolio standard by 2050. Climate change is a top-tier voting issue for Democrats in these states, and voters indicate they are more likely to support candidates who favor stronger pollution and fuel efficiency standards.
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Document type: Briefing
Cities, Counties, and States Step Up Amidst Trump's Decision to Leave Paris Agreement
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute criticizes the U.S. decision to exit the Paris Agreement, noting that the formal exit date is set for November 4, 2020. Despite this federal withdrawal, the document highlights a surge in subnational commitments to 100 percent clean energy, with one in four Americans now living in such areas. It specifically identifies the 'We Are Still In' coalition and the U.S. Climate Alliance as key drivers of this momentum, alongside corporate commitments through the RE100 program.
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Document type: Statement
Improving Coastal Resilience in the Northeast: Innovative Solutions to Protect Communities, Property, and the Environment
The document is a transcript of a briefing on coastal resilience in the Northeast US. It details the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program, the Waterfront Alliance's efforts to build consensus in the New York City metro area, and the Island Institute's work with rural coastal and island communities in Maine. The discussion emphasizes the role of nature-based solutions, the challenges of funding and capacity in rural areas, and the need for equitable, risk-informed governance to address sea level rise and coastal flooding.
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Document type: Briefing
Who Bears the Burden?
The analysis finds that Latino, Asian American, and African American residents in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are exposed to significantly higher levels of vehicle-related PM2.5 pollution than white residents. The report highlights that white residents comprise 85% of those in the lowest pollution areas, while people of color are overrepresented in the most polluted census tracts, often located near major highways in urban centers. The document argues for targeted investments in clean transportation, such as electric vehicles and buses, to reduce these environmental inequities.
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Document type: Fact sheet
REDUCING EMISSIONS FROM TRANSPORTATION IN THE NORTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC
The document details the financial and environmental impacts of transitioning to clean transportation in Maine. It estimates that a total investment of nearly $27 billion by 2050 would yield nearly $37 billion in returns, resulting in a net benefit of over $9 billion. Key benefits include significant fuel savings, reduced carbon dioxide emissions, and improved local air quality.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Reducing Emissions from Transportation in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
The document argues that Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states can significantly reduce CO2 pollution and consumer fuel spending by transitioning to electric vehicles and low-carbon fuels. It highlights specific targets for emissions cuts and emphasizes the need for equitable investments that prioritize polluted communities and marginalized populations.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Decarbonizing Transportation
The document consists of a series of data tables (Appendix F) detailing the financial and environmental impacts of transportation decarbonization across several US states. It tracks costs such as incremental vehicle costs and charging infrastructure against benefits like gasoline and diesel fuel savings, as well as monetized greenhouse gas (GHG), NOx, and PM2.5 reductions. The data is split between 'MID' and 'HIGH' scenarios for each state, projecting outcomes through 2050.
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Document type: Report