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Intervenors, represented by Earthjustice, submitted additional evidence to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to argue that the proposed Dominion Cove Point LNG facility faces significant climate-related risks. The submission includes a NOAA report predicting an above-normal 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, a Maryland Climate Change Commission report projecting sea-level rise of up to 5.7 feet by 2100, and an IPIECA report on oil and gas industry adaptation. The intervenors contend that these factors increase the likelihood of catastrophic facility breaches or ship accidents and demand a comprehensive climate risk assessment covering the project's design, location, and shipping activities.

The report details a collaborative effort to increase energy savings in GSA buildings, noting that the National Deep Energy Retrofit (NDER) program has already increased average project savings from 18% to 39%. It proposes several strategies to achieve deeper retrofits, including the use of integrative design charrettes, expanding revenue streams to include tenant and O&M savings, and adopting 'Option C' measurement and verification for whole-building solutions. The document also emphasizes the need to shorten the preliminary audit phase and improve communication between GSA and energy service companies (ESCOs) to reduce project timelines, which typically stretch 18–24 months.

The 'Energy 101' Model Curriculum is a one-semester interdisciplinary framework developed by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It aims to foster 'energy literate decision making' by combining the science of energy with economic, ethical, societal, and international factors. The curriculum is structured into five units: Introduction to Energy, Energy Basics, Energy Sources, Energy Technology and Practice, and Energy Policy and Decision-Making. It utilizes the National Training & Education Resource (NTER), an open-source cloud-based platform, to provide instructional materials and interactive graphics. The framework is currently being tested at the University of Maryland, with further implementations planned at Harford Community College and Cecil Community College.

The Union of Concerned Scientists identifies hundreds of U.S. coal generators as 'ripe for retirement' due to high operating costs and vulnerability to 'energy-water collisions.' Many of these plants rely on once-through cooling systems that withdraw massive amounts of water and are subject to strict EPA temperature discharge limits. The report argues that replacing these aging plants with renewables or energy efficiency would significantly reduce national water withdrawals and consumption, particularly in states like Alabama, Maryland, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

A 2013 survey of Maryland residents reveals high levels of concern about climate change, with 86% believing it is happening and a majority supporting state-level sustainability policies. While residents prefer renewable energy sources like solar and wind, there is significant uncertainty regarding the state's actual energy mix. The report also highlights a gap between public support for climate action and individual behaviors, noting that home energy conservation is more common than transportation-related reductions.

A survey of Maryland residents in 2013 found that air pollution is viewed as the top personal health risk and that a majority of residents believe climate change is already harming people in the United States. The study highlights a strong public preference for renewable energy sources over fossil fuels and nuclear power due to health concerns. It also reveals that residents with multiple pre-existing medical conditions are more likely to perceive themselves as vulnerable to climate-related health impacts. Additionally, the report notes high public support for government prioritisation of protecting public water supplies and human health from environmental threats.

The report identifies a critical gap between climate science outputs and the operational needs of transportation practitioners. It argues that adaptation requires not only improved climate data—such as updated precipitation atlases and sea-level rise projections—but also a deep understanding of local non-climate factors like infrastructure elevation and soil saturation. The document emphasizes the need for a 'central clearinghouse' of information, better 'Climate-to-English' translation of scientific terms, and the integration of climate risk into existing asset management and budgeting processes. It highlights various pilot projects and tools, including the FHWA Risk Assessment Model and Toronto's Climate Change Risk Assessment Tool, as pathways toward increasing the adaptive capacity of transportation systems.

The report details the public health dangers of flooding, including drowning, waterborne diseases, mold-induced respiratory issues, and mental health trauma. It argues that climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation and sea-level rise, exacerbating these risks, particularly in areas with combined sewer overflow systems and high-density floodplain development.

The briefing argues that traditional utility rebate programs, which focus on single-technology upgrades, yield only 1 to 5 percent whole-building savings. In contrast, a 'deep retrofit' approach—optimizing the building as a whole—can achieve 30 to 50 percent savings. To scale this, the authors propose the 'Deep Energy Efficiency Pays' (DEEP) program, which provides an additional incentive for projects that meet a specific energy savings threshold (e.g., 30 percent). This incentive is designed to 'tip' the economics of projects that would otherwise be financially unviable for building owners. The document highlights the Empire State Building as a successful example of a deep retrofit and discusses existing programs in California and Connecticut as precursors to this model.

The report argues that the nuclear power industry has relied on extensive taxpayer and ratepayer subsidies for over 50 years, which mask the true costs of production and shift significant financial, safety, and environmental risks to the public. It finds that legacy subsidies for the first generation of reactors often exceeded the value of the power produced, and that new reactors are poised to repeat this pattern with projected subsidies ranging from 70% to 200% of their power value. The author recommends reducing nuclear subsidies, implementing technology-neutral competitive bidding for low-carbon energy, and modernizing liability and waste management systems to internalize costs.

The Union of Concerned Scientists argues that the nuclear power industry is seeking tens of billions of dollars in new federal subsidies through the American Power Act (APA) and the American Clean Energy Leadership Act (ACELA). The report estimates that if eight new reactors are built, subsidies could exceed $40 billion, and if all 31 reactors pending with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are built, total subsidies could range from $65 billion to $147 billion. The document contends that these incentives—including expanded loan guarantees, accelerated depreciation, and investment tax credits—mask the high costs of nuclear power and disadvantage more cost-effective alternatives like energy efficiency and renewable energy. It further asserts that the industry already benefits from significant subsidies under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, citing a case study of the Calvert Cliffs reactor where public subsidies are estimated to approach or exceed private investment.

The report documents 31 cases of environmental contamination from coal combustion waste (CCW) across 14 US states, identifying that 15 sites have off-site contamination exceeding drinking water or surface water standards, while 16 show severe on-site pollution. It highlights the presence of toxic metals such as arsenic, lead, and selenium, and argues that the lack of federal regulation for CCW disposal poses a significant risk to public health and the environment, particularly in low-income communities.

The document analyzes the challenges facing the U.S. advanced biofuels industry, including the 'valley of death' between pilot projects and commercialization, volatile petroleum prices, and regulatory uncertainties. It argues that while the federal government provides essential broad-scale support, state governments are uniquely positioned to guide the industry by leveraging local geography and resources. The report proposes ten specific policy options for states, ranging from resource inventorying and sustainable feedstock guidelines to the implementation of low carbon fuel standards and interagency cooperation, highlighting examples from states like California, Oregon, and Tennessee.

The World Resources Institute analysis finds that while existing federal and state tools can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, even the most ambitious 'Go-Getter' scenario falls short of the U.S. Copenhagen pledge to reduce emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. The report models three levels of regulatory ambition—Lackluster, Middle-of-the-Road, and Go-Getter—across key sectors including power plants, transportation, and industry. It concludes that additional legislative action is necessary to meet international climate targets and the long-term goal of 80 to 95 percent reductions by 2050.

Dr. Hyde Merrill provides expert testimony challenging the technical necessity of the $1.8 billion PATH transmission project. He argues that PJM Interconnection's reliability claims are based on flawed planning, inaccurate extrapolations, and undocumented changes in assumptions. Specifically, he asserts that alleged voltage issues could be resolved with capacitors costing $40 million, and that thermal violations on lower-voltage lines could be fixed for approximately $66 million. He further claims that 500-kV thermal violations are speculative, based on unreliable extrapolation rather than contingency analysis, and ignore available generation and demand-side management resources. Merrill concludes that the project would increase reliance on remote coal-fired power and recommends a strategic shift toward local renewables and gas-fired plants.

The report analyzes the EPA's 2007 risk assessment, finding that unlined coal ash ponds and landfills pose severe cancer and non-cancer risks to humans and aquatic ecosystems. It specifically highlights that residents near unlined ponds mixing ash and coal refuse face a 1 in 50 cancer risk from arsenic, 2,000 times the EPA's regulatory goal. The document also notes that boron levels in surface waters can reach 2,000 times safe thresholds for aquatic life. It argues that the EPA underestimated these risks by ignoring direct surface water releases and inhalation pathways, and calls for the phase-out of ash ponds within five years and the mandatory use of composite liners for landfills.

The Union of Concerned Scientists asserts that the United States requires federal legislation to overcome barriers in the planning and siting of transmission lines, which currently hinder the deployment of renewable energy. The document advocates for 'Green Energy Superhighways' to connect remote renewable resource areas to population centers, while emphasizing that federal authority should act as a backstop when states cannot agree on facilities of national interest. It warns that without a federal cap-and-trade system, transmission expansion in the Northeastern United States could inadvertently increase carbon emissions by allowing coal-based power to flow from non-RGGI states to those with emission caps.

The clean car standards, initiated by California's AB 1493 and adopted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), comprise regulations for air quality, global warming, and zero-emission vehicles. These standards aim for a 30% reduction in global warming pollution from new vehicles by 2016 and are more stringent than federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, targeting a fleet average fuel economy equivalent of 39.2 mpg by 2020 compared to the federal 35 mpg. As of January 2009, 13 states and the District of Columbia had adopted these standards, which are projected to reduce cumulative global warming emissions by 451 million metric tons of CO2E by 2020 across those 15 jurisdictions.

The report argues that RGGI's design, which caps emissions only for power plants within participating states, creates a price advantage for imported electricity from coal-heavy states like West Virginia and Pennsylvania. This 'leakage' is exacerbated by excess capacity in existing coal plants and planned transmission upgrades that facilitate power flow from west to east. The authors suggest that RGGI states should implement retail-level carbon caps, prohibit contracts with high-emission plants, and prioritize transmission projects aligned with climate goals to prevent the expansion of coal-based power.

The report warns that the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) risks 'undercutting itself' because it only prices emissions from power plants within its region. This creates an economic incentive for electricity suppliers in RGGI states to import cheaper, carbon-intensive power from coal-producing states like West Virginia and Ohio. The document provides 'carbon math' showing that utilizing excess capacity from 15 existing coal plants could produce pollution 'three and a half times the cuts expected under the initiative,' and that six plants under construction nearby could emit pollution equal to '140 percent of RGGI’s reductions.' To prevent this 'leak,' the authors suggest capping the entire portfolio of local electricity suppliers, limiting contracts with polluting plants, and requiring suppliers to account for emissions from electricity produced outside the region.