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The document outlines four primary categories of financial interventions for regional governments to accelerate the energy transition: increasing capital availability, implementing first-cost solutions, creating market incentives, and reducing procurement costs. It details specific mechanisms such as green investment banks, energy savings performance contracts, carbon pricing, and reverse auctions, providing examples of legislation and programs from various global jurisdictions to illustrate their application.

The document outlines three primary actions for regional governments to mitigate the climate impact of waste: diverting organic waste from landfills, banning the open burning of municipal and agricultural waste, and implementing gas collection and energy recovery systems at landfills.

The document argues that the U.S. is unprepared for an accelerating wave of nuclear plant shutdowns. It highlights critical risks including deteriorating spent fuel pools, inadequate dry cask storage, and the potential for long-term environmental contamination. The briefing emphasizes the lack of state and local oversight, the insufficiency of decommissioning funds—estimated by some to be $40 billion short—and the dangers of transporting radioactive waste to consolidated interim storage (CIS) sites. It uses case studies from Zion, Illinois; Rowe, Massachusetts; and San Clemente, California, to illustrate the devastating economic impacts and public health risks associated with decommissioning failures.

The report identifies USD264bn in outstanding bonds from 1,436 climate-aligned US municipal 'pure-play' issuers, suggesting a significant opportunity to scale the green bond market through refinancing. While issuance grew to USD12bn in 2017, it declined in H1 2018 due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Acts of 2017, which reduced refunding bond volume. The water sector represents the largest potential, accounting for 64% (USD170bn) of the identified climate-aligned universe, followed by transport at 30% (USD78.5bn). The report highlights that waste, energy, and land use sectors are currently underrepresented in the green bond market despite having substantial climate-aligned activity.

The report warns that sea level rise puts hundreds of thousands of US coastal properties at risk of chronic inundation, potentially leading to a collapse in real estate values and a significant erosion of local tax bases. Using a high sea level rise scenario, the analysis projects that by 2100, nearly 2.5 million properties valued at $1.07 trillion today will be at risk. The authors argue that current financial markets and government policies mask these risks, creating a 'narrowing window of opportunity' for communities to adapt. The report highlights particular vulnerabilities for low-income populations, the elderly, and specific states like Florida and New Jersey, while advocating for updated flood maps, transparent risk disclosure, and a shift away from subsidized insurance and disaster aid that encourages rebuilding in high-risk areas.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rejected ExxonMobil's attempt to block Attorney General Maura Healey from obtaining records to investigate if the company concealed knowledge about fossil fuels and climate change. The court ruled that Exxon's franchise agreements do not shield it from such investigations and affirmed the Attorney General's authority to use consumer protection statutes to investigate climate denial, potentially setting a precedent for similar litigation in other states with comparable laws.

The document analyzes the different approaches the U.S. and China take to overcome barriers to electric vehicle (EV) adoption, such as high upfront costs and limited charging infrastructure. While the U.S. relies on a mix of federal tax credits and varied state-level incentives, China has implemented more aggressive central government subsidies, a 'dual-credit policy' for manufacturers, and significant government fleet mandates. China's approach has led to faster growth in EV registrations and a larger network of charging outlets compared to the U.S.

The document describes Exxon's legal strategy of initiating discovery processes in Texas against public officials and attorneys from California and Massachusetts. The author characterizes these actions as intimidation tactics designed to disrupt lawsuits filed by California jurisdictions against fossil fuel producers for their role in the climate crisis. It highlights previous failed attempts by Exxon to claim a conspiracy involving NGOs and prosecutors in New York and Massachusetts, and argues that the company is attempting to use municipal bond disclosures to allege fraud against the cities suing it.

The guide encourages people to overcome the 'spiral' of silence regarding climate change by engaging in interpersonal conversations. It suggests using a combination of scientific data on extreme weather, personal narratives of climate impacts, and economic arguments regarding the competitiveness and job-creation potential of clean energy to persuade others.

The document argues that the traditional cost-of-service regulation (COSR) model creates a capital bias that hinders the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs). To transition utilities into distribution system optimizers (DSOs), the author proposes integrated distribution planning (IDP) to reveal the locational value of DERs. Two regulatory pathways are examined: an information-intensive approach that separates the DSO function from asset ownership to create competitive markets, and an outcome-focused approach using performance-based regulation (PBR) to align utility profits with system optimization and public policy goals.

The document argues that federal light-duty vehicle standards set by the EPA and NHTSA in 2012 provide significant benefits to Massachusetts, including fuel savings, job creation, and emissions reductions. By 2030, the average Massachusetts household is projected to be $2,650 richer due to gas savings outweighing the upfront cost of more efficient vehicles. To date, the state has saved $700 million, and the standards are expected to create 15,200 new jobs in the state. Environmentally, the standards eliminate global warming emissions equivalent to those produced by providing electricity to the city of Boston.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) defines 'chronic inundation' as tidal flooding affecting 10% or more of a community's usable land at least 26 times per year. Under a moderate (intermediate) scenario, nearly 170 communities will reach this threshold by 2035, increasing to over 270 by 2060 and nearly 490 by 2100. A high scenario projects up to 670 communities affected by 2100, including over 50 populous cities such as New York City (four boroughs), Boston, and Oakland. The report highlights that socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods are disproportionately affected and argues that aggressive emissions reductions aligned with the Paris Agreement could spare hundreds of communities from this fate. Adaptation options include defending (seawalls, levees), accommodating (elevating homes, pumps), and managed retreat.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) identifies Massachusetts communities at risk of 'chronic inundation'—defined as high tide flooding 10% or more of usable, non-wetland area at least 26 times per year. Under an intermediate sea level rise scenario, five communities will face this by 2060 and 13 by 2100. Under a high scenario, those five communities will be affected by 2045, with 23 communities affected by 2100. The report highlights that working-class towns like Chelsea and Revere are particularly vulnerable, with up to 30% of Chelsea's land area potentially chronically inundated by 2060. The UCS argues that limiting warming to approximately 1.8°C could spare several communities, including Boston and Cambridge, from this fate. Recommended responses include phasing out risky coastal development, enhancing FEMA's mitigation programs, and creating new policies for managed retreat and relocation.

The report argues that California's carpet stewardship program, led by the industry-controlled Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), has failed to meet recycling goals and instead increased the incineration of carpet waste. It contends that incineration—including Waste-to-Energy (WTE), cement kilns, and Carpet as Alternative Fuel (CAAF)—is a wasteful practice that violates the California Public Resources Code's waste management hierarchy. The document highlights significant environmental and health risks, noting that burning carpets containing PVC releases dioxins and unregulated nanoparticles. Financially, it claims WTE is the most expensive energy generation method in the U.S. and can lead to municipal bankruptcy. From a climate perspective, it cites CalRecycle data showing that WTE incineration adds approximately 26,000 metric tons of CO2, whereas recycling saves about 36,000 metric tons. The authors recommend that CalRecycle reject CARE as the stewardship organization and mandate an industry-funded program with enforceable recycling targets.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) developed the Clean Energy Momentum State Ranking to evaluate how US states are driving the transition to clean energy. The ranking uses 12 metrics across three categories: technical progress (renewable energy generation, energy savings, and electric vehicle sales), direct effects (job creation and pollution reduction), and future-oriented policies (renewable energy, energy efficiency, and carbon reduction). California is identified as the overall leader, while Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Hawaii also rank in the top five. The analysis concludes that state-level leadership is critical for national momentum, particularly in creating jobs and improving public health, and recommends that states facilitate business involvement and improve energy equity for low-income communities.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) created the Clean Energy Momentum State Ranking to evaluate how US states are advancing renewable energy, energy efficiency, and vehicle electrification. California, Vermont, and Massachusetts are identified as top overall leaders. The report emphasizes that state-level policy is a critical driver of progress, particularly in the absence of consistent federal leadership, and that clean energy momentum creates jobs and improves public health by reducing power plant emissions.

The Union of Concerned Scientists ranked U.S. states on their clean energy momentum using 12 metrics divided into technical progress, direct effects, and policy environments. California ranked first overall, followed by Vermont and Massachusetts. The analysis found that 13 percent of U.S. electricity was generated from renewable energy in 2015, and 36 percent of generating capacity being built between 2016 and 2019 is expected to be renewable. Significant reductions in power plant emissions were noted between 2011 and 2015, with sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide declining by 47, 24, and 11 percent, respectively.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) evaluated the 50 US states using 12 indicators to rank their progress in clean energy, focusing on renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, and transport electrification. California leads the ranking, followed by Vermont and Massachusetts. The analysis highlights that clean energy progress is tangible across the US, with wind farms in 41 states and over half a million electric vehicles on the road. The report argues that state-level leadership is critical for job creation and public health improvements, and recommends that states adopt multi-dimensional policies, facilitate corporate participation, and improve energy equity for low-income and minority communities.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) supports Massachusetts' proposed technology-neutral Clean Energy Standard, which includes nuclear power and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) to help achieve an 80% reduction in grid carbon emissions by 2050. However, CATF argues that the proposed power plant emissions caps are not deep enough and fail to account for the 'maximum technologically feasible reductions' required by law. Additionally, the document criticizes the state's methane reduction proposals for being too narrow, focusing only on certain leaky distribution pipelines for three years while ignoring larger transmission and storage facilities.

The report addresses the conflict between the Northeastern U.S.'s aggressive renewable energy targets and its limited available land. It argues that meeting these goals requires a combination of innovative siting on low-conflict lands (such as brownfields and prison lands), the acceleration of offshore wind, the use of distributed energy resources, and the import of Canadian hydroelectricity. The authors emphasize that overcoming local opposition through early community engagement and 'Smart from the Start' principles is critical to avoiding project delays and failures.