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The report projects that Michigan will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding, and agricultural disruptions by the end of the century, particularly under a higher-emissions scenario. It highlights risks to public health from extreme heat and ozone pollution, as well as threats to the state's dairy and corn industries. To mitigate these effects, the document advocates for strengthening renewable energy standards, updating building codes, and implementing federal cap-and-trade and fuel economy policies.

The report projects that Minnesota will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding, and agricultural threats if current emissions trends continue. Under a high-emissions scenario, the state could see a 12°F increase in average summer temperatures by the end of the century, with Minneapolis-St. Paul experiencing nearly 70 days over 90°F per summer. These changes are expected to increase heat-related mortality, worsen air quality through higher ozone and particulate levels, and disrupt farming via heat stress and pest expansion. The document advocates for a transition to renewable energy, increased energy efficiency, and a federal cap-and-trade program to mitigate these risks.

The report argues that the Lake Winnipeg Basin is highly suitable for water quality trading (WQT) because agricultural nonpoint sources contribute between 59% and 97% of phosphorus loads in the Canadian portion of the basin. It proposes a multi-level architecture combining inter sub-basin trading (using a trading ratio model to meet overall lake targets) and intra sub-basin trading (using reverse auctions to incentivize best management practices). The authors suggest that the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and Canada Water Act provide the necessary regulatory basis, and recommend a composite market structure to minimize transaction costs.

As of February 2009, 28 U.S. states and Washington D.C. have implemented renewable electricity standards to increase the share of wind, solar, and bioenergy in their power supplies. The Union of Concerned Scientists projects these standards will support 76,750 MW of new renewable power by 2025, reducing annual carbon dioxide emissions by over 183 million metric tons. While success varies by state—with Texas significantly exceeding its targets—the document argues that state leadership proves these standards can reduce market barriers, justifying a national renewable electricity standard to enhance energy security and fuel diversity.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of wind energy, detailing how turbines convert wind into electricity and the factors affecting power output, such as wind speed and turbine height. It examines the history of the US wind industry, noting the influence of federal tax credits and state renewable energy standards. The text argues that wind power is a cost-competitive, sustainable alternative to fossil fuels that can be integrated into the electric grid without compromising reliability, citing examples from Xcel Energy and various European nations. It concludes that achieving 20 percent wind energy in the US by 2030 is technically and economically feasible.

The research demonstrates that geographically distributing wind farms reduces the variability of power output and drastically decreases the frequency of zero-production periods compared to individual sites. Using 2004 data from the U.S. Midwest and Texas, the analysis shows that optimizing portfolios based on negative covariance between sites improves capacity credit and system reliability. The authors argue that this approach, combined with demand-side resources like plug-in vehicles and real-time load response, is essential for the transition to a next-generation utility capable of integrating significantly higher levels of intermittent renewables.

The briefing examines the European Union's Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS), the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), and the Midwestern Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord. It argues that for cap-and-trade to be effective, the emissions cap must be sufficiently tight and the distribution of allowances should favor auctioning over free allocation to avoid windfall profits for firms.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of employment trends in the clean energy sector, contrasting the job-creation potential of renewables and energy efficiency with traditional fossil fuel industries. It highlights specific national and state-level projections in the U.S., international trends in the EU and Brazil, and sector-specific data for wind, solar, biofuels, and geothermal energy, while also noting the decline of coal mining employment.

The Union of Concerned Scientists argues that while biofuels can reduce transportation emissions, their actual impact varies widely based on feedstock and production methods. The report advocates for 'well-to-wheel' life cycle analysis to prevent the adoption of high-carbon alternatives like liquid coal and to promote advanced cellulosic biofuels. It specifically highlights California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard as a model for federal policy to create market incentives for the lowest-carbon fuels while maintaining environmental safeguards.

The report finds that U.S. government support for biofuels is extensive and inefficient, with total subsidies projected to exceed $92 billion between 2006 and 2012. The largest contributors are volumetric excise tax credits and market price supports driven by renewable fuel mandates. The analysis argues that these subsidies are an expensive way to achieve energy security and greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, noting that the cost per tonne of CO2-equivalent displaced is significantly higher than purchasing carbon offsets on climate exchanges. The report warns that pending legislation, such as the Renewable Fuels Standard, could further increase these costs, potentially exceeding $130 billion per year by 2030.

The document establishes that limiting global warming to 2°C requires stabilizing atmospheric heat-trapping gases at or below 450 ppm CO2eq, which necessitates a global cumulative emissions budget of 1,700 GtCO2eq for 2000–2050. For the United States, this translates to a cumulative budget of 160 to 265 GtCO2eq, requiring emissions to be reduced by at least 80 percent below 2000 levels by 2050. The analysis finds that most federal legislative proposals fail to meet these targets, with only the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S. 309) and the Safe Climate Act (H.R. 1590) remaining within the upper budget limit.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed the potential effects of Washington's Initiative 937 (I-937), which would require large electric utilities to source 15 percent of electricity from eligible renewable resources by 2020 and pursue cost-effective energy conservation. Under an expected case scenario, the report projects that by 2025, I-937 would result in $1.13 billion in cumulative savings on consumer electricity bills, the creation of 2,000 new jobs, and a reduction of 4.6 million metric tons of annual CO2 emissions. The analysis indicates that renewable energy and efficiency investments would be cost-competitive with conventional fossil fuel resources, providing long-term price stability and economic development, including $2.9 billion in new capital investment. Sensitivity analyses suggest that even under pessimistic conditions—such as higher wind costs or the expiration of federal tax credits—the initiative would generally still yield long-term savings and environmental benefits.

The report identifies six loopholes—three regulatory and three tax/policy-based—that have contributed to a decline in U.S. fleet fuel economy from a 1987 peak of nearly 26 mpg to 24.4 mpg by 2004. These include the misclassification of passenger vehicles as 'non-passenger' to meet lower standards, the total exemption of vehicles over 8,500 lbs GVWR, and inflated credits for dual-fuel vehicles that rarely use alternative fuels. It also highlights tax incentives for luxury SUVs and the exclusion of light trucks from the 'gas guzzler' tax. The authors argue that closing these loopholes could reduce U.S. oil dependence by 1.5 million barrels per day by 2025 and save consumers $33 billion.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed the potential effects of Colorado's Amendment 37, which would require the state's largest electric companies to increase renewable energy use to 10 percent of sales by 2015. Under the most likely scenario, the report projects that the initiative would result in $236 million in consumer savings on electricity and natural gas bills, the creation of 2,000 new jobs by 2020, and a reduction of 3 million metric tons of annual CO2 emissions by 2025. The analysis highlights that wind resources would drive most of the development, providing significant capital investment and tax revenues for rural communities.

The document outlines a hierarchy for space cooling, prioritizing the minimization of heat gain through passive measures before investing in mechanical systems. It details various cooling technologies, including fans, evaporative coolers, heat pumps, and air conditioners, providing guidance on their efficiency, costs, and appropriate climatic applications.

The report assesses how rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns will affect the Great Lakes region, predicting warmer, drier summers and increased extreme weather. It details vulnerabilities in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, agriculture, and human health, while recommending emission reductions and adaptive management.

The document argues that coal-fired power plants are the largest unregulated source of mercury in the U.S., contributing significantly to the contamination of fish in the Midwest. It details how mercury bioaccumulates in aquatic food chains, posing severe risks to the central nervous system of fetuses and children, as well as harming wildlife like common loons and otters. The report highlights the economic threat to the regional fishing industry and advocates for stringent federal and state emission limits and better regulation of coal combustion waste.

The report highlights that six Midwest states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio) are home to 140 power plants that release approximately 2% of global man-made CO2 and 25% of all US power plant CO2. It predicts that without aggressive emissions reductions, the region could see temperature increases of 5-10°F in the 21st century, leading to significant risks for the Great Lakes water levels, crop yields, and human health. The document advocates for cleaning up old coal plants, transitioning to renewable energy, and increasing individual energy efficiency to mitigate these risks.

The document details the significant contribution of Midwest power plants to US sulfur emissions, noting that coal combustion in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin releases millions of tons of sulfur dioxide annually. It emphasizes that 'grandfathered' plants exploit Clean Air Act loopholes to avoid using scrubbers, which can remove 90-95% of emissions, leading to severe health issues and environmental damage.

The document details the severe impacts of sulfur emissions from coal-fired power plants in the US Midwest, specifically Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. It links these emissions to premature deaths, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and environmental degradation including acid rain and haze. The report advocates for the adoption of sulfur-scrubbing technologies and tighter EPA air quality standards to mitigate these risks.