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The report finds that gas-fired power plants in MISO and SPP frequently operate at a loss, costing ratepayers an estimated $117 million in 2019. This uneconomic generation is most prevalent in steam turbines and gas turbines, often driven by practices like self-scheduling and self-commitment. The authors argue that these inefficiencies, combined with rising fuel costs and the growth of renewables, make gas-fired power an increasingly risky and expensive investment compared to clean energy portfolios.

The document outlines how climate change impacts mental health through direct, indirect, and vicarious risks. It provides data on depression and PTSD following disasters like hurricanes, highlights widespread climate anxiety among Americans and global youth, and discusses strategies for building individual and community resilience.

The document argues that structured finance contracts often insulate fossil fuel assets from market forces, creating a barrier to clean energy transition. Using the Red Hills Power Plant in Mississippi as a case study, it proposes a restructuring model that provides financial benefits to electricity customers, bondholders, the coal supplier, and workers while accelerating the plant's retirement.

The testimony asserts that CCUS is not a viable climate solution, citing its failure to meet capture targets, high costs compared to renewables, and the risk of increasing lifecycle emissions. It highlights that most captured carbon is used for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), which produces more CO2 than it captures. The author warns of significant safety risks from CO2 pipelines and the environmental dangers of offshore storage in the Gulf of Mexico, where legacy oil and gas wells increase the likelihood of leaks and ocean acidification.

The report details how Apollo Global Management leveraged LifePoint Health to generate profits and expand its healthcare footprint while the company received $1.64 billion in CARES Act support. It highlights a $1.6 billion profit made by Apollo selling LifePoint from one of its funds to another and the acquisition of Kindred Healthcare, which created the largest private-equity-owned healthcare company in the US. The document argues that these financial maneuvers prioritize private equity returns over patient care, noting that LifePoint hospitals lag national quality averages and faced critical ICU capacity shortages during COVID-19 surges.

The Union of Concerned Scientists recommends strategic investments in USDA conservation programs, agricultural research, and debt relief for underserved producers to help the US reach its 2030 and 2050 climate goals. Key recommendations include $4 billion for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and $9 billion for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), both of which are currently oversubscribed. The brief also calls for $500 million each for SARE and AFRI to address research gaps in agroecology and systems science, $50 million for USDA Climate Hubs, and at least $200 million for Conservation Technical Assistance to support the adoption of climate-beneficial practices.

As of March 2022, 12,275 electric school buses have been committed across 38 US states, with California leading in adoption. While a large portion of these commitments stem from a single 10,000-bus contract between Midwest Transit Equipment and SEA Electric, the report finds that adoption is trending toward historically underserved communities, particularly those with high PM2.5 pollution and high populations of non-white and/or Hispanic people.

Phosmet is a U.S. registered pesticide used in 40 states, primarily on orchards and grapes, and is currently under registration review. It is associated with serious health effects, including cancer, neurodevelopmental harm, and reproductive toxicity, with exposure occurring via food, drinking water, and occupational contact. The pesticide is applied to a significant percentage of several common crops, including peaches (55%) and nectarines (50%).

The report examines Roark Capital's extensive portfolio of fast-food franchises, highlighting a pattern of wage and hour violations across brands like Dunkin' Donuts, Sonic Drive-In, and Jimmy John's. It argues that Roark faces significant legal liability due to a 2020 court ruling on joint employer status and operational risks stemming from labor shortages caused by poverty wages. Additionally, the document details Roark's lobbying efforts through Inspire Brands and the National Restaurant Association to oppose federal minimum wage increases.

The document contends that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an expensive, energy-intensive technology that entrenches fossil fuel reliance rather than facilitating a transition to renewable energy. It identifies Louisiana as a primary target for CCS development due to existing petrochemical infrastructure and a regulatory environment managed by the Department of Natural Resources. The brief warns that CCS infrastructure, including pipelines, poses severe health and safety risks—such as toxic gas leaks and catastrophic ruptures—and would disproportionately impact Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. Furthermore, it asserts that CCS threatens Louisiana's wetlands and that the majority of captured carbon is currently used for enhanced oil recovery to produce more oil.

The report finds that transitioning from the current vertically-integrated monopoly structure to a competitive RTO in the Southeast would generate approximately $384 billion in cumulative savings by 2040. This shift would lower retail electricity costs by 29% and reduce carbon emissions by 37% relative to 2018 levels. The analysis highlights that competition accelerates the deployment of wind, solar, and battery storage, creating a net increase of 285,000 jobs compared to the business-as-usual scenario. The study contrasts this with the current Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) approach, which it characterizes as inefficient due to excessive reserve margins and a reliance on uneconomic coal generation.

The report uses the WIS:dom-P optimization model to compare four capacity expansion scenarios for the Southeast US: the current SE IRP, an economic IRP without an RTO, an SE RTO, and an SE RTO that retains uneconomic nuclear plants. The findings indicate that the SE RTO scenario is the most economic, offering cumulative savings of $383.7 billion by 2040 and the highest job creation. Retaining nuclear plants further reduces emissions, saving an additional 156.76 million metric tonnes of CO2 by 2040 at a minimal additional cost. The study also highlights the role of variable renewable energy (VRE) and storage in meeting seasonal demand peaks and the importance of transmission expansion in a coordinated regional market.

A survey conducted in April 2020 found that 78% of Americans nationally support ensuring all citizens can vote by mail to limit COVID-19 infections. Support remained high across the United States, with more than three quarters of the public supporting the measure in 46 states. The lowest levels of support were found in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, while the highest were in states that already utilized vote-by-mail systems, such as Hawaii, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and California.

The report refutes the claim that fossil gas alternatives (FGAs) can decarbonize buildings, asserting that their limited supply and high costs make them an inefficient choice compared to electrification. It highlights that FGAs can only replace a small fraction of gas demand and may exacerbate pollution and health risks. The document further alleges that the gas industry uses FGAs as a rhetorical tool and employs 'front groups' to stall the transition to all-electric buildings to protect its financial interests.

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 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 report investigates the feasibility of shifting specialty crop production from California to the mid-Mississippi Delta region due to climate-driven uncertainties in California. While the Delta offers fertile soil, abundant water, and economic development opportunities, it faces hurdles including high humidity, pest pressure, a lack of specialty crop infrastructure, and labor shortages. The document outlines a plan for Phase II, focusing on seed varietal testing, innovative financing, and the design of a pilot program to diversify the region's commodity-heavy agricultural base.

The Union of Concerned Scientists projects that without reductions in carbon emissions, US military installations will face a significant increase in days with a heat index above 100°F by midcentury, potentially increasing the rate of heat-related illnesses (HRIs). The report highlights that basic training recruits are particularly vulnerable and that installations in Florida are projected to be among the most affected. To address these risks, the memo recommends increased funding for HRI research, the establishment of an expert working group, improved training on acclimatization, and a transition toward renewable energy to limit future warming.

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.

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.