Search Climate Insights Directory

The report argues that while next-generation geothermal has vast potential to provide clean firm power, its growth is hindered by a 'missing middle' financing gap, subsurface uncertainty, and outdated regulatory frameworks. It proposes five deployment levers: characterizing subsurface resources through data digitization and mapping, governing through streamlined permitting and clarified property rights, financing via procurement standards and convertible loans, connecting through improved transmission planning and workforce development, and innovating through sustained R&D and testbeds.

Despite the removal of federal tax credits for clean energy upgrades via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, residential clean technologies in the US continue to offer significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions and cost savings. Using the Green Upgrade Calculator, RMI found that electric vehicles (EVs) generally lead in emissions reductions and cost savings in the West, while air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) are most effective for emissions in the Northeast and Midwest and for savings in the South. Rooftop solar provides the highest emissions impact in Hawaii and leads in cost savings in California, Florida, and the Northeast due to high electricity prices and sunlight. The report emphasizes that the most effective state and local programs will target specific household archetypes—such as high-mileage drivers for EVs or delivered-fuel users for ASHPs—and bundle technologies to maximize synergy and savings.

Between December 2025 and February 2026, human-caused climate change significantly influenced global temperatures, with more than one in six people daily experiencing temperatures at least twice as likely due to climate change. In the United States, a sharp divide occurred: western states saw record-breaking warmth, with nine states experiencing their warmest December-February on record and Casper, Wyoming, recording the highest temperature anomaly globally among 960 analyzed cities. Conversely, the eastern U.S. faced below-average temperatures and cold snaps that the Climate Shift Index (CSI) indicates were made less likely by climate change. The record warmth in the west has led to low snowpack in Oregon, Colorado, and Utah, threatening water supplies and increasing wildfire risks.

An analysis of Texas oil and gas data reveals that methane waste is significantly underreported, with estimates suggesting actual losses are 3 to 4.5 times higher than official figures. The study finds that venting is the primary source of underreporting, particularly in low-production oil wells where economic incentives discourage gas capture. The report argues that current self-reporting systems are insufficient and recommends disaggregated reporting and more stringent regulations to reduce environmental harm and recover lost tax revenues.

January 2026 was the fifth-warmest January on record globally, characterized by significant temperature anomalies in the U.S. West and record-low snowpacks in several states. The document highlights the transition of NOAA to the Relative Oceanic Niño Index (RONI) to better account for climate change in ENSO tracking. Attribution analysis using the Climate Shift Index (CSI) indicates that extreme warmth in the northern U.S. and specific cities like San Juan and Honolulu was strongly driven by carbon pollution.

The 2026 Progress Report details WWF's conservation efforts in 2025, focusing on the recovery of African elephants, mountain gorillas, snow leopards, bison, and sharks and rays. Key achievements include a consumer awareness campaign against ivory in Viet Nam, the establishment of a transboundary conservation area for snow leopards in Asia, and the restoration of bison herds in North America. The report emphasizes the use of scientific research, such as population censuses and GPS telemetry, to guide habitat management and policy across multiple continents.

The review finds that neonicotinoid seed treatments (NSTs) often fail to provide statistically significant increases in yield or profitability for North American farmers, particularly in colder regions like the Midwest and Northern U.S. where early-season pest pressure is lower. While some positive returns on investment (ROI) were observed in the U.S. South due to milder winters and higher pest pressure, these results were inconsistent year-to-year. The document highlights significant ecological harms, including the reduction of predator insect populations, damage to pollinators, and disruption of soil decomposition. It argues that a shift from prophylactic use to an 'assess-and-decide' approach based on actual pest pressure would save farmers money without reducing yields.

In 2025, the contiguous U.S. experienced its fourth-warmest year on record and 23 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, totaling $115 billion in damages. Globally, 2025 was the third-warmest year since 1850, with NOAA data indicating it was approximately 1.3°C warmer than the pre-industrial average. The year was marked by record-breaking December heat in the U.S. Southwest and devastating atmospheric river flooding in Washington and Oregon.

The document reports that November 2025 was the third warmest on record globally and the fourth warmest for the contiguous U.S. It highlights a long-term trend of warming winters in the U.S., where the coldest day of the year has warmed by approximately 7°F since 1970. The briefing also notes significant regional anomalies, such as extreme warmth in Texas and heavy rainfall in southern California, while discussing the ongoing La Niña advisory and its expected impacts on weather patterns through early 2026.

The document argues that state regulators must actively leverage new legislation to deploy advanced transmission technologies (ATTs), such as grid enhancing technologies (GETs) and advanced conductors, to reduce consumer bills and accelerate the interconnection of new generation. It outlines four common legislative approaches—planning, siting and permitting, cost recovery, and study requirements—and provides specific recommendations for integrating ATTs into integrated resource plans (IRPs) and Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) processes to overcome utility incentives that favor expensive capital expenditures over cost-efficient ATT solutions.

H.R. 1 expands the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit through 2029 but reduces the maximum credit for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from $1.75 to $1.00 per gallon. By excluding indirect land use change (ILUC) emissions from carbon intensity (CI) scores, the bill increases subsidies for conventional corn ethanol and soy biodiesel. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates these changes will cost taxpayers $25.7 billion from FY25-34, a significant increase from previous estimates, without providing proportional greenhouse gas emission reductions.

The briefing explains that the western grid operates as an interconnected web where electricity flows across state and utility boundaries to balance supply and demand. It highlights that most major utilities in the West acted as both importers and exporters of electricity in 2024, providing a critical safety net during emergencies. Case studies from 2024 illustrate how the Pacific Northwest relied on imports from the Southwest and Rockies during a January cold snap, and how Montana imported 59% of its demand during a July heat wave and generator outage. The document concludes that increasing demand from AI and manufacturing necessitates further investment in regional transmission planning and projects like SunZia and Greenlink.

Wildfire smoke pollution in the U.S. has increased significantly, with per-person exposure four times higher between 2020-2024 than during 2006-2019. Research indicates that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from wildfire smoke caused approximately 164,000 premature deaths in the U.S. from 2006 to 2020, with human-caused climate change accounting for about 15,000 of those deaths. While the West and Northwest experience the most smoke days, smoke is a nationwide issue, with every county in the contiguous U.S. seeing at least 16 smoke days annually. The rise in smoke since 2016 has stalled or reversed air quality improvements in 30 U.S. states, threatening the goals of the Clean Air Act.

The briefing challenges the notion that coal plants are necessary for grid reliability amidst a data center boom in the US. It asserts that coal plants are prone to unplanned outages, lack the ramp speed required for voltage-sensitive loads, and create grid congestion. The author suggests that over 95 percent of future demand can be met using scalable clean solutions such as battery storage and demand flexibility.

The report outlines strategies for clean energy developers to mitigate local resistance by prioritizing early, transparent, and inclusive community engagement. Using five case studies across various technologies, it emphasizes the importance of flexible siting, aligning projects with local economic goals, and establishing equitable community benefit programs. It also recommends policy reforms at the state level to streamline permitting and integrate clean energy into broader land-use planning.

The Trump administration has initiated the process to reopen the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Eastern Montana for new coal leasing, reversing a 2024 Interior Department decision that halted leasing due to declining demand and the climate crisis. Earthjustice contends that this move, alongside a budget bill slashing coal royalty rates and mandating permit approvals, prioritizes corporate profits over public health and climate goals. The briefing notes that wind and solar power surpassed coal in the U.S. in 2024 and warns that coal mining continues to threaten the air, water, and health of frontline communities, including the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.

Earthjustice reports on its efforts to secure and defend health protections against pollution and toxic chemicals. The organization highlights the use of 'citizen suits' under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act to hold polluters accountable, such as litigation against Suncor Energy and the County of Hawai‘i. The report emphasizes a strategic shift toward state and local legal avenues—including constitutional 'right to a healthy environment' claims in Hawai’i and New York—to mitigate the impact of federal rollbacks by the Trump administration. Key achievements include pushing for bans on PFAS in menstrual products in New York, reducing flame retardants in Washington state, and implementing zero-emissions truck rules in California. The document also details the projected life-saving impacts of federal rules secured in 2024, such as the Air Toxics Rule and the Mercury and Air Toxics Rule Update.

The Private Equity Detention and Surveillance Tracker details the involvement of private equity firms in the US mass incarceration system, covering facility management, healthcare, food services, telecommunications, and surveillance tools. It highlights how profit motives lead to cost-cutting in critical services, high markups on basic necessities, and the deployment of controversial surveillance technologies.

The Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program is designed to demonstrate localized hydrogen production and end-use to create a synergistic national hydrogen economy. The author warns that planned funding cuts by the Trump administration would jeopardize an estimated 334,280 jobs and tens of billions of dollars in private sector investment. The document emphasizes that a network of hubs is necessary to create a viable market for hydrogen-fueled equipment and to maintain U.S. leadership in low-carbon hydrogen production and technology exports.

A coalition of 54 organizations opposes budget reconciliation recommendations from the House Committee on Natural Resources that would expand coal leasing on federal lands, reduce royalty payments for coal companies, and mandate the approval of specific mining projects. The authors argue these measures contradict climate goals and economic trends, noting that coal produces less than one-fifth of U.S. electricity but over half of the electric power sector's CO2 emissions. Specifically, they oppose the mandate for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to make four million acres available for leasing, the reduction of maximum royalty rates to 7 percent, the expansion of the Bull Mountains coal mine in Montana, and the reopening of the Powder River Basin to new leasing.