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The report argues that rising temperatures and drier conditions in the American West, combined with a trend of building homes in wildfire-prone areas, have led to longer fire seasons and soaring suppression costs. It highlights a misalignment of incentives where federal taxpayers bear the brunt of firefighting costs while local zoning allows risky development. The document details the broad economic impacts of wildfires—extending far beyond direct suppression to include public health crises, infrastructure damage, and tourism losses—and recommends a shift toward resilience, stricter building codes, and carbon emission reductions.

The document argues that climate change is creating hotter, drier conditions in the American West, leading to more frequent and severe wildfires. This risk is compounded by increased residential and commercial development in fire-prone areas and federal policies that prioritize immediate fire suppression over proactive forest management. The report details the escalating economic costs of suppression and the broader impacts on infrastructure, public health, and water supplies, while recommending zoning reforms, fireproofing, and carbon emission reductions to build resilience.

The document argues that climate change is creating warmer, drier conditions in the western United States, leading to longer fire seasons and more frequent large wildfires. This environmental shift, combined with increased development in fire-prone areas and a federal management bias toward fire suppression over proactive risk reduction, has caused firefighting costs to exceed $1 billion annually since 2000. The report highlights significant secondary costs, including infrastructure damage, public health crises from smoke, and watershed rehabilitation. It recommends stricter zoning laws, carbon emission reductions, and a shift in funding toward long-term forest health and community resilience.

Margaret Bowman of the Walton Family Foundation outlines a vision for water resilience in the Colorado River basin to address a projected gap of 3.2 million acre feet between water supply and demand by 2060. The proposed strategy relies on three primary pillars: upgrading agricultural irrigation to save an estimated one million acre feet, implementing urban water efficiency programs to save another one million acre feet, and utilizing wastewater and stormwater recycling to gain 1.2 million acre feet. Bowman advocates for market-based water banking and targeted augmentation over large-scale water import schemes. She emphasizes the interdependence of urban and agricultural sectors and highlights the 2012 international agreement between the United States and Mexico as a model for cooperation, citing a recent pulse flow experiment in the Colorado River delta as an example of ecological and social co-benefits.

Landfills are the third largest source of anthropogenic methane in the United States, contributing 17.7 percent of all U.S. methane emissions. The EPA regulates large municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills and manages the voluntary Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) to encourage the capture of landfill gas (LFG) for energy production. While projects in landfills with existing capture systems are generally profitable, those requiring new systems may face net losses unless they leverage tax credits, carbon credits, or on-site electricity use. LFG projects can produce electricity, heat, or vehicle fuels, providing both climate benefits and local employment.

The report identifies systemic failures within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), including the distraction of nuclear weapons and cleanup missions, a fragmented 'stovepipe' organizational structure, and a lack of objective program evaluation. It recommends consolidating energy and science programs under a single Under Secretary, shifting the focus of applied R&D from energy sources to end-uses, and restoring the Government Owned, Contractor Operated (GOCO) model for national laboratories. The authors advocate for structured public-private consortia to drive pre-commercial research and suggest that large-scale 'first-of-a-kind' commercial demonstrations be led by the private sector rather than the DOE. Additionally, the report proposes moving nuclear weapons and nonproliferation missions to the Department of Defense and environmental cleanup to the Army Corps of Engineers or the EPA to allow DOE leadership to focus exclusively on energy innovation.

Earthjustice represented the Moapa Band of Paiutes in litigation against the Reid Gardner coal plant in Nevada. The plant emitted soot, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, which caused haze in Zion and the Grand Canyon national parks and posed health risks to the Moapa Paiute community. The litigation sought a 90 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions through updated technology, resulting in the plant owners choosing to shut down the facility in 2013.

A group of environmental and scientific organizations argues against the EPA's proposal to include Arundo donax (giant reed) as an approved advanced biofuel feedstock. They cite the species' status as a high-risk invasive weed that threatens native vegetation and endangered species, noting that the high cost of eradication makes the ecological and economic risks outweigh the benefits of its cultivation under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

The report finds that U.S. thermoelectric power plants withdrew between 60 billion and 170 billion gallons of freshwater daily in 2008, with coal plants accounting for the majority of this use. It identifies significant regional disparities in water intensity, noting that plants in the East generally withdraw more water due to a higher prevalence of once-through cooling. The analysis reveals that power plants contributed to water-supply stress in 20% of the 400 stressed watersheds identified. Furthermore, the report highlights critical gaps and inaccuracies in U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, including the total absence of reporting from the nuclear fleet. It argues that climate change and population growth will exacerbate these stresses, urging a shift toward low-water cooling technologies and low-carbon energy sources to ensure grid reliability and ecosystem health.

The report finds that U.S. power plants withdraw massive volumes of freshwater, with coal and nuclear plants being the most water-intensive. This demand contributes to water-supply stress in hundreds of watersheds and is exacerbated by droughts and heat waves. The authors highlight significant gaps and inaccuracies in EIA reporting and advocate for 'water-smart' energy choices, such as dry cooling and low-water renewables, to ensure energy reliability and water security.

The report examines the 'water-energy nexus' in the western United States, specifically the eleven states of the Western Electric Coordinating Council (WECC). It models eight scenarios from 2008 to 2100, varying by carbon emission goals, water conservation mandates, and energy efficiency levels. The primary finding is that while power plants require water, their total consumption is small compared to agricultural and urban use, making the water-energy nexus a secondary concern in the region's broader water crisis. The analysis suggests that carbon pricing (around $70 per ton) is a more likely driver for shifting energy strategies than water pricing, as water prices would need to exceed $4,000 to $7,000 per acre-foot to make water-conserving energy scenarios the least-cost option.

The U.S. Southwest is currently relying on unsustainable groundwater extraction to meet water demands. Climate change is projected to exacerbate this crisis by increasing agricultural water needs and shifting snowmelt timing, leading to significant water shortfalls. The report finds that without adaptation, the region faces a cumulative water shortfall of up to 2,253 million acre feet over the next century under a severe climate scenario (A2). While desalination and imports are deemed non-viable due to cost and availability, planned reductions in urban and agricultural water use—particularly the elimination of low-value crops—could bring water use to sustainable levels. The economic cost of inaction is estimated between $2.3 trillion and $5 trillion over the next century.

The California Water Supply and Demand Model (CWSD) assesses how climate change affects water availability and usage in California, focusing on the energy, urban, and agricultural sectors. The model evaluates scenarios with no adaptation, slow adaptation, and fast adaptation across different climate projections (B1 and A2). Key findings indicate that without adaptation, agricultural water demand will rise due to higher temperatures, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley. While slow adaptation may only marginally reduce use, fast adaptation—driven by higher water prices and technological efficiency—could significantly decrease demand. The report also extends its agricultural analysis to other Western U.S. states, noting a general increase in water demand by 2100.

The document argues that media outlets have a duty to connect the dots between a warming climate and the devastating weather events of 2010, such as heatwaves in Russia and flooding in Pakistan. It asserts that climate change will increase the frequency of severe weather, decrease crop yields, and worsen air quality, providing a list of scientific and journalistic resources to support this coverage.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of nuclear power, detailing the process of fission and the operation of pressurized and boiling water reactors. It examines the uranium fuel cycle, noting that the U.S. relies heavily on imports from countries like Russia and Canada. The text also addresses the challenges of radioactive waste storage, specifically mentioning Yucca Mountain, and analyzes the economic decline of the U.S. nuclear industry following the 1970s due to cost overruns, declining energy demand, and public opposition.

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.

Concentrated solar power (CSP) uses mirrors to focus sunlight to generate electricity, primarily for utility-scale use. While the U.S. led in installed capacity as of 2009 with 429 MW, Spain followed with 182 MW. The technology varies from parabolic troughs and linear Fresnel reflectors to dish/engines and power towers. CSP is noted for its ability to provide power during peak late-afternoon demand and its potential for baseload generation via thermal storage or natural gas hybridization. Economic challenges include high initial construction costs, though operational costs are lower than fossil fuel plants. Policy mechanisms like feed-in tariffs in Spain and Israel, and investment tax credits in the U.S., are identified as key drivers for deployment.

The briefing argues that municipal solid waste (MSW) is an underutilized renewable energy resource that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and landfill reliance. It details five primary conversion technologies—landfill gas capture, combustion, pyrolysis, gasification, and plasma arc gasification—noting that while landfill gas is widely accepted, others face technical or regulatory hurdles. The text highlights that modern waste-to-energy facilities have significantly reduced toxic emissions and can complement recycling by recovering metals. However, it notes that MSW-to-energy receives substantially lower federal subsidies than other energy sources, which hinders commercial expansion.

The report analyzes 10 ILM projects across North America and Europe, identifying a general framework consisting of baseline assessment, future scenario envisioning, collaborative planning, and monitoring. Key findings highlight the difficulty of integrating socio-economic and biophysical data, the challenge of translating scientific models into usable policy tools, and the necessity of early stakeholder engagement to ensure local relevance and ownership of project outcomes.

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.