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The document details regional climate threats in four early primary states, emphasizing that rapid federal action to reduce emissions can significantly mitigate extreme heat, flooding, and economic loss. It highlights specific vulnerabilities such as agricultural productivity in Iowa, tidal flooding in New Hampshire and South Carolina, and water scarcity in Nevada, while advocating for national policies including carbon pricing and clean energy standards.

The analysis finds that Latino, Asian American, and African American residents in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are exposed to significantly higher levels of vehicle-related PM2.5 pollution than white residents. The report highlights that white residents comprise 85% of those in the lowest pollution areas, while people of color are overrepresented in the most polluted census tracts, often located near major highways in urban centers. The document argues for targeted investments in clean transportation, such as electric vehicles and buses, to reduce these environmental inequities.

The document details the costs and benefits of transitioning New Hampshire's transportation sector to clean technologies by 2050. It projects a cumulative net benefit of approximately $8.6 billion, driven primarily by fuel savings, while estimating a total investment of nearly $22 billion, with electricity generation and storage being the largest cost. Environmentally, the transition is expected to avoid over 63 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and reduce fossil fuel use by more than 6.5 billion gallons by 2050.

Climate Central's analysis of U.S. weather data from 1970 to 2018 reveals a broad warming trend, with 91% of assessed stations seeing winter temperatures rise by at least 1°F. This warming threatens the winter sports economy, which supported over 191,000 jobs and contributed $11.3 billion to the national economy in the 2015-16 season. The report highlights a decline in below-freezing days and divergent snowfall trends, with significant decreases in the Western U.S. and increases in the Great Lakes region. Future projections suggest that unchecked emissions could rob states like Colorado of more than a month of below-freezing days by midcentury.

The document argues that Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states can significantly reduce CO2 pollution and consumer fuel spending by transitioning to electric vehicles and low-carbon fuels. It highlights specific targets for emissions cuts and emphasizes the need for equitable investments that prioritize polluted communities and marginalized populations.

The document consists of a series of data tables (Appendix F) detailing the financial and environmental impacts of transportation decarbonization across several US states. It tracks costs such as incremental vehicle costs and charging infrastructure against benefits like gasoline and diesel fuel savings, as well as monetized greenhouse gas (GHG), NOx, and PM2.5 reductions. The data is split between 'MID' and 'HIGH' scenarios for each state, projecting outcomes through 2050.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) reports widespread PFAS contamination at US military bases, with many sites exceeding risk levels established by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). The document highlights the health risks of these 'forever chemicals', the history of industry disinformation, and the failure of the US military to transition to fluorine-free firefighting foams.

The document argues that the energy transition provides opportunities for utilities to serve low-and moderate-income (LMI) customers through innovative models such as on-bill financing, community solar, and virtual power plants. It highlights the systemic inequities LMI customers face, including a median energy burden of 7.2% compared to 2.3% for others, and the historical siting of polluting power plants in these communities. The report details eight specific program models—ranging from utility-owned PV systems to integrated service bundles—and emphasizes the need for utilities to shift from simply informing customers to empowering them in decision-making processes. It concludes that these shifts align with a broader utility evolution from an expanded monopoly toward a transformed platform operator.

The document argues that federal light-duty vehicle standards set by the EPA and NHTSA in 2012 provide significant financial and environmental gains for New Hampshire. It claims that by 2030, the average New Hampshire household will be $2,500 richer due to gas savings, and the state will see 3,200 new jobs. Environmentally, the standards are credited with eliminating global warming emissions nearly equal to those generated by providing electricity to the entire state of New Hampshire.

The Union of Concerned Scientists identifies that under a high sea level rise scenario, four New Hampshire communities will face chronic inundation by 2100, defined as high tide flooding 10% or more of usable non-wetland area at least 26 times per year. While the 10% threshold is reached late in the century due to inland areas and higher elevations, low-lying neighborhoods in towns like Seabrook and Hampton already experience disruptive flooding. The report suggests that limiting warming to 1.8°C could spare up to four communities from this fate. Recommended policy responses include phasing out risky coastal development, enhancing FEMA's disaster response frameworks, and creating new programs for retreat and relocation.

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 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.

The document details a spreadsheet model designed to quantify the effects of hypothetical green banks in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont from 2017 to 2031. It outlines the financial assumptions, including initial capitalization based on New York's per-capita rates, a 5% borrower interest rate, and a 5:1 private-sector leverage ratio. The methodology explains how funds are allocated across energy efficiency, solar photovoltaics, and community wind, and how these investments are translated into installed capacity, electricity savings, and avoided carbon emissions using data from NREL, ACEEE, and the EPA.

The Union of Concerned Scientists proposes that New Hampshire establish a clean energy finance authority to leverage public funds for private investment. An analysis suggests that an initial $14 million capitalization could drive $300 million in total investment over 15 years, resulting in 70 MW of new solar and wind capacity, $40.3 million in annual electricity bill savings, and a reduction of 222,900 tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2031.

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine faces significant risks from sea level rise, with projections indicating a rise of 3.5 to 5.9 feet by 2100. Without preventive measures, the installation is expected to experience frequent tidal flooding, the loss of over 25% of its land area in the highest scenario, and increased vulnerability to storm surges from Category 1 and 2 hurricanes. The document argues that there is a growing gap between current military preparedness and these threats, calling for increased funding and high-resolution modeling from Congress and the Department of Defense.

The National Program for fuel efficiency and emissions standards is critical for the Northeast, where passenger vehicles account for over 25% of regional emissions. The program has already reduced oil consumption by 1.3 billion gallons since 2011 and is projected to lower global warming pollution by 75 million metric tons per year by 2030. Economically, it is estimated to save the average Northeast household over $2,400 annually by 2030 and create more than 125,000 regional jobs.

The survey found that approximately 43-44% of households in California and the Northeast are technically suitable for current plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) based on parking, hauling, and passenger needs. Consumer interest in EVs is higher in California, where 54.63% are likely to consider one for their next vehicle, compared to 34.86% in the Northeast. The most cited barrier to ownership is the purchase price, and the most desired policy is a tax credit or rebate. While there is strong agreement that EVs reduce climate emissions, awareness of specific government and utility incentives remains low.

The document examines the $6.8 billion merger between Exelon and Pepco, focusing on the contentious approval process in Washington, D.C. It uses this case to highlight five industry trends: increased utility consolidation to hedge against low wholesale power prices, disputes over microgrid ownership, the criticality of rate design equity, the rise of empowered local customer constituencies, and the proliferation of state-level power sector transformation proceedings.

The briefing provides a historical analysis of nuclear waste siting in the United States, asserting that the Department of Energy (DOE) has consistently failed to secure long-term consent for high-level waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF) repositories. The author highlights a pattern of broken promises, litigation, and the failure of both the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) and the 'volunteer' process managed by the Nuclear Waste Negotiator. Key examples include the legal battles over the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and the non-consent of the Nevada state government regarding Yucca Mountain. The document concludes that the DOE's lack of reliability makes it unlikely that future consent agreements for consolidated storage or repositories will be trusted or successful.

The report documents a significant decline in power plant-related health impacts and emissions in the U.S. and the RGGI region between 2004 and 2012, attributing these gains to stringent emission controls, the transition from coal to natural gas, and renewable energy policies.