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Minnesota's electric cooperatives, serving 30% of the state's customers, remain tied to coal-fired power plants in North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming through Generation & Transmission (G&T) co-ops. While investor-owned utilities in Minnesota are phasing out coal, these co-ops face 'all-requirements' contracts and long-term fuel agreements that restrict their ability to adopt renewables. Many of these out-of-state plants operate uneconomically, costing customers over $93 million between 2015 and 2017.

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 United States continues to provide significant public finance and subsidies for fossil fuel production and consumption, with a total government support average of USD 7.6 billion between 2017 and 2019. While there was a temporary decrease in international public finance due to a lack of board quorum at the U.S. Export-Import Bank, the bank has since approved USD 4.7 billion for liquefied natural gas in Mozambique. The document highlights a lack of transparency, noting that many production subsidies are unaccounted for in OECD totals, with alternate estimates placing these at USD 20.5 billion per year. Additionally, the U.S. provided USD 72 billion in COVID-19 support for fossil fuels as of August 12, 2020, including USD 58 billion for airline companies via the CARES Act.

The report explores how large utility customers, including cities and corporations, can achieve high renewable energy goals through various procurement models. It details options such as green tariffs, sleeved PPAs, and community solar, while addressing the critical role of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) in accounting and disclosure. The document emphasizes the need for collaboration between utilities, customers, and regulators to ensure that the transition to carbon-free energy is cost-effective, avoids cross-subsidization of non-participants, and maintains grid reliability.

The Union of Concerned Scientists asserts that the United States has the lowest electoral integrity among advanced industrial democracies, which undermines the ability to create science-based policies. The report links voter suppression and gerrymandering to poor public health and environmental outcomes, citing examples in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Texas. It advocates for reforms such as automatic voter registration, nonpartisan redistricting, and public campaign financing to reduce the influence of 'dark money' and corporate interests on government decision-making.

The 2019 Impact Report for the Sustainable Ranching Initiative (SRI) details WWF's efforts to conserve grasslands in the Northern Great Plains (NGP). Key activities include expanding grassland bird surveys to 93 ranches, launching a sustainable beef pilot in Montana to improve supply chain traceability, and initiating a transition planning pilot in Nebraska to prevent the conversion of ranches to cropland. The report also highlights community resilience work, including $360,000 in support since 2014, and the 'Conservation Roadshow' which reached over 500 people in Montana to target conservation funding.

The petition argues that the EPA's aggregate compliance scheme allows the conversion of millions of acres of native grasslands into corn and soy cropland, violating the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007. This conversion is linked to significant greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and habitat loss. The petitioners request that the EPA require individualized proof of compliance for each biomass source and adjust renewable volume obligations to match the supply of EISA-compliant land.

The FUTURE Act provides tax credits for CO2 captured from power plants, industrial sources, and direct air capture, with rates ramping up to $50/ton for saline storage and $35/ton for enhanced oil recovery by 2026. The credits are available for 12 years to projects that commence construction within a six-year window. Assessments by the IEA and DOE suggest the act could increase capture capacity or reduce emissions by 10 to 30 million tons by 2030, with significant interest from industrial sources and companies like Occidental Petroleum.

The report details Fortress Investment Group's ownership and funding of several high-interest lending entities. It describes OneMain Financial as the largest subprime consumer lender in the US, noting its use of ancillary insurance products and lobbying efforts to relax state lending restrictions. The text also covers Fortress's $150 million debt financing for ZestFinance, which operates Spotloan using a tribal partnership to bypass state usury laws, and its AUS$100 million facility for Australia's Cash Converters, a firm facing multiple class action lawsuits over fees. Additionally, it notes a $3.28 million CFPB penalty against Fortress-owned Security National Automotive Acceptance Corp for illegal debt collection practices targeting US servicemembers.

The authors argue that the Proposed Plan underestimates the readiness and effectiveness of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). They assert that CCS is technologically viable, citing sixteen integrated projects in North America and the necessity of the technology for deep decarbonization in industrial sectors like steel and cement. The coalition recommends that the Scoping Plan explicitly include CCS for both industrial and power sectors, identify potential synergies with the reduction of toxics and criteria pollutants, and remove regulatory barriers, such as the requirement that carbon capture occur onsite at crude oil production facilities.

The document describes zebra mussels as filter-feeding molluscs from Eastern Europe that attach to hard surfaces in high densities. It details their spread from the Great Lakes into Manitoba, likely via the Red River or overland transport, and identifies their presence in the Red River and Lake Winnipeg. Ecological risks include the depletion of algae affecting fish and insect populations, as well as the potential for shoreline algal blooms. The author advises the public to clean equipment moved from Lake Winnipeg to other water bodies and warns of physical injury from sharp shells.

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 document details the health impacts of toxic air pollutants and ozone smog from oil and gas operations in North Dakota, highlighting specific risks to children and residents of the Bakken region.

The report details how the US oil and gas industry emits methane, toxic air pollutants (such as benzene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde), and ozone precursors that cause cancer and respiratory illnesses. It provides state-specific data for Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia, highlighting that ozone pollution travels across state borders, affecting residents even in states with little to no local industry activity. The document emphasizes the vulnerability of children and low-income communities and argues for the necessity of strong federal standards from the EPA and the Bureau of Land Management to protect public health.

The report examines the lifecycle emissions of major transportation fuels, finding that while electricity and biofuels are becoming cleaner, oil is becoming more polluting due to the shift toward unconventional sources like tar sands and fracking. It advocates for the 'Half the Oil' plan to reduce U.S. oil use by 50% by 2035 and calls for greater corporate accountability, transparency in emissions reporting, and a shift toward renewable electricity and non-food biofuels.

The report argues that while vehicle tailpipe emissions are decreasing due to efficiency gains, the overall climate impact of gasoline is rising because the oil industry is shifting toward more energy-intensive and polluting extraction and refining methods. It highlights the high emissions from depleted wells, tight oil (fracking), and tar sands, and calls for increased transparency, the elimination of routine flaring, and a transition to cleaner fuels to reduce the projected 100 billion barrels of oil consumption between 2015 and 2035.

The study finds that at oil prices of $50 per barrel, U.S. government subsidies make nearly half of discovered, not-yet-producing oil fields profitable, potentially adding 20 billion barrels of production. This would result in approximately 8 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions, representing about 1% of the remaining global carbon budget to limit warming to 2°C. The analysis highlights that while subsidies significantly drive production at lower prices, they primarily function as transfers to industry profits at higher prices (e.g., $100 per barrel). The most impactful subsidy identified is the immediate expensing of intangible drilling costs (IDCs).

The letter argues that the owners of the Dakota Access Pipeline are complicit in human rights abuses against Indigenous peoples in Standing Rock, North Dakota, and asserts that corporate and financial entities have an affirmative duty to prevent such impacts.

The report finds that 238 US counties in 21 states face cancer risks exceeding the EPA's 1-in-a-million threshold due to oil and gas emissions, affecting over 9 million people. Key pollutants identified include benzene, formaldehyde, and ethylbenzene, with the highest risks concentrated in states with significant infrastructure like Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. The analysis highlights that NATA likely underestimates total health impacts by excluding particulate matter, ozone, and water contamination. To mitigate these risks, the report recommends implementing leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs, replacing high-emitting pneumatic equipment, and installing vapor recovery units on storage tanks.

Earthjustice supports the BLM's proposed methane rule, which covers both new and existing equipment and aims to reduce flaring and leaks. The organization argues that the rule is essential for climate mitigation, as methane is 86 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, and could capture up to $800 million in taxpayer revenue over a decade. However, Earthjustice urges the BLM to close loopholes regarding leak inspections and flaring allowances to ensure the rule's effectiveness.