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Climate Central's analysis of U.S. power outage data from 2000-2021 reveals a significant increase in large-scale disruptions, with 83% of major outages attributed to weather-related events. The report highlights that the frequency of major outages rose by 64% between 2011-2021 compared to 2000-2010, driven by severe weather, winter storms, hurricanes, extreme heat, and wildfires. It emphasizes the vulnerability of aging infrastructure and the compounding effects of climate change, which simultaneously increases electricity demand for cooling while reducing the capacity of power plants due to water shortages. The report identifies the Southeast as the region with the highest number of outages and notes specific recent surges in Texas, California, and Michigan.

The report examines the intersection of the U.S. nursing shortage and private equity's expansion into travel nursing. It argues that while the pandemic exacerbated staffing issues, structural problems and profit-seeking by hospitals created a vulnerability that travel nursing agencies and private equity firms have exploited. The document details how private equity firms use leveraged buyouts and dividend recapitalizations to extract value from staffing agencies, while agencies have seen profit margins grow from 15% in 2019 to 62% in 2022. It also covers legislative efforts to address price gouging and the push for mandated staffing ratios.

The report argues that the US can achieve a 98% reduction in transportation CO2 emissions by 2050 through a combination of rapid vehicle electrification, improved energy efficiency, and the use of low-carbon liquid fuels for hard-to-decarbonize sectors. It presents a 'Core' scenario where all new light-duty vehicles are zero-emission by 2035 and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2040. The analysis emphasizes that while technological shifts are necessary, a truly equitable transition requires behavioral changes to reduce overall energy demand, such as increased use of public transit and active transportation. The report concludes that these pathways are economically viable, with net costs of less than 1% of GDP, and would yield significant public health and climate benefits.

The policy brief examines the impact of high-severity wildfires on the U.S. forest carbon sink, noting that forests in several Western states have become net carbon emitters. It advocates for scaling up 'fuel load treatments'—such as prescribed burns and mechanical removal of biomass—to mitigate wildfire risk and suggests developing markets for thinned biomass (e.g., biochar, green hydrogen) to fund these efforts and reduce emissions. The brief calls for federal policy support via the 2023 Farm Bill to increase research, support rural and Tribal communities, and incentivize innovative wood products.

The report argues that traditional US public utilities commission (PUC) processes are too slow and restrictive to meet urgent decarbonization and equity mandates. It recommends four primary reforms: setting clear proceeding objectives, expanding stakeholder roles in solution development, reducing information asymmetry by unlocking utility data, and initiating new inclusive processes such as regulatory sandboxes and updated benefit-cost analysis frameworks.

The British Columbia Low Carbon Fuel Standard has reduced annual transport emissions by an average of 6% from 2010 to 2020 and is projected to meet 31% of the province's 2030 reduction goals. The author proposes two main modifications: expanding the scope to include aviation and marine fuels—which are expected to represent 51% of transport emissions by 2050—and allowing compliance credits for direct air capture with permanent storage. To succeed, the document argues the province must address incentive gaps that currently favor renewable diesel over low-carbon jet fuels, account for indirect land-use change in carbon footprint calculations to support advanced biofuels, and expand the geographic eligibility of direct air capture projects beyond provincial borders to accelerate deployment and reduce costs.

British Columbia’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard reduced transportation emissions by an average of 6% annually from 2010 to 2020 and is projected to drive 31% of the province's 2030 reduction targets. The document proposes expanding the regulation to include jet and marine fuels, as well as direct air capture with permanent storage, to address hard-to-abate sectors and negative emissions. To maximize effectiveness, the author recommends closing the incentive gap that currently favors renewable diesel over low-carbon jet fuel, incorporating indirect land-use change (ILUC) into carbon footprint measurements to support advanced biofuels, and allowing direct air capture credits for projects located outside British Columbia to accelerate technology deployment.

The Climate Central Temperature Attribution System (CC-TAS) Version 1.0 operationalizes a multi-method framework to attribute temperature events to anthropogenic climate change. It utilizes two empirical methods (median-scaling and quantile-scaling) and a model-based method using CMIP6 simulations. To improve upon previous frameworks, CC-TAS incorporates high-resolution CFS reanalysis temperatures, ERA5 reanalysis for scale factors, and skew-normal parameterized distributions. The system introduces the 'occurrence ratio' (OR) as a primary metric to assess both warm and cold events, which is then converted into a conservative categorical 'Climate Shift Index' (CSI) for public mapping, primarily focusing on the contiguous United States.

The policy brief advocates for the development of floating offshore wind on the U.S. West Coast to meet net-zero emissions goals, noting that it can provide reliable power during peak early evening demand and reduce land-use conflicts. It highlights the economic potential for job creation and port revitalization, specifically citing the Port of Humboldt Bay. The authors call for long-term federal tax credits, port infrastructure investment, proactive transmission planning, and accelerated siting to overcome current lacks in ambition compared to the East Coast.

Wildfires in the western United States are increasing in size and severity due to climate change and historical fire suppression, posing significant risks to water resources. High-severity fires destroy vegetation and alter soil chemistry, leading to increased streamflow, flooding, and the contamination of drinking water with sediments, toxins, and carcinogens. The document advocates for a combination of emissions reductions, active forest management—including prescribed and Indigenous cultural burns—and investments in climate-resilient water infrastructure to mitigate these threats.

The report identifies a critical gap between current Canadian utility planning and the electricity supply needed for net-zero, suggesting that consumption must at least double by 2050. It proposes five catalysts to accelerate this transition, focusing on three supply-side actions: embedding net-zero mandates into regulator and utility roles, aligning resource planning with decarbonization pathways, and leveraging private and Indigenous capital to fund infrastructure. The document highlights that while Canada has abundant renewable resources, conservative demand forecasting and regulatory frameworks focused solely on low cost and reliability currently hinder the necessary build-out.

The document identifies a critical gap between current electricity planning and the capacity needed for net-zero goals, proposing five catalysts—including regulatory reform and private investment—to accelerate the transition in Canada.

The report argues that while Canada has a clean electricity advantage, it faces a significant risk of complacency. It identifies three cross-cutting barriers: a 'plug-or-socket' dilemma between supply and demand, policy uncertainty, and a focus on 'wild card' technologies over 'safe bets' like electrification. To overcome these, the report proposes five catalysts: business-led near-term electrification plans, net-zero mandates for utilities and regulators, alignment of utility planning with net-zero pathways, the implementation of performance standards and ZEV mandates, and the use of innovative public-private-Indigenous financing to crowd in private investment.

The document outlines a strategic framework for Canada to accelerate business electrification to reach net-zero by 2050. It identifies key barriers, such as the 'chicken-and-egg' dilemma between electricity supply and demand, and proposes five catalysts: short-term corporate action plans, integrating net-zero into utility mandates, aligning utility planning with net-zero trajectories, establishing clear performance standards and carbon pricing, and attracting private investment through innovative partnerships.

The Union of Concerned Scientists and EV Noire argue that Clean Fuel Standards (CFS) can provide critical financial support for transportation electrification by setting declining carbon intensity standards for fuels. Using examples from California and Oregon, the briefing emphasizes that while CFS are technology-neutral, they can enable broader goals like zero-emission bus fleets and equitable EV access if paired with strong oversight, public engagement, and safeguards against harmful fuel pathways.

Research using the Oregon Energy Policy Simulator indicates that Oregon's current climate policies will reduce emissions by 25% below 1990 levels by 2035 and nearly 30% by 2050. However, implementing stronger policies across the economy, particularly in transportation and buildings, could achieve a 50% reduction by 2035 and 74% by 2050, while significantly increasing GDP and job creation.

The report profiles 12 private equity firms—including Blackstone, Carlyle, and KKR—detailing their substantial portfolios of oil, gas, and coal assets. It argues that these firms fuel the climate crisis and environmental injustice while their executives accumulate immense wealth and social prestige. The document provides specific examples of environmental violations, such as oil spills and methane leaks, and highlights the firms' tendency to avoid global climate pledges like those made at COP26.

The Jordan Cove Energy Project, a proposed 229-mile pipeline intended to transport fracked gas from Canada for export as LNG via Coos Bay, Oregon, was withdrawn by the company Pembina. The cancellation followed significant grassroots opposition, including lobbying of officials like Representative Peter DeFazio and Senator Ron Wyden, participation in the Climate Strike Week of Action, and the submission of 25,000 member signatures to elected officials.

The analysis finds that adopting a Federal Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) and NOx Omnibus policy would significantly reduce greenhouse gas and NOx emissions, create over 63,000 net jobs by 2035, and generate $487.7 billion in cumulative net societal benefits by 2050. It highlights that the EPA's baseline underestimates ZEV adoption, thereby overestimating the relative impact of NOx standards. The report projects that average Class 4-8 ZEVs will reach total cost of ownership parity with internal combustion engines by model year 2030, with significant lifetime savings by 2040.

The briefing examines the climate and environmental justice impacts of plastic production, highlighting the role of the petrochemical industry in generating greenhouse gas emissions and toxic pollution. Panelists discuss the failure of plastic recycling, the disproportionate burden on low-income communities and 'Cancer Alley' in Louisiana, and various policy interventions. These include single-use plastic bans in New York and the European Union, extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws in Maine and Oregon, and local reuse ordinances in Berkeley, California. The discussion emphasizes the need for a shift toward durable, reusable packaging and the closure of waste management loopholes.