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The document outlines how U.S. consumers can support renewable energy via green pricing, green marketing, and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). It contrasts the environmental benefits of renewables—such as wind, solar, and geothermal—against the pollution and health risks associated with coal, oil, nuclear power, and natural gas. It also provides tools for verifying green power claims, including the Green-e certification and the Power Scorecard tool.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed two proposals to increase the Texas Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). The more aggressive 20 percent by 2020 proposal would result in 17,820 MW of renewable capacity by 2025, creating 38,290 new jobs and saving consumers $5.6 billion in energy bills. The more modest 10,000 MW by 2025 proposal would yield approximately 8 percent renewable energy by 2025, creating 19,950 new jobs and $5.5 billion in consumer savings. Both proposals would diversify the electricity mix by displacing natural gas and coal, reducing CO2 emissions and providing significant capital investment and tax revenues to rural Texas communities.

The document records a multi-sector call for a U.S. transition to clean energy, arguing that government investment and regulation can simultaneously drive economic growth, reduce oil dependence, and address climate change.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) uses the 'bathtub curve' model to analyze nuclear plant risks, identifying high failure rates during the initial 'break-in' phase and the final 'wear-out' phase. The report argues that the NRC's reliance on flawed risk assessments and its failure to consistently enforce technical specifications have increased the risk of catastrophes. It specifically highlights the Davis-Besse plant as a case of regulatory failure and recommends excluding new reactors from Price-Anderson liability protection, requiring prototype testing, and overhauling aging management programs for plants seeking license renewals.

The report assesses how rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns will affect the Great Lakes region, predicting warmer, drier summers and increased extreme weather. It details vulnerabilities in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, agriculture, and human health, while recommending emission reductions and adaptive management.

The report details the impact of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from coal-fired power plants in six Midwest states, highlighting that these plants account for 30 percent of total annual regional emissions. It argues that current EPA regulations, such as the summertime-only SIP call, are insufficient because they ignore wintertime pollution and exclude certain states. The document links NOx to ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which cause respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, premature deaths, and crop yield losses. Environmental impacts include acid rain, loss of species diversity, and the Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone'. The author advocates for mandatory year-round modern emission controls, such as Selective Catalytic Removal (SCR), for all 'grandfathered' plants.

The report asserts that while the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and Canadian programs reduced sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, acid rain remains a major problem due to the cumulative acid burden from 150 years of industrial activity. It highlights ongoing threats to salmon in Nova Scotia, lakes in Canada, and aquatic life in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The document concludes that emissions cuts of up to 80 percent beyond the 1990 amendments are necessary for biological recovery to begin by mid-century, which can be achieved through energy efficiency, renewables, cleaner fuels, and pollution control.

The report asserts that while the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments reduced sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, ecosystems in North America remain damaged due to a 150-year accumulation of acidic compounds. It documents ongoing damage to aquatic life, forests, and wildlife, and argues that biological recovery requires emission cuts up to 80 percent beyond the 1990 mandates. The authors state that affordable technologies, such as scrubbers and renewable energy, are available to achieve these deeper reductions.

The document details the severe impacts of sulfur emissions from coal-fired power plants in the US Midwest, specifically Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. It links these emissions to premature deaths, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and environmental degradation including acid rain and haze. The report advocates for the adoption of sulfur-scrubbing technologies and tighter EPA air quality standards to mitigate these risks.

The document provides a detailed framework for 'restorative redevelopment' in the Nine Mile Run Watershed, focusing on shifting from conventional 'end of the pipe' stormwater conveyance to site-based infiltration and treatment. It details conceptual designs for four representative sites—Hunter Park, Edgewood Crossroads, Regent Square Gateway, and Sterrett School—and proposes a comprehensive policy framework to overcome institutional barriers to green infrastructure.

The Union of Concerned Scientists identifies seven policy tools—Renewables Portfolio Standards, public benefits funding, net metering, fair transmission/distribution rules, fair pollution rules, consumer information, and green customer demand—to transition the US to renewable energy. It argues that deregulation risks favoring fossil fuels unless these mechanisms internalize the public benefits of renewables and remove market barriers.

The document is an annotated bibliography that examines the ISO 14000 series of standards. It highlights the tension between those who view the standards as a tool for reducing trade barriers and improving corporate efficiency and critics who argue that the lack of specific environmental performance requirements undermines their effectiveness. The text explores the integration of ISO 14000 with other standards like ISO 9000 and EMAS, its applicability to small- and medium-sized enterprises, and its role in transitioning from 'command and control' regulation to a voluntary, market-driven era of environmental stewardship.

The report argues for a 'fair share' approach to renewable energy siting to replace traditional state-level preemption, which often burdens rural communities. It outlines core principles—such as allowing communities to opt out after meeting a state-assigned target and ensuring all regions contribute—and analyzes how similar mandates in affordable housing (e.g., in Massachusetts and New Jersey) have increased supply despite local resistance. The authors identify key differences between energy and housing, such as the larger physical footprint and specific resource potential of energy projects, and provide a roadmap for policy design and implementation.

The document outlines how states can leverage billions of dollars in federal funding to support the transition to zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs). It categorizes funding opportunities into manufacturing, procurement, charging infrastructure, workforce development, emissions monitoring, and state planning, providing specific program details, eligibility, and strategic next steps for state officials.

The Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) is projected to create over 21,000 direct jobs, including 18,000 in construction and 3,000 permanent positions, through 11 major projects in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. The initiative involves a broad coalition of partners including project developers like Air Liquide and Plug Power, industrial equipment providers such as Baker Hughes and Bloom Energy, and various government, academic, and labor organizations across the region.

The document highlights the environmental and health impacts of routine gas flaring in the US, noting that 538 billion cubic feet of gas was vented or flared in 2019. It argues that routine flaring is avoidable through better infrastructure planning and technology, citing New Mexico and Colorado as regulatory precedents. The text emphasizes the disproportionate health burden on environmental justice and tribal communities, specifically mentioning increased rates of preterm birth in high-flaring regions of Texas.

The Clean Air Task Force argues that the U.S. oil and gas sector must reduce methane emissions by 65% by 2025 to align with global goals for limiting warming to 1.5°C. Without further action, emissions are projected to reach nearly 12 million metric tons by 2025. The proposal focuses on three primary areas: implementing monthly leak detection and repair (LDAR) or continuous monitoring to address leaks and super-emitters; replacing gas-driven pneumatic equipment with non-emitting alternatives; and implementing additional controls on storage tanks, well completions, compressors, and flaring. Together, these measures would reduce emissions by almost eight million tons per year, a benefit the author compares to replacing 150 million gasoline cars with zero-carbon electric vehicles. The document also advocates for a national policy to supplement existing state-level regulations in Colorado, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) used US EPA COBRA modeling to estimate that retiring four Illinois nuclear plants (Byron, Dresden, Braidwood, and LaSalle) would lead to significant increases in PM2.5 pollution. Over a ten-year period, this shift is projected to cause between 1,200 and 2,700 premature deaths and $10 to $24 billion in monetized damages. While the pollution sources are spread across ten states, the most severe health impacts are concentrated in the Midwest.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) study of 15 coal mines in Pennsylvania found that the state's program for placing coal combustion waste (CCW) in mines is failing, with 10 of the 15 sites showing groundwater or stream contamination. The report highlights severe pollutant levels at specific sites, such as the Ernest, McDermott, and Swamp Poodle mines, and calls for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) to implement strict safeguards, long-term monitoring, and enforceable regulations to protect human health and the environment.

The Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) is projected to create 20,800 direct jobs, including 14,400 in construction and 6,400 permanent positions, through 15 major projects across Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. The hub involves a wide network of partners spanning hydrogen production, education, industrial applications, labor, supply chain, infrastructure, and transportation.