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This briefing by RMI analyzes the potential for transitioning the Great Lakes region's steel industry to near-zero-emissions production. It identifies a gap between aggressive federal incentives—such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)—and the lack of coordinated, steel-specific industrial strategies at the state level. The report evaluates three primary decarbonization pathways: Blast furnace–basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) with carbon capture and storage (CCS), natural gas direct reduced iron (DRI) with CCS, and renewable hydrogen-based DRI, noting that hydrogen DRI offers the lowest emissions intensity and most competitive levelized costs when subsidies are included. It emphasizes the region's economic importance, as the Great Lakes house all of the US's integrated steel mills and two-thirds of the nation's steelworkers, while warning that failure to modernize could lead to a loss of competitiveness and jobs to other regions or international markets.

This policy brief by RMI examines the potential for the Great Lakes region of the United States to become a globally competitive hub for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). It analyzes the region's strengths in feedstock availability, existing ethanol infrastructure, and logistics, while identifying a significant gap in coordinated state-level industrial policy to support the SAF value chain.

This briefing by RMI analyzes the potential for the Great Lakes region to lead the electric vehicle (EV) and battery supply chain. While the region possesses historical automotive strengths and significant R&D capacity, it faces competition from the 'Battery Belt' in the Deep South and gaps in state-level industrial policies. The document outlines the four stages of the supply chain—upstream, midstream, downstream, and reuse/recycling—and provides a gap analysis of regional policies compared to federal initiatives, urging Great Lakes states to coordinate on strategic coordination, production incentives, and end-of-life regulations to maintain competitiveness.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute analyzes version 1.0 of the White House Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST). While the update identifies more disadvantaged communities than the beta version, the authors argue it fails to account for cumulative burdens—where multiple environmental, health, and socioeconomic stressors overlap—which disproportionately affect communities of color.

The Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program is a USDA initiative designed to help agricultural producers manage financial risk through conservation practices, crop diversification, and marketing assistance. It is available in 16 specific US states where crop insurance rates are low, with permanent mandatory funding of $10 million per fiscal year.

This report by Energy Innovation and RMI evaluates the impact of five key state-level energy policies on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across six U.S. states using the Energy Policy Simulator (EPS). The analysis demonstrates that a coordinated policy approach can significantly reduce emissions, create jobs, and improve public health outcomes.

This guide from the World Resources Institute explains buyer-led aggregated procurement of renewable energy for local governments in the United States, detailing the benefits, challenges, and strategies for successful implementation to advance decarbonization goals.

A November 2022 report by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) based on a 50-state survey reveals that major U.S. companies in the technology, banking, and insurance sectors frequently employ state-level lobbyists who also represent the fossil fuel industry. The report highlights a contradiction between these companies' public net-zero climate goals and their reliance on 'multi-client lobbyists' who promote continued fossil fuel dependence.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute outlines the climate, environmental, and health externalities associated with the fossil fuel supply chain, emphasizing the disproportionate impact on marginalized communities and the significant economic and human costs in the United States.

This briefing from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the European Union's upcoming methane regulation must encompass the petrochemical sector and the entire supply chain of fossil fuel imports. The document highlights a growing trade in natural gas liquids (NGLs), specifically ethane and propane, from the United States to Europe to fuel plastics production, which the author contends undermines EU climate goals and bypasses domestic fracking bans.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the increasing import of fracked natural gas liquids (NGLs)—specifically ethane and propane—from the United States to Europe is undermining the European Union's climate and plastics reduction goals. The document details the supply chain from US fracking basins to European petrochemical plants and contends that current EU regulations, such as the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), contain loopholes that allow the plastics industry to offshore emissions and avoid carbon pricing.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines how federal investment in three tree-based natural climate solutions—reforestation, agroforestry, and wildfire risk mitigation—can help the United States meet its 2030 emissions targets while driving economic growth and job creation.

This research paper examines the economic viability of the natural gas industry in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, arguing that the region is vulnerable to low prices and a global shift toward low-carbon energy sources.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) outlines the 'externalities'—climate, environmental, and health costs not reflected in market prices—associated with the fossil fuel supply chain. It details the impacts of burning coal, oil, and natural gas, including greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and public health crises, while proposing policy mechanisms to mitigate these costs.

This issue brief by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the economic and workforce challenges facing coal-dependent communities in the United States as they transition to a clean energy economy. It analyzes the drivers of coal's decline, evaluates proposed federal strategies for a 'just transition,' and highlights regional opportunities for economic diversification in sectors such as renewable energy, environmental remediation, broadband deployment, and entrepreneurship.

The Brighton Township Municipal Authority issued a USD 5.9 million green bond on August 13, 2020, to fund capital improvements for its water system.

The Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority issued a USD 26.2 million US Municipal green bond on August 20, 2020, to finance upgrades to its water distribution system, including the Nadine Pump Station and Tyler Road water treatment plant.

The Borough of Grove City issued a USD 9 million US Municipal green bond on June 18, 2020, to fund improvements to its water system.

This fact sheet details a USD 650 million green bond issued by PNC Financial Services Group on November 1, 2019, with a five-year tenor. The proceeds are allocated to renewable energy, energy efficiency, and green buildings, with the Climate Bonds Initiative noting PNC as the first of its kind to dedicate a share of proceeds to waste projects.

This executive summary from the Center for International Environmental Law details how the lifecycle of plastic—from fossil fuel extraction to waste management—contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, threatening the global goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C.