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The report identifies 219 facilities in Pennsylvania eligible for 45Q tax credits, emitting 82.5 million metric tons of CO2 annually. While the Lockport and Knox formations offer a theoretical storage capacity of 510 to 1,640 million metric tons, low permeability across most assessed saline aquifers poses a significant challenge to commercial viability. Alternative storage options include depleted oil and gas fields, CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and the Marcellus and Utica shales, though the latter requires further research.

The Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) warns that private equity's pursuit of outsized returns in the U.S. healthcare sector leads to 'looting' of hospitals through high leverage, sale-leaseback transactions, and debt-funded dividends. The document provides case studies of firms like Cerberus Capital Management (Steward Healthcare), Leonard Green & Partners (Prospect Medical Holdings), Apollo Global Management (Lifepoint Health and ScionHealth), and Pipeline Health to illustrate how these financial tactics result in reduced access to care, staffing shortages, and declining quality of care. PESP calls for increased regulatory oversight of for-profit hospital mergers and protections against extractive financial maneuvers.

The report analyzes the federal permitting process for high-capacity electric transmission lines in the U.S., identifying systemic delays caused by poor interagency coordination, capacity shortages, and regulatory misalignment between federal and state authorities. Based on a dataset of 37 projects and case studies, it argues that while litigation is often cited as a primary barrier, it is rarely the sole cause of project failure. The authors recommend that the President prioritize transmission as a national priority, that Congress consolidate siting authority for multi-state projects, and that agencies adopt more agile, transparent, and collaborative environmental review processes, including expanded use of programmatic EISs and categorical exclusions.

The report identifies 219 facilities in Pennsylvania eligible for 45Q tax credits, emitting 82.5 million metric tons of CO2 annually. While the Lockport and Knox formations offer a theoretical storage capacity of 510 to 1,640 million metric tons, low permeability across most assessed saline aquifers poses significant challenges for commercially viable injection. Alternative options include depleted oil and gas fields, CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and the Marcellus and Utica shales, though the latter requires further research. Due to the geographic mismatch between emission sources and high-quality storage sites, the report concludes that CO2 pipelines will likely be necessary.

Earthjustice warns that a new 'model' bill for cryptocurrency mining, promoted by the Satoshi Action Fund, would shield miners from local zoning and noise ordinances and interfere with utility regulators' ability to set fair electricity rates. The briefing details how proof-of-work mining strains electric grids, increases electricity costs for residents, causes significant noise and environmental pollution, and fails to deliver promised economic benefits.

The analysis finds that while gas-fired power plants emit 58% less CO2 at the stack than coal, the lifecycle benefit is reduced to 24% when considering upstream emissions. This benefit varies wildly by production basin; gas from northeast Pennsylvania can significantly reduce GHG impacts, while gas from the Permian basin could potentially worsen them by 20% compared to coal. The report concludes that for natural gas to be compatible with net-zero goals, both aggressive upstream methane abatement and downstream carbon capture and storage (CCS) are required, noting that abated coal with CCS actually shows 37% lower emissions than abated gas with CCS due to the latter's persistent upstream methane and liquefaction emissions.

The Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) testifies that private equity firms use extractive financial tactics—such as high leverage, sale-leasebacks, and debt-funded dividends—to maximize returns, often resulting in the bankruptcy or closure of hospitals. The document highlights specific cases including Prospect Medical Holdings, Steward Health Care, and Apollo Global Management's Lifepoint/ScionHealth, noting severe impacts on patient safety and staffing. PESP proposes state-level policy solutions including stricter merger reviews, financial transparency, anti-looting measures, and joint and several liability for investors.

The document outlines strategies for reducing methane emissions from US municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, emphasizing the transition from traditional manual surface emissions monitoring (SEM) to advanced technologies like satellites, aircraft, drones, and fixed sensors. It provides a six-step framework for monitoring-informed mitigation: selecting a system, deploying it, pinpointing sources, identifying root causes, deploying mitigation measures, and verifying reductions. The guide highlights that while organic waste diversion is critical for future emissions, improving waste-in-place controls offers immediate climate benefits.

The U.S. clean energy sector saw record growth in 2023, particularly in solar installations and EV sales, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. However, the transition faces significant headwinds from rising interest rates, supply chain shortages for transformers, and a lagging transmission system. To meet 2035 carbon-free electricity goals, annual renewable installation rates must nearly double, and transmission capacity may need to double or triple.

In 2024, WRI supported over 150 U.S. cities and counties in accelerating clean energy deployment and helped over 60 cities claim more than $12 million in tax credits via the Inflation Reduction Act's elective pay mechanism. The organization advanced next-generation geothermal technologies, launched a database of 50 community benefits frameworks for transmission projects, and supported the deployment of electric school buses (ESBs) through initiatives like the RVXDS project in California. WRI also focused on reforming power markets and grids, providing technical assistance to the PJM Cities and Communities Coalition and researching interregional transmission procurement.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocated $12.1 billion to advance carbon management technologies in the United States. Two years into implementation, the Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have launched several key programs. The Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Program has selected nine FEED study projects and three demonstration projects, including the Baytown, Project Tundra, and Sutter projects. The Carbon Storage Validation and Testing Program has awarded funding to projects across multiple states, including Texas, Louisiana, and Wyoming, to develop large-scale sequestration and transport infrastructure. Additionally, the EPA has allotted $48 million to 25 state and Tribal recipients to support the regulation of UIC Class VI wells. In the realm of carbon removal, the Regional Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hubs Program has selected two commercial-scale hubs in Texas and Louisiana for award negotiations. The document notes that while progress is underway, agencies have until 2026 to allocate remaining funds, and future success depends on shared transport networks and community engagement.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) argues that low-carbon hydrogen is essential for decarbonizing hard-to-electrify sectors like heavy industry and long-haul transport. In Pennsylvania, the MACH2 and ARCH2 hubs represent diverse production strategies—renewable/nuclear and natural gas reforming, respectively. CATF emphasizes that for hydrogen to be truly climate-beneficial, electrolytic production must follow 'three pillars' of additionality, geography-matching, and temporal-matching, while fossil-based production requires high carbon capture rates and minimized methane leaks. The document highlights Pennsylvania's significant geologic storage potential for carbon capture but notes a lack of public subsurface data. It recommends greater transparency, inter-hub coordination, and deeper community engagement to maximize the program's climate and social benefits.

The report examines Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) as legally binding contracts between developers and communities to ensure equitable outcomes in energy transitions. Through nine case studies and an analysis of DOE, DOT, and EPA guidelines, it identifies critical failure points—such as lack of representative stakeholders and poor enforceability—and proposes best practices for planning, negotiation, and monitoring to better align project development with community needs.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) provides a framework for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and selected Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs to transition from application to action. CATF emphasizes prioritizing hydrogen for hard-to-abate sectors, ensuring transparency in project planning, coordinating funding across federal programs, and deepening community engagement to ensure equitable and climate-beneficial outcomes.

The report highlights a critical gap in US public health policy: the lack of comprehensive, science-based indoor air quality (IAQ) guidelines. While the US regulates outdoor air via the Clean Air Act, indoor environments—where people spend approximately 90% of their time—remain largely unregulated. The document details how pollutants like nitrogen dioxide from gas stoves and wildfire smoke exacerbate health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations. It reviews existing international models from the WHO and Health Canada, and limited US efforts in states like California and Texas. RMI recommends that the EPA use its authority under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) to develop federal guidelines, which could then inform building codes, product safety standards, and electrification efforts to reduce combustion pollution.

The guide outlines how state, local, and tribal governments can utilize CPRG funding to reduce methane emissions by implementing upstream organic waste diversion and downstream landfill gas controls. It emphasizes the use of 20-year global warming potential (GWP) for GHG inventories to highlight the urgency of methane action and details specific policy measures, such as organic waste bans and advanced monitoring technology, to achieve rapid emissions reductions and community benefits.

The Great Lakes region is positioned for an industrial renaissance in clean energy, having seen over $40 billion in new investments since 2021. However, the report argues that the region faces significant constraints, including slow population growth, a migration of manufacturing to the US South, and uneven clean electricity deployment. To overcome these, RMI suggests that states prioritize industries where they have existing 'economic complexity' and related capabilities, such as EV batteries and low-carbon steel. The report highlights the importance of coordinating across state lines to share legislative best practices—such as the creation of green banks and competitiveness funds—and recommends a regional investment attraction strategy to draw foreign direct investment. It specifically praises Illinois and Minnesota as leaders in environmental justice and workforce development frameworks.

The Great Lakes region remains the heartland of US steelmaking, but its primary production assets face a critical transition to avoid becoming noncompetitive as global demand for low-emissions steel grows. While federal legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides significant funding and tax credits (such as 45V and 45Q), the report finds a lack of coordinated state-level industrial strategies. The document argues that the region must prioritize the adoption of Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) pathways—specifically those using renewable hydrogen or carbon capture—to maintain high-quality jobs and reduce local air pollution. Key bottlenecks include grid interconnection delays for renewable energy, the need for Class VI primacy for carbon sequestration, and a lack of steel-specific workforce retraining programs.

The Great Lakes region—comprising Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—is positioned to drive US aviation fuel targets due to its strong industrial networks and feedstock availability. While the region possesses significant strengths in ethanol supply chains and logistics, a policy gap analysis reveals that no state currently has a comprehensive, coordinated approach to SAF demand and supply. The brief argues that leveraging existing infrastructure, such as the O'Hare International Airport hub and the St. Lawrence Seaway, alongside federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act, can catalyze a regional bioeconomy and reduce aviation emissions.

The report details how private equity firms utilize institutional capital to invest in companies providing healthcare, labor, food, electronic monitoring, telecommunications, and construction services for the U.S. detention and surveillance industry. It argues that these investments often lead to substandard care, exploitative wages, and inflated costs for captive audiences, disproportionately affecting working-class, Black, indigenous, and immigrant communities.