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The report finds that while most US states meet the minimum legal requirements for Title V air permitting notices, there are substantial gaps in transparency, accessibility, and the actual influence of public input on final decisions. It highlights that many public notices are written at a college reading level and lack plain language, and that few agencies transparently report how public comments shape permit outcomes. The analysis suggests that states with specific environmental justice or cumulative impacts laws tend to have better engagement practices. It recommends that agencies adopt plain language, provide multilingual resources, and establish clear mechanisms for reporting how community input affects regulatory decisions.

Analysis of cooling degree days (CDD) shows that 97% of 241 major U.S. cities experienced increased cooling demand since 1970, with an average increase of 37%. This trend, combined with a 31% rise in residential electricity prices between 2020 and 2025, increases the financial burden on households, particularly low-income families. In 2020, the ten states with the highest cooling costs saw average household expenditures between $378 in Hawaii and $712 in Arizona. Future projections suggest U.S. household cooling demand will rise 43% by 2050. The report also highlights systemic risks, including electricity grid strain, increased carbon emissions from fossil-fuel-reliant cooling, and the urban heat island effect caused by waste heat from air conditioners.

The document outlines the drivers of saltwater intrusion, including sea-level rise and groundwater extraction, and details its impacts on agriculture, human health, and ecosystems. It suggests reporting strategies such as using visual tools to identify 'ghost forests' and distinguishing between 'solutions' and 'strategies' for adaptation.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes the role of lithium in the energy transition, its global supply chain, extraction methods, and the environmental and social impacts associated with its production.

The paper examines the UK's Enhanced Trade Partnerships (ETPs), which are non-binding memoranda of understanding that sit between informal commercial meetings (JETCOs) and binding Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). While ETPs frequently reference sustainability and can facilitate 'green' trade and regulatory diplomacy, the author argues they primarily serve offensive trade interests and lack the civil society oversight necessary to prevent 'greenwashing'.

The Multi-Family Housing Tracker documents the significant increase in private equity ownership of U.S. apartment complexes, noting that 228 identified firms own nearly 3 million units, or approximately 13% of the national total. The report highlights a heavy concentration in Sunbelt states and metropolitan areas, correlating these regions with sharp increases in 'cost-burdened' renters. It details a business model focused on rapid value increases through rent hikes and additional fees, while documenting widespread tenant complaints regarding poor maintenance, aggressive evictions, and the use of algorithmic pricing software like RealPage. The document concludes with recommendations for landlords, public officials, and institutional investors to implement rent caps, just-cause eviction protections, and responsible investment standards.

The US electric grid faces severe supply chain constraints, with lead times for large power transformers reaching up to four years and prices for power line cables doubling since 2019. Domestic production is insufficient, meeting only 20% of demand for large power transformers in 2025. To address this, the document proposes a three-pronged federal strategy: easing near-term bottlenecks through allied partnerships and production ramps; expanding domestic capacity via manufacturing tax credits and low-cost scaling capital; and promoting innovation in next-generation grid hardware. It also highlights subnational opportunities for states to attract investment through tailored workforce training and industrial clustering.

The United States is well-positioned to lead the next-generation geothermal supply chain due to significant overlaps with the oil and gas industry, though gaps remain in superhot rock (SHR) compatible rigs and power conversion turbomachinery. While investment in the sector grew from $22 million in 2018 to $2.2 billion in 2025, the report warns that equipment supply chains could become a bottleneck for national-scale adoption. Developing a domestic supply chain could create over 100,000 jobs in wellfield and plant operations and catalyze manufacturing growth in regions like Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, and South Carolina. To secure this advantage, the report recommends expanding the 45X advanced manufacturing production tax credit to geothermal and improving data on equipment capacity and production costs.

The report identifies a recurring 'implementation gap' where adaptation policies increasingly use the language of systemic risk—interconnected hazards, cascading impacts, and deep uncertainty—but continue to operate through hazard- and sector-based routines. Through comparative analysis of the EU, ASEAN, and the US, it finds that mandates, funding, and monitoring systems remain fragmented, often ignoring policy trade-offs and distributional inequities. It concludes by proposing a framework based on systemic risk framing, policy interlinkages, and deep uncertainty management to help decision-makers stress-test investments and avoid maladaptation.

The Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) testified in support of Illinois bills S.B. 3118 and H.B. 4728, arguing that private equity ownership of intellectual or developmental disability (IDD) services prioritizes short-term profits over patient care. PESP highlights risks such as 'dividend recapitalization'—where firms like Centerbridge Partners and Vistria Group extracted over $737 million from providers Sevita and Help at Home—and the case of Bain Capital's Broadstep Behavioral Health, whose license to operate group homes in Illinois was revoked in July 2024 due to repeat quality standard violations.

January 2026 was the fifth-warmest January on record globally, characterized by significant temperature anomalies in the U.S. West and record-low snowpacks in several states. The document highlights the transition of NOAA to the Relative Oceanic Niño Index (RONI) to better account for climate change in ENSO tracking. Attribution analysis using the Climate Shift Index (CSI) indicates that extreme warmth in the northern U.S. and specific cities like San Juan and Honolulu was strongly driven by carbon pollution.

Analysis of 244 U.S. cities shows that winters are the fastest-warming season for most of the country, with average temperatures increasing by 3.9°F since 1970. This trend is characterized by fewer freezing nights, shorter cold streaks, and a significant increase in warmer-than-normal winter days, particularly in the Northeast and Upper Midwest. These changes threaten mountain snowpack, crop yields for the $27 billion fruit and nut industry, and the winter recreation economy, while potentially increasing pest-related health risks and allergy durations.

The briefing emphasizes that the US nuclear posture relies on a foundation of science, technology, and engineering (S&T) managed by the NNSA National Laboratories and the Department of Energy. It advocates for increased long-term investment in early-stage R&D, the modernization of aging manufacturing infrastructure through robotics and CNC, and the rebuilding of a specialized workforce. The authors suggest that the S&T base should be viewed as a tool of deterrence in itself, requiring stable funding cycles that transcend short-term political terms and expanded public-private partnerships to accelerate innovation.

The document highlights the environmental and health risks associated with spreading sewage sludge on approximately 70 million acres of U.S. farmland, noting that such sludge often contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). It criticizes the EPA for failing to finalize risk assessments for PFOA and PFOS and for underestimating the risks of over 150 other PFAS chemicals detected in sludge. The text cites specific farm failures in Maine and Michigan due to contamination and notes that while some states like Maine have banned the practice, others still encourage it. The author calls for federal regulations, the protection of local government authority to restrict sludge use, and corporate accountability for clean-up.

The document details the widespread groundwater contamination caused by coal ash at U.S. power plants, where 91 percent of plants exceed federal safe standards. It highlights the dangers of 'sham recycling'—specifically using coal ash as soil fill—and contrasts this with legitimate encapsulation in concrete and gypsum. The testimony criticizes the Trump administration's efforts to cede enforcement to states and weaken federal regulations, while providing evidence that 'closure by removal' of ash ponds leads to significant water quality improvements and economic benefits for local communities.

The report finds that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) would significantly increase U.S. household energy costs, lead to substantial job losses in manufacturing and clean energy, and increase greenhouse gas emissions and premature deaths. By repealing key tax credits and environmental standards, the bill is projected to shrink cumulative GDP by $1.1 trillion between 2025 and 2034 and reduce new electricity capacity by 330 GW by 2035. While the bill expands oil and gas leasing, the report argues that the resulting increase in production is offset by higher demand-driven prices for fossil fuels.

The document details South Carolina's high susceptibility to sea level rise, hurricanes, and droughts, noting that 101 weather disasters with losses over $1 billion occurred between 1980 and April 2025. It highlights the critical role of federal support from NOAA, FEMA, and USDA in maintaining coastal resilience, providing disaster aid, and supporting military installations. The briefing warns that proposed FY 2026 budget cuts—including the elimination of the Sea Grant program and significant reductions in coastal research and FEMA funding—would severely hinder the state's ability to manage climate risks and protect its economy and national security infrastructure.

The analysis finds that approximately 2.5 million people and 1.4 million homes in the contiguous U.S. are at risk from a severe coastal flood by 2050 under current global carbon reduction commitments. Florida, New York, and New Jersey are the most affected states. The report highlights that older adults are disproportionately exposed, with 540,000 people aged 65 and older living in at-risk areas.

RMI analysis indicates that replacing coal-fired units at the Colstrip Generating Station with a portfolio of solar, wind, and battery storage could save Montana ratepayers between $500 million and $1.17 billion over 30 years. The document urges Northwestern Energy and the Montana Public Service Commission to prioritize coal-to-clean reinvestment and Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) financing in upcoming rate cases and integrated resource plans.

The report documents a shift in IDD services from non-profit providers to private equity-owned platforms, highlighting risks such as cost-cutting, financial extraction through dividend recapitalizations, and systemic quality failures. It provides case studies of companies like Sevita, Help at Home, and Broadstep Behavioral Health to illustrate patterns of abuse, neglect, and regulatory non-compliance.