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The guide explains how climate change intensifies wildfires by increasing evaporation and drying out vegetation, creating a feedback loop where fires destroy carbon sinks and emit more carbon. It highlights specific regional impacts in the United States and Canada and provides journalistic advice on covering the long-term effects of fires, such as landslides and public health crises.

The guide explains how climate change creates conditions for more severe and frequent wildfires in the US, while offering practical reporting tips for journalists to cover the long-term impacts, public health risks, and the role of 'good fire'.

The United States saw a 60% increase in major weather-related power outages during the heat season between 2014-2023 compared to 2000-2009. The South region experienced the highest number of these events, with Texas and Michigan recording the most outages at the state level. These outages compound health risks for vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and children, particularly when overlapping with extreme heat waves. Proposed solutions for grid resilience include the implementation of microgrids, smart grid technologies, and physical hardening of infrastructure.

The document is an amicus curiae brief filed by environmental organizations to oppose legal challenges to a BOEM rule that requires offshore oil and gas lessees to provide more robust financial assurances for decommissioning. The brief argues that the existing regulatory framework has failed, leading to a massive backlog of overdue wells and platforms, significant environmental risks, and potential multi-billion dollar liabilities for taxpayers. It asserts that the new rule is in the public interest as it ensures funds are available for cleanup, reduces the risk of leaks and navigational hazards, and supports the growth of the decommissioning industry.

The U.S. transportation sector, responsible for nearly one third of national greenhouse gas emissions, is undergoing decarbonization through a combination of federal strategies, such as the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, and significant funding from the IIJA and Inflation Reduction Act. While progress is evident in the buildout of EV and hydrogen corridors and the growth of clean energy manufacturing jobs, the document argues that the U.S. is not yet on track to meet its goal of cutting all transportation greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Regional efforts are concentrated in the West Coast (hydrogen and EV corridors), Midwest (battery manufacturing and freight networks), Gulf Coast (low-emissions shipping and hydrogen trucking), and East Coast (EV manufacturing and I-95 freight corridors). To accelerate progress, the document recommends a federal clean fuel standard, improved inter-agency coordination, and stronger community engagement.

The report finds that July 2024 temperatures were elevated in the eastern and western thirds of the United States, with the West Coast showing particularly high anomalies. Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), the analysis identifies the Southwest as having the strongest climate signal, with cities averaging at least 14 days where temperatures were at least three times more likely due to climate change. Specific cities like Spokane, Washington, and Reno, Nevada, showed significant temperature anomalies and long-term warming trends since 1970.

The report finds that Alberta can almost completely decarbonize its electricity generation within the next decade using wind, solar, and gas with carbon capture. While federal Clean Electricity Regulations are a point of political contention, modelling suggests they have little impact on the long-term supply mix compared to the massive projected growth in electricity demand driven by industrial electrification. The transition's success depends on scaling up transmission infrastructure and maintaining policy stability to attract private investment.

The report concludes that Alberta has the natural resources and capacity to decarbonize its electricity production almost completely within the next decade. It highlights a transition dominated by wind, solar, and natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS), while noting that the primary challenge is not land availability but the expansion of transmission infrastructure to meet a potentially doubling demand for electricity driven by industrial electrification.

The report presents the Industrial Zero Emissions Calculator (IZEC), an open-source Excel tool that allows stakeholders to visualize the electricity, hydrogen, bioenergy, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) needs required to achieve zero-emission industry. Focusing on U.S. scenario results, the report argues that direct electrification is the most energy-efficient pathway for industrial heat, while green hydrogen should be reserved for high-value feedstocks and steelmaking due to its inefficiency when burned. It highlights that heavy reliance on bioenergy or fossil-based CCS leads to prohibitive land use or capital costs, respectively. The authors emphasize that combining these technologies with energy and material efficiency improvements is critical to making industrial decarbonization feasible and cost-effective.

The briefing analyzes how the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 (EPRA) and FERC Order 1920 could accelerate US transmission expansion to 2–4 TW-miles per year. By enabling the deployment of clean energy to meet growing electricity demand and displace fossil fuel generation, these provisions are estimated to reduce cumulative US grid emissions by 6.5 Gt CO2e through 2050. The analysis focuses on four key EPRA sections addressing interregional planning, FERC permitting, categorical exclusions, and legal decision timelines.

The report analyzes 13 large-scale CCS projects across various industries, including natural gas processing, hydrogen production, power generation, steel, and cement. It finds that while many projects have met high technical standards, others have faced significant operational hurdles, often due to a lack of climate-focused incentives or unexpected geological challenges. The document argues that transparent reporting and robust climate-driven policies are essential to ensure future projects maximize their emissions reduction potential.

The briefing examines how battery energy storage systems (BESS) can replace fossil fuel generation to ensure grid reliability. It details three primary functions of batteries: balancing variable renewable energy supply and demand, providing stability services like frequency and voltage regulation, and enabling 'black start' capabilities to restore power after blackouts. The author contends that batteries often offer lower costs and faster response times than thermal plants. To maximize these benefits, the document recommends that utilities conduct analytical studies to identify specific reliability needs and utilize all-source procurement processes to ensure the most cost-competitive resources are selected.

Climate Central reports that 89% of 242 analyzed U.S. locations have seen an increase in annual 'warning days' (heat index 80°F to 94°F) since 1979, with the most significant rises in the Ohio Valley and Upper Midwest. Between 1992 and 2022, 986 U.S. workers died from heat exposure, and from 1980 to 2016, an average of 421 million work hours were lost annually, costing $14 billion. The document highlights a lack of comprehensive federal heat standards, noting that only five states have such protections, while some states like Florida and Texas prohibit local municipalities from enacting their own heat safety laws.

The report examines how the increasing frequency and severity of climate-driven disasters lead insurance companies to raise premiums or withdraw coverage, particularly in high-risk areas of the US. This process creates a 'domino effect' where the lack of affordable insurance makes homes unmortgageable, reduces property values, and increases homelessness. The authors highlight a cycle where insurers profit from these increases and reinvest in fossil fuels, further exacerbating the climate crisis. The document warns that widespread mortgage defaults and the devaluation of lender security could lead to a systemic financial crisis with global implications.

The document examines how fossil fuel price volatility contributes to inflation in Canada, noting that energy prices accounted for 33% of overall inflation between February 2021 and June 2022. It argues that transitioning to net-zero electricity grids by 2050 could save Canada up to CAD 15 billion annually in total energy costs. The brief suggests that policies such as carbon pricing and incentives for heat pumps and electric vehicles can improve affordability by reducing reliance on volatile global oil and gas markets.

The report finds that June 2024 was historically hot across the United States, with climate change making temperatures 2.3 times more likely on average. The Southwest experienced the most extreme anomalies, with Nevada's temperatures being 8.2 times more likely due to climate change and the region seeing an average of 4.2 additional days above 90°F. Analysis of 191 ACIS stations showed that 12 experienced their hottest Junes on record, and 168 stations had at least one day where temperatures were at least twice as likely due to climate change.

As of June 2024, the U.S. has 12,164 committed electric school buses, with 67% funded by the EPA's Clean School Bus Program. Adoption is widespread across 49 states, with California leading in total numbers, while the Southeast has seen significant recent growth. The report finds that deployment is increasingly equitable, with a majority of buses now located in high-poverty districts and areas with high air pollution, though adult asthma rates show a more even distribution.

The research note advocates for "strong 45V rules" based on three pillars: incremental, deliverable, and hourly-matched clean electricity. The author contends that weakening these rules would allow dirty hydrogen production to qualify for subsidies, potentially increasing net CO2 emissions by 100-200 MMT per year and raising wholesale electricity prices by 10%. Conversely, strong rules are presented as a way to drive domestic manufacturing of flexible electrolyzers, align U.S. standards with the European Union, and ensure the long-term viability of the hydrogen industry beyond the tax credit's expiration.

The report finds that U.S. residential electricity rates have generally kept pace with economy-wide inflation since 2010, and that states with high clean energy growth often see rates rise slower than inflation. Instead, the report identifies natural gas price volatility, wildfire mitigation and liability costs, aging coal plant investments, and rising transmission and distribution costs as the primary drivers of rate spikes. It further argues that the regulated utility business model incentivizes capital-heavy investments over more cost-effective operational solutions, which compounds these costs for consumers.

The document examines how fossil fuel price volatility contributes to overall inflation in Canada, noting that energy prices accounted for 33% of Canada's overall inflation from February 2021 to June 2022. It argues that transitioning to a net-zero electricity grid by 2050 could save Canadian households an average of CAD 1,500 annually and reduce total energy costs by CAD 15 billion per year. The brief highlights the 'spillover effect' where energy price hikes increase costs for non-energy items, such as food, and can lead to central bank interest rate hikes that further squeeze affordability. It recommends policies that encourage fuel switching to electric vehicles and heat pumps, as well as investments in renewable energy infrastructure to ensure long-term price stability.