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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.

This briefing by RMI discusses the environmental impact of cryptocurrency, specifically Bitcoin, and outlines the efforts and challenges associated with decarbonizing the industry. It details the transition of Ethereum to a lower-energy mechanism, the development of accounting frameworks for emissions, and the necessity for Bitcoin to move away from proof-of-work mining or utilize additional renewable energy to avoid hindering climate progress.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) reviewed federal legislation from the 115th through the 117th Congress to identify laws promoting climate adaptation and resilience. EESI identified 41 laws that address over 16 different climate impacts, ranging from acute events like wildfires to slow-onset events like thawing permafrost, though much of the federal approach remains centered on disaster response and recovery.

This policy brief argues that the United States power grid lacks a comprehensive national development plan, unlike the European Union and China, leaving it fragmented and vulnerable to climate-related extreme weather. It advocates for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to mandate minimum inter-regional power transfer capabilities and establish a robust planning process to improve grid resilience and resource sharing.

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 guide by RMI describes resilience hubs as community-serving facilities designed to support vulnerable populations during and after extreme weather events. It outlines five foundational areas of support—power, communication, facilities, operations, and services—and provides six strategic lessons for cities implementing these hubs, emphasizing community partnership, energy efficiency, and the integration of solar and battery storage.

This report by Energy Innovation provides a guide for state policymakers to leverage the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 to accelerate the transition to clean electricity. It details the mechanics of clean energy tax credits, reinvestment financing for fossil infrastructure, and transmission provisions, while analyzing independent modeling of the IRA's potential to reduce U.S. electricity sector emissions and lower household energy costs by 2030.

This research paper proposes the creation of Organized Long-Term Markets (OLTMs) to support the rapid deployment of clean energy resources in restructured wholesale electricity markets. The author argues that current market designs—including energy-only, capacity, and hybrid models—fail to provide the long-term investment signals and liquidity needed for grids with high penetration of variable renewable energy (VRE). The proposed OLTM acts as a derivative market that standardizes long-term energy delivery contracts, allowing producers to recover capital expenditures and consumers to hedge against price volatility while remaining linked to real-time spot market pricing.

This RMI fact sheet analyzes the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in the United States, concluding that federal funding is insufficient to cover the energy costs of all eligible low-income families and that significant numbers of eligible households remain unserved due to barriers like lack of awareness and complex application procedures.

This briefing by RMI examines the financial risks that extreme weather poses to US homeowners and the mortgage industry, highlighting the disproportionate impact on low-income communities and people of color. It discusses the role of the Inflation Reduction Act in providing funding for climate adaptation and calls for better property-level climate risk data and coordinated financing to future-proof the US housing market.

This case study describes the efforts of the Galveston Bay Foundation to restore and protect wetland habitats in Galveston Bay, Texas, to combat sea level rise and storm surges. It highlights the use of nature-based infrastructure, such as breakwaters and marsh terraces, funded by federal and private grants, and discusses how these projects encourage private land conservation and the challenges of federal funding match requirements.

This report by RMI examines the environmental implications of the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), arguing that a lack of data transparency regarding the origin and emissions intensity of stored oils hinders climate goals. It highlights a mismatch between the SPR's lighter crudes and the heavy-oil capacity of the refineries that primarily receive them, and calls for the strategic refilling of the SPR with low-emissions intensity oils to reduce greenhouse gas impacts.

This briefing from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) introduces a series titled "Living with Climate Change," focusing on community preparation for climate threats including polar vortices, sea level rise, wildfires, and extreme heat. The document specifically highlights the risks associated with polar vortex events, noting that climate change is expected to affect their frequency and severity, and emphasizes the need for adaptation strategies to prevent deadly power outages.

The 2021 Climate, Environmental, and Energy Congressional Hearings Tracker is a fact sheet produced by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). It provides a comprehensive list of hearings held by various House and Senate committees throughout 2021 that focused on climate change, energy transition, environmental protection, and infrastructure resilience.

This briefing summarizes a panel discussion on the climate and environmental justice impacts of plastic production, highlighting the role of the petrochemical industry in greenhouse gas emissions and the necessity of policy shifts toward reuse and extended producer responsibility.

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 fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) examines the state of 'climate jobs'—employment focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation—within the United States, detailing sector-specific employment numbers for 2020 and the potential for future growth through policy and investment.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) examines the state of 'climate jobs'—employment focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation—in the United States. It details employment figures across energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean transportation, and resilience sectors for 2020, noting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and projecting future growth opportunities linked to federal investment and policy changes.