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Critical Mineral Deep Dive: Lithium
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.
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Document type: Fact sheet
The Geothermal Supply Chain Is America’s to Gain — or Lose
This report by RMI argues that the United States is well-positioned to lead the next-generation geothermal supply chain by leveraging existing oil and gas expertise, but warns that targeted policy and research are required to avoid bottlenecks and capture economic benefits.
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Document type: Report
Drilling Down on Methane Loss
A report by RMI analyzing oil and gas data in Texas finds that methane waste is significantly underreported, particularly through venting from low-production oil wells. The study estimates that actual gas waste for a 12-month period ending November 2024 could be up to 4.5 times higher than the 120 billion cubic feet (Bcf) self-reported by operators, resulting in an estimated 7.6 million metric tons of methane emissions.
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Document type: Report
US Communities Reduce Risks of Wildfires by Improving Forest Health
A case study by the World Resources Institute detailing how the Cities4Forests initiative and its partners mobilized $115 million to restore 320,000 acres of forests and watersheds across 15 US states to mitigate wildfire risks and secure water supplies.
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Document type: Case study
Large Energy Users Want Power. Here’s How to Protect Other Ratepayers from the Costs.
This report by RMI examines how utilities and regulators in the United States are using large load tariffs to prevent the costs of serving new, high-demand electricity users—particularly data centers—from being shifted to other ratepayers. The analysis of 65 state-level tariffs identifies five common safeguard provisions: minimum contract terms, minimum monthly billing demands, collateral requirements, exit fees, and capacity reassignment.
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Document type: Report
Bringing Solar Within Reach: A Guide for Tax-Exempt Entities to Deliver Affordable Energy to Low-Income Households
This guide outlines the Renewables Investment for Social Equity (RISE) model, which enables tax-exempt entities to use the IRS 'direct pay' (elective pay) mechanism to deliver affordable solar energy to low- and moderate-income (LMI) households. The model allows tax-exempt organizations to own solar systems, install them at low or no upfront cost for residents, and recover costs via the Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit (ITC).
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Document type: Guide
ASSESSING IMPACTS OF THE 2025 RECONCILIATION BILL ON U.S. ENERGY COSTS, JOBS, HEALTH, AND EMISSIONS
This report by Energy Innovation analyzes the potential economic, environmental, and health impacts of the U.S. House of Representatives' 2025 budget Reconciliation legislation. The analysis compares a 'Current Policies' scenario against an 'EI Reconciliation May 2025' scenario, finding that the proposed repeals and modifications of clean energy tax credits and funding would increase household energy costs, lead to significant job losses, reduce electricity capacity, and increase greenhouse gas emissions and premature deaths.
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Document type: Report
Trump administration’s policies support rapid growth of geothermal power in United States
This report by Global Energy Monitor analyzes the growth potential of geothermal power in the United States under the Trump administration. It highlights how bipartisan support, technological advancements in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), and streamlined permitting are positioning geothermal energy for rapid expansion, particularly to meet the 24/7 power demands of AI data centers, even as other renewables like wind and solar face political headwinds.
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Document type: Report
Trump administration’s policies support rapid growth of geothermal power in the United States with 1.2 GW planned by end of term
This briefing by Global Energy Monitor examines the growth potential of geothermal power in the United States under the Trump administration, noting that while wind and solar face challenges, geothermal energy has bipartisan support and technological advancements that position it for rapid expansion.
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Document type: Briefing
Reimagining Utility Climate Risk Planning
This briefing by RMI outlines a four-step framework for utilities and regulators to integrate physical and transition climate risks into long-term planning to ensure grid reliability and affordability. It argues that current utility planning often silos climate risk or ignores transition risks, leading to higher costs for ratepayers, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
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Document type: Briefing
Hydrogen Reality Check: Distilling Green Hydrogen’s Water Consumption
This RMI fact sheet argues that scaling green hydrogen for a 1.5°C-aligned future will have a minimal impact on global freshwater supplies, as its water consumption is comparable to or lower than fossil-fuel-based hydrogen and other energy production methods. While global impact is low, the document emphasizes the need for intentional project siting and the use of alternative water sources to avoid straining local water-stressed regions.
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Document type: Fact sheet
The Fossil Fuel Lobbyist List
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.
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Document type: Report
How to Protect Forest Carbon in a Fire-Prone Future
This policy brief by the World Resources Institute examines the impact of high-severity wildfires on forest carbon sequestration in the United States. It argues that historical fire suppression and climate change have created a dangerous feedback loop of severe fires that release stored carbon and permanently damage the ability of forests to recover. The document advocates for scaled-up 'fuel load treatments,' the development of markets for thinned biomass, and federal policy reforms to protect the land carbon sink and support rural communities.
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Document type: Policy brief
Why EPA Must Address Appliance Pollution
This RMI fact sheet argues that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should use its authority under the Clean Air Act to establish nitrogen oxides (NOX) standards that phase in requirements for electric appliances. The document highlights the significant health, environmental, and climate impacts of fossil-fuel burning appliances, particularly gas appliances, and positions electrification as a cost-effective solution to reduce premature deaths and pollution.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Conservation Corps: Pairing Climate Action with Economic Opportunity
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the history, economic and environmental benefits, funding mechanisms, and legislative landscape of conservation corps in the United States, highlighting their role in climate action and workforce development.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants: What Congress, Federal Agencies and Communities Need to Know
This briefing, compiled by a coalition of public interest groups and published by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, outlines the technical, economic, and regulatory challenges associated with decommissioning nuclear power plants in the United States. It highlights significant risks to public health and safety, the inadequacy of current waste storage and funding, and the lack of local government oversight during the decommissioning process.
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Document type: Briefing
NUCLEAR WASTE CONSENT AND NON-CONSENT: A BRIEF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
This briefing, presented at Stanford University on March 9, 2016, provides a historical analysis of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) attempts to site nuclear waste repositories and storage facilities. The author argues that the DOE has a history of failing to keep promises and ignoring 'non-consent,' leading to a pattern of litigation and failure in establishing long-term high-level waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF) solutions.
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Document type: Briefing
Comments on EPA Methane White Papers
A joint statement from the Attorneys General of New York, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish formal emission standards and guidelines for methane in the oil and gas sector following the publication of five technical white papers.
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Document type: Statement
More deadly, destructive wildfires in today's news: can we prevent this being the new normal?
This statement from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute argues that U.S. forests are increasingly transitioning from carbon sinks to carbon emitters due to climate change, droughts, and wildfires. It highlights a critical funding gap for hazardous fuel reduction and ecosystem restoration, suggesting that expanding markets for wood products and bioenergy could provide a sustainable financial model for forest management.
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Document type: Statement
State Actions on Climate Change: A Focus on How Our Communities Grow
This report by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) analyzes how state climate action plans in the United States incorporate land use, transportation, and green building policies as of July 2009. It finds that while transportation and green building are common, specific 'smart growth' land use practices are the least frequent component of these plans.
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Document type: Report