Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI): Recent Episodes
Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing about strategies to improve biodiversity and river health along the Tennessee River, which winds through Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky. The Tennessee River, one of the most biodiverse rivers in North America, experiences damaging issues ranging from PFAS and plastics to chemical pollution from landfills and manufacturing. These issues threaten both water quality and the health and well-being of the many communities in the river’s watershed.
This briefing highlighted the importance of effective enforcement of local, state, and federal clean water laws and regulations. Panelists discussed the role of federal policy-making in boosting river health, as well as opportunities to support biodiversity.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing about the role of United States-China climate engagement in shaping the progress and outcomes of international climate governance. From critical mineral supply chains to clean energy and transportation technology, dynamics between the two countries are complex and sometimes fraught. This briefing explored how the countries’ relations across broader climate and environmental issues have influenced and will continue to influence the annual U.N. climate change negotiations.
In 2023, the United States and China produced the Sunnylands Statement ahead of the U.N. climate change negotiations (COP28), following a tradition of publishing similar joint positions in prior years. The statement covered topics related to the energy transition, forest conservation, and non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions, including methane. It also kicked off a working group focused on “climate action in the 2020s,” which started meeting in the first half of 2024.
During the briefing, panelists explained how these bilateral interactions play into the international negotiations on climate change, outlined what to expect during COP29 and its lead up, and discussed the effectiveness of diplomatic efforts in curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing discussing how nations can collaborate to monitor and mitigate methane emissions to improve air quality and meet emission reduction targets. Methane accounts for 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution and has 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide, making it a key lever in addressing the climate crisis.
Ahead of the United Nations annual conference on climate change (COP29), this briefing covered policies nations are implementing to effectively reduce their domestic methane emissions in the energy, agriculture, and waste sectors. Panelists discussed the implementation of the Global Methane Pledge, which 155 countries have signed, and highlighted the role of technology in improving methane monitoring, compliance, and reduction.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing about what Congress can expect during the upcoming United Nations climate negotiations in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29). From the opening World Climate Action Summit to the intense negotiations of the conference’s final days, thousands of events will take place over the course of the two-week U.N. session. Whether traveling to Baku or observing COP29 from D.C., this briefing will guide policymakers on how to engage effectively.
Panelists previewed key issues on the negotiating agenda, from setting the new global climate finance goal and determining metrics for climate adaptation to updating national climate goals. The briefing also unpacked the complex process of international climate negotiations, reviewed possible policy outcomes, and explored pathways for subsequent Congressional action.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing that examined the environmental challenges facing the Mississippi River and solutions to address them. Spanning 10 states, the Mississippi plays a key role in tourism, commerce, biodiversity, and recreation in the United States. In particular, the river system moves hundreds of millions of tons of freight each year, serves as a home to hundreds of different fish, mammal, and amphibian species, and supports 1.3 million jobs. However, like many other river systems featured in this briefing series, the Mississippi River and the communities that depend on it face challenges such as nitrate pollution, saltwater intrusion, flooding, and low water levels—many of which are exacerbated by climate change. At this briefing, Mississippi River experts discussed the role of federal policy in advancing strategies to improve both the health and climate resilience of the river system.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing that explored the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding dedicated to nonprofit organizations and municipalities. For example, the introduction of “direct pay” is allowing tax-exempt entities to access the benefits of federal tax credits for the first time. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency are hard at work rolling out new programs specifically tailored to these entities. The IRA and IIJA are opening new doors for nonprofits and local governments working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate.
These opportunities also bring questions: What capacities do varying organizations and municipalities have to apply for, manage, and monitor funding? What reporting requirements could pose challenges for grantees? What does equity look like across these different programs?
Panelists addressed these questions and described the status of IRA and IIJA programs that increase the technical and financial capacity of public sector groups. They also shared case studies from across the country where funding is making a difference in communities, and discussed what lessons can be learned to bolster these federal efforts going forward.
More information at: https://www.eesi.org/091224cdr
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) held a briefing about effective policy-making for carbon dioxide removal (CDR). CDR—the practice of removing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and ocean—comes in many forms, including direct air capture, soil carbon sequestration, ocean CDR, and forest restoration. These methods have garnered increasing scientific, governmental, and private sector interest, but expanded policy development is needed to bring them to the scale needed to meet national climate goals. Leveraging key findings from recent reports, panelists from NGOs, academia, and the private sector explored existing policies supporting different stages of CDR development, the level of CDR we expect to need, the potential for CDR in the United States, policy options to enable scaling to that level, and private sector perspectives on the policy landscape. Panelists also pinpointed key takeaways relevant for federal policymakers. TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 - Start 02:28 - Senator Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator (D-Colo.) 27:44 - Katie Lebling, Associate II, Carbon Removal, World Resources Institute (WRI) 38:48 - Galen Bower, Senior Analyst, Rhodium Group 47:47 - Peter Psarras, Research Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania 59:21 - Laura Hatalsky, Deputy Director of Policy, Carbon Removal Alliance 01:10:55 - Q&A
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), U.S. Nature4Climate, and the Bipartisan Policy Center held a briefing on natural climate solutions, which leverage natural processes—like those in forests, grasslands, soils, and wetlands—to reduce carbon emissions, sequester carbon, and bring new income and employment opportunities to rural America. Natural climate solutions as a whole are a widely popular strategy to address climate change, with 92% of people across the political spectrum in support of their implementation.
This briefing explored the federal role in maximizing the benefits of natural climate solutions. The panel convened experts studying natural climate solutions and practitioners implementing programs supported by federal agencies. These panelists discussed what is working, what we are still learning, and what the next phase of natural climate solutions policy and implementation looks like to support the long-term productivity and resilience of America’s natural and working lands and the prosperity of rural communities.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing about climate solutions from small- and medium-sized cities. Cities around the country are taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. Many cities and community partners are doing this work with support from federal agencies, while others can share key learnings from project implementation to help inform federal decision-making.
During this briefing, speakers focused on nature-based solutions in cities—from parks that help manage stormwater to urban trees that can reduce summer temperatures across entire neighborhoods. Panelists, including city government officials, community leaders, and federal agency partners, highlighted equitable and community-designed climate solutions from the places they live and work and described the intersection points with federal policy and programs.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and American Rivers held a briefing to learn about the state of dam infrastructure in the United States. Rivers across the United States are dotted with dams built for various purposes, from powering factories to irrigating croplands. In fact, there are more than 500,000 dams across the country. Of the dams in the National Inventory, 85 percent have outlived their expected lifespan and many are no longer serving a purpose. This presents a critical challenge for dam owners, municipalities, states, the federal government, and industry as they seek to ensure community safety.
This briefing discussed the options dam owners have to manage this infrastructure challenge, including dam removal, which is a common approach to dam safety and river restoration. Dam owners frequently seek help with removing their obsolete and unsafe structures, and dam removals are only completed with dam owner consent. To date, dam owners have worked with federal agencies and nonprofits to remove 2,119 dams, the majority of them in the last 25 years.
Panelists discussed the need to pay attention to dams as key infrastructure--including dams that provide carbon-free electricity to 30 million Americans--that has an impact in districts across the country. Bringing together perspectives from federal agencies, local leaders, and the hydropower industry, the briefing highlighted funding, programs, and projects that advance public safety through dam removal as well as river restoration.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) held a briefing about ocean carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Reaching global climate goals will require not only deep and rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, but also large-scale removal of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. While federal funding for research, development, and demonstration of land-based CDR approaches and technologies has increased significantly in recent years, the ocean also presents opportunities for carbon removal.
The ocean covers 70% of the Earth and serves as its largest carbon sink, holding 42 times the carbon in the atmosphere. Ocean CDR—the practice of removing and storing carbon from the ocean—is garnering increasing scientific, governmental, and private sector interest. At the same time it presents uncertainties related to efficacy, ecosystem impacts, and governance, which decision-makers must understand in order to determine if and how the practice could be scaled up as a climate solution.
Panelists discussed the current state of ocean CDR, including the status of different approaches; the policy and regulatory landscape; research gaps; and the importance of responsible scaling. They also discussed how lawmakers can engage in this emerging policy arena to meet mitigation and adaptation goals.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing on the impacts of climate change on U.S. national security.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing about the implementation of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in rural America. What programs are uniquely designed for and supportive of rural communities? What types of projects are making a difference in people's lives? What are the remaining barriers preventing small and rural communities, institutions, and companies from accessing IIJA and IRA support?
Panelists addressed these questions and shared the latest updates on U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, and other agency programs that provide for rural communities. They outlined how these laws directly help rural communities—from farms and ranches to rural town centers. Using specific examples from around the country, panelists also discussed key topics from a rural perspective, including electricity provision, broadband access, drinking water availability, and pollution reduction.
Hosted in coordination with the House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucuses, the Conservative Climate Caucus, and the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) held a briefing about the 12th edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook. The Factbook provides valuable year-over-year data and insights on the U.S. energy transformation, with an in-depth look at the energy efficiency, renewable energy, and natural gas sectors, as well as transmission, digitalization, micro-grids, offshore wind, hydrogen, renewable natural gas, and more.
Panelists explored the impact of supply chain trends as well as permitting and siting processes on U.S. clean energy deployment. They also highlighted investment figures resulting from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
The Factbook, published by BloombergNEF and BCSE, launched on February 21, and is available to download for free at www.bcse.org/factbook.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing about the latest presidential budget proposal and the outlook for Congressional appropriations for fiscal year 2025. The briefing described the different stages of the appropriations process and how it interfaces with other legislative activity on the Hill. The briefing also shed light on the role of the 12 appropriations subcommittees and highlighted ways Congressional staff, working both on and off the appropriations committees, can engage with the process. Panelists showcased examples of investments in climate, energy, and environment research and innovation that bring the process to life.
A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about the latest innovations in weather forecasting and communication to improve community resilience, awareness, and preparedness. Climate change multiplies and intensifies acute weather events like hurricanes as well as chronic stressors like droughts. Communities need to be informed not only of day-to-day weather events, but also of the ways our changing climate is affecting and altering weather patterns in their region.At this briefing, speakers will discuss exciting technologies that can help deliver accurate, timely, and actionable forecasts to those who need it most. Panelists will also underscore the importance of climate communication and emergency outreach, and how weather and disaster information can be delivered to the public in ways that support equitable, accessible, and effective community preparedness.
A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about the Department of Energy’s Energy Earthshots, which are designed to rapidly break down market barriers and scale up innovation in eight key sectors to address the climate crisis. From enhanced geothermal energy and floating offshore wind to low-carbon industrial heat and affordable home energy, these Earthshots set ambitious goals to tackle the critical energy challenges of our time. Panelists from the Department of Energy and its partners will share the latest updates on each Earthshot’s progress. They will describe tangible work undertaken at the federal level, at national labs, and across the private sector to turn the Earthshot targets into reality. Speakers will also explore how the different Earthshots complement each other to advance a just and equitable transition to clean energy.
A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about the U.S. Global Change Research Program's fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). NCA5 is the most comprehensive, holistic, and inclusive report to date on national climate risk and response. Panelists will discuss the report’s emphasis on the need for “rapid and deep” greenhouse gas emission reductions and the resulting economic and health benefits. The report also highlights the importance of investing in adaptation to the impacts of climate change—impacts which exacerbate existing climate and social injustices. NCA5 draws from a wide breadth of scientific literature across the fields of energy, natural resources, air quality, agriculture, and other sectors to provide insights tailored to different regions and communities across the United States. Speakers will discuss how members of Congress can use this report to understand the nuances of climate impacts and solutions in their districts and states, leveraging its takeaways to inform decision-making at the national level.
A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing about the first global stocktake of efforts to address climate change. This stocktaking process, established by the Paris Agreement, aims to assess the world’s collective progress towards the goal of keeping global average temperature rise well below 2°C (3.6°F). For more than a year, government representatives and non-governmental stakeholders from around the world have contributed to this process, which will inform a report that will be released ahead of the international climate negotiations in Dubai (COP28). Panelists will discuss the implications of the global stocktake for greenhouse gas emissions reductions and climate adaptation in the United States and abroad and consider how it will inform discussions at COP28.
A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing about what Congress can expect during the upcoming international climate negotiations in Dubai (COP28). From the opening World Climate Action Summit to the intense negotiations during the final days, thousands of events will take place over the course of the two-week United Nations session. This briefing will help you identify what to follow, whether you are on the ground in Dubai or back in D.C. Panelists will unpack the overall process of international climate negotiations, discuss the key topics on the agenda, review possible climate policy outcomes, and explore pathways for subsequent Congressional action.
A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on Congress’s role in the global effort to finance climate solutions. While investments in climate action are expensive, the impacts of climate change at home and abroad are even more costly. With demand for climate-related finance increasing around the globe, what levers are available to Congress to scale up financial flows? How does Congress’s approach to international climate finance impact actions by the private sector, multilateral development banks, and other global financial institutions? This briefing will bring together a panel to explore these questions and discuss possible policy solutions.
A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about the status of the wide range of clean energy tax incentives enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Effective implementation of tax incentives for home energy efficiency and electrification, electric vehicles, sustainable fuels, clean and renewable energy, and energy storage—plus the game-changing “direct pay” option—will deliver many benefits to families and communities, including lowering household utility bills and expediting the transition to a decarbonized clean energy economy.This briefing will highlight both individual- and industry-oriented tax credits, which will provide the bulk of the law’s emissions reductions. Panelists will discuss eligibility and timelines for the IRA tax incentives, implementation status, and the role Congress can play in overseeing and supporting these programs.
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing that explores the latest advancements in agricultural research, technology, and practices. As climate change continues to trigger extreme weather of increasing frequency and severity, farmers and ranchers are looking for innovative techniques to bolster crop resilience and ensure food security. Research in areas ranging from drought-resistant crops to carbon sequestration and precision agriculture can provide new ways of mitigating and adapting to climate change.Department of Agriculture-supported research programs and partnerships are generating creative, climate-smart solutions to enhance resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on farms and ranches. During this briefing, panelists will discuss innovations in agricultural research, as well as how to invest in, scale up, and evaluate effective practices. The briefing will also explore how new policies could further support ongoing agricultural research.
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on opportunities to cultivate climate-smart conservation programs in this year’s Farm Bill. The conservation title of the Farm Bill contains important programs and policies that help agricultural producers, forest managers, and rural communities take advantage of opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to climate impacts, while also generating other benefits such as improved water and air quality, soil health, biodiversity, and jobs.Conservation of private, public, working, and nonworking lands can take many forms, from regenerative agricultural practices to conservation easements. Panelists will describe conservation opportunities, barriers to access the many Farm Bill conservation-related programs, as well as ways to advance conservation through research, technical assistance, and financial support.More speakers are to be announced.
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and U.S. Nature4Climate invite you to a briefing on opportunities to advance climate-friendly forestry in this year’s Farm Bill. The forestry programs and incentives in the Farm Bill can provide greenhouse gas emission reduction benefits, as well as build resilience to climate impacts such as wildfire risk and extreme heat. At the same time, these programs generate jobs and present opportunities for innovation. During this briefing, panelists will explain forestry-related programs in the Farm Bill and cover essential forestry topics, including wildfire management, innovative wood products, carbon markets, and urban forestry.
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) invite you to a briefing on the climate impacts of hydrogen and pathways for “getting it right.” Hydrogen has garnered significant attention from Congress, including funding for regional clean hydrogen hubs, the Department of Energy’s hydrogen Earthshot to accelerate clean energy breakthroughs, and the 45V hydrogen production tax credit.These policies have the potential to leverage hundreds billions of dollars of hydrogen investment and decarbonize critical sectors of the economy, if done right. But poorly designed implementation risks squandering taxpayer resources, undermining climate progress, and discrediting the nascent clean hydrogen industry. Panelists will describe key policy considerations for maximizing hydrogen’s potential, including renewable electricity accounting frameworks for "green" hydrogen, how to account for upstream methane impacts of "blue" hydrogen, and the importance of minimizing hydrogen leakage.Lunch will be provided.
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on Farm Bill policies and programs that help farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and rural communities drive down greenhouse gas emissions, generate jobs, and stimulate the economy. Rural communities face numerous challenges, such as high energy costs, low investments in climate-resilient infrastructure, and increasingly severe weather. The Farm Bill plays an important role in helping rural America develop strong economies and build climate resilience and mitigation.During this briefing, panelists will discuss how Congress can bolster key programs in the rural development and energy titles of the Farm Bill, such as the Rural Energy Savings Program, Rural Energy for America Program, and water and wastewater technical assistance programs. These provisions help rural communities improve energy efficiency, access electrification retrofits, upgrade water systems, and build out broadband capabilities.
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on promising win-wins made possible by Farm Bill provisions. Agriculture accounts for about 11 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, farms, ranches, and forests across the country continue to be negatively impacted by climate-related events like drought, flooding, and extreme heat. Farm Bill programs—spanning from conservation to rural development—can bolster both climate change mitigation and adaptation while creating economic opportunities for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. During this briefing, panelists will explain how the Farm Bill helps agricultural producers and communities drive down greenhouse gas emissions while also building climate and economic resilience, with discussions of the role of agroforestry, urban agriculture, distributed energy resources, and agricultural research and innovation.
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on what you need to know about this year’s Farm Bill, including key bipartisan opportunities for addressing the climate crisis. The Farm Bill is an omnibus, multiyear law that Congress renews every five years to address numerous issues from conservation to crop insurance. The Farm Bill is the most impactful piece of legislation related to U.S. agriculture, affecting how and what food is grown, food access and nutrition, natural resources, rural development, and more. With the 2018 Farm Bill expiring this September, Congress has already begun the process of developing the next Farm Bill.This briefing will help Congressional staff get up to speed on the basics of the Farm Bill, including the process for passing the bill, the history of the Farm Bill, and opportunities for a bipartisan path forward. Staff will develop an understanding of how to meaningfully engage with the 2023 Farm Bill, regardless of their member’s committee assignments.
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) nuclear energy programs. Through provisions in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and $1.8 billion in fiscal year 2023 funding for nuclear energy research, development, and demonstrations, the Administration and Congress have strongly supported the existing reactor fleet and invested in next-generation technologies. This briefing will highlight nuclear energy programs underway from basic research to demonstration projects, including work happening across DOE’s national labs.Panelists will discuss DOE’s current approach to nuclear energy, the evolution of deployment in the United States, and the path ahead for DOE’s nuclear energy work. Topics will include what is next for advanced reactors, securing a domestic fuel supply of high-assay low-enriched uranium (uranium enriched to between 5 and 20 percent), engaging with communities, and safely managing spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste through a consent-based siting approach.
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on the latest research and innovations in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transportation. In particular, the briefing will focus on the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) programs, from those covering vehicle technologies that leverage clean energy to those supporting grid-interactive efficient buildings. The briefing will highlight key proposed investments in the Biden-Harris Administration’s fiscal year 2024 budget request and partnerships between EERE, national laboratories, and the private sector to improve and deploy clean energy. Federal agency and private sector panelists will discuss how investments in advanced technologies supported by the Department of Energy can drive decarbonization while building a clean energy workforce, advancing environmental justice, and keeping energy affordable.
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) invite you to a briefing on expanding organic agriculture. Organic agriculture is a time-tested, scientifically-supported approach to farming and ranching that centers ecological diversity, soil fertility, and natural systems rather than chemical interventions. The briefing will feature the firsthand experience of organic farmers and findings from NRDC’s new report, Grow Organic: The Climate, Health, and Economic Case for Expanding Organic Agriculture.As Congress crafts the next reauthorization of the Farm Bill, this briefing will cover how federal policies can support the expansion of organic farming and ranching. Recommendations include reducing barriers to scaling up organic agriculture, ramping up federal resources for organic agriculture, and ensuring just and equitable participation, especially for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Panelists will describe how these steps can provide benefits to the climate, health, and local economies.
A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast. Sponsored by:Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Environmental and Energy Study Institute 2022 was a record-breaking year for investment in the energy transition and the deployment of renewable power, battery storage, and sustainable transportation according to the eleventh edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook. The Factbook, published by BloombergNEF (BNEF) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), was released on March 1 and is available to download for free at www.bcse.org/factbook.The Factbook provides valuable year-over-year data and insights on the American energy transformation, with an in-depth look at the energy efficiency, renewable energy, and natural gas sectors, as well as emerging areas such as digitalization, micro-grids, offshore wind, hydrogen, and renewable natural gas. The eleventh edition of the Factbook provides new data and analysis about the performance of clean energy sectors by tracking year-on-year as well as long-term trends within the U.S. energy economy. Designed for a broad audience—from the energy professional, to the public policymaker, to the curious student—the Factbook offers an insightful and in-depth look at economics, market and investment dynamics, and technology trends.
Congressional Climate Camp 2023Find out more about the briefings in this series below:Budget and AppropriationsPublic Polling on Climate ChangeNon-CO2 Greenhouse GasesImplementing the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs ActA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast.Want to learn more about climate policy? But not sure where to start? We have you covered. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for our start-of-the-new Congress briefing series, Climate Camp. We will go over the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for climate mitigation and adaptation policy. Our fourth session in EESI’s Congressional Climate Camp series is on implementing the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. These laws provide billions of dollars to confront the climate crisis and strengthen critical infrastructure. Panelists will provide an update on the status of their implementation, describe how state and local governments and organizations are accessing funds, and explain the oversight role Congress must play to maximize these investments.
Congressional Climate Camp 2023Find out more about the briefings in this series below:Budget and AppropriationsPublic Polling on Climate ChangeNon-CO2 Greenhouse GasesImplementing the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs ActA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast.Ready to make a difference in climate policy? But not sure where to start? We have you covered. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for our start-of-the-new Congress briefing series, Climate Camp. We will go over the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for climate mitigation and adaptation policy. Although carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most commonly discussed greenhouse gas, there are many other gases and pollutants that also contribute to global warming, including methane, nitrous oxides, and fluorinated gases. Our third session in EESI’s Congressional Climate Camp series will discuss how these gases play a part in climate change, as well as solutions for limiting their effects. Presenters will highlight federal and international policy actions, including the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, that address the warming potential of non-CO2 greenhouse gases.
Congressional Climate Camp 2023Find out more about the briefings in this series below:Budget and AppropriationsPublic Polling on Climate ChangeNon-CO2 Greenhouse GasesImplementing the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs ActA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast.Ready to make a difference in climate policy? But not sure where to start? We have you covered. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for our start-of-the-new Congress briefing series, Climate Camp. We will go over the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for climate mitigation and adaptation policy. Our second session in EESI’s Congressional Climate Camp series will explore the public’s interest in seeing continued federal attention on climate change. Forty-six percent of people in the United States say they have personally experienced the impacts of climate change and 55 percent of people say that climate change should be a high or very high priority for Congress and the administration, according to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Panelists will explore the latest analyses of public opinion on climate change across sectors and geography and explain why it matters for the 118th Congress.
Congressional Climate Camp 2023Find out more about the briefings in this series below:Budget and AppropriationsPublic Polling on Climate ChangeNon-CO2 Greenhouse GasesImplementing the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs ActA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast.Ready to make a difference in climate policy? But not sure where to start? We have you covered. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for our start-of-the-new Congress briefing series, Climate Camp. We will go over the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for climate mitigation and adaptation policy. Our first session in EESI’s Congressional Climate Camp series will bring you up to speed on the budget and appropriations process already underway for fiscal year 2024. Panelists will draw on examples of funding for climate, energy, and environment programs to bring the process to life and show how it plays out in practice. Panelists will also describe how annual appropriations have been impacted by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing to review what took place during the international climate negotiations in Egypt (COP27) and why it matters for Congress.With dozens of events and negotiating sessions happening at any one time during the two weeks of a U.N. climate summit, it can be challenging to keep up with all the details. This briefing will review the key outcomes of COP27—and what they mean for Congress—and provide context and nuance to the main headlines coming out of the meeting. Panelists will provide perspectives and key takeaways from the federal government, U.S. states, philanthropy, and nongovernmental organization perspectives.
A live webcast will be streamed at 11:00 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing on what to expect during the upcoming international climate negotiations in Egypt (COP27). Last year, the global community agreed on the final set of guidelines to implement the Paris Agreement, so this year marks the start of a new era of international cooperation on climate change, focused on implementation. As such, COP27 is set to cover a wide range of topics, including loss and damage, climate finance, and planning for the first global stocktake of each country’s progress towards its Paris Agreement goals. Panelists will unpack the overall process of international climate negotiations, explain the key areas of negotiation expected to be at play at COP27, review possible outcomes, discuss how new U.S. laws impact the path forward, and explore what it all means for Congress.
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and U.S. Nature4Climate invite you to join us for a briefing on natural climate solutions on the international stage. Across the United States, agricultural producers are practicing regenerative agriculture, foresters are managing forests to increase carbon sequestration and reduce wildfires, and coastal communities are restoring living shorelines. How will these natural climate solutions be discussed and advanced during the international climate negotiations in Egypt (COP27)? What policies are needed here in the United States to reinforce these efforts? What examples of U.S. leadership on natural climate solutions should be shared with people from around the world at COP27? During this briefing, panelists will respond to these questions and share insights about ways in which natural climate solutions have been integrated into international climate negotiations in the past. They will also share a vision of how these techniques can be central to advancing climate solutions at the national and international levels going forward.
A live webcast will be streamed at 11:00 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing on what you need to know about loss and damage from climate change in the lead-up to the international climate negotiations in Egypt (COP27). The topic of loss and damage, defined as climate impacts that cannot be adapted to, is expected to be one of the most discussed issues at COP27. Impacts like land loss in Louisiana and homes falling into the ocean in North Carolina are being felt around the world. Leaders are reckoning with how to address this growing challenge, particularly in countries without the financial and technical tools needed to respond. Panelists will discuss the tools the international community has designed so far to address loss and damage, the current status of international climate negotiations on this issue, expectations of what might happen next on the topic at COP27, and why the international conversation on loss and damage matters for U.S. policymakers.
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing on the implications of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC’s) most recent report—the Sixth Assessment Report—for the upcoming international climate negotiations in Egypt (COP27) and for work on Capitol Hill. The IPCC Assessment Reports are designed to pull together information from around the globe on climate change, including on the physical science; climate impacts and adaptation; and possible greenhouse gas emission trajectories and mitigation opportunities.Panelists, who participated in drafting sections of the report, will discuss key findings from the report and how the information can be used by decision-makers at the national and international levels.
A live webcast will be streamed at 03:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on catalyzing climate action in K-12 schools. Public K-12 schools in the United States operate 480,000 fossil fuel-powered school buses, produce 530,000 tons of food waste, and are one of the largest public-sector energy consumers—all of which contribute to climate change. From electric buses to energy-efficient, resilient buildings, implementing climate solutions in schools can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also creating a healthier environment for students and teachers to learn and work in. At the same time, schools need to be made more resilient to worsening climate impacts such as wildfires and extreme heat, which can disrupt school operations and impact student learning. During this briefing, panelists will discuss the federal policy levers needed to scale up climate mitigation and adaptation actions in schools to build a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable education sector.Tour an electric school bus from 4:30 - 5:15 PM at Maryland Ave SW next to the Capitol Reflecting Pool and the United States Botanical Garden.
A live webcast will be streamed at 11:00 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on corporate climate risk, resilience, and disclosures. The climate crisis is increasingly impacting companies of all sizes by threatening valuable assets, operations, and supply chains. At the same time, many companies contribute to the climate crisis by emitting greenhouse gases, and efforts to curb those emissions could impact companies. In March 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed a rule that, if adopted, would require publicly-traded companies to disclose climate-related risks and report their greenhouse gas emissions.Panelists will discuss the role of Congress in designing and overseeing policy for climate risk disclosures, and the benefits and impacts that the proposed rule would have on federal agencies, companies, and shareholders.
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on how the federal government as well as states and cities around the country can better incorporate equity into emergency management. Climate change is driving more frequent and severe impacts such as polar vortices, sea level rise, wildfires, and extreme heat, which were covered in EESI’s Living with Climate Change briefing series. When disaster strikes, underserved communities are often hit hardest and longest. Ensuring that equity is incorporated into all aspects of emergency management—from preparedness to response to recovery—creates more resilient communities that are better able to live with climate change.Panelists will discuss the steps that Congress can take to more comprehensively integrate equity into emergency management, including how to ensure that large federal investments such as the ones in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act do not cause harm to communities.
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on how startup accelerators can transform innovative ideas into deployable, scalable climate change solutions. Ramping up green hydrogen, direct air capture, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and offshore wind energy can help mitigate climate change, as explored during EESI’s briefing series, Scaling Up Innovation to Drive Down Emissions. But how do we quickly and efficiently scale up these and other innovative climate solutions? During this briefing, panelists will discuss how accelerators help commercialize early-stage technologies that have the potential to transform the fight against climate change, and steps Congress can take to bolster U.S. private sector momentum to deploy cutting-edge climate solutions in the United States.
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on offshore wind energy. In March 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration announced an interagency goal of deploying 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030—an extraordinary increase from the 42 megawatts of offshore wind currently operating in the United States. Meeting this goal will require a rapid and historical deployment of offshore wind energy that has the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs, spur the economy, and provide renewable energy to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.During this briefing, panelists will discuss opportunities, challenges, and considerations for scaling up offshore wind energy in the United States, as well as the policies that could support such a ramp-up.
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on policies and practices to address extreme heat. Across the country, the number of days per year with temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit is increasing, and heat causes more deaths than any other type of weather event. In April 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the first Department of Labor program to protect workers from the impacts of extreme heat. Additional steps are needed to reduce the risk of dangerously hot conditions and increase community resilience to heat. Panelists will discuss ways that built and natural infrastructure can reduce temperatures, steps to protect outdoor and warehouse workers, and how communities and cities are designing and implementing heat action plans.
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) invite you to a briefing on regenerative agriculture. Regenerative agriculture, or farming in sync with the local environment and climate, produces multiple economic, climate, and societal benefits. Examples of these practices include reducing or eliminating synthetic pesticide and fertilizer use and soil tillage. The briefing will feature findings from NRDC’s new report, Regenerative Agriculture: Farm Policy for the 21st Century, which was informed by conversations with farmers and ranchers from 47 states and Washington, D.C.As Congress begins to craft the 2023 Farm Bill, the briefing will cover how federal policies can incentivize and invest in regenerative agriculture, including by making reforms to scale up regenerative agriculture stewardship, supporting the next generation of farmers and ranchers, and funding regenerative agriculture research and education programs. Panelists will describe how these steps can lead to a more resilient and productive agricultural system.
A live webcast will be streamed at 01:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on policies and practices to address wildfires. Billions of dollars are spent fighting wildfires every year, and the cascading economic, health, and societal impacts of wildfires are enormous. Compounding these challenges, wildfires also release greenhouse gases and harmful aerosols into the atmosphere. Over the last century, battling wildfires after they have started has been the main approach to address this threat. Yet, with record-setting fire seasons happening almost every year, more proactive and preventative steps are needed.Panelists will discuss policies and practices that would allow the United States to reduce the overall risk of wildfires, including how innovations in community-centered wildfire protection can improve resilience for humans and ecosystems.
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on building out electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Electric vehicles are crucial for decarbonizing the U.S. transportation sector, which accounts for 29 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions—more than any other sector. While electric vehicles have gained traction in recent years, insufficient charging infrastructure is a significant barrier to widespread adoption. The $7.5 billion allocated to charging infrastructure in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and existing programs like the Rural Energy Savings Program present a significant opportunity to deploy widespread and equitable electric vehicle charging infrastructure. How can charging infrastructure be rapidly expanded? What are the considerations for ensuring that charging infrastructure is accessible, equitable, and efficient? How can innovation improve charging infrastructure? Panelists will discuss these questions and the policy solutions that can help scale up electric vehicle charging infrastructure to drive down emissions.
A live webcast will be streamed at 3:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on direct air capture, which chemically removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The captured carbon can be permanently stored underground or used in industrial processes. While climate change mitigation efforts are the priority, carbon dioxide removal will be necessary to help meet climate goals and limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) as outlined in the Paris Agreement. The scale of carbon removal needed will depend on how fast the world curbs greenhouse gas emissions. During this briefing, panelists will explain what Congress needs to know about direct air capture, including the considerations, challenges, and opportunities involved in responsibly scaling it up.
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on policies and practices to address sea level rise. Sea level rise is a unique challenge for coastal communities and for policymakers. How will impacts from sea level rise compound impacts from extreme storm events? What infrastructure and communities will be impacted over different time horizons? When should funding be allocated to rebuild or armor coastlines and what are alternative options? What are the strengths and limitations of nature-based solutions for coastal resilience to sea level rise?Panelists will discuss these questions and highlight policy ideas and solutions that could start to shape a more robust U.S. response to sea level rise.
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on green hydrogen. Green hydrogen—hydrogen produced using renewable energy—will likely be necessary for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like steel production and providing a low- and no-emissions alternative to the existing carbon-intensive hydrogen industry. The problem? Green hydrogen currently makes up less than one percent of U.S. hydrogen production and is far more expensive than fossil fuel-based hydrogen. Panelists will discuss opportunities and considerations for ramping up green hydrogen, including the role of federal policy.
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing series on strategies, policies, and programs preparing communities around the country for four major climate threats: polar vortices, sea level rise, wildfires, and extreme heat. Experts and practitioners will highlight the unique challenges these climate threats present along with strategies to overcome them. The polar vortex is an area of low-pressure, frigid air that usually exists around the North Pole. The polar vortex is held in place by the Earth’s rotation and temperature differences between the Arctic and mid-latitudes. Changes in temperature differences can make the polar vortex expand to more southern latitudes. While this phenomenon occurs naturally, climate change is expected to impact the frequency and severity of polar vortex events. Communities must consider adaptation strategies to avoid blackouts and improve overall home energy efficiency, as loss of power when temperatures are so low can become deadly—246 people died during the Texas polar vortex freeze in 2021, many from hypothermia. Panelists will discuss the science behind the polar vortex and how the energy grid and other critical infrastructure can be made resilient to this threat.
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing about the Justice40 Initiative and how it can deliver benefits to frontline communities.In January 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The executive order launched a new initiative, Justice40, which aims to target 40 percent of the benefits from specific federal investments—such as those for clean energy, energy efficiency, and water infrastructure—to “disadvantaged communities.” Justice40 is a critical part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of advancing environmental justice, but efforts must be made to ensure communities see maximum benefits from the initiative. To inform the Justice40 Initiative, the Council on Environmental Quality recently launched a Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.During this briefing, experts will discuss the transformative potential of Justice40 as well as the current status of the initiative. Panelists will describe the wide range of benefits frontline communities could realize from fair and just implementation of the initiative.Introductory remarks from Representative Donald McEachin (D-Virginia).
A live webcast will be streamed at 10:30 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastAgencies in ActionFederal Programs That Deliver Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Benefits Every DayFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Feb 08Financing Inclusive Clean Energy Investments in Rural AmericaFeb 24Energy Efficiency Means BusinessMar 18Climate Adaptation Programs across AgenciesMar 29Building a Durable National Framework for Large Landscape ConservationThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing series on federal programs that currently deliver a host of climate, environmental, economic, and social benefits nationwide. Experts and practitioners will discuss how these programs are working on-the-ground to deliver value to constituents across geographies, in both urban and rural settings. The series covers federal programs in climate financing, energy efficiency, climate adaptation, and conservation at landscape scales.The final briefing in the series will focus on landscape conservation. Ecosystems often span county, state, tribal, and national borders. Wide swaths of area must be managed across jurisdictions and in collaboration with stakeholders on the ground to maximize social and environmental benefits, including ecosystem services such as water filtration and carbon sequestration. Furthermore, networks of intact and connected core habitats, working lands, and open space facilitate the migration of species, which is especially important for allowing animals to adapt to climate and land use changes, as well as for reducing human-wildlife conflict and wildlife-vehicle collisions.Panelists will dive into the benefits of coordinating conservation efforts at the scale of large landscapes and showcase opportunities to advance an inclusive and durable national framework for landscape conservation.
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastAgencies in ActionFederal Programs That Deliver Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Benefits Every DayFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Feb 08Financing Inclusive Clean Energy Investments in Rural AmericaFeb 24Energy Efficiency Means BusinessMar 18Climate Adaptation Programs across AgenciesMar 29Building a Durable National Framework for Large Landscape ConservationThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing series on federal programs that currently deliver a host of climate, environmental, economic, and social benefits nationwide. Experts and practitioners will discuss how these programs are working on-the-ground to deliver value to constituents across geographies, in both urban and rural settings. The series covers federal programs in climate financing, energy efficiency, climate adaptation, and conservation at landscape scales.The third briefing in the series will cover climate adaptation programs. As climate change continues to impact communities and ecosystems across the country, federal programs that focus on adaptation are playing a key role in helping communities prepare for and stay safe from the impacts of our changing climate. Panelists will discuss adaptation-focused federal programs administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, and other agencies, and why these programs are important for districts across the country.Introductory remarks from Representative Scott Peters (D-Calif.).
A live webcast will be streamed at 01:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastHosted in coordination with theHouse and Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucuses Sponsored by:Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Environmental and Energy Study InstituteThe tenth edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, published by BloombergNEF (BNEF) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), was released on March 3, 2022, and is available to download from the BCSE website at bcse.org/factbook. The Factbook provides updates on industry information and trends for the U.S. energy sector, with an in-depth look at the energy efficiency, renewable energy, and natural gas sectors, as well as emerging areas such as digitalization, micro-grids, offshore wind, hydrogen, and renewable natural gas.
A live webcast will be streamed at 03:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing series on federal programs that currently deliver a host of climate, environmental, economic, and social benefits nationwide. Experts and practitioners will discuss how these programs are working on-the-ground to deliver value to constituents across geographies, in both urban and rural settings. The series covers federal programs in climate financing, energy efficiency, climate adaptation, and conservation.The second briefing in the series will cover federal energy efficiency programs administered by the U.S. Department of Energy that support millions of jobs and deliver direct, meaningful savings to homeowners, consumers, and businesses—all while reducing the stresses and strains on the U.S. energy system.Energy efficiency also improves the sustainability and resilience of communities and contributes to near-term reductions in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Panelists will discuss how all these benefits play out on the ground from the state, private sector, and federal agency perspectives.
A live webcast will be streamed at 02:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast.Agencies in ActionFederal Programs That Deliver Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Benefits Every DayFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Feb 08Financing Inclusive Clean Energy Investments in Rural AmericaFeb 24Energy Efficiency Means BusinessMar 18Climate Adaptation Programs across AgenciesMar 29Building a Durable National Framework for Large Landscape ConservationThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing series on federal programs that currently deliver a host of climate, environmental, economic, and social benefits nationwide. Experts and practitioners will discuss how these programs are working on-the-ground to deliver value to constituents across geographies, in both urban and rural settings. The series covers federal programs in climate financing, energy efficiency, climate adaptation, and conservation. The first briefing in the series will feature the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), which provides rural electric cooperatives, other rural utilities, credit unions, and green banks with zero-percent loans to launch or expand energy efficiency, beneficial electrification, and renewable energy on-bill financing programs. RESP was authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2016. To date, RESP has made loans worth more than $180 million to 30 utilities in 17 states. Panelists will discuss the importance of RESP in helping rural communities transform how they finance clean energy and advance equity.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on federal policies and programs supporting innovation in weather forecasting, an essential capability to help communities prepare for and adapt to extreme weather.Weather forecasts rely on a wide array of technologies both on-the-ground and in space: satellites to observe the atmosphere, land and oceans; powerful computers to run forecasting models; and decision-support tools to interpret and convert forecasts into actionable information. Innovation across these areas can improve the accuracy and actionability of weather forecasts, saving crucial response time.During this briefing, experts will discuss the policies and programs that guide public-private partnerships, emerging weather forecasting technologies, and new business models enabling the government to more effectively tap into private-sector innovation across the weather forecasting value chain.
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastReduce and Reuse:How to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Building Materials, Plastics, and FoodFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Dec 08Building Materials: From Production to ReuseDec 09The Climate Consequences of PlasticsDec 10Reducing Emissions by Reducing Food WasteThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series about the climate impacts of producing building materials, plastics, and food. Panelists will explain the upstream greenhouse gas emissions generated from the production of these materials and discuss solutions designed to reduce those emissions at scale.While composting is a solution for downstream food waste management, upstream reduction of food waste and food waste diversion can be the first steps to reduce emissions and resources unnecessarily used across the sector. Panelists will discuss some strategies available to policymakers that could bolster food waste reduction and diversion efforts.
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastReduce and Reuse:How to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Building Materials, Plastics, and FooFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Dec 08Building Materials: From Production to ReuseDec 09The Climate Consequences of PlasticsDec 10Reducing Emissions by Reducing Food WasteThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series about the climate impacts of producing building materials, plastics, and food. Panelists will explain the upstream greenhouse gas emissions generated from the production of these materials and discuss solutions designed to reduce those emissions at scale.Plastic production is expected to account for an increasing portion of global oil consumption and its resulting greenhouse gas emissions as plastics become more ubiquitous worldwide. Panelists will discuss findings from Beyond Plastics’ new report, The New Coal: Plastics and Climate Change; how emissions associated with plastic production affect communities across the country; and potential policy solutions.
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastReduce and Reuse:How to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Building Materials, Plastics, and FoodFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Dec 08Building Materials: From Production to ReuseDec 09The Climate Consequences of PlasticsDec 10Reducing Emissions by Reducing Food WasteThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series about the climate impacts of producing building materials, plastics, and food. Panelists will explain the upstream greenhouse gas emissions generated from the production of these materials and discuss solutions designed to reduce those emissions at scale.The built environment uses an immense amount of carbon-intensive materials such as concrete and steel. Switching building materials to lower-carbon alternatives can reduce the climate impacts of the built environment, but first, systems must be put in place to assess and reduce the carbon intensity of materials. When buildings reach the ends of their lives, there are also opportunities to reuse materials. Panelists will discuss ways to reduce emissions and material waste in the built environment from construction and deconstruction.
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastWhat Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26: Briefing Series on the U.N. Climate Change Conference in GlasgowFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Oct 08Creating Policies, Coalitions, and Actions for Global Sustainable DevelopmentOct 15Momentum on Climate AdaptationOct 20The Role of International Climate FinanceOct 22The Negotiations: What’s on the TableNov 18Recap of COP26: Key Outcomes and What Comes NextThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing to review what took place at the U.N. climate change conference in Glasgow—the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change—and why it matters for Congress.With dozens of events and negotiating sessions happening at any one time during the two weeks of COP, it can be challenging to keep up with all the details. This briefing will review the key outcomes of COP26 and provide context and nuance to the main headlines coming out of the meeting. Panelists will then dive into takeaways from international, private sector, and local government perspectives.
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastWhat Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26: Briefing Series on the U.N. Climate Change Conference in GlasgowFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Oct 08Creating Policies, Coalitions, and Actions for Global Sustainable DevelopmentOct 15Momentum on Climate AdaptationOct 20The Role of International Climate FinanceOct 22The Negotiations: What’s on the TableNov 18Recap of COP26: Key Outcomes and What Comes NextThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series on what Congress needs to know in the lead-up to the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.COP26 is set to cover a wide range of topics, from negotiations on carbon markets to discussions on loss and damage, climate finance, and updated emission reduction goals in countries’ nationally determined contributions (NDCs). This briefing will bring together experts to explain the key areas of negotiation expected to be at play at COP26, review possible outcomes, and explore what it all means for Congress.
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastWhat Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26: Briefing Series on the U.N. Climate Change Conference in GlasgowFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Oct 08Creating Policies, Coalitions, and Actions for Global Sustainable DevelopmentOct 15Momentum on Climate AdaptationOct 20The Role of International Climate FinanceOct 22The Negotiations: What’s on the TableNov 18Recap of COP26: Key Outcomes and What Comes NextThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series on what Congress needs to know in the lead-up to the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.International climate finance is a critical tool to increase access to climate mitigation and adaptation resources to address the growing threat of climate change. The briefing will discuss the current state of international climate finance, the role and status of the Green Climate Fund and other funding mechanisms, and Congress’s role in meeting U.S. climate finance commitments. Panelists will also describe how international climate finance dovetails with ongoing efforts of the State Department, Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development to address the impacts of climate change abroad.Introductory remarks by Kate Hughes.
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastWhat Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26: Briefing Series on the U.N. Climate Change Conference in GlasgowFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Oct 08Creating Policies, Coalitions, and Actions for Global Sustainable DevelopmentOct 15Momentum on Climate AdaptationOct 20The Role of International Climate FinanceOct 22The Negotiations: What’s on the TableNov 18Recap of COP26: Key Outcomes and What Comes NextThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series on what Congress needs to know in the lead-up to the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.Climate adaptation is one of the priority work areas for COP26. This briefing will focus on the initiatives launched or scaled up in recent years that underpin the momentum on adaptation and resilience and that will inform conversations at COP26. Speakers will discuss national adaptation plans, country dialogues on adaptation, early-warning systems, and locally-led adaptation. The briefing will explore how these efforts advance work towards the global goal on adaptation ‘to enhance adaptive capacity and reduce vulnerability.’ Intro remarks by Gonzalo Muñoz, a High-Level Climate Champion for Climate Action.This briefing series is co-sponsored by the British Embassy Washington.We are grateful for the partnership with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation that helped make this briefing possible.
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastWhat Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26: Briefing Series on the U.N. Climate Change Conference in GlasgowFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Oct 08Creating Policies, Coalitions, and Actions for Global Sustainable DevelopmentOct 15Momentum on Climate AdaptationOct 20The Role of International Climate FinanceOct 22The Negotiations: What’s on the TableNov 18Recap of COP26: Key Outcomes and What Comes NextThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing to explore cross-cutting challenges—climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution—facing the United States and countries around the world, and how policymakers are finding and implementing solutions to these challenges.This briefing kicks off EESI’s Congressional briefing series, What Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26. To sign up for the briefings in the series, visit www.eesi.org/1021cop26. Distinguished Speakers:Sir Robert Watson, lead author of the U.N. Environment Programme’s report Making Peace with Nature: A scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity, and pollution emergencies, will discuss the current and projected changes in climate and biodiversity and share the range of solutions that emerge when these issues are considered together in policy design and implementation. He is the former chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and former chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).Former U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres will discuss the opportunity presented by the upcoming U.N. climate change conference (COP26) and will dive into ways governments and leaders can take meaningful action on climate change globally—an urgent need underscored by the findings of the Making Peace with Nature report. Ms. Figueres is a Founding Partner of Global Optimism, co-presenter of climate podcast Outrage + Optimism, and co-author of The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist's Guide to the Climate Crisis.Co-moderated by Daniel Bresette, Executive Director, Environmental and Energy Study Institute, and Rosina Bierbaum, Professor, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan; School of Public Policy, University of Maryland.This briefing is part of a series made possible by our partnership with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation.
Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing about the current state of the climate workforce and the job creation potential of key climate policies.Decarbonization provides an opportunity for job growth in multiple sectors, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, transmission and storage, and clean transportation. As businesses and government agencies seek to understand and mitigate their climate risks, climate adaptation and resilience are likewise rapidly emerging as attractive career options. EESI’s recent Climate Jobs fact sheet examines 2020 climate employment and provides further context for the briefing.Climate policies currently being considered in Congress--including a clean energy standard, tax policies for renewable energy, and the Civilian Climate Corps--have potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build resilience to a changing climate, strengthen environmental justice, and contribute to job creation. Panelists will discuss the state-of-play for climate jobs and explore the benefits that could come with well-designed and durable climate policies.Civilian Climate Corps Danielle Owen, Director of Government Relations, The Corps NetworkHannah Traverse, Communications Manager, The Corps NetworkRural Energy Savings ProgramKate LaTour, Director of Government Relations, National Cooperative Business Association Clean Energy Tax Incentives Uday Varadarajan, Principal, Carbon-Free Electricity, RMI Clean Electricity Payment ProgramYvonne McIntyre, Director of Federal Electricity and Utility Policy, Natural Resources Defense Council
Monday, July 26, 20211:30 PM - 5:00 PM EDTFree The EXPO is open to the public and free. WhenWhere (online only)ScheduleAttend the EXPOHostHonorary Co-HostsFor more informationRSVPThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (REEE) Caucuses invite you to join us for this year’s Virtual Congressional Clean Energy Expo taking place Monday, July 26. Building on the more than 20 years of experience hosting clean energy leaders from various sectors, we will once again showcase technology and policy solutions to today’s climate and energy use challenges.Presenting before Congress and the public, top-level speakers will share findings and innovations on the impacts they are having to mitigate climate change, improve the economy, build resilience, and protect our security interests. This year’s half-day conference will run from 1:30pm to 5:00pm EDT and will feature three sessions, including a mid-day panel featuring the Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus Co-Chairs, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.).Senate REEE Caucus Deputy Co-Chairs Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and House REEE Co-Chair Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wisc.) will also provide remarks.
Modernizing the U.S. Energy System: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Path ForwardFind out more about the briefings in this series below:June 04Towards the Energy System of TomorrowJune 11Modernizing America’s Transmission Network June 25Leveraging Grid Edge Integration for Resilience & Decarbonization Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series about the climate benefits of modernizing the nation’s energy system.The energy system is rapidly transforming, especially at the “grid edge” where “smart” building technologies, electric vehicles, and distributed energy generation combine and interact in new ways. These innovations provide opportunities to re-envision the nation’s energy system and how we use, store, and move energy around the country. They also create new ways to increase the resilience of people, communities, and the system itself without increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Briefing panelists will discuss policy opportunities such as a federal energy efficiency resource standard, state level efforts, and the nexus between buildings, transportation, energy storage, and the grid.
Modernizing the U.S. Energy System: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Path ForwardFind out more about the briefings in this series below:June 04Towards the Energy System of TomorrowJune 11Modernizing America’s Transmission Network June 25Leveraging Grid Edge Integration for Resilience & Decarbonization Our live webcasts will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series about the climate benefits of modernizing the nation’s energy system.As renewable energy infrastructure is scaled up across the country, moving that energy from where it is generated to the people who will use it is critical to meeting the country’s decarbonization goals. Investments in the transmission network will not only build demand for renewable energy use, but will also create jobs, increase the grid’s efficiency, and lower costs for consumers. Panelists will discuss what is needed to modernize the transmission network, including developing transmission infrastructure for offshore wind and increasing cooperation between states. The briefing will also cover how the transmission network can be constructed and maintained to maximize ecosystem conservation, respect Tribal lands, and increase the resilience of neighboring communities.
Our live webcasts will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on how a national climate bank could deploy capital at scale to advance climate change solutions. Over 20 green banks currently exist in the United States, providing flexible and affordable financing for a wide range of clean energy projects that lower emissions and boost climate resilience. Because of their unique, mission-driven mandates to address social and environmental issues, these entities are well-positioned to provide targeted investments in rural areas, low- and moderate-income communities, and communities of color that are disproportionately affected by polluting facilities and climate change impacts and are often unable to access traditional funding sources. This briefing will explore the climate mitigation and adaptation benefits that would be unlocked by a national climate bank, building upon the experiences of successful green banks across the country. Panelists will discuss how these investments would also create jobs and make climate solutions more affordable, accessible, and equitable.
Modernizing the U.S. Energy System: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Path ForwardFind out more about the briefings in this series below:June 04Towards the Energy System of TomorrowJune 11Modernizing America’s Transmission Network June 25Leveraging Grid Edge Integration for Resilience & Decarbonization Our live webcasts will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series about the climate benefits of modernizing the nation’s energy system.As renewable energy infrastructure is scaled up across the country, moving that energy from where it is generated to the people who will use it is critical to meeting the country’s decarbonization goals. Investments in the transmission network will not only build demand for renewable energy use, but will also create jobs, increase the grid’s efficiency, and lower costs for consumers. Panelists will discuss what is needed to modernize the transmission network, including developing transmission infrastructure for offshore wind and increasing cooperation between states. The briefing will also cover how the transmission network can be constructed and maintained to maximize ecosystem conservation, respect Tribal lands, and increase the resilience of neighboring communities.
Congressional Climate CampsFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Jan. 29Budget, Appropriations, and StimulusFeb. 26Federal Policy to Decarbonize High-Emission SectorsMar. 26Lessons Learned from Past Congresses and Current Public Attitudes on ClimateApr. 30Federal Policy for Mitigation and Adaptation Win-WinsMay 21Understanding Budget Reconciliation A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastReady to make a difference in climate policy? But not sure where to start? We have you covered. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for our start-of-the-new-Congress Climate Camp online briefing series. We will go over the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for achieving near-term and long-term carbon reductions through policy.Our fifth and final session will look at budget reconciliation, an oftentimes difficult-to-understand process that allows Congress to pass laws related to taxes, spending, and the debt limit with only a majority vote in the Senate (instead of a filibuster-proof 60-vote supermajority). The Senate Parliamentarian determined that the Senate can pass two budget reconciliation bills this year, for fiscal years 2021 and 2022. But how does the process work? What are the major challenges for Congressional lawmakers and their staff in drafting and passing reconciliation bills? And why does it matter for climate policy?This briefing will discuss budget reconciliation procedures along with do’s and don’ts for those involved in the process. A moderated, 40-minute discussion will follow the two speaker presentations.
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastOn April 22, the Biden-Harris Administration announced America’s new greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments in the context of the Paris Agreement. The new U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) sets a goal of reducing emissions by 50-52 percent based on a 2005 baseline by 2030. The new NDC signals a return to U.S. leadership on climate change that will need to be matched with federal policies and programs that transition the United States to a resilient and equitable clean energy economy.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing on everything you need to know about the new NDC. Experts will discuss the new emissions reduction goal, why it matters, and how it can be used as a guide for domestic federal policy development and design. The briefing will also explain how the U.S. NDC fits into the overall architecture of international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience to climate impacts.
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and U.S. Nature4Climate (USN4C) invite you to a briefing on the role natural climate solutions can play in both mitigating climate change and stimulating the economy. Natural climate solutions, such as sustainable forestry and regenerative agriculture, reduce carbon emissions and sequester carbon through management of the world’s forests, grasslands, and wetlands. Policymakers are increasingly recognizing the important role America’s natural and working lands can play in efforts to tackle climate change. There is also growing evidence that these natural climate solutions can serve as a powerful mechanism to drive an equitable economic recovery—with lasting benefits for both rural and urban communities.Panelists will provide an overview of the diverse range of climate-sensitive strategies that can be implemented in America’s farms and ranches, forests, grasslands and urban communities. They will also discuss the many economic benefits—from jobs to increased land productivity to new income for landowners—that can be derived by implementing natural climate solutions. We will also hear from on-the-ground practitioners who are already unlocking these benefits in both rural and urban communities. Finally, we will explore how major U.S. corporations are supporting the adoption of natural climate solutions to help meet their sustainability goals and improve their bottom lines.
Congressional Climate CampsFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Jan. 29Budget, Appropriations, and StimulusFeb. 26Federal Policies for High Emitting SectorsMar. 26Lessons Learned from Past Congresses and Current Attitudes on ClimateApr. 30Federal Policy for Mitigation and Adaptation Win-WinsMay 21Understanding Budget ReconciliationOverview of the Climate Camp seriesA live webcast will be streamed at 02:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastReady to make a difference in climate policy? But not sure where to start? We have you covered. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for our start-of-the-new-Congress Climate Camp online briefing series. We will go over the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for achieving near-term and long-term carbon reductions through policy.Our fourth session will look at a suite of climate solutions that simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience to climate impacts. Briefing speakers will discuss how these solutions also advance environmental justice, job creation, and conservation.EESI’s Congressional Climate Camp is designed for you to get the information you need, so join us for the full session or jump in and out.2:00 PMWelcome from EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette2:05 PMCoastal Nature-Based SolutionsDr. Bhaskaran Subramanian, Ph.D., Chief, Shoreline Conservation Service, Maryland Department of Natural Resources2:25 PMSolutions from the Agriculture SectorDr. John Quinn, Associate Professor of Biology, Furman University2:45 PMMass Timber – Sustainable Buildings as Carbon SinksRuss Vaagen, Founder and CEO, Vaagen Timbers3:05 PMAchieving Efficiency and Resilience Through Building CodesKim Cheslak, Director of Codes, New Buildings Institute3:25 PMEnsuring Win-Wins Advance Environmental JusticeJacqueline Patterson, Senior Director, Environmental and Climate Justice Program, NAACP
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing on local, state, and federal policies and programs as well as new technologies that will make you rethink waste management, who is responsible for waste, and whether waste is worthless.The United States generates nearly 300 million tons of municipal solid waste per year—or almost one ton of waste per person, the most per capita in the world. About half of this waste ends up in landfills, which account for 15 percent of human-caused domestic methane emissions and threaten local water sources with toxic liquid. Meanwhile, recycling has become uneconomic and requires new approaches to be a viable, cost-effective waste management strategy. Creative solutions are needed to stem the deluge of waste, and public and private sector innovators are leading the charge.This briefing will feature speakers from cities, states, and the private sector working to reduce and reuse a variety of waste types. Experts will discuss their programs and the policies that are helping them succeed:
A live webcast will be streamed at 11:00 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing on raising global ambition to fund and implement climate adaptation and resilience.During Earth Day week, the Biden-Harris Administration will host the Leaders Summit on Climate and will unveil its new greenhouse gas reduction goal—the U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution—under the Paris Agreement. Designed to build momentum ahead of the next meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP26, the Summit is expected to focus on how major emitting countries can redouble efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across sectors and geographies.This briefing will highlight the complementary global efforts to advance climate adaptation and resilience in the lead-up to COP26. These efforts are intended to share best practices, develop metrics, and mobilize countries and subnational actors dedicated to protecting people and nature. Speakers will also discuss the key roles of financing, implementation, disaster preparedness, and the need for systemic action in building resilience. Speakers for this forum are:
A live webcast will be streamed at 02:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastClimate events like sea-level rise, extreme precipitation, and dangerous heatwaves and cold snaps—like the one Texas recently endured—stress our already vulnerable affordable housing stock and disproportionately impact low-income, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Preparing for climate shocks by assessing the vulnerability of buildings and communities to climate events and improving the resilience of affordable housing and neighborhood infrastructure are necessary to avoid future financial and social impacts on owners, residents, and communities.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing hosted in coordination with the National Housing Trust and the Natural Resources Defense Council (national partners with the Energy Efficiency for All project) about the challenges and opportunities involved in protecting physically and socially vulnerable communities from the worst impacts of climate change. Speakers will discuss a new data resource developed by Climate Central that identifies federally-subsidized affordable housing at risk of chronic flooding due to sea-level rise; property-level climate risk assessment tools that are being piloted in Miami; a recently published scorecard of state flood-risk disclosure policies; and resilience measures in Los Angeles.
A live webcast will be streamed at 02:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast — Briefing Backgrounder —Toward an Evidence-Based Nuclear Energy Policy: Gaps in Research, Regulation, Policy, and Practice in the U.S. Nuclear Industry, and What Policymakers Can Do to Bridge Them(PDF)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join an online briefing on nuclear energy issues, including the current economics of the U.S. nuclear power industry, how to approach decommissioning as more civilian reactors shut down, and what to do with their high-level radioactive waste. In particular, the briefing will assess the impacts of extending the licenses of existing nuclear plants and pursuing “advanced reactors” as a way to fight climate change.As U.S. nuclear plants age out or become unprofitable, the growing number of shuttered reactors has spawned a new decommissioning business model which promises to remediate sites quickly, but also raises new questions about safety, financial assurance, cleanup standards, and waste disposition. Decommissioning companies want to ship highly radioactive spent fuel through 75% of Congressional districts to their proposed consolidated interim storage facilities (CISFs) in New Mexico and Texas, which overburdened residents there oppose. Congress will likely be asked to change basic provisions of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act this year to enable CISFs. Meanwhile, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing to lengthen the duration of license extensions for operating nuclear plants, potentially allowing them to keep running and generating radioactive waste for more than 80 years.To help inform major decisions on nuclear energy policy facing Congress, the briefing will point out gaps in current research and data, federal policy, and regulatory oversight, and what can be done to fill them. It will examine how some other countries safeguard their radioactive waste, and offer practical recommendations to help make pending U.S. policy and regulatory decisions about nuclear energy more evidence-based, and better aligned with science and environmental justice.This is the fourth EESI briefing on nuclear plant decommissioning and radioactive waste issues. It will be a moderated discussion with leading experts and advocates, including:
Congressional Climate CampsFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Jan. 29Budget, Appropriations, and StimulusFeb. 26Federal Policies for High Emitting SectorsMar. 26Lessons Learned from Past Congresses and Current Attitudes on ClimateApr. 30Federal Policy for Mitigation and Adaptation Win-WinsMay 21Understanding Budget ReconciliationOverview of the Climate Camp seriesA live webcast will be streamed at 02:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastReady to make a difference in climate policy? But not sure where to start? We have you covered. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for our start-of-the-new-Congress Climate Camp online briefing series. We will go over the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for achieving near-term and long-term carbon reductions through policy.Our third session will look at past legislative efforts to establish climate policy and the current political and public opinion environment on climate change, in order to explore the forces that are shaping current Congressional work to address the climate crisis.EESI’s Congressional Climate Camp is designed for you to get the information you need, so join us for the full session or jump in and out. 2:00 PMWelcome from EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette2:05 PMKey Turning Points in Climate Policy HistoryKathleen McGinty, Vice President of Global Government Relations, Johnson Controls2:30 PMClimate Policy Then and Now: An Advocate’s PerspectiveTina Johnson, Principal, Johnson Strategy & Development Consultants; Director, National Black Environmental Justice Network2:55 PMCurrent Attitudes, Polarization, and Environmental PolicyDr. Laurel Harbridge-Yong, Associate Professor, Northwestern University3:20 PMWhat Congressional Staff Should Know about Climate PolicyDr. Ana Unruh Cohen, Staff Director, House of Representatives Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
A live webcast will be streamed at 02:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecastHosted in coordination with:Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency CaucusSponsored by:Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Environmental and Energy Study InstituteThe ninth edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, published by BloombergNEF (BNEF) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), was released on February 18, 2021, and is available to download at www.bcse.org/factbook. The Factbook provides updates on industry information and trends for the U.S. energy economy, with an in-depth look at the energy efficiency, natural gas, and renewable energy sectors, as well as emerging areas such as digitalization, micro-grids, offshore wind, hydrogen, and renewable natural gas.
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing to hear from a panel of experts about how federal energy efficiency programs create jobs and deliver direct meaningful savings to constituent homeowners, consumers, and businesses—all while reducing the stresses and strains on our energy system. Making investments in energy efficiency also encourages productive public-private partnerships and collaboration, improves the sustainability and resilience of our communities, and contributes to meaningful, near-term reductions in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
A live webcast will be streamed at 02:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecastReady to make a difference in climate policy? But not sure where to start? We have you covered. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for our all-new, start-of-the-new-Congress Climate Camp online briefing series. We will go over the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for achieving near-term and long-term carbon reductions through policy.Our second session will discuss the sectors with the highest carbon emissions, and highlight policy mechanisms to reduce emissions in each sector—power generation, industry, buildings, transportation, and agriculture. Each of these sectors has unique challenges in reducing carbon emissions. Federal policymakers have an array of options to address these challenges through coordinated action, thereby maximizing impact across sectors.2:00 PMWelcome from EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette2:05 PMAGRICULTURE 9.9 percent of U.S. emissionsDr. Christina Tonitto, Ecosystem Scientist, Department of Global Development, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences2:25 PMPOWER GENERATION 26.9 percent of U.S. emissionsDr. Deepakraj Divan, Professor and Director of the Center for Distributed Energy at the Georgia Institute of Technology2:45 PMBUILDINGS 12.3 percent of U.S. emissionsLiz Beardsley, Senior Policy Counsel, U.S. Green Building Council3:05 PMINDUSTRY 22 percent of U.S. emissionsDr. Julio Friedmann, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs3:25 PMTRANSPORTATION 28.2 percent of U.S. emissionsJohn Porcari, formerly President of U.S. Advisory Services at WSP; formerly Obama Administration Deputy Secretary of Transportation
A live webcast will be streamed at 02:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing hosted in coordination with the National Housing Trust and the Natural Resources Defense Council (national partners with the Energy Efficiency for All project) about the costs and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn for housing and energy services. Panelists will explore issues faced locally by communities hard-hit by the dual crises, especially in southern and midwestern regions, including mounting utility bill arrearages; electric, gas and water shutoffs; and evictions. The harmful effects of the crises are distributed unevenly, with unjust burdens crushing low-income, Black, Indigenous, and people-of-color communities.Speakers will also discuss national policy solutions that can deliver relief and help communities eager to recover. The Biden-Harris Administration and many in Congress are proposing increases in energy, water, and rental assistance and other provisions that protect against shutoffs and evictions. Panelists will have a discussion with participants online about the threats to communities and the different policy solutions already in place—including the CARES Act and the COVID-19 Economic Relief Bill—and those currently being debated, such as President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecastReady to make a difference in climate policy? But not sure where to start? We have you covered. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for our all-new, start-of-the-new-Congress Climate Camp online briefing series. We will go over the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for achieving near-term and long-term carbon reductions through policy.Our first session will bring you up to speed on the budget and appropriations process already underway for fiscal year 2022. Presenters will draw on examples of funding for climate, energy, and environment programs to bring the process to life and show how it plays out in practice. Then, the session will dive into how stimulus packages take shape, the role of climate action in stimulus, and what to expect in the upcoming months as the new administration and the 117th Congress work to address the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.EESI’s Congressional Climate Camp is designed for you to get the information you need, so join us for the full session or jump in and out. 2:00 PMWelcome from EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette2:10 PM Nuts and Bolts of Budget and Appropriations Corrie Clark, Energy Policy Analyst, Congressional Research Service2:45 PMOn the Ground with Budget and Appropriations Franz Wuerfmannsdobler, Senior Advisor, Bipartisan Policy Center3:20 PMWhat You Need to Know About Stimulus Karen Wayland, CEO, kW Energy Strategies3:55 PMConclusions and Resources for More Information
A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)2020 is a major benchmark year for climate goals, with national governments, cities, states, corporations, higher education institutions, faith-based groups, and investors aiming to reach initial targets by this year. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing to assess progress towards climate mitigation and adaptation goals in the United States as we reach the last few weeks of 2020. What climate goals have been met and where did they fall short? What challenges emerged and what innovations and policies helped?The briefing will feature a presentation of two major reports, We Are Still In to Deliver America’s Pledge: A Retrospective and Delivering on America’s Pledge: Achieving Climate Progress in 2020. Together, the reports cover progress made by states, cities, and businesses to reduce emissions since 2017 and explore the implications of COVID-19 on reaching 2030 emission reduction goals.The presentation will be followed by a moderated discussion focused on what Congress can learn from the policies and on-the-ground projects that have driven emission reductions in recent years.
By Air, Land, and Sea:Navigating the Climate FutureFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Nov. 17Ports Leading the Way on Mitigation and ResilienceNov. 18After COVID: A Lower Carbon Future for Commercial AviationNov. 19The State of Play for Public TransitOverview of the transportation seriesA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series on climate mitigation and adaptation in the transportation sector. The series will cover ports, aviation, and public transit.Public transit systems across the country have seen major declines in ridership due to COVID-19. In spite of this and other challenges brought on by the pandemic, many transit systems have not wavered on their climate and sustainability commitments. Dr. Cris Liban of Los Angeles Metro, Kammy Horne of VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio, Texas, and Erik Johanson of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will discuss the current state of their climate mitigation and adaptation work, and look ahead to share the economic, health, equity, and community benefits of investing in transit.
By Air, Land, and Sea:Navigating the Climate FutureFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Nov. 17Ports Leading the Way on Mitigation and ResilienceNov. 18After COVID: A Lower Carbon Future for Commercial AviationNov. 19The State of Play for Public TransitOverview of the transportation seriesA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series on climate mitigation and adaptation in the transportation sector. The series will cover ports, aviation, and public transit.As commercial aviation recovers from the COVID-19 contraction, it will be critical to foster strategies and policy to help the industry reduce its climate impact. In this briefing, we will examine two of these strategies—sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and aircraft technology improvements. Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) will deliver opening remarks. Chris Tindal of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) will address the potential of low-carbon sustainable aviation fuels with life-cycle emissions substantially below conventional fossil-based jet fuel and the policy formula for scaling up the SAF industry. Barbara Esker of NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program will describe NASA’s role in the development of new efficient engine and airframe technologies as well as gas-electric propulsion.
By Air, Land, and Sea:Navigating the Climate FutureFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Nov. 17Ports Leading the Way on Mitigation and ResilienceNov. 18After COVID: A Lower Carbon Future for Commercial AviationNov. 19The State of Play for Public TransitOverview of the transportation seriesA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing series on climate mitigation and adaptation in the transportation sector. The series will cover ports, aviation, and public transit.U.S. ports, which are critical infrastructure for international trade and local economies, are vulnerable to sea level rise, erosion, storm surge, and flooding exacerbated by climate change. This briefing will feature two port systems that are leading the way to adapt to climate impacts while reducing port greenhouse gas emissions. Joshua Berger, Governor Inslee’s Maritime Sector Lead and the chair and founder of Washington Maritime Blue, will discuss Washington State’s collaborative effort to build a sustainable blue economy. The Maryland Port Administration's Jill Lemke and Kristen Keene will discuss specific adaptation and resilience projects at the Port of Baltimore—including projects that have already been tested by extreme weather impacts.
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for an online briefing about pending nuclear waste legislation, including amendments to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and other bills, which would radically alter the way radioactive waste from civilian nuclear power plant is handled and stored. The nuclear waste issue is coming to a head as more and more nuclear plants shut down and enter decommissioning. Irradiated nuclear fuel (a.k.a. “spent” fuel) is currently stored in fuel pools and dry storage canisters on reactor sites, but these systems are unhardened and subject to leaks, failures, and attack. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is in the process of licensing two private “consolidated interim storage facilities” (CISFs) in New Mexico and Texas, which would store the waste indefinitely in surface-stored or shallowly buried casks that are also subject to leaks and failures. Opening CISFs would trigger thousands of shipments of irradiated fuel over decades, crossing through most states and Congressional districts. All these approaches are fraught with feasibility problems and risks that could profoundly impact public safety, the environment, and the economy.The briefing will discuss the status of pending bills and amendments and how they propose to deal with these problems and risks. While most Hill watchers expect few bills to move in this Congress after the election, it is worth noting that in the past, when legislation that changed how the United States handles nuclear waste was enacted, it occurred during the lame duck session, and therefore could again. But whether current bills dealing with nuclear waste move in this Congress or the next, the issue is pressing. Key decisions about what to do with nuclear waste from decommissioned plants are imminent, CISF licensing is moving ahead quickly, and Congress may soon be asked to vote on legislation that would change procedures and liability for storing nuclear waste at reactor sites, and enable it to be transported across the country to CISFs. This is the third EESI briefing on nuclear plant decommissioning and radioactive waste issues. It will be a moderated discussion with leading experts and advocates.
A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for the launch of our new report, A Resilient Future for Coastal Communities: Federal Policy Recommendations from Solutions in Practice, and a discussion of federal actions that can improve coastal resilience along our ocean and Great Lakes shorelines. The report highlights policy levers available to Congress, with 30 policy recommendations and case studies gathered from EESI’s year-long, 16-part briefing series on regional coastal resilience. The series featured 42 policy experts and coastal resilience practitioners from nearly every coastal state, from Maine to Wisconsin to Hawaii, covering topics from data-gathering to living shorelines to coastal retreat.This online briefing will be conducted as a moderated discussion of coastal issues and policy solutions with four expert speakers from the briefing series.
Workforce WednesdaysFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Sept 2Preparing High Schoolers for Green CareersSept 9A New Spin on Conservation CorpsSept 16Energy Transitions in Coal CountrySept 23Growing Green Industry and Innovation: Mass TimberSept 30Low-Carbon Small Business and Post-COVID RecoveryA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for Workforce Wednesdays, a series of online briefings on workforce development and policies and programs that can support a low-carbon recovery from the COVID-19 economic crisis. The briefings will explore a variety of issue areas pertinent to building a green workforce, including high school career training, conservation corps, coal country energy transitions, growing green domestic manufacturing, and revitalizing small business. Speakers will discuss major challenges faced in each area and solutions providing economic and environmental benefits to communities across the country.
Workforce WednesdaysFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Sept 2Preparing High Schoolers for Green CareersSept 9A New Spin on Conservation CorpsSept 16Energy Transitions in Coal CountrySept 23Growing Green Industry and Innovation: Mass TimberSept 30Low-Carbon Small Business and Post-COVID RecoveryA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for Workforce Wednesdays, a series of online briefings on workforce development and policies and programs that can support a low-carbon recovery from the COVID-19 economic crisis. The briefings will explore a variety of issue areas pertinent to building a green workforce, including high school career training, conservation corps, coal country energy transitions, growing green domestic manufacturing, and revitalizing small business. Speakers will discuss major challenges faced in each area and solutions providing economic and environmental benefits to communities across the country.
Workforce WednesdaysFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Sept 2Preparing High Schoolers for Green CareersSept 9A New Spin on Conservation CorpsSept 16Energy Transitions in Coal CountrySept 23Growing Green Industry and Innovation: Mass TimberSept 30Low-Carbon Small Business and Post-COVID RecoveryA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for Workforce Wednesdays, a series of online briefings on workforce development and policies and programs that can support a low-carbon recovery from the COVID-19 economic crisis. The briefings will explore a variety of issue areas pertinent to building a green workforce, including high school career training, conservation corps, coal country energy transitions, growing green domestic manufacturing, and revitalizing small business. Speakers will discuss major challenges faced in each area and solutions providing economic and environmental benefits to communities across the country.
Workforce WednesdaysFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Sept 2Preparing High Schoolers for Green CareersSept 9A New Spin on Conservation CorpsSept 16Energy Transitions in Coal CountrySept 23Growing Green Industry and Innovation: Mass TimberSept 30Low-Carbon Small Business and Post-COVID RecoveryA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for Workforce Wednesdays, a series of online briefings on workforce development and policies and programs that can support a low-carbon recovery from the COVID-19 economic crisis. The briefings will explore a variety of issue areas pertinent to building a green workforce, including high school career training, conservation corps, coal country energy transitions, growing green domestic manufacturing, and revitalizing small business. Speakers will discuss major challenges faced in each area and solutions providing economic and environmental benefits to communities across the country.
Workforce WednesdaysFind out more about the briefings in this series below:Sept 2Preparing High Schoolers for Green CareersSept 9A New Spin on Conservation CorpsSept 16Energy Transitions in Coal CountrySept 23Growing Green Industry and Innovation: Mass TimberSept 30Low-Carbon Small Business and Post-COVID RecoveryA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for Workforce Wednesdays, a series of online briefings on workforce development and policies and programs that can support a low-carbon recovery from the COVID-19 economic crisis. The briefings will explore a variety of issue areas pertinent to building a green workforce, including high school career training, conservation corps, coal country energy transitions, growing green domestic manufacturing, and revitalizing small business. Speakers will discuss major challenges faced in each area and solutions providing economic and environmental benefits to communities across the country.
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing on the climate action report released by the majority staff of the House of Representatives Select Committee on the Climate Crisis on June 30. The full title of the report is: Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and Healthy, Resilient, and Just America.
Rural Communities, Climate, and COVID-19 RecoveryFind out more about the briefings in this series below:June 16Implementing Energy Efficiency Programs in Rural AmericaJune 17The Bioeconomy’s Role in COVID-19 Recovery and Climate SolutionsJune 18Rural Communities Rise to the Challenge of Dual DisastersPlease RSVP to receive updates. Please note that by RSVPing, you will receive a reminder for all 3 briefings in this series.A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast at 12 PM (noon).The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a series of one-hour online briefings about rural communities, climate change, and COVID-19 recovery. The briefings will explore the challenges rural communities face, including high energy costs, a struggling agriculture industry, and low investment in resilient infrastructure, as well as the solutions rural communities have developed in the face of these multiple stressors.
Rural Communities, Climate, and COVID-19 RecoveryFind out more about the briefings in this series below:June 16Implementing Energy Efficiency Programs in Rural AmericaJune 17The Bioeconomy’s Role in COVID-19 Recovery and Climate SolutionsJune 18Rural Communities Rise to the Challenge of Dual DisastersPlease RSVP to receive updates. Please note that by RSVPing, you will receive a reminder for all 3 briefings in this series.A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast at 2 PM.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a series of one-hour online briefings about rural communities, climate change, and COVID-19 recovery. The briefings will explore the challenges rural communities face, including high energy costs, a struggling agriculture industry, and low investment in resilient infrastructure, as well as the solutions rural communities have developed in the face of these multiple stressors.
Rural Communities, Climate, and COVID-19 RecoveryFind out more about the briefings in this series below:June 16Implementing Energy Efficiency Programs in Rural AmericaJune 17The Bioeconomy’s Role in COVID-19 Recovery and Climate SolutionsJune 18Rural Communities Rise to the Challenge of Dual DisastersPlease RSVP to receive updates. Please note that by RSVPing, you will receive a reminder for all 3 briefings in this series.A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast at 12 PM (noon).The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a series of one-hour online briefings about rural communities, climate change, and COVID-19 recovery. The briefings will explore the challenges rural communities face, including high energy costs, a struggling agriculture industry, and low investment in resilient infrastructure, as well as the solutions rural communities have developed in the face of these multiple stressors.
A live webcast will be streamed at3 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.Recovery & Resilience in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin IslandsFind out more about the briefings in this series below:June 2Federal Support and Local ActionJune 3Resilient Housing and CommunitiesJune 4Sustainable, Democratic Energy and Public HealthPlease RSVP to receive updates. Please note that by RSVPing, you will receive a reminder for all 3 briefings in this series.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a series of one-hour online briefings about resilience initiatives in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and their ongoing recovery from back-to-back natural disasters over the last several years. Every U.S. coast is facing climate adaptation challenges due to rising sea levels and other coastal hazards, but island economies are especially vulnerable. The Fourth National Climate Assessment points to the small size and relative isolation of the U.S. Caribbean islands (including Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Water Island), which means their “social, economic, and ecological systems are likely to be more sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation than similar systems in the mainland United States.”
A live webcast will be streamed at3 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.Recovery & Resilience in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin IslandsFind out more about the briefings in this series below:June 2Federal Support and Local ActionJune 3Resilient Housing and CommunitiesJune 4Sustainable, Democratic Energy and Public HealthPlease RSVP to receive updates. Please note that by RSVPing, you will receive a reminder for all 3 briefings in this series.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a series of one-hour online briefings about resilience initiatives in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and their ongoing recovery from back-to-back natural disasters over the last several years. Every U.S. coast is facing climate adaptation challenges due to rising sea levels and other coastal hazards, but island economies are especially vulnerable. The Fourth National Climate Assessment points to the small size and relative isolation of the U.S. Caribbean islands (including Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Water Island), which means their “social, economic, and ecological systems are likely to be more sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation than similar systems in the mainland United States.”
A live webcast will be streamed at3 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.Recovery & Resilience in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin IslandsFind out more about the briefings in this series below:June 2Federal Support and Local ActionJune 3Resilient Housing and CommunitiesJune 4Sustainable, Democratic Energy and Public HealthPlease RSVP to receive updates. Please note that by RSVPing, you will receive a reminder for all 3 briefings in this series.The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a series of one-hour online briefings about resilience initiatives in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and their ongoing recovery from back-to-back natural disasters over the last several years. Every U.S. coast is facing climate adaptation challenges due to rising sea levels and other coastal hazards, but island economies are especially vulnerable. The Fourth National Climate Assessment points to the small size and relative isolation of the U.S. Caribbean islands (including Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Water Island), which means their “social, economic, and ecological systems are likely to be more sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation than similar systems in the mainland United States.”
Please RSVP to receive briefing updatesA live webcast will be streamed at 2 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastThe Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on scientific developments and policy initiatives that are helping protect Alaskan ecosystems and communities from erosion, sea level rise, and other coastal hazards. Alaska coastal communities are experiencing extreme challenges as shore-fast ice—a coastal buffer to storm water—disappears and houses built on thawing permafrost buckle and become uninhabitable. Stakeholder engagement combined with up-to-date scientific analyses on environmental risk are necessary to create adaptation plans that make economic sense while assisting vulnerable communities.The panelists will describe the collaborative process between federal, state, local, and tribal stakeholders in collecting, sharing, and acting on scientific data to inform policy decisions around adaptation and help communities define and achieve their resilience goals. These projects can serve as a model for other regions experiencing similar issues in high-latitude or coastal areas.
Climate Adaptation Data WeekThis briefing is part of a series on coastal climate adaptation data needs and applications. Find out more about the other briefings in this series below:April 13Weather and Social Data to Inform Participatory Planning InitiativesApril 14Assessing National Park Asset Flood Risk: Retreat, Adapt, Fortify?April 15Cultural Heritage and Climate ChangeApril 16Bridging the Gap Between Science and Decision-MakingA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastMary Austerman, Great Lakes Coastal Community Development Specialist at New York Sea Grant, will discuss a collaborative effort with the National Weather Service to integrate weather and social science data to inform vulnerability assessments for coastal cities and towns along Lake Ontario. Austerman will then describe how this work fed into a participatory planning process for communities vulnerable to repeated flooding events.
Climate Adaptation Data WeekThis briefing is part of a series on coastal climate adaptation data needs and applications. Find out more about the other briefings in this series below:April 13Localizing Sea Level Rise Projections for Decision-MakersApril 14Assessing National Park Asset Flood Risk: Retreat, Adapt, Fortify?April 15Cultural Heritage and Climate ChangeApril 17Weather and Social Data to Inform Participatory Planning InitiativesA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecastThe University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group (CIG) has proven to be a leader in climate adaptation science and application through three focus areas: conducting research, creating tools, and connecting those resources to at-risk communities. Dr. Amy Snover, Director of the Climate Impacts Group and the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center at the University of Washington, will discuss CIG’s cutting-edge programs and methodology for facilitating climate resilience in the American northwest.
Climate Adaptation Data WeekThis briefing is part of a series on coastal climate adaptation data needs and applications. Find out more about the other briefings in this series below:April 13Localizing Sea Level Rise Projections for Decision-MakersApril 14Assessing National Park Asset Flood Risk: Retreat, Adapt, Fortify?April 16Bridging the Gap Between Science and Decision-MakingApril 17Weather and Social Data to Inform Participatory Planning InitiativesA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast.Dr. Marcy Rockman, ICOMOS-IPCC Scientific Coordinator for the Climate Change and Heritage Working Group and Climate Researcher with Co-Equal, will speak about the intersection of cultural heritage and climate change. Based on her new Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences article on historical and cultural heritage, she will share recommendations on how agencies could better incorporate historical and cultural considerations into the U.S. response to climate change, with attention to the need to better compile and use relevant data.
Climate Adaptation Data WeekThis briefing is part of a series on coastal climate adaptation data needs and applications. Find out more about the other briefings in this series below:April 13Localizing Sea Level Rise Projections for Decision-MakersApril 15Cultural Heritage and Climate ChangeApril 16Bridging the Gap Between Science and Decision-MakingApril 17Weather and Social Data to Inform Participatory Planning InitiativesThe National Park Service owns thousands of buildings and other infrastructure at risk from coastal flooding and sea level rise. Dr. Rob Young, Director of Western Carolina University’s Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, led a project to map and evaluate the vulnerability of each coastal NPS asset—from the Statue of Liberty to remote roads in Alaska—in order to help park managers decide what should be protected, what should be abandoned, and what should be moved further inland.
Climate Adaptation Data WeekThis briefing is part of a series on coastal climate adaptation data needs and applications. Find out more about the other briefings in this series below:April 14Assessing National Park Asset Flood Risk: Retreat, Adapt, Fortify?April 15Cultural Heritage and Climate ChangeApril 16Bridging the Gap Between Science and Decision-MakingApril 17Weather and Social Data to Inform Participatory Planning InitiativesGlobal climate data is not always accessible to local decision-makers, especially when projections are at a country or hemispheric scale. The Washington Coastal Resilience Project addresses this problem by generating down-scaled probabilistic sea level rise predictions. Nicole Faghin, Coastal Management Specialist, and Dr. Ian Miller, Coastal Hazard Specialist, both at Washington Sea Grant, will share how they generated these predictions and work to disseminate the data to cities, towns, and NGOs working along the coast.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on innovative efforts to finance and implement climate change mitigation and resilience projects. Featuring a panel from Hawaii, the briefing will explore steps the state is taking to reach carbon neutrality and run on 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. Hawaii’s top climate change official will discuss state-wide efforts to lead on climate, and the Executive Director of one of the most robust green banks in the country will speak about its unique features and how it supports companies, communities, and individuals as they work towards Hawaii’s climate goals in an equitable way. Financing climate resilience projects is essential, but it is a tough nut to crack because the return on investment is not always clear. During this briefing, panelists will discuss efforts in Hawaii and across the country to finance and carry out projects to address sea level rise and increase coastal resilience. From organizations partnering with federal agencies to increase nature-based solutions along the coast to incentives designed around insurance pricing, these innovative climate and financing solutions will be key to addressing climate impacts around the country.
Please RSVPA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on initiatives that are helping protect Southeast ecosystems and communities from erosion, storms, and other coastal hazards. The briefing will showcase nature-based solutions that can protect human lives and property from extreme weather and flooding while creating habitat for wildlife and supporting various coastal industries. These techniques can also be paired with traditional “gray” infrastructure to meet a greater variety of planning needs.The panelists will describe the collaborative process between federal, state, and local stakeholders in collecting, sharing, and acting on scientific data to inform policy decisions around adaptation, thereby helping communities define and achieve their resilience goals. These projects can serve as a model for other regions experiencing similar issues.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 3:30 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Center for Climate and Security and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to a briefing on projected climate change impacts on U.S. security and national interests in the coming decades. How will climate impacts affect geopolitics, infrastructure, and security environments in a world with a 2-degree Celsius rise in average global temperature? How about a 4-degree rise?The briefing will showcase the Center for Climate and Security’s Security Threat Assessment of Global Climate Change report, a product of the National Security, Military, and Intelligence Panel on Climate Change. The report is a comprehensive look at the wide-ranging security impacts of climate change across all six geographic U.S. Combatant Commands, under two scenarios of future warming (a 1-2°C rise in temperatures, and a 2-4°C rise). Authored by a diverse group of U.S. national security and intelligence experts, this report offers both regional and international threat assessments for climate change, and recommendations for the way forward in addressing the looming global challenge.
Hosted in coordination with:House and Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency CaucusesSponsored by:Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Environmental and Energy Study InstituteLunch will be served.Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The eighth edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, published in partnership by BloombergNEF (BNEF) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), will be released on February 13, 2020, and available to download at www.bcse.org/factbook. The Factbook provides updates on industry information and trends for the U.S. energy economy, with an in-depth look at the energy efficiency, natural gas, and renewable energy sectors, as well as emerging areas such as digitalization, micro-grids, offshore wind, hydrogen, and renewable natural gas.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 2:30 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on the actions being taken to manage increasing temperatures, flooding, and other coastal hazards impacting communities and ecosystems in the Great Lakes region. This briefing will showcase nature-based solutions for climate adaptation in rural and urban settings, and show how cutting-edge technology and traditional practices can be used to create resilient communities.The panelists will describe the collaborative process between federal, state, and local stakeholders in collecting, sharing, and acting on scientific data to inform policy decisions around adaptation and help communities define and achieve their resilience goals. These projects can serve as a model for other regions experiencing similar issues.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 1:30 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Coastal States Organization invite you to a briefing on science and policy initiatives that are helping protect West Coast ecosystems and communities from erosion, sea level rise, and other coastal hazards. The briefing will showcase nature-based solutions, which can protect human lives and property while creating habitat for wildlife and supporting various coastal industries. These techniques can also be paired with traditional “gray” infrastructure to meet a greater variety of planning needs.The panelists will describe the collaborative process between federal, state, local, and Tribal stakeholders in collecting, sharing, and acting on scientific data to inform policy decisions around adaptation and help communities define and achieve their resilience goals. These projects can serve as a model for other regions experiencing similar issues
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on key information and recommendations from the report, Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the United States. Legal Pathways is based on two reports by the Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project that explain technical and policy approaches to reducing U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050. This 80x50 target and similarly aggressive carbon abatement goals are often referred to as deep decarbonization, as they require systemic changes to the energy economy.This playbook for deep decarbonization in the United States identifies well over 1,000 options that are achievable in the United States using laws that exist or could be enacted. While both the scale and complexity of deep decarbonization are enormous, these legal tools can be employed with significant economic, social, environmental, and national security benefits.Briefing panelists, including editors and contributing authors to the report, will discuss how the report can be useful to Congressional offices crafting climate change policies.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Clean Energy and Technology Staff Association (CETSA) invite you to a briefing on the state of play for renewable energy and energy storage technology in the United States. Renewable energy technologies now account for a substantial portion of the U.S. energy portfolio. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, renewable energy generated 17 percent of total energy in 2018, and projections indicate this percentage will continue to grow.This briefing will provide an overview of innovations in renewable energy and energy storage, not only in solar and wind power, but also in geothermal power, hydropower, and sustainable biomass. Briefing panelists will share first-hand knowledge from federal agencies and industry to provide the most up-to-date information on the role of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on community-centered resilience featuring an example from Louisiana which holds lessons for all regions of the country. Across the United States, communities are facing increased uncertainty from changes such as shifting agricultural growing seasons and intensifying coastal erosion. These changes hit close to home, and communities should be at the center of finding solutions to increase their resilience.Louisiana’s Strategic Adaptations for Future Environments (LA SAFE) took on this challenge. The initiative addresses community resilience holistically by integrating risk planning with planning for stormwater management, housing, transportation, economic development, education, recreation, and culture.Using a ground-breaking approach to community adaptation planning, LA SAFE, which is a collaboration between the Louisiana Office of Community Development and the Foundation for Louisiana, held 71 community meetings and engaged with over 3,000 people in coastal Louisiana. Together, the communities developed adaptation plans and voted on pilot projects, which jumpstarted the initiative’s implementation stage funded by federal Community Development Block Grants.Briefing panelists will discuss the process and outcomes of the LA SAFE initiative to date to provide attendees with an understanding of how this model can be applied in districts across the country.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 9:30 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) invite you to a briefing on the Global Commission on Adaptation’s Flagship Report and Year of Action for climate adaptation. The Commission, which is chaired by Former U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon, Microsoft Founder Bill Gates, and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, seeks to accelerate adaptation action by elevating its political visibility and focusing on concrete solutions. In September 2019, the Commission launched its flagship report, Adapt Now: A Global Call for Leadership on Climate Resilience, which outlines a roadmap for scaling-up climate adaptation in the United States and abroad in order to safeguard communities and economies from the impacts of climate change. In particular, the report emphasizes the investment potential of climate adaptation initiatives.The report also kickstarts a Year of Action on climate adaptation, starting in late 2019 and going through 2020, to advance the recommendations from the flagship report which include eight major areas of focus—agriculture, cities, finance, disaster risk management, nature-based solutions, infrastructure, water, and locally-led action. This concentrated effort will help accelerate adaptation action and support, thereby improving human well-being and resulting in better, more sustainable economic development and security for all. Briefing speakers will highlight key elements of the report and share how federal legislators can engage with the Year of Action for climate adaptation.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on initiatives and partnerships that are helping protect Northeast shorelines and communities from extreme weather events and other coastal hazards. The briefing will showcase nature-based solutions that support coastal resilience for wilderness areas, small communities, and large cities such as New York City. Nature-based solutions can protect human lives and property while creating habitat for wildlife and providing co-benefits like water filtration. These techniques can also be paired with traditional “gray” infrastructure to meet a greater variety of planning needs.Much coastal restoration work involves multiple agencies at the local, state, and federal level, often working in conjunction with nonprofits and businesses across state and district lines. The panelists will describe this collaborative process and how buy-in for nature-based resilience projects can be achieved across diverse and sometimes competing interests.
Please RSVP to expedite check-in — Seating on a first come, first served basis.A live webcast will be streamed at 9:30 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Center for Climate and Security, in partnership with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, invites you to join us for the 2019 Climate and National Security Forum: A Climate Security Plan for America. This year’s forum will focus on the risks that climate change presents to U.S. military bases and operations, and on the launch of the Climate and Security Advisory Group’s Climate Security Plan for America, which calls on the U.S. President to recognize climate change as a vital national security threat and issue a National Strategy to fulfill a “responsibility to prepare for and prevent” that threat.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Energy Efficiency for All (EEFA) coalition and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to a briefing with EEFA partners in Ohio, Virginia, New York and California. These state leaders will discuss how they are building successful campaigns to deliver energy/cost savings and healthy home environments for low-and-moderate-income (LMI) households. Speakers will discuss how their state coalitions are using and leveraging federal energy services, such as the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Low-Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), to ensure that all LMI residents have access to housing that is healthy, safe, energy efficient and affordable.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)Energy Efficiency for All (EEFA) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to a briefing about an upcoming EEFA report, Job Potential in Retrofitting Affordable Multifamily Housing, which will be previewed at the briefing. The report shows a large untapped job creation potential in the residential retrofit market, particularly for efficiency upgrades to affordable housing. To unlock this potential, however, the disparities in access to those energy efficiency jobs must be addressed.Energy efficiency improvements are the largest source of clean energy jobs in the United States and a major driver of the economy. Retrofit projects also reduce emissions that pollute our air and overheat our planet, while making homes more comfortable and more affordable through lower utility bills. Indeed, energy efficiency is the cheapest, fastest and simplest way to address energy and environmental goals while providing additional benefits to society and the economy. EEFA’s multi-state analysis shows the distribution of existing energy efficiency jobs across 12 states and their 15 largest metro areas, as well as the employment potential of the sector.
Room directionsPlease RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA), and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) invite you to a briefing about innovative utility programs that are working to alleviate energy burdens faced by U.S. rural households. The briefing will showcase how rural electric co-ops and other rural utilities can benefit from USDA funding opportunities, such as the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP) that was renewed in the latest Farm Bill. This program enables co-op members to upgrade their homes and businesses to cut their energy costs, which, in turn, supports jobs and rural economic growth by keeping more dollars in the local economy.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on initiatives and partnerships that are helping protect Gulf Coast shorelines and communities from extreme weather events and other coastal hazards. The briefing will showcase nature-based solutions that support coastal resilience, such as wetlands restoration and other “natural infrastructure,” as well as the “greening” of highways and other traditional “gray” infrastructure. This approach leverages the sustainable management and/or restoration of natural or modified ecosystems to protect people, communities, roadways, buildings, industries, and habitats.Government agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of the Interior, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Transportation, are piloting and implementing nature-based infrastructure projects in the Gulf Coast and around the country. Such projects can be more cost effective and durable against extreme weather events than gray infrastructure, while providing additional health, environmental and economic benefits. The panelists will describe how national, regional, state and local governments and organizations are collaborating to integrate nature-based solutions into policy and practice.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The American Biogas Council (ABC) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to a briefing about the many benefits of renewable biogas. Biogas is produced from the decomposition of organic wastes (such as agriculture residues, manure, food wastes, and sewage) in the absence of oxygen. It can be refined into renewable natural gas, and used to power vehicles, heat homes, cook, or generate electricity—just like natural gas. Biogas is a powerful driver for economic growth, particularly in rural areas in need of economic opportunities. Biogas also lowers our greenhouse gas emissions, contributes to clean air and water, and improves soil health. It turns waste, which would be a problem if not used, into valuable resources.Briefing attendees will learn about the potential biogas resources in their states, the economic and job opportunities they offer, and important policy drivers for this promising industry.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on the new era of the U.S. nuclear power industry as its electricity generation winds down and decommissioning of nuclear power plants ramps up. Decommissioning is the process of dismantling a closed plant, securing or removing its radioactive waste, and lowering a site’s residual radioactivity. Getting it right is critical to communities’ health and safety. Getting it wrong could pose existential threats.The U.S. civilian nuclear fleet is aging out. As civilian reactors approach the end of their operating lives, their economics have been undercut by less expensive natural gas-fired generation. Even though nuclear owners are demanding state subsidies to keep some aging plants open a while longer, it will not stop the coming wave of closures. Six reactors have shut down since 2013. Another 15 are slated to close by 2025. Most of the civilian reactor fleet will inevitably close over the next 20 years.As plants close, previously profitable assets become liabilities owners are eager to offload. Enabled by recent legislative and regulatory changes, private companies (chiefly Holtec International’s joint venture with the Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin and NorthStar’s joint venture with French subsidiary Orano, formerly Areva) are stepping in to acquire the plants, taking over their licenses, liability, decommissioning funds and waste contracts. Their business model is to decommission as quickly and inexpensively as possible, claiming any remaining decommissioning funds as profit. Economic incentives encourage them to pack highly radioactive spent fuel into thin-walled dry storage canisters not designed for the decades or centuries of storage that may be needed. Absent a geologic repository, the companies plan to ship high-level nuclear waste to Consolidated Interim Storage (CIS) sites – one owned by Orano in Texas and another by Holtec in New Mexico.There is currently little opportunity for meaningful input from citizens, municipalities or states into the companies’ decisions on decommissioning, nuclear waste, or use of ratepayer-financed decommissioning funds. Yet more than 80 reactor communities and communities near waste storage sites, plus countless communities along proposed radioactive waste transport routes (which traverse 75 percent of Congressional districts), will be profoundly affected by those decisions.Waste transport, CIS and the emerging privatized model of decommissioning and waste stewardship raise dilemmas and potential safety threats that have yet to be solved, or in some cases adequately studied. Even so, Congress will be called upon this year to decide on legislation and appropriations regarding CIS, Yucca Mountain and other key issues related to decommissioning. Congress has the power to require studies and stronger oversight of decommissioning.To explore these issues, distinguished experts including regulators, independent scientists, NGO advocates, and representatives of affected communities, will speak and answer questions at the briefing.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Established by Congress in 1968, NFIP provides affordable, government-administered flood insurance to property owners, renters, and businesses. However, the NFIP is more than just an insurance program, it is also intended to be a floodplain management and flood risk mitigation program. NFIP requires participating communities to adopt and enforce minimum construction and land use regulations that make them less vulnerable to flooding. With over 5 million flood insurance policies in force, the NFIP is the single largest source of flood insurance for homeowners and small businesses.As flood risks grow around the nation, this is an important time for Congress to reform and update this vital 50-year old program to better protect people and property. Without appropriate action, a warming climate coupled with continued development in flood-prone areas will raise the human and economic toll of flood disasters while taxpayer dollars are squandered on risky, business-as-usual practices. The NFIP has reached an important crossroads. After ten temporary extensions since 2017, the NFIP is set to expire on May 31. The program is popular, but it is more than $20 billion in debt, despite the cancellation of $16 billion in debt by Congress in October 2017. Flooding is the most pervasive and costly natural disaster in the United States, and climate change is exacerbating extreme weather events. Warmer temperatures lead to more water evaporation, which makes downpours more frequent and intense, leading to more flooding. Since the 1980s, the U.S. has experienced a $100 billion increase in total flood losses each decade; however, NFIP losses did not show a significant increase until the 2005 hurricane season. Fast-paced, inadequately regulated development in areas prone to flooding is also a major cause of such rising expenses.This briefing will provide a basic understanding of the National Flood Insurance Program, its history, its challenges, and reforms needed. The panel will provide important background and highlight new strategies for improving NFIP’s financial stability and for reducing the impacts of future floods on vulnerable populations and communities.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing to explore how the quality of buildings contributes to the national economy and promotes healthier environments, and to learn how Congress can support such benefits. Because Americans spend over 90 percent of their time indoors, the design, construction, and operation of buildings greatly influence the health, productivity, and safety of their occupants.As Congress develops legislation and conducts oversight around infrastructure investment, it must also consider opportunities to promote overall sustainability, resilience, and well-being. Just as Congress has incorporated “Buy America” provisions so that dollars spent in America benefit Americans, Congress should also incorporate standards and provisions into infrastructure investment to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used to promote healthy, safe, and productive environments and buildings that will benefit the occupants and, furthermore, the economy. Congress should also continue to support research and technical assistance, as well as the development of codes and standards to improve current building practices.At this briefing, hear directly from the experts:Understand how modern building codes provide $11 in flood, earthquake and hurricane mitigation benefits for every dollar invested; however, less than a third of communities at risk of natural hazards have adopted contemporary building codes.Discover how light and lighting design play a role in your daily activities. Proper lighting design can help prevent depression, distraction, and a variety of other health risks.Realize that, in the absence of a holistic focus on how buildings are designed, constructed and operated, federal investments made in buildings can fail to achieve their potential. There have been multiple deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning in HUD-funded housing, and the federal government continues to fund the construction of buildings to standards that do not meet FEMA’s minimum requirements for post-disaster reconstruction.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and National Hydropower Association (NHA) invite you to a briefing on the role of hydropower in meeting U.S. climate and electric grid reliability and resiliency goals. In 2018, hydropower was the largest generator of renewable electricity in the United States. Beyond the benefit of providing clean, renewable energy generation, hydropower and pumped storage can also be a strategic partner for other, variable renewable energy resources. Pairing hydropower with wind and solar can help them achieve greater penetration and integration while optimizing grid performance.Opportunities to upgrade and expand the existing hydro fleet, and for new project development, are available across the country. However, challenges holding the industry back from fully realizing this growth, including lack of valuation of hydropower’s benefits in energy and environmental markets and policy; regulatory uncertainty; and disparities in tax policy support.This briefing will examine the energy, environmental and grid benefits hydropower (and other waterpower technologies, such as pumped storage, conduit power and marine energy) provides, as well as the policy changes needed to sustain hydropower projects and promote continued deployment. For more information, please see NHA’s newly released report: Reinvigorating Hydropower: A cornerstone of our, clean, affordable, reliable electric future.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) Hosted in coordination with:House and Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency CaucusesSponsored by:Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Environmental and Energy Study Institute In its seventh year, the BloombergNEF (BNEF) and Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) 2019 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook provides new industry information and trends for the U.S. energy economy, with an in-depth look at the energy efficiency, natural gas, and renewable energy sectors, as well as emerging areas such as energy storage and sustainable transportation.
Please RSVP to expedite check-inA live webcast will be streamed at 3:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing discussing Americans' evolving perceptions of climate change. Americans have diverse and sometimes opposing views about climate change, which can fundamentally shape the political discourse around climate action. Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, the featured speaker, will explain recent trends in Americans' climate change knowledge, attitudes, policy support, and behavior and discuss strategies to build public and political will for climate action. He will discuss how voter attitudes towards climate change and clean energy influenced the 2018 mid-terms and may influence the 2020 election cycle.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
“Electrification” can create new opportunities to achieve key national economic and environmental goals. There are many opportunities across the residential and commercial sectors. Advances in electric technologies continue to improve our quality of life, while significant decreases in the electricity sector's greenhouse gas emissions are making electricity more appealing from an environmental perspective. Please join us to learn how environmental benefits, increased affordability, and economic progress are not mutually exclusive, and how a low-carbon economy of the future can be approached through electrification.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
As the 116th Congress begins work on legislation to close an estimated $2 trillion investment gap for national infrastructure modernization, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to learn more about the economic, environmental, and public benefits of green infrastructure. Experts from ASLA’s interdisciplinary Blue Ribbon Panel on Climate Change and Resilience will discuss their report, Smart Policies for a Changing Climate, which outlines a bold vision for 21st century infrastructure investment to create healthy and resilient communities from coast to coast.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute and the Center for Climate and Security invite you to a briefing on the relationship between military facilities and their neighboring civilian communities, and on the urgent need to make their shared infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and other threats. Our panel of experts will examine holistic approaches to protecting and maintaining supply chains, housing, transportation, utilities, and other fixtures necessary for communities to thrive and for military installations to maintain mission readiness. The briefing will also explore regional examples of these challenges and how local governments and Department of Defense (DOD) officials are working together to devise solutions.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), and National Wildlife Federation (NWF) invite you to a briefing on the latest climate change findings, as reported by leading scientists in the 4th National Climate Assessment (NCA) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Special Report. Join us to learn more about how climate change is expected to affect the United States and how federal, state, and local governments can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help communities adapt to rapidly encroaching risks over the next decade and beyond. Learn how your Congressional district is being impacted by climate change, and how it could benefit from investing in low-carbon solutions and advance planning to safeguard lives, infrastructure, and businesses.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
Energy Efficiency for All (EEFA) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to a "101" briefing about federal programs that reduce housing and energy cost burdens for people in need. National policy experts who interact closely with state and local organizations will provide an overview of key programs, including statutory authority and appropriations, and how they impact the lives of recipients. Panelists will discuss how energy efficiency services result in lower home energy bills, which is critical for low-income families that spend a greater percentage of their income on energy.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a facilitated discussion on how we can make our economy much more energy-efficient, to generate wealth and combat climate change. In 2018, the 329 million residents of the United States spent more than $1.1 trillion to meet their many energy needs. Current projections suggest those expenditures—whether to light and cool homes, power business enterprises, or enable daily commutes—may triple to $3.4 trillion (in nominal dollars) by the year 2050. Shockingly, a huge share of that spending is wasted. As detailed in a variety of recent studies, the U.S. economy may only be 16 percent energy-efficient. In other words, an estimated 84 percent of the energy resources consumed within American communities are wasted.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and E4TheFuture invite you to a briefing on the growing number of Americans employed in the energy efficiency sector. The latest report from the nonprofit groups E4TheFuture and Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) reveals a vibrant and growing part of the economy focused on helping homeowners and businesses make the most of their power supply. The briefing will showcase the perspectives of industry analysts and insiders on why energy efficiency is one of the most dynamic parts of the U.S. economy today.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
In recognition of National Forest Products Week, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to learn more about an innovative class of structural wood building materials, known as mass timber, which is poised to open up new markets for sustainable, domestic forestry products. Mass-timber products, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) (dubbed "plywood on steroids"), consist of lumber panels layered and joined together, creating a strong, safe, and sustainable building material.
The unique properties of mass timber differentiate it from light-frame construction and include fire safety, resistance to seismic and explosive forces, thermal performance, and aesthetics. A light, renewable material, its use not only lowers carbon emissions from the building sector but also provides long-term carbon storage—turning buildings into carbon sinks. Policymakers are interested in mass timber for its role in rural economic development, forest health and preservation, resilient infrastructure, and climate change mitigation. This briefing will bring together experts to tell the emerging story of the U.S. mass timber industry and how to capitalize on its potential.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) invite you to a briefing on some of the outcomes of the Global Climate Action Summit, which was held in San Francisco September 12-14. The briefing will showcase some of the carbon reduction actions being taken by a wide range of sub-national actors, including states, regions, cities, and companies.
The summit, the first of its kind, brought together 4,500 representatives to discuss what can be done at the regional and local levels to meet the Paris Climate Agreement goal of keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Co-hosts included California Governor Jerry Brown, former mayor of New York and now U.N. Special Envoy for Climate Action Michael Bloomberg, and China's Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs, Xie Zhenhua, who headed a 120-strong Chinese delegation. Participants included the mayors of Beijing, Bonn, Dacca, Mexico City, Paris, and Tokyo, as well as the CEOs of Unilever, Kaiser Permanente, and Starbucks—among many others.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 9:00 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
Energy Efficiency for All (EEFA) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to a briefing to discuss the role of energy efficiency in reducing the cost of housing, especially for low-income families who must spend a greater percentage of their income on energy bills and so have a heavier “energy burden” than higher-income households. According to a 2016 study of America’s largest cities by EEFA and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the median low-income household spent 7.2 percent of its income on energy, twice as much as the median for all households (3.5 percent). The energy burden is even greater for rural households. A new EEFA/ACEEE report released this month finds that rural households have a median energy burden of 4.4 percent, and rural low-income households are even worse off, shouldering a median energy burden of 9 percent. In this forum, a panel of experts on housing and energy policy will review federal energy efficiency services and programs that are serving the most vulnerable U.S. citizens.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on the urgent need to safely decommission nuclear power plants, which are increasingly shutting down. The United States is facing a significant wave of nuclear plant closures for which it is unprepared. Most of the existing U.S. reactor fleet will inevitably close over the next two decades, as plants near the end of their operational lifespans. Decommissioning is the process of dismantling the closed plant and securing or removing radioactive waste while lowering the site’s residual radioactivity to safer levels. Getting decommissioning right is critical to communities’ health and safety, while getting it wrong could pose an existential threat.
Leading scientists, policy experts, NGO advocates, and local elected officials with experience on decommissioning will speak at the briefing. It will cover the impacts of decommissioning, current decommissioning options, waste storage vs. transport, thorny unsolved problems and best practices, financing and liability, a just transition for communities and workers, how communities and states can and can’t weigh in on these issues, and how they should inform the fast-changing legislative and regulatory landscape.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Embassy of Germany invite you to a briefing showcasing how Germany has been successfully integrating renewable energy into its electrical grid and decoupling energy demand from economic growth. Indeed, Germany's energy policies have led to the creation of new, technologically advanced industries and the addition of about 350,000 jobs. High-level representatives from the public and private sectors on both sides of the Atlantic will discuss parallels between the German and American economies and how the United States may benefit from energy policies Germany has developed and implemented over the course of its nearly 20 year-long national Energiewende ("energy transition") program.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the American Biogas Council (ABC) invite you to a briefing about the numerous challenges posed by organic wastes—to human health, water and air quality, and to businesses that must manage these wastes—and how anaerobic digestion offers solutions to these pressing issues. Anaerobic digestion is the process of converting organic materials, typically viewed as wastes, into usable products, including biogas, renewable natural gas (RNG), as well as valuable organic fertilizer and compost. These biogas systems turn a waste management issue into a revenue opportunity for America’s farms, dairies, food processing, and wastewater treatment industries. Speakers for this forum will discuss the tremendous opportunities for rural and urban communities alike to use anaerobic digestion systems to foster healthy communities and businesses.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
Since their inception in the 2002 Farm Bill, Energy Title (Title IX) programs have helped farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and rural communities generate thousands of jobs and millions in economic development. The sectors impacted by the Energy Title range from renewable energy—including wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, and advanced biofuels—as well as energy efficiency and biobased chemicals and products. The Farm Bill Energy Title programs have played an important role in the greater diversification of rural economies across the country.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Agriculture Energy Coalition invite you to a briefing examining the outsized positive impact on rural America of the investments made through the Energy Title and how to make its suite of innovative programs even stronger.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) invite you to a briefing on the public/private drive toward resilient buildings –– structures that are located, designed and built (or renovated) to withstand extreme weather, cyberterrorism, and other hazards now and for years to come. Federal, state and local governments, working in partnership with standard-setting and private sector organizations, are responding vigorously to the need for increased resilience. Recent events have demonstrated that whether it’s a medical center in Houston, a military base in Florida, or a university in New Jersey, communities rely on public buildings as a shelter of last resort in a disaster.
This briefing will explore what makes buildings resilient; why resilience is important for multiple policy challenges, including infrastructure modernization, emergency preparedness, disaster response, and research funding; and how public-private sector collaboration in research, worker training and investment partnerships benefit society now and well into the future.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Novim Group, in partnership with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, invites you to a briefing discussing a new report on the environmental and societal impacts of the Administration’s proposed climate and environmental research program cuts for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. Congress must act on funding the remainder of FY 2018 by March 23. Given that the Administration’s FY 2019 proposed climate and environmental cuts are quite similar to those in the FY2018 budget, the briefing will also highlight the similarities and differences between these two budgets. The briefing's speakers, who helped author the Novim report, will give an overview of its findings and conclusions.
Hosted in coordination with the House and Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucuses
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Business Council for Sustainable Energy and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to attend a lunch briefing on the 2018 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook.
Ethan Zindler, Head of Americas, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, will give an overview presentation of the 2018 Factbook findings.
A moderated panel of industry experts will discuss the findings and policy implications for the energy efficiency, natural gas, and renewable energy sectors.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:30 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) invite you to a briefing to explore the climate risks facing the U.S. real estate sector, as well as policy solutions and innovations to help protect this crucial piece of the American economy. The turbulent 2017 hurricane season has sparked a national dialogue on how future extreme weather events may impact the security of homes, businesses, and other built infrastructure. Given the economic activity and investment tied to the buildings sector, its long-term health will depend on the capacity of public officials, insurance agencies, and property managers to adapt to climate change risks.
Join us for a discussion on ways the public and private sectors can collaborate to develop the policy tools necessary to safeguard America's buildings and homes from future natural disasters.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) invite you to a briefing to discuss climate/weather risks to America's coastal communities and the types of resilience plans local governments and regional partnerships are developing to safeguard their residents, built assets, and economies. The briefing will explore current and future infrastructure challenges facing public officials and how the federal government fits into the pursuit of these shared development goals.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 11:00 AM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
WIRES and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to a briefing on the widespread, substantial, and long-lasting benefits of investment in electric transmission. The briefing will showcase two London Economics International studies – one study quantifies the future benefits of transmission investment based on two hypothetical projects, the second dispels many of the myths that deter and delay transmission investment. Expanding and upgrading the grid will make it more resilient and deliver increased economic, environmental, and consumer benefits in the billions of dollars over its useful life, according to WIRES. And yet, investment in new regional and interregional electric transmission has been incremental and subject to elaborate and expensive planning and permitting requirements that can easily last a decade.
This panel will discuss why transmission should be a major component of the infrastructure conversation and how the economic and societal benefits from a robust high-voltage grid are so important.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about the takeaways from the latest global climate talks, which concluded in Bonn, Germany, on November 18. The 23rd Conference of Parties (COP23) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) focused on the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement, which is slated to start in 2020. The Paris Climate Agreement calls on the world's nations to keep global warming significantly below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial levels. The year 2016 was already 1.2 C warmer than the 1850-1900 baseline.
Every single member of the United Nations is part of the Paris Agreement, but President Trump indicated in June that the United States will withdraw from the agreement in 2020 (the earliest it is legally able to). His decision briefly threw the entire agreement into question, as U.S. participation is deemed essential if the global community is to meet its climate goals. Indeed, the United States is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind only China. Nevertheless, the other 194 signatories of the Agreement are pressing forward.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
To cut petroleum usage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, fuel efficiency standards are set to rise significantly by 2025 under the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas (GHG) standards—jointly administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and EPA. However, the automotive marketplace has changed significantly since the standards were written in 2009. Sustained low gas prices and the growing popularity of trucks and SUVs have led the auto industry to claim that it will be impossible to meet both 2025 and long-term efficiency standards without significant changes to the programs. Fortunately, there is another low-cost pathway available to regulators to preserve strong fuel efficiency standards and improve fuel quality.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining how high-octane, low-carbon fuel can enable CAFE compliance. Research suggests that high-octane, low-carbon fuel is the lowest-cost compliance option for both consumers and the automotive industry.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
Mayors are on the front lines when natural disasters and other catastrophic events threaten lives and property. The National League of Cities (NLC) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to a briefing about what cities throughout the United States are doing to protect their communities by investing in resilience. Infrastructure dollars are only part of the story. Equally important is funding for planning that accounts for new weather patterns with more severe impacts than we’ve seen in the past and preemptive action to keep people and structures safe and functional. Coordinating land use; updating building codes; and strengthening social networks, lifelines and communications are just a few examples. These investments are resulting in additional community benefits: lower monthly expenses for households, businesses, and the city itself; the protection and restoration of natural resources; and local economic growth and job creation.
The United States is experiencing more heat waves, more heavy downpours, more floods, and more droughts, according to the 2014 National Climate Assessment. Tropical cyclones cause the most damage—more than $580 billion since 1980, followed by droughts ($232 billion), severe storms ($200 billion), and inland flooding ($118 billion). More than 9,600 Americans have lost their lives in the 212 largest weather disasters since 1980. Certainly the enormous disaster in Texas is weighing heavily on the hearts of Americans across the country.
This briefing's speakers will showcase some of the concrete, actionable steps their cities are taking to reduce their vulnerability to extreme weather and the costly and deadly impacts of these events, and share lessons learned.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 10:00 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), and Clean Water Action invite you to a briefing on federal protection for clean water, which is increasingly under threat from steep proposed EPA budget cuts and recent decisions rescinding key federal rules (including the rules that applied the Clean Water Act to smaller waterways and wetlands or prohibited discharge of coal mining waste into streams). Meanwhile, aging infrastructure, population growth, and climate change—with its droughts and floods—put an ever-increasing strain on America’s waterways and drinking water. This requires increased investment and sharper focus on science-based policy simply to maintain existing water quality—let alone improve it—and protect water resources from systemic failures like the ones experienced in Flint, MI, Newburgh, NY, and many other places across the country. Speakers will discuss impacts of proposed funding cuts and rollbacks in clean water protections on public and environmental health, and how to undo the damage.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Center for Climate and Security (CCS), the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation invite you to a briefing discussing the role of climate change as a "threat multiplier" in the geopolitical landscape and the implications that has for U.S. national security. The briefing will explore the risk management and planning considerations facing the Department of Defense (DOD) as it seeks to maintain force readiness and bolster infrastructure resilience. The panel will also discuss the need for investments in preventive measures today to prepare for future needs concerning disaster assistance, the Arctic, and the displacement of vulnerable populations due to climate change. Speakers for this forum include members of the CCS Advisory Board.
Lunch will be served
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A live webcast will be streamed at -- Time to be determined -- at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The American Biogas Council (ABC), the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (CRNG) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to a briefing about the untapped energy in domestic wastes. Waste streams—including manure, agricultural waste, waste water, food scraps and landfill gases—can be converted to biogas and upgraded to renewable natural gas (RNG) for electricity, pipeline injection, or vehicle use, while also providing valuable products such as fertilizer and compost. Using these products provides local jobs, improves air and water quality, assists in meeting multi-agency nutrient management strategies and helps to meet multiple policy goals espoused in both the Farm Bill and the Renewable Fuel Standard.
Lunch will be served
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A live webcast will be streamed at 12:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) invite you to a briefing about the key role played by the 56 governor-designated State and Territory Energy Officials, other state agencies, the private sector, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in mitigating the impacts of and responding to energy supply disruptions (of electricity, natural gas, and petroleum products). Such emergencies, often caused by extreme weather, can pose a threat to public health and safety and can cause lasting economic harm. According to the Congressional Research Service, weather-related outages cost the nation between $25 and $70 billion annually.
State Energy Officials often lead the preparation of energy emergency (or energy assurance) plans, and work with the private sector and DOE in responding to energy emergencies. Equally important is mitigating the potential severity and length of energy emergencies through the promotion of more resilient energy infrastructure; electric generating fuel diversity; construction of high-performance mission critical public facilities; diversification of transportation fuels; and energy and water efficiency retrofits of public facilities. Such actions also help to minimize disruptions to mission-critical facilities, such as police and fire stations, schools, water systems, hospitals and communications infrastructure. To fulfill this critical public safety mission, State Energy Offices and their partners rely on the federal funding provided by DOE’s State Energy Program (SEP), and the expertise offered by its Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.
In partnership with DOE, states have led innovation on energy emergency preparedness and response, as well as energy infrastructure resilience, for over 25 years. Their efforts focus on limiting the impact of energy supply disruptions from all hazards—natural and man-made—and returning energy systems and communities to normal activity as rapidly as possible. In this briefing, NASEO and state energy directors will discuss the concept of energy assurance—as well as key mitigation actions—and how State Energy Offices partner with state and local agencies and the private sector to rebuild after a natural disaster, prepare for future emergencies, and improve resiliency with energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Lunch will be served
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) invite you to a briefing on America's infrastructure needs and the business case for investing in long-term reliability and sustainability. Electric power outages, failing bridges, congested airports, deficient mass transit… all have substantial economic costs. A critical 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) report, Failure to Act: Closing the Infrastructure Investment Gap for America’s Economic Future, found that failing to fix and improve our nation's infrastructure will result in $3.9 trillion in lost GDP by 2025, and 2.5 million lost jobs. There are also significant health and safety risks—Flint, MI, is just one example of the tragic consequences of neglected infrastructure.
Both political parties have floated plans to spend $1 trillion to upgrade U.S. infrastructure, with different ideas on how to pay for it. What could $1 trillion buy for the country? How can policymakers help set priorities and ensure smart investments that produce the best outcomes possible? In this briefing, infrastructure experts will help answer these and other questions and discuss the value of building for resilience.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation invite you to a briefing discussing benefits to the United States from deploying foreign aid to vulnerable regions to help them become more resilient to climate change impacts. The briefing will also explore the inner workings of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), a multi-lateral effort to mobilize $100 billion in public and private financing for adaptation and mitigation projects in developing nations.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:30 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the National League of Cities (NLC), and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to hear examples from communities across America of transportation investments that benefit the national economy, by creating direct and supply-side jobs while boosting regional economies.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing showcasing two new reports on how to transition the United States toward a low carbon economy. The reports, From Risk to Return: Investing in a Clean Energy Economy and the United States Mid-Century Strategy for Deep Decarbonization, present a range of pathways that can achieve deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2050. These pathways involve mixtures of: energy efficiency, renewable energy, nuclear power, carbon capture and storage, increased carbon sequestration in U.S. lands, and reductions in non-CO2 emissions. These pathways rely on commercial or near-commercial technologies that American companies are adopting and developing. The briefing will explore how deeper investment in clean energy can yield long-term dividends for the American economy.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
WIRES, the House Grid Innovation Caucus, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to an important briefing on the modernization of the nation’s critical network of high-voltage transmission. Designed and built well before the digital age to serve more localized customer loads, the “grid” is struggling to support active and increasingly competitive wholesale power markets that now operate regionally. It is often congested or inadequate to deliver domestic energy resources that are not close to customers. Its aging facilities have acknowledged weather and cyber vulnerabilities. Moreover, the planning and regulation of this fundamental infrastructure is complex, often uncoordinated, and slow to produce results. However, despite the combined effects of the recession and greater energy efficiency, the grid will be called upon to serve 30 percent more electrical demand over the next two decades.
Hosted in coordination with the House and Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucuses.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 12:30 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
For the fifth year in a row, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) have produced the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, which provides the latest industry information and trends from the energy efficiency, renewable energy, and natural gas sectors in the United States.
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This briefing will not be livecast or recorded
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing discussing the outcomes of the recently concluded international climate change summit (COP22) in Marrakech, Morocco. The summit drew representatives from more than 190 countries to discuss the implementation of the historic Paris Climate Agreement, making it a vital discussion that will impact everything from global commerce and foreign relations to electricity generation and agriculture.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 9:30 AM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
Cities, communities and campuses throughout the nation are actively seeking more resilient, sustainable energy infrastructure to support economic growth and achieve environmental objectives. District energy microgrids incorporate combined heat and power (CHP) to deliver greater energy efficiency and optimize the use of local resources while strengthening the local and regional power grids.
The International District Energy Association (IDEA), the Microgrid Resources Coalition (MRC), and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) are pleased to invite you to a briefing providing policy guidance and showcasing proven technologies and exemplary cases that illuminate the potential for more robust U.S. investment in district energy microgrids.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the International Fund for China's Environment (IFCE) invite you to a briefing discussing China's ongoing efforts to implement environmental reforms and take action against climate change. Three environmental professionals from China will discuss the challenges and progress associated with setting emission reduction policies, implementing national climate targets at the local level, incentivizing supply chain sustainability, and more.
Dr. Maibach will conduct a national survey this fall to assess public support for existing and proposed federal climate policies.
Briefing attendees will be invited to suggest policies they would like to see included in the survey.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EST/EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing discussing American perceptions of climate change as awareness and concern for its impacts continues to rise among the electorate. The latest polling indicates seven in ten Americans say climate change is happening, and a majority feel their member of Congress should be doing more to address this global issue.
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing assessing the ability of the United States to sustainably produce 1 billion tons of renewable non-food biomass every year. This could potentially displace more than 30 percent of the country's petroleum consumption. The briefing will focus on key findings from volume 1 of the 2016 Billion-Ton Update, which examines the technical feasibility of a billion-ton annual biomass supply chain by 2040. The 2016 report, to be released at the Bioenergy 2016 conference in mid-July, builds and expands on previous Billion-Ton studies, released in 2005 and 2011 by the Department of Energy's Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO).
The Administration’s ‘Billion-Ton Bioeconomy Vision,’ which aims to remove barriers to the sustainable scale-up of U.S. biomass resources while maximizing beneficial economic, social, environmental and public health outcomes, will also be discussed. Biomass resources play a key role in creating jobs and sustaining rural economic development in the United States. Domestic biomass resources can be used as fuels, chemicals and bio-products, reducing U.S. dependence on petroleum as well as lowering U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing presenting the Environmental Protection Agency’s EJSCREEN, a mapping and environmental justice screening tool that EPA developed to help fulfill its responsibility to protect public health and the environment. The tool, freely available to the public online, enables users to compare environmental and demographic information in locations across the country. EPA uses EJSCREEN to find communities that may qualify for extra consideration, engagement and analysis as the agency develops its enforcement, compliance and permitting strategies. Stakeholders outside of EPA may also find EJSCREEN helpful for community awareness projects, education, research, and many other uses. EJSCREEN can show users where minority and low-income areas are located, the demographics in these communities, and the environmental issues they face. How can you use EJSCREEN to learn more about environmental justice issues in your city, town, or Congressional district?
This event is at capacity, we are no longer registering RSVPs.
This briefing will NOT be streamed or recorded. We apologize for the inconvenience.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) invite you to a briefing that will provide information on the rapid changes occurring in the U.S. energy sector. The findings of the 2016 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook show that the U.S. energy sector, and the power sector in particular, have experienced unprecedented growth in newer, cleaner sources of energy.
The briefing will feature an overview presentation by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) on the findings from the Factbook, followed by a moderated industry panel with senior executives from a range of clean energy industries.
Lunch will be provided.
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about a “solar secure” recreation center in Brooklyn and a “high performance” school in Kentucky that are benefiting their communities as well as those who use the buildings. This briefing will show how sustainable public buildings can collectively reduce emissions and clear the air, especially in disadvantaged communities where energy utilities are often sited. Case studies will feature buildings—both in urban and in rural areas—that are improving public health and driving economic growth, while protecting and serving their communities and neighborhoods even during emergencies.
This briefing will feature a retrofit project in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City and a net-zero energy high school in rural Kentucky, as well as projects incorporating sustainability principles in Prince George's County, Maryland. After being devastated by Hurricane Sandy and left without power for days, the historic Red Hook Recreation Center was transformed into a community space and safe refuge with the installation of a solar power and battery system. For vocational students near Lexington, Kentucky, the Locust Trace AgriScience Center embodies the principles of sustainability. With daylit classrooms and low-impact land development, the buildings and campus provide hands-on learning of new skills for today’s jobs with minimal energy/water use and low carbon emissions. The Redevelopment Authority (RDA) of Prince George's County, MD, is developing mixed-income/mixed-use projects and affordable housing in urban communities near transit centers using sustainability principles that promote walkability, green design, and energy and water efficiency.
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about energy efficient, “green” affordable housing and how it is improving health and safety in distressed communities while providing economic and environmental benefits to states. This is the second in a series of EESI briefings examining environmental justice as it relates to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Clean Power Plan (CPP), the nation's first-ever regulation limiting carbon pollution from power plants. This briefing will show how sustainable affordable housing can save money for low-income families and strengthen community resilience while serving as a CPP compliance strategy.
Speakers will showcase sustainable affordable housing developments in Pittsburgh, PA, as well as a retrofit in Washington, DC, and will discuss the national movement to “green” affordable housing. Pittsburgh-based affordable housing developer ACTION-Housing has partnered with Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) to introduce “passive building” standards into its projects and reduce energy usage by 80-90 percent over conventional construction. The briefing will also feature the passive building retrofit of Weinberg Commons, a multifamily housing complex for low-income families in Southeast DC. The nation's capital uses Enterprise Community Partners’ Green Communities Criteria as the baseline green building standard for its public and publicly-financed projects.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) invite you to a briefing highlighting the state of the geothermal energy industry and its near-term prospects in the United States and in more than 80 other countries working to expand its use. With demand for clean energy accelerating around the globe, geothermal energy has major potential as a renewable resource that can provide power around-the-clock, complementing intermittent renewable power technologies. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) launched the Global Geothermal Alliance at COP-21 in Paris this past December to achieve a 500 percent increase in global installed capacity for geothermal power generation and a 200 percent increase in geothermal heating by 2030.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to a briefing exploring how shared mobility technology is transforming transportation services. The emergence and growth of ridesourcing services like Uber and Lyft is clear evidence of the impact of technology on transportation choices to enhance urban mobility. A study being released at the briefing looks at who uses ride-sourcing services, when, and for what purposes. Research was conducted in seven U.S. cities (Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.). The findings and recommendations will be presented and discussed.
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)—in partnership with the House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucuses—invites you to a briefing on the energy efficiency and renewable energy provisions of the President's budget request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017.
Speakers from the Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the Congressional Research Service (CRS) will give an overview of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE) budget request, explain the EERE Office budget priorities, and provide context on how these priorities and trends compare to prior years.
This briefing was originally scheduled on January 25
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing discussing how environmental justice (EJ) is addressed through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Clean Power Plan, the nation’s first-ever rules limiting carbon pollution from power plants (which are the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States). The Clean Power Plan will not only cut millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions, but also hundreds of thousands of tons of particulate pollution that becomes soot and smog. Cutting these emissions will help prevent thousands of premature deaths, heart attacks, asthma attacks, and missed work days. Minority and low-income communities, which are more likely to be located in areas burdened with pollution, will particularly benefit from these emission reductions.
In accordance with Executive Order 12898, EPA is required to make environmental justice a part of its mission. After active involvement and feedback from the EJ community, the final Clean Power Plan provides tools to reduce the burden placed on minority, low-income, and indigenous communities from pollution and ensure that these communities are not disproportionately affected by the rule. Please join us as our panel explores how incorporating environmental justice concerns into the Clean Power Plan's implementation can help vulnerable communities.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:30 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing discussing the climate deal that came out of the 2015 Paris climate change conference, as well as what lies ahead for the 185 countries that pledged to reduce their emissions. The agreement set an ambitious goal of keeping warming significantly below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), in line with the international consensus that any warming above that level could lead to very serious consequences for the planet. The agreement specifies that each country will submit a more ambitious climate action plan every five years, showing a clear progression in emission reductions. In addition, the deal includes guidelines for countries to self-report their progress in meeting commitments, and a schedule for nations to meet and take stock of the progress made.
However, it is important to note that although every country has pledged to reduce emissions, none of these pledges are legally binding. The pledges so far will not reduce warming to below 2 degrees Celsius; according to data from the Climate Action Tracker, if countries stick to their commitments, warming should stay below 3 degrees Celsius. A target funding level for assistance to developing countries has not yet been set, although the agreement stipulates that funding will be more than $100 billion per year and will begin in 2025. Finally, in at least 55 countries (responsible for about 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions), the agreement will need to be ratified or approved, leaving it uncertain whether they will be able to stick to their commitments. Please join us as we discuss what commitments countries have made in the international deal on climate, and what the deal will mean for emission levels and the climate.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining the health impacts of current octane sources and the need for cleaner, cost-effective octane providers. Octane is necessary for vehicle performance and increasing octane volumes would enable highly efficient engines. At the same time, octane-boosters in use today have historically been highly toxic compounds. But cleaner alternatives are available—namely biofuels.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) invite you to a briefing discussing how all levels of governments in the European Union and United States can expand collaboration on renewable electricity market penetration to meet energy, economic, and environmental needs. The briefing will feature an upcoming report by CCS, funded by the European Union Delegation to the United States, which examines high-priority common challenges and opportunities in the renewable energy sector that are prime candidates for new or enhanced forms of transatlantic collaboration at the regional and Member State/U.S. state levels. Attendees will be invited to provide comments and input for the report; join us to discuss how enhanced transatlantic cooperation can help set the stage for new investments and technologies through greater thought leadership, information sharing, technical assistance, and collaboration.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
From the Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone to the Des Moines Waterworks lawsuit against drainage districts, water quality challenges are growing and the Farm Bill’s conservation programs are helping farmers in their efforts to reduce nutrient loss. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining these water quality challenges and how stakeholders are partnering to implement effective, voluntary, farm-level conservation practices that will provide multiple benefits both to rural and urban areas. The discussion will highlight Farm Bill conservation policies in action, which are helping advance best management practices that improve drinking water quality and farmers' bottom lines by enhancing in-field nutrient management. Farmers know that conserving nutrients makes both economic and environmental sense, but substantial work remains to achieve the widespread adoption necessary to address water quality and stave off regulation.
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Live webcast availability has not been confirmed.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about the bipartisan PREPARE Act, which seeks to improve our nation’s ability to withstand and recover from the impacts of extreme weather and reduce the financial impact on taxpayers. Over the past four years, the United States has been hit by 42 major weather disasters across 44 states, resulting in 1,286 deaths and $227 billion in economic losses. In its two latest High Risk Lists, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) cited extreme weather as one of the greatest threats to the federal government's balance sheet. To improve federal agencies’ ability to plan and prepare for extreme weather events, Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) and Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) reintroduced the Preparedness and Risk Management for Extreme Weather Patterns Assuring Resilience and Effectiveness (PREPARE) Act this year on July 23. The bill (H.R. 3190) currently has 18 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing discussing how states are planning to comply with the Clean Power Plan, which limits carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing power plants. Under the authority of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Power Plan represents the first time the United States has placed limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, currently the nation’s largest source of carbon pollution. The final Plan, released by the Environmental Protection Agency on August 3, is more ambitious than the draft version, calling for a 32 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 from 2005 levels (instead of the 30 in the proposal). The EPA predicts that such a reduction will help the nation avoid 3,600 premature deaths and reduce yearly electricity bills by an average of $84 per ratepayer in 2030. The final Clean Power Plan also gives states an additional two years (until 2022 instead of 2020) to begin cutting CO2 emissions, and has taken into account states' feedback to recalculate their specific carbon reduction targets.
Now that the final version has been released, what are the best compliance strategies for states to meet the emission reduction goals, and what kind of assistance will EPA be able to provide?
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining the role of offshore wind domestically and internationally. Wind blows more powerfully and steadily over water than land, enabling offshore wind farms to generate a greater amount of consistent electricity than their onshore counterparts. Despite its benefits, the offshore wind industry is still in its nascent phase in the United States, where there are currently no operational offshore wind farms. The first U.S. offshore wind project is expected to come online in summer 2016 at Block Island, 12 miles off the coast of Rhode Island. Deepwater Wind is leading the Block Island project, which will generate 50 megawatts (MW) of power, enough to run 17,000 homes. U.S. Wind is working on a much larger project off the coast of Maryland, where it plans to have 500 MW of offshore wind operating by 2020. Offshore wind is a far more mature power source in Europe, with more than 10 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power currently operating. What is the future of offshore wind in the United States? Can the U.S. offshore wind industry match Europe's success?
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A live webcast will be streamed at 10:00 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing featuring rural electric cooperatives (co-ops) which are taking significant action on energy efficiency and renewable energy. Member-owned, not-for-profit electric co-ops are typically smaller than investor-owned utilities, and they are less likely to have significant capital reserves or other resources to implement clean energy programs. But their small size and strong relationships with their member-consumers allow co-ops to be nimble and innovative, particularly with programs directly involving co-op members. As a result, many electric co-ops around the country have become successful clean energy laboratories.
This briefing will feature leaders from distribution co-ops and generation and transmission (G&T) co-ops discussing their clean energy innovations, including community solar programs, demand response initiatives, energy efficiency financing, and more. The speakers will describe the impacts and challenges of each strategy, and why these strategies work for their members.
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 1:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the ChinaFAQs Project of the World Resources Institute (WRI) invite you to a briefing on China’s actions on climate change and clean energy and U.S.-China cooperation. Now the largest greenhouse gas emitter, and with a fast-growing economy and the world's largest population, China will play a unique and vital role in the effort to keep the global warming temperature increase below 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. What is China doing? University, government, and business experts will discuss the results of the recent U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, as well as current actions and future prospects for China’s shift to low-carbon energy—including China’s recently announced contribution (“INDC”) to the international climate agreement in Paris this December.
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 10:00 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Governors' Biofuels Coalition invite you to a briefing examining the current state and potential future of the transportation fuel supply. While combustion engines are more efficient and cleaner than ever, the transportation sector is still responsible for 27 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as half of all toxic emissions in the United States. Researchers from Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), and Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) are conducting coordinated studies to address the opportunities and challenges to deploying a high octane mid-level ethanol blend to the passenger vehicle fleet. They found such fuels, which blend between 25 to 40 percent ethanol and 60 to 75 percent conventional gasoline (instead of the current 10 to 90 percent ratio), could lead to greater fuel efficiencies and lower overall GHG emissions.
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 10:00 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining the breadth of options available for states to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Clean Power Plan, which will be finalized later this summer. The Plan will set rules limiting carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants. Each state will be given a different target for emissions reductions, based on its specific circumstances. States will then have to submit plans to the EPA outlining how they will achieve their targets.
State energy, environmental, and utility officials are already working closely together to identify compliance options, with the National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA), National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), and National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) leading the way. On May 21, NACAA, which represents air regulators in 41 states and over 100 local agencies, released a comprehensive document examining potential state compliance strategies under the Clean Power Plan. NARUC and NASEO are helping to disseminate the report, Implementing EPA’s Clean Power Plan: A Menu of Options, to state energy offices and utility commissions throughout the country. The report does not include recommendations, but instead provides an objective assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches to Clean Power Plan compliance. The speakers will discuss the co-benefits, costs and effectiveness of these different approaches, as well as the opportunities and challenges the Clean Power Plan represents to states.
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
Lunch at 11:45 am, event starts 12:15 PM
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:15 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) invite you to an Infrastructure Week briefing about how transit investments affect the nation’s competitiveness. The world’s economies are increasingly based on knowledge and information. High-tech, knowledge-based innovation districts are increasingly shaping the U.S. economy. What are the characteristics of a knowledge-based economy, and the people who work in it? What role does transit play in the location choices of high-value technology firms, and why? Does transit help these firms attract the workforce they want?
Registration is free but space is limited to 150 attendees
Please note that it is possible to register for only one or two of the three sessions
A live webcast will be streamed at 9:00 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing during Earth Week examining the impacts of sea level rise and oil and gas extraction on Native American communities. Across the United States, in Alaska, the Mississippi delta, the Northern Plains and the Great Lakes, land degradation presents challenges to indigenous peoples’ homes and livelihoods. As many Native American communities contemplate their potential displacement, one tribe is already preparing to move – the Isle de Jean Charles Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Indians, who make their home in southern Louisiana. Join our speakers as they discuss the tribe’s ambitious strategy to become one of the first coastal indigenous groups to relocate as a community in modern times, and why they feel it is necessary.
Experiences such as the Isle de Jean Charles Tribe’s inspired the White House to convene a State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, which met from 2013 to 2014. Last November, the Task Force published a report of 35 recommendations on how the federal government can assist local climate resilience efforts. This briefing will examine some of the recommendations from tribal communities, such as encouraging the incorporation of climate resilience into land use development and management practices.
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) invite you to a briefing about the looming expiration of the Transportation Bill. How does uncertainty over federal transportation funding put jobs and local economies at risk? What can be done to ensure stable, long-term federal investment in public transit, highways, and bridges? How can new information from APTA, to be released at the briefing, help us understand how the federal funding at risk impacts specific regions and the nation as a whole?
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
Join the conversation on OurEnergyPolicy.org, where EESI is moderating a discussion about the Clean Power Plan.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining key policy and legal issues associated with the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rules to limit carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing power plants, which account for 38.7 percent of domestic carbon emissions. According to the EPA, its proposed Clean Power Plan (CPP) would lead to a 30 percent cut in carbon emissions from the power sector by 2030, compared to 2005 levels. How will these cuts be implemented? And will the CPP hold up in court?
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining the recommendations of the White House State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience. The bipartisan Task Force of 26 governors, mayors, tribal leaders, and other officials spent a year compiling recommendations on how the federal government could help local communities be more resilient to climate change impacts. From an initial 500 ideas, the Task Force produced a report of 35 concrete recommendations for tools, training, funding and services the Federal Government can provide to help the nation’s communities increase their resilience. Even without taking into account the effects of climate change, making communities more resilient saves lives—and saves money in the long run.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on the programs and priorities of the Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office (BTO), as reflected in its FY 2016 budget request. Why is DOE involved in researching and developing building technologies? Buildings represent 40 percent of the total energy used in the United States and a whopping 70 percent of the electricity used (for lighting, air-conditioning, appliances, electronics). Making buildings and the products that go into them more energy efficient will make a serious dent in U.S. energy use, save billions of dollars each year, improve comfort, and reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. BTO is seeking to reduce U.S. building energy consumption by 50 percent from a 2010 baseline.
In addition to providing an overview of the Building Technologies Office, the briefing will highlight successful industry-government partnerships that are bringing technologies like solid-state lighting to the marketplace and helping builders construct “zero-energy” homes. The panel will also address the role of Congress and building/energy issues on the horizon in the current session.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 4:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), in conjunction with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), invite you to a briefing on the investment requirements for America's multi-modal transportation infrastructure.
The recent AASHTO-APTA Bottom Line report estimates that $163 billion is needed annually over six years to fix the nation’s aging surface transportation system ($120 billion for roads and bridges, and $43 billion for transit). At present, public investment in transportation infrastructure is only $100 billion a year ($83 billion for roads and bridges, and $17 billion for transit). With the looming May expiration of the transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), and with 70 million new U.S. citizens expected by 2050, now is the time to address these investment needs.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and The Solar Foundation invite you to a briefing on the recently released 2014 National Solar Jobs Census. The Census found that the solar industry added 31,000 jobs last year, accounting for 1.3 percent of all new U.S. jobs, and representing a growth rate almost 20 times greater than the national average. Today, 173,807 Americans are employed in the solar industry, almost twice as many as in U.S. coal mining.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)—in partnership with the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus—invites you to a briefing on the energy efficiency and renewable energy implications of the fiscal year (FY) 2016 budget proposal released by President Obama on February 2. The Administration's budget proposal would invest $7.4 billion in clean energy technology programs across all agencies, led by the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Agriculture. This briefing will focus on the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), whose budget would increase to $2.7 billion.
Speakers from the Department of Energy and the Congressional Research Service (CRS) will give an overview of the EERE budget requests, explain the Office's budget priorities, and provide context on how these priorities and trends compare to prior years.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about how building science, renewable energy technology, creative community engagement and innovative partnerships are beginning to converge for the benefit of home owners and tenants in every income bracket. Well-built, ultra-energy efficient homes with on-site solar energy stay safe, comfortable and functional during severe weather and power outages. They are good for our health, our budgets and have less environmental impact than most houses being built today. The goals of affordability, resiliency and sustainability are truly complementary but difficult to achieve without key elements such as trained building professionals, accurate tools to measure energy use and improved appraisals and financing. Briefing speakers will discuss affordable housing in Washington, DC, and elsewhere that has achieved the coveted “passive house” (PH) certification as well as a new approach to enable low-income residents to enjoy some of the benefits of on-site solar energy. The briefing will also discuss policies that could make this housing truly resilient, more affordable and a model for other communities.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about programs and partnerships to develop innovative, effective approaches that maximize economic and social resiliency when investing public funds in local recovery and development.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that gas leaks from this sector are responsible for 29 percent of U.S. methane emissions, although some think this estimate is low. Methane is a powerful climate warming pollutant – at least 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it is emitted. Methane emissions from the oil and gas sector occur in every segment of the industry, from production sites to distribution systems. Estimates of how much leakage is occurring continue to be refined, meanwhile there are a range of technologies that could lead to substantial reductions in methane emissions.
This briefing will discuss the current state of research on methane leakage, technologies to detect and reduce emissions, policy and regulatory options, and business implications and opportunities.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining the technologies that are making commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol production a reality. Cellulosic ethanol is produced from agricultural residue — primarily, at this time, from corn stover (leaves, stalks and husks), which is removed in a sustainable manner after the harvest. Cellulosic ethanol is commercially produced at one U.S. facility, with two more coming on-line later this year. Combined, these three facilities are expected to produce a total of approximately 80 million gallons of renewable fuel per year. Contrary to popular belief, cellulosic fuels are not ‘phantom fuels’ but commercially viable ethanol fuels, which have been scaled up in a relatively short time period.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining recent research regarding the carbon dioxide (CO2) intensity of transportation fuels, such as crude oil and ethanol. The panel will also consider the economic costs and benefits of renewable fuels as a CO2 reduction strategy. There is a growing body of research concerning the carbon intensity of both petroleum-derived and renewable fuels. Carbon intensity refers to the amount of greenhouse gases (including CO2, nitrous oxide, and methane) that are released per unit of fuel. “Wells to wheels” assessments are calculated by adding the emissions at each production step. For biofuels, this includes emissions and/or carbon sequestration as well as impacts to land use associated with growing biofuel feedstocks.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 1:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining the current and projected impacts of climate change in the Northeast and regional efforts to manage these risks. The Northeast is home to approximately 64 million people and is one of the most built-up environments in the world. Since much of the population and infrastructure is located along the coast, this region is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, as was most clearly seen when Hurricanes Irene and Sandy struck in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Between 1958 and 2010, the Northeast experienced a 70 percent increase in the amount of precipitation falling during very heavy events.
The Third National Climate Assessment (NCA), which was released on May 6, projects that climate change will further threaten the region’s environmental, social, and economic systems. While many of the states and municipalities in the Northeast have developed plans to mitigate and adapt to the threats of climate change, implementation is still in the early stages. How have federal, state, and local government initiatives acted to increase resiliency against current and future impacts of climate change? What more can and should be done to reduce these risks?
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining the current and projected impacts of climate change in the Midwest, as well as strategies being developed to mitigate the associated risks. The Midwest (defined in the National Climate Assessment as Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio) has about 20 percent of the nation’s population, and produces 19 percent of the nation’s GDP. According to the Third National Climate Assessment (NCA), climate change has wide-reaching impacts in the region, affecting the agricultural industry, the Great Lakes, northern forests, the energy system, and public health, generally in detrimental ways. In addition, the Midwest’s economy is highly energy-intensive, releasing 22 percent more greenhouse gas emissions per capita than the U.S. average. Briefing speakers will discuss how reducing emissions and taking action to improve the resilience and adaptation of Midwest communities, businesses, and farms can help mitigate climate change-exacerbated economic and social stresses.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 10:00 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), in partnership with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), invites you to a briefing on innovation in electric grid technologies and the opportunity being provided by the Department of Energy’s Quadrennial Energy Review (QER). The QER was launched this January to advance a 21st century energy policy that, among other things, seeks to improve electric grid resilience. The electric grid faces unprecedented threats in the United States, including extreme weather, cyberattack, and physical vulnerabilities which urgently need to be addressed.
Speakers from the Department of Energy (DOE), G&W Electric, Siemens, and Commonwealth Edison will discuss the concept and purpose of the QER and the need to reform our energy policy to strengthen the nation’s electric transmission and distribution grid, as well as the technologies available today that are making it happen.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
WIRES and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to a briefing about the key challenges and opportunities facing electric transmission infrastructure development. In light of Super Storm Sandy, the attack on the Metcalf Substation in California, and growing cyber threats to the grid, transmission owners, planners, and operators are devising new approaches to ensure high levels of reliability and grid security. Second, the magnitude of the current need to ensure efficient power markets and access to diverse energy resources makes development of robust transmission infrastructure a national priority. The shale gas revolution provides an additional reason to strategically plan the expansion and modernization of the grid while addressing pipeline constraints and access to renewable resources. Finally, these developments are being dealt with in a more competitive bulk power environment, including competition to own, build, and construct important new transmission facilities. New entities and joint ventures are emerging to augment the historical role of incumbent load-serving entities with respect to strengthening the grid regionally and inter-regionally.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 10:00 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining the current and projected impacts of climate change in the Southeast, and efforts to manage these risks. According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the Southeast region has experienced more billion-dollar natural disasters than any other region in the United States, primarily from hurricanes, but also from tornadoes and winter storms. Climate change will increase the frequency and strength of such extreme weather events. Coastal areas in the Gulf already grapple with hurricane damages that cost an average $14 billion a year, and conservative estimates project that these costs could rise to $23 billion by 2030, with 50 percent of this increase attributable to climate change. Rising sea levels also have the potential to create widespread damage. The Third National Climate Assessment (NCA) projects between 1 to 4 feet of sea level rise by 2100, and many of the region’s major cities are in low-lying, coastal areas, as are critical highways, trade ports, and military installations.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 1:30 PM EDT, Tuesday, May 20 here (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) invite you to a briefing highlighting the risks climate change poses to landmark historic sites around the United States. This briefing will unveil a new report from UCS which highlights climate threats to the nation’s iconic landmarks and historic sites, and details steps being taken to protect these national treasures. The report includes 30 at-risk sites, including places where the “first Americans” lived, the Spaniards ruled, English colonists landed, slavery rose and fell, and gold prospectors struck it rich. Some of the sites also commemorate more modern “firsts,” such as the race to put the first man on the moon.
Please note the room change
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A live webcast will be streamed at 12:30 PM EDT, Thursday, May 15 here (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the National League of Cities (NLC), and the U.S. Travel Association invite you to a briefing, as part of Infrastructure Week 2014, on public transportation’s impacts on local economies and why further investment in new and existing public transit systems has a fundamental impact on the nation’s economic vitality. The briefing will explore real-world examples backed up by a research report from APTA that investigates the connection between public transit and local economic development, productivity, and job creation.
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A live webcast will be streamed at 2 PM EDT, Thursday, May 8 here (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on the Third National Climate Assessment (NCA), to be released May 6. Required by the Global Change Act of 1990, this report examines the current state of the climate in the United States, as well as its historic trends and potential future changes.
The Third National Climate Assessment covers regional impacts in the Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Great Plains, Alaska and the Arctic, as well as Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. The report’s authors examined climate impacts to human health, water, energy, transportation, agriculture, forests, ecosystems, coastal areas, oceans and marine resources. Thirteen federal agencies collaborated to produce the report under the auspices of the Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). More than 240 scientists from academia, state, local and federal government, the private sector, and the nonprofit sector volunteered their time as authors.
In this briefing, NCA authors will explore the risks inherent in the changes occurring in the United States, the latest findings highlighted in the report, and the science and scientific process informing the NCA’s conclusions.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to an Earth Day briefing about recycling at the local level, with an emphasis on four types of recycling: curbside, compost/organics, building deconstruction/reuse, and electronic waste. Members of the panel will discuss the environmental and economic benefits of recycling and ways in which to increase recycling in our homes, businesses, and communities.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing discussing American perceptions of climate change following a new in-depth survey conducted in December by Resources for the Future, Stanford University, and USA Today. For the first time, the survey explored in detail the public's attitudes toward generating electricity from various sources and its attitude toward fracking in particular.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina (ECSC) held a briefing about “on-bill financing,” an innovative approach to energy efficiency offering loans for energy improvements that are repaid through utility bills. South Carolina's customer-owned electric cooperatives (co-ops) recently conducted a residential on-bill financing pilot that achieved deep energy savings among its participants, resulting in improved home comfort and reduced monthly bills. Based on this and other success stories, the federal government may soon expand its support for similar programs.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and WIRES (Working group for Investment in Reliable and Economic electric Systems) held a briefing about the operational basics of high-voltage transmission to help explain the complex economic and policy challenges facing the grid in the 21st century.
By delving into the grid's operation and the interstate markets for bulk power it supports, the briefing was designed to provide a foundation for discussions about cost responsibility, land use issues, transmission planning, integration of variable renewable energy resources, and other issues that are becoming more important to the future of the power industry.
Thursday, June 20, 2013——The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the National Complete Streets Coalition, a program of Smart Growth America, held a briefing to discuss national and local trends in the adoption of Complete Streets policies and how they can be incorporated into fiscally-sound federal transportation policy to support the creation of safer streets in communities across the country. More than 500 jurisdictions at the local, regional, and state levels are now using Complete Streets policies to plan, construct and operate streets that safely accommodate all users – including transit riders, bicyclists, pedestrians of all ages and abilities, and drivers. These policies are helping to build stronger local economies, attract businesses, and support healthier and safer communities.
The Safe Streets Act of 2013, introduced by Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Rep. David Joyce (R-OH), illustrates how federal policy can support local efforts to address roadway safety.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) held a briefing about energy innovations at the state level. The briefing investigated the significant role states are playing by implementing novel policies and effective approaches that reduce the cost of generating clean energy. Many state governments view clean energy as a foundation of their environmental and economic development strategies and have taken leadership roles in demonstrating the business case for renewable energy initiatives. The briefing discussed the role and value of federal-state partnerships on innovative clean energy investments and provided state-specific examples.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013——The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing on how combined heat and power (CHP) technology can provide critical facilities (e.g. hospitals, wastewater treatment), businesses, institutions, and communities with more resilient and reliable heat and power, while at the same time reducing energy costs and harmful emissions over time. This briefing introduced participants to CHP technology and presented a number of recent case studies in which CHP systems helped communities pull through extreme weather events when the grid went down. Speakers discussed both some of the opportunities and the barriers to deploying more CHP systems.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing on how District Energy, Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and Microgrids can make local energy supply more reliable and more resilient in the face of more frequent severe weather events that have caused electricity supply disruptions and serious economic losses. This briefing provided a technology overview, showcased relevant case studies, reviewed related pending legislation, including The Local Energy Supply & Resiliency Act of 2013 and The Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act, and discussed key policy drivers to accelerate industry growth as called for in Executive Order 13624, Accelerating Investment in Industrial Energy Efficiency.