Environmental And Energy Study Institute

TO ADVANCE SCIENCE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE OUR VISION OF A SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT, AND EQUITABLE WORLD.

FEDERAL CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY POLICY PROGRAM:EESI WORKS TO CREATE AND INFORM A POLICY ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH POLICYMAKERS ARE EQUIPPED WITH KNOWLEDGE AND MOTIVATION TO ACT TO CURB CLIMATE CHANGE AND INCREASE RESILIENCE TO CURRENT AND FUTURE CLIMATE IMPACTS, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON EQUITY. EESI FILLS A CRITICAL NEED: TURNING COMPLEX CONCEPTS INTO ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION, INVITING DECISION-MAKERS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO CLIMATE CHANGE, THE MOST URGENT THREAT FACING THE WORLD TODAY.IT IS ALSO URGENT FOR OUR COUNTRY'S LEADERS TO BUILD AWARENESS, KNOWLEDGE, AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEED FOR ACTION TO REDUCE CLIMATE IMPACTS. EESI INFORMS POLICYMAKERS ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ENERGY SECURITY, ENVIRONMENTAL, EQUITY, AND PUBLIC HEALTH BENEFITS OF SUSTAINABLY TAPPING THE COUNTRY'S ABUNDANT RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES. IN ADDITION, EESI SHOWCASES SUSTAINABLE POLICIES AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY, BUILDINGS, DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES, TRANSPORTATION, AND UTILITIES.EESI'S CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFINGS ARE A CRITICAL RESOURCE TO INFORM AND EDUCATE CONGRESS, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, POLICYMAKERS, MEDIA, AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE LATEST SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND POLICY DEVELOPMENTS IN ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. IN 2021, EESI ORGANIZED 28 ONLINE CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFINGS, WHICH WERE ATTENDED BY 4,403 MEMBERS OF THE POLICY COMMUNITY. ALL CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES ARE INVITED TO OUR BRIEFINGS AND STAFF FROM 61 CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES - FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE - ATTENDED IN 2021. OUR PUBLIC BRIEFINGS ARE LIVE-STREAMED AND AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE AND YOUTUBE CHANNEL, WHICH FURTHER EXTENDS THEIR REACH AND IMPACT; OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL HAS MORE THAN 376,998 CUMULATIVE VIEWS. IN ADDITION, 290 INDIVIDUALS FROM GOVERNMENT, ACADEMIA, INDUSTRY, MEDIA OUTLETS, AND THE GREATER POLICY COMMUNITY PARTICIPATED IN THE ONLINE EDITION OF OUR BIPARTISAN CONGRESSIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY EXPO AND POLICY FORUM; IT FEATURED 13 SPEAKERS AND REMARKS FROM FIVE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.EESI PRIORITIZED PROVIDING CONGRESS AND THE POLICY COMMUNITY WITH KEY INFORMATION ABOUT THE 26TH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES (COP26) TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC) HELD IN NOVEMBER IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND. EESI HOSTED A BRIEFING SERIES IN THE LEAD-UP TO THE COP26 INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE SUMMIT, COVERING CLIMATE ADAPTATION, INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE FINANCE, THE STATE OF PLAY OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, AND WAYS TO IMPLEMENT U.S. CLIMATE COMMITMENTS. A HIGH-LEVEL BRIEFING ON GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FEATURED FORMER UNFCCC EXECUTIVE SECRETARY CHRISTIANA FIGUERES AND FORMER CHAIR OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND ACCLAIMED SCIENTIST SIR ROBERT WATSON. EESI ALSO PUBLISHED ITS FIRST-EVER DAILY NEWSLETTER, THE "GLASGOW DISPATCH," WHICH COVERED THE CONFERENCE'S PROCEEDINGS DURING ITS ENTIRE DURATION. EESI WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, WHICH HOSTED COP26 AND CO-SPONSORED OUR BRIEFING SERIES ALONG WITH THE SECRETARIAT OF THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE.AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW CONGRESS IN EARLY 2021, EESI REACHED OUT TO ALL THE NEW CONGRESSIONAL ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT STAFF, PROVIDING THEM WITH INFORMATION AND INTRODUCING THEM TO EESI AS A RELIABLE RESOURCE. AS WE WERE UNABLE TO HOLD IN-PERSON MEETINGS OR BRIEFINGS ON THE HILL BECAUSE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS, WE ADAPTED OUR TRADITIONAL INTRODUCTORY WORK WITH A NEW CONGRESS AND DEBUTED A VIRTUAL CONGRESSIONAL CLIMATE CAMP. DURING THIS ONLINE BRIEFING SERIES, EESI PRESENTED CONGRESSIONAL STAFF WITH THE BASICS OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS - LIKE BUDGET REQUESTS AND APPROPRIATIONS. WE HIGHLIGHTED KEY POLICY OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS ALL SECTORS OF THE U.S. ECONOMY FOR ACHIEVING CARBON REDUCTIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ALSO DELIVER CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE BENEFITS. BASED ON POPULAR DEMAND, WE ORGANIZED A BONUS BRIEFING ABOUT THE POLITICAL AND POLICY DYNAMICS OF BUDGET RECONCILIATION, THE PROCESS THAT ALLOWS CONGRESS TO PASS LAWS RELATED TO TAXES, SPENDING, AND THE DEBT LIMIT WITH ONLY A MAJORITY VOTE IN THE SENATE.EESI'S WEBSITE SURPASSED 1 MILLION UNIQUE VISITS IN 2021. OUR @EESIONLINE TWITTER ACCOUNT RECEIVED THE BLUE "VERIFIED" CHECKMARK, WHICH ENCOURAGED MORE PEOPLE - INCLUDING HIGH-PROFILE ACCOUNTS, LIKE REP. JIM CLYBURN'S (D-S.C.) - TO FOLLOW US. AND OUR PODCAST, "THE CLIMATE CONVERSATION," BOASTED 33 EPISODES AND EARNED MANY 5-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE PODCASTS; IT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON GOOGLE PODCASTS AND SPOTIFY.EESI REVISED AND REVAMPED ITS PAGE OF ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, WHICH HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN ONE OF OUR MOST POPULAR PAGES. IN IT, WE TACKLE 22 QUESTIONS (INCLUDING "WHAT CAUSES GLOBAL WARMING? AND "IF GLOBAL WARMING IS REAL, WHY IS IT SO COLD AND SNOWY THIS WINTER?") IN AS ACCESSIBLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD A MANNER AS POSSIBLE, NEVER STRAYING FROM CLIMATE SCIENCE.CONTINUING OUR PREVIOUS WORK ON FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES, EESI RELEASED A FACT SHEET IN 2021 SHOWCASING THE KEY POLICY PROPOSALS THAT WOULD REDUCE FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES IN THE UNITED STATES. U.S. DIRECT SUBSIDIES TO THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY ARE ESTIMATED AT ROUGHLY $20.5 BILLION PER YEAR. WHEN NEGATIVE IMPACTS SUCH AS HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND CLIMATE FACTORS ARE INCLUDED, IT IS ESTIMATED THE UNITED STATES SUBSIDIZES FOSSIL FUELS AT A LEVEL OF $649 BILLION PER YEAR. ELIMINATING FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES WOULD SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS, WHILE ALSO REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. REDUCING THE USE OF FOSSIL FUELS WOULD HAVE SEVERAL OTHER BENEFITS AS WELL, AS EESI DEMONSTRATED IN ANOTHER FACT SHEET ABOUT THEIR WIDE-RANGING NEGATIVE IMPACTS. BURNING COAL, OIL, AND NATURAL GAS RESULTS IN SIGNIFICANT CLIMATE, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND HEALTH COSTS THAT ARE NOT REFLECTED IN MARKET PRICES.

ACCESS CLEAN ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM:EESI PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO UTILITY-BASED ENERGY PROGRAMS, FOCUSING ON RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES, PUBLIC POWER UTILITIES, AND GREEN BANKS. HELPING ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES IMPLEMENT SUCH PROGRAMS HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON REDUCING U.S. CARBON EMISSIONS. NATIONWIDE, NEARLY 3,000 SUCH UTILITIES PROVIDE POWER TO 81 MILLION AMERICANS. GREATER ENERGY EFFICIENCY REDUCES HOUSEHOLD ENERGY COSTS AND IMPROVES RELIABILITY AND COMFORT, WHILE REDUCING FOSSIL FUEL USE. THE PROGRAM PROMOTES THE ADOPTION OF ON-BILL FINANCING, A MECHANISM ALLOWING CUSTOMERS TO PAY FOR HOME ENERGY IMPROVEMENTS OVER TIME VIA THEIR UTILITY BILLS. HISTORICALLY, ON-BILL FINANCING PROGRAMS HAVE FOCUSED ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES, BUT NOW A NEW WAVE OF PROGRAMS ARE EMERGING THAT ALSO FINANCE SOLAR ROOFTOP PANELS, BENEFICIAL ELECTRIFICATION PROJECTS, AND BATTERY STORAGE DEVICES.LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, WHICH SPEND A HIGHER SHARE OF THEIR INCOMES ON ENERGY, HAVE MORE TO GAIN FROM MAKING THEIR HOMES MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT AND SWITCHING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY. BUT HIGH UPFRONT COSTS OFTEN PREVENT THESE HOUSEHOLDS FROM INVESTING IN CLEAN ENERGY, EVEN WHEN DOING SO WOULD SAVE THEM MONEY AND MAKE THEIR HOMES MORE COMFORTABLE, HEALTHIER, AND MORE RESILIENT. EESI HELPS DEVELOP FINANCING PROGRAMS THAT PLACE AN EMPHASIS ON ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION TO EXPAND ACCESS TO COST-SAVING ENERGY MEASURES TO HOUSEHOLDS OF ANY INCOME LEVEL. EESI USED ITS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE TO RELEASE A PEER-REVIEWED PAPER, INCLUSIVE FINANCING PROGRAMS FOR SOLAR AND ELECTRIFICATION, ABOUT HOW INCLUSIVE ON-BILL FINANCING PROGRAMS FOR CLEAN ENERGY CAN EXPAND AFFORDABILITY AND INCREASE ACCESS TO CAPITAL WHILE PROMOTING EQUITY FOR HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES.EESI ALSO ENCOURAGES UTILITIES TO REPLACE DIRECT FOSSIL FUEL USE (E.G., PROPANE, HEATING OIL, GASOLINE) WITH ELECTRICITY IN A WAY THAT REDUCES OVERALL EMISSIONS AND ENERGY COSTS FOR HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES. THIS PROCESS IS KNOWN AS "BENEFICIAL ELECTRIFICATION." EESI IS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE NON-PROFIT BENEFICIAL ELECTRIFICATION LEAGUE TO PROMOTE BEST PRACTICES IN ELECTRIFICATION. IN 2021, EESI HELPED USHER IN A NEW ERA FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'S RURAL ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM (RESP), WHICH FINANCES RENEWABLE-ENERGY, BATTERY-STORAGE, AND ENERGY-EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS FOR RURAL HOMES THROUGH ON-BILL FINANCING. DUE IN PART TO EESI'S VOCAL SUPPORT (INCLUDING THROUGH OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES), THE 2022 FEDERAL BUDGET - PASSED IN 2021 - DOUBLED THE PROGRAM'S FUNDING, WHICH, THANKS TO LEVERAGING, MAKES APPROXIMATELY $200 MILLION IN FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THE YEAR. AN EESI ARTICLE, "WHITE HOUSE PUSHING FOR MAJOR EXPANSION OF RURAL ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM," EXPLAINS HOW $11 MILLION IN FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS CAN TURN INTO $90 MILLION IN LOANS FOR RURAL CLEAN ENERGY. WE FEATURED THE RURAL ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM IN TWO BRIEFINGS IN 2021 ("THE GROWING CLIMATE WORKFORCE AND "UNLOCKING CAPITAL FOR CLIMATE SOLUTIONS") AND IN A SEMINAL REPORT, INCLUSIVE FINANCING PROGRAMS FOR SOLAR AND ELECTRIFICATION.IN 2021, EESI HELPED DEVELOP AND IMPROVE ON-BILL FINANCING PROGRAMS IN 17 STATES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING ALASKA, COLORADO, HAWAII, VERMONT, AND WASHINGTON. THESE PROGRAMS SUPPORT BOTH ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY, INCLUDING COMMUNITY SOLAR. IN COLORADO, OUR YEARS-LONG EFFORT WITH HOLY CROSS ENERGY, A RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, LED TO THE SUCCESSFUL SPRING 2021 ROLLOUT OF ITS POWER+ INCLUSIVE ON-BILL FINANCING PROGRAM FOR BATTERY STORAGE DEVICES. THROUGH DECEMBER, THE CO-OP FINANCED $1 MILLION FOR 100 BATTERY-STORAGE DEVICES ACROSS 20 RESIDENTIAL LOCATIONS. THE PROGRAM IS CAPITALIZED BY A NO-INTEREST $11 MILLION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RESP LOAN. THE FIRST ON-BILL PROGRAM FOR BATTERY-STORAGE SYSTEMS IN THE UNITED STATES, POWER+ IS IMPROVING THE ECONOMIC AND ENERGY RESILIENCE OF THE ELECTRIC CO-OP AND ITS MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY FROM WILDFIRES.AS PART OF OUR PUSH FOR MORE EQUITABLE SOLUTIONS TO ADVANCE CLEAN ENERGY PROGRAMS, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP WITH NAACP'S ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE PROGRAM. IN PARTICULAR, EESI HAS BEEN AN ENTHUSIASTIC PARTNER IN THE NAACP'S SOLAR EQUITY INITIATIVE, WHICH SEEKS TO BOOST SOLAR INSTALLATIONS IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND CONNECT THEM TO SOLAR JOB TRAINING. THE HIGH UPFRONT COST OF SOLAR ENERGY CAN LIMIT ADOPTION BY POOR COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. EESI HAS BEEN COLLABORATING WITH THE NAACP ON HOW TO BEST MAKE USE OF INCLUSIVE FINANCING TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO SOLAR ENERGY AND ADVANCE EQUITY, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, AND RESILIENCE. IN JULY 2021, THE SOLAR EQUITY INITIATIVE UNVEILED THE EQUITABLE SOLAR POLICY PRINCIPLES TO INCREASE SOLAR ADOPTION IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND DISMANTLE THE SYSTEMATIC BARRIERS THAT THESE COMMUNITIES HAVE EXPERIENCED. EESI HELPED DEVELOP THESE PRINCIPLES AND IS PROUD TO BE ONE OF THEIR ORIGINAL SIGNATORY ORGANIZATIONS. EESI ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE NAACP TO CONVENE A VIRTUAL EVENT TO DISCUSS HOW FAITH-BASED INSTITUTIONS CAN FINANCE SOLAR INSTALLATIONS IN HAWAII. PARTICIPATING FAITH LEADERS LEARNED ABOUT THE HAWAII GREEN ENERGY MONEY $AVER (GEM$) ON-BILL FINANCING PROGRAM THAT EESI HELPED DEVELOP. EESI AND THE NAACP ARE DISCUSSING WAYS TO REPLICATE THIS APPROACH NATIONWIDE.