Climate Change Solutions

Hello and welcome to Climate Change Solutions!

In today’s issue, we’re highlighting geothermal and solar energy wins from around the country, and proposals in Congress for tackling carbon emissions globally through a U.S. carbon border adjustment mechanism.

The House and Senate returned from recess this week, and senators are rolling up their sleeves to tackle the budget reconciliation bill. The bill, which passed the House two weeks ago, has far-reaching implications for climate solutions, including programs and incentives provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Join us this Friday, June 6, at noon for the next Rapid Readout, featuring Brookings Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds. We will take your questions about how reconciliation could unfold in the coming weeks and months, and what it might mean for clean energy tax incentives and more.

The Latest Solutions

Earth Source Heat: Unlocking Geothermal in the Northeast
[6 min. read]

As the United States navigates a clean energy transition, interest in direct-use geothermal heating is experiencing a renaissance. Recent work in Ithaca, New York, shows that the Northeast, though cooler and more geologically quiet than other regions of the country, holds untapped heating potential just beneath its surface. [click for more]

Trade in the Age of Climate Change: The Role of a U.S. Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
[7 min. read]

Carbon border adjustment mechanisms (CBAMs) compare the carbon intensity of an imported material with the same material produced domestically. If the import is more carbon intensive than its domestic counterpart, the producer exporting the good is taxed the difference. This article explores CBAM proposals floated in the United States and explains how they would work in the case of the steel and aluminum industries. [click for more]

Jewish Faith Leaders Go Solar Thanks to Federal Credits
[7 min. read]

According to a 2023 federal report, places of worship had installed more than 2,500 solar systems by 2022, representing approximately 170 megawatts of capacity. Among them are Valley Beth Shalom synagogue in California and the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center in Massachusetts, both of which used federal direct pay incentives to make their solar and battery storage projects possible. [click for more]

On the Hill

Semiconductor Bill Propels Forward: The Senate passed the Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act (S.97). Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) reintroduced the bill to increase investment in domestic manufacturing of semiconductors that are critical components in many clean energy technologies. Reps. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) and Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) led the bill’s House companion (H.R.2480), which passed the chamber last month. It will now move to President Trump’s desk for signature.

Marine Debris Mitigation Gets a Leg Up: The Senate also passed the Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act (S.216). Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) led the bill, which would strengthen the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program. The program works to accelerate the federal response to marine pollution events, increase international cooperation on ocean cleanup, and drive plastic waste reduction and reuse.

Illegal Fishing Bill Swims Out of Committee: The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation advanced Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Brian Schatz’s (D-Hawaii) Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act (S.283). The bill would combat illegal fishing, which contributes to fishery depletion and threatens economic and food security, by the traceability of tuna and red snapper entering the United States.

Wildfire Bill Ignites in the House: Reps. Dave Min (D-Calif.) and Young Kim (R-Calif.) introduced the Building Resiliency and Understanding of Shrublands to Halt (BRUSH) Fires Act (H.R.3553). The bill would require the U.S. Forest Service to assess its existing wildfire mitigation strategies. EESI explores other wildfire mitigation tools in our podcast, The Climate Conversation.

We track all environmental, energy, and climate legislation and hearings happening on Capitol Hill. See the full legislative tracker for May 19 - 23 and May 26 - 30.

Upcoming Events

Rapid Readout: The Latest on Budget Reconciliation
Friday, June 6, 2025
12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. EDT
Online only

This Readout will answer your questions on the mechanics of reconciliation, how the process could unfold in the coming months, and how the package moving through Congress could affect clean energy tax incentives and other funding provided by the IRA, IIJA, and other legislation. RSVP here.

Economist Impact’s Sustainability Week U.S.
Thursday, June 12, 2025
All Day
Convene New York, 117 West 46th Street, New York, NY, USA

Economist Impact’s 5th annual Sustainability Week U.S. will explore how companies can use clean energy, smart technologies and strategic investments to promote economic growth and environmental responsibility. With more than 150 speakers, 500 in-person attendees, 50 case studies and 30 top energy companies, Sustainability Week 2025 presents original insights and practical solutions. Register here (EESI readers benefit from a 20% discount code: MPSWUS20).

Shifting Gears: Policies for a More Sustainable Highway System
Friday, June 13, 2025
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EDT
Online only

This briefing will highlight how the country’s highways can be maintained in the context of a changing climate, from increasing preparedness for extreme weather events to building out electric vehicle charging corridors. Panelists will highlight opportunities for federal policy to help relocate highways to reconnect communities, use cool pavement and climate-smart building materials, and manage toxic runoff from roads. RSVP here.

Beating the Heat: A 2025 Heat Policy Agenda
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EDT
Rayburn House Office Building Gold Room (Room 2168) and online

EESI and the Federation of American Scientists will discuss the 2025 Heat Policy Agenda, which outlines policy considerations for Congress and the Administration to prevent infrastructure damage, economic impacts, and loss of life from extreme heat. Speakers will describe opportunities to improve federal and subnational coordination on heat preparedness, management, and resilience. RSVP here.

And RSVP now to attend EESI’s 2025 Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum on Thursday, July 24, 2025!

In Case You Missed It

Briefing Videos Now Available | Next Stop: Sustainable Public Transit and Mobility and Like Trains? Choo-Choose to Learn About Federal Rail Policy

Full recordings are now online for our sustainable public transit and federal rail briefings. Our public transit panelists discussed how transit helps people to travel safely and affordably, reduces local air pollution, improves land use, and supports millions of jobs. The following week, federal rail experts explored opportunities to modernize railways through electrification, faster trains, track expansion, and safety improvements.

Recording and Key Takeaways Now Available | Benefits of ENERGY STAR

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program helps consumers choose high-efficiency appliances and electronics that save them money. It also underpins countless federal, state, and local energy efficiency initiatives. EESI’s first Rapid Readout took a deep dive into the benefits this program delivers to households, retailers, developers, and utilities.

Latest Media Coverage

Electric vehicle publication Inside EVs cited EESI's fossil fuel subsidies fact sheet in an article on the vote in the House of Representatives to end tax credits for EV buyers and factories.
CleanTechnica cited EESI's page on beneficial electrification in an article about ComEd's Illinois program to incentivize EV use.
A letter to the editor of the Pagosa Springs Sun referenced EESI's fact sheet on the health and climate impacts of fossil fuels.

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Thanks to all EESI staff, interns, and fellows who contribute to Climate Change Solutions

About EESI

EESI is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing science-based solutions for climate change, energy, and environmental challenges to achieve a sustainable, resilient, and equitable world. Founded on a bipartisan basis by members of Congress, EESI has been informing policymakers about the benefits of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and environmental conservation since 1984.

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