Climate Change Solutions

Hello and welcome to Climate Change Solutions!

As the year winds down, we’re grateful to all of our readers, viewers, listeners, and supporters. But before we take a break for the holidays, we’re bringing you fresh reads on proposed reforms to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), foreign derelict fishing gear polluting Hawaii’s waters, and EESI Board Chair Jared Blum’s reflections on the benefits of green building standards.

Plus, last week, EESI hosted an online briefing about how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21) impacted key clean energy and energy efficiency tax incentives, and how those changes are in turn affecting consumers and companies. Missed out? You can watch the recording here!

We’ll be back in your inbox on January 13. Happy Holidays!

The Latest Solutions

Could This Bipartisan Bill Help Fix FEMA?
[8 min. read]

In recent years, there have been calls for a more accessible, centralized, and pre-disaster mitigation-focused approach to disaster management. Earlier this fall, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure advanced the FEMA Act (H.R.4669) to ensure the agency is better equipped to serve communities in distress. [click for more]

Reeling in Ghost Gear: One Center’s Mission to Tackle the Pollution Haunting Hawaiʻi’s Waters
[8 min. read]

Hawaiʻi’s waters are a hotbed for foreign derelict fishing gear, which harms marine life, hinders maritime navigation, and causes billions of dollars in damage annually. Hawaii Pacific University’s Center for Marine Debris Research is working to prevent and remediate this “ghost gear” pollution. [click for more]

EESI Board Chair Jared Blum Says Green Building Standards Can Deliver Globally
[6 min. read]

In a new book, Debating Disaster Risk: Ethical Dilemmas in the Era of Climate Change, EESI Board Chair Jared Blum reflects on the success of green building standards, and argues that tried-and-tested standards like LEED and BREEAM are ready for large-scale implementation in developing countries. [click for more]

On the Hill

Electricity Bill Current-ly Heading to Senate: The House passed the Electric Supply Chain Act (H.R.3638). Reps. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), and Robert Wittman (R-Va.) introduced the bill to require the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to study vulnerabilities and bottlenecks in the U.S. electricity supply chain, from a shortage of electric transformers to a reliance on foreign critical mineral imports. To learn more about the challenges and solutions for U.S. electric grid reliability, check out our recent briefing.

If the House Permits: The House also passed the ePermit Act (H.R.4503), led by Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Scott Peters (D-Calif.). The bill aims to modernize and streamline the permitting process by transitioning to a fully-electronic permitting system.

Estuary Bill Flows to House Floor: The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure advanced the Enhancing Science, Treatment, and Upkeep of America’s Resilient and Important Estuarine Systems (ESTUARIES) Act (H.R.3962). Reps. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.), Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Mike Haridopolos (R-Fla.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), and Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) introduced the bill to reauthorize the National Estuary Program through 2031. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) lead the Senate companion bill (S.2063).

PFAS Bills Flood House and Senate: The House and Senate saw a slew of bill introductions last week to address harmful perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Reps. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) introduced the Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act (H.R.6668/S.3457) to improve polluter accountability, establish PFAS limits under the Clean Water Act, and support communities with contaminated water. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) reintroduced the PFAS Accountability Act (H.R.6626/S.3460) to support PFAS exposure victims. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) introduced the PFAS Research and Development Reauthorization Act (H.R.6667) to reauthorize federal PFAS research and development. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) introduced S.3445 to provide clean drinking water to communities harmed by PFAS and S.3446 to accelerate the U.S. Department of Defense’s PFAS remediation efforts.

We track all environmental, energy, and climate legislation and hearings happening on Capitol Hill. See the full legislative trackers for December 1-5 and December 8-12.

In Case You Missed It

Recording Now Available | Where Key Clean Energy Tax Credits Stand

Last week’s briefing is now available online! Panelists examined how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21) modified or altogether ended 12 key clean energy and energy efficiency tax incentives, and shared ways that companies and consumers are adapting to this new landscape.

Highlight Notes Now Available | How Can We Cut Industrial Emissions?

Detailed summary notes are now available for EESI’s briefing about pathways for industrial decarbonization. The briefing identified opportunities for industrial emission reductions, such as electrification and material reuse. Panelists also highlighted how key players from the federal government and private sector come together to advance deployable innovations like green steel and carbon-negative concrete.

Highlight Notes Now Available | Powering Up: Improving Energy Grid Reliability and Resilience to Lower Energy Bills

Detailed summary notes are now available for EESI’s briefing about policy solutions to meet the reliability, resilience, and affordability challenges facing the U.S. energy grid. Panelists expanded on several aspects of grid modernization, including the buildout of new transmission lines, bringing online new power generation and energy storage capacity, and improving energy efficiency.

Latest Media Coverage

ABC News quoted EESI President Daniel Bresette in an article about energy affordability under the second Trump Administration so far.
Bond Buyer quoted Daniel Bresette and cited our data center water use article in a piece on data centers in the Midwest.
EESI’s work on data centers has been cited an additional 13 times since our last newsletter, including in articles by Fox 10 Phoenix, Yahoo! News, The Cool Down, WFYI, and WKAR.
PV Magazine cited our briefing on the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Investment Snapshot report in an article about the agency’s decision to dismantle its renewable energy and climate offices.

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About EESI

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (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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