Hello and welcome back to Climate Change Solutions!

Congress is back from recess, and so is EESI! As the summer comes to a close, we’re coming in hot with solutions for keeping cool and bolstering the electric grid against extreme heat. We’re also featuring a new tool from U.S. Nature4Climate that helps decision-makers learn about nature-based solutions in their state. Need to catch up on what Congressional committees got up to before recess? We’ve got you covered in that corner, too.

This morning, EESI and the Ohio River Basin Alliance co-hosted a briefing on the Ohio River, part of our Resilient and Healthy Rivers series. Missed it? Stay tuned for the recording and key takeaways! Finally, key takeaways are now available for all eight panels of our 28th Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy Forum and EXPO.

Keeping it Cool: How Passive and Sustainable Cooling Are Taking on Hotter American Summers
[9 min. read]

Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the United States, and climate change is driving up its frequency and intensity. While conventional air conditioning provides relief, it also contributes to global warming, exacerbates urban heat, and is inaccessible to many. The passive and sustainable mechanical cooling strategies identified in this article reduce indoor temperatures without increasing electricity demand. [click for more]

Appropriate Measures in the House: The House passed the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2026 (H.R.4553). The bill, sponsored by Rep. Charles Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), allocates $57.3 billion in discretionary funding in fiscal year (FY) 2026–$766.4 million less than 2025. EESI presented an overview of what to expect for FY2026 in our briefing, Understanding the Budget, Reconciliation, and Appropriations.

House Brings Back Great Bill of Fire: Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) reintroduced the Wildfire Grid Resiliency Act (H.R.4490) to improve electric grid resilience to wildfires. The bill would allocate $10 million to the U.S. Department of Energy to develop technology to achieve this goal, including through grants to the National Laboratories. For more on how the National Labs are addressing disaster resilience through innovation, check out EESI’s article, “Wielding Artificial Intelligence, the National Labs Take a Stab at Disaster Resilience.”

House Reacts to Need for Better Alert Systems: Reps. Kevin Mullen (D-Calif.), Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Randy Weber Sr. (R-Texas) introduced the Resilient Emergency Alert Communications and Training (REACT) Act (H.R.5154) to improve alert and warning systems. Specifically, the bill would direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide local emergency officials with $30 million annually to increase their testing, training, and public education of alert systems. 

Water Protection Bill Spills Over to the Senate: Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Ben Luján (D-N.M.) reintroduced the Headwaters Protection Act (S.2701) to support the country’s forests and watersheds. The bill, if passed, would increase and expand funding for the U.S. Forest Service’s Water Source Protection Program and the Watershed Condition Framework, which together manage U.S. forests for watershed health and provide communities with clean drinking water. Reps. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) and David Valadao (R-Calif.) reintroduced the bill’s House companion (H.R.605) in January.

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

Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Energy and the Environment
Thursday, September 25
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online

This briefing will discuss the climate and energy challenges and opportunities associated with artificial intelligence (AI)—from the massive energy and water needs of data centers that run AI algorithms to how AI can support precision agriculture, resilient grid infrastructure, and improved weather forecasting. Panelists will also highlight AI research and development at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratories, and identify Congress’s role in aligning the rapid rise of AI with global goals to mitigate and adapt to climate change. RSVP here.

Latest Media Coverage

• The Big Story podcast from CityNews interviewed EESI President Daniel Bresette and Project Manager Miguel Yañez-Barnuevo about the energy and water consumption of AI.
• Both the Associated Press and NBC News cited EESI's article on water consumption from data centers, in pieces about the climate costs of AI and a fight over data center construction in Mooresville, North Carolina, respectively.
• Miguel Yañez-Barnuevo’s articles on data center energy and water use have garnered additional media coverage in Yahoo Finance, The Cool Down, and other publications.