Hello and welcome to Climate Change Solutions!

We’re back from our short hiatus during the UN Climate Summit (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. Over the course of the conference’s two weeks, we reported on negotiations and other key activities and outcomes via our daily COP30 Dispatch. We also tracked key announcements, reports, and U.S. elected officials in attendance (yes, there were some—read our press statement to learn more!), and held a Rapid Readout last week to unpack key outcomes of the summit. You can find all this and more on our COP30 Resources page.

International climate efforts are still on our minds. So for this issue of Climate Change Solutions, we’re highlighting stories about detecting methane emissions from space and a new energy efficiency program that the African Development Bank launched after COP29.

Finally, join EESI for our last briefing of the year, Where Key Clean Energy Tax Credits Stand, online on Friday, December 12, at noon EST. You can RSVP here.

Out-of-this-World Methane Detection: Using Satellites to Track Super Emitters
[8 min. read]

A small number of “super-emitter” facilities are responsible for up to 60% of U.S. methane emissions. Identifying and addressing the sources of these emissions is essential, as methane's global warming potential is roughly 80 times higher than that of carbon dioxide. Methane satellites combine regional mapping with precision imaging to detect plumes, identify leaking facilities, and track emissions over time. Investments from states like California are expanding monitoring networks and improving access to methane emissions data. [click for more]

Reuse Bill Successfully Cycles Through Senate: The Senate passed the Research for Environmental Uses and Sustainable Economies (REUSE) Act of 2025 (S.2110) with unanimous consent. Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) introduced the bill to direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to collect data on and provide recommendations for plastic reuse and refill systems across the country.

Marine Debris Bill Reels in a Win: The Senate approved the Save Our Seas 2.0 Marine Debris Infrastructure Programs Reauthorization Act (S.3022), reintroduced by Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). The bill would reauthorize the EPA’s marine debris programs. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) lead the House companion bill (H.R.6076). To learn more about marine debris, check out EESI’s new article, "Reeling in Ghost Gear: One Center’s Mission to Tackle the Pollution Haunting Hawaiʻi’s Waters.”

Legacy Mine Bill Clears Senate: The Senate also passed the Legacy Mine Cleanup Act of 2025 (S.2741). The bill, reintroduced by Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), aims to strengthen remediation efforts for hazardous abandoned hardrock mines by establishing a new Office of Mountains, Deserts, and Plains within the EPA, and by increasing federal funding and funding access for cleanup efforts. Reps. Elijah Crane (R-Ariz.) and Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) lead the bill (H.R.3713) in the House.

Grid Improvements Power Through Committee: The House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced the Reliable Power Act (H.R.3616) to the House floor. Reps. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio), Randy Weber (R-Texas), and Julie Fedorchak (R-N.D.) lead the bill, which would order federal agencies to consider how new regulations impact grid reliability. To learn more about solutions for U.S. grid resilience, check out EESI’s recent briefing, Powering Up: Improving Energy Grid Reliability and Resilience to Lower Energy Bills.

We track all environmental, energy, and climate legislation and hearings happening on Capitol Hill. See the full legislative trackers for November 17-21 and November 24-28.

Where Key Clean Energy Tax Credits Stand
Friday, December 12
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST
Online only

EESI's final briefing of 2025 will cover the state of federal clean energy and energy efficiency tax credits. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21) modified or ended 12 key tax credits, including those for electric vehicles, renewables, and energy efficiency. This briefing will share ways companies and consumers are adapting to this new landscape, as well as its short- and long-term implications. Panelists will also explore the outlook for using federal tax policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy bills, and increase climate resilience while advancing U.S. competitiveness on the global stage. RSVP here.

Latest Media Coverage

• EESI President Daniel Bresette was quoted by the Wyoming Star News in an article about the economics of data center construction.
• Remarks by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) on international trade and climate policy at EESI’s third COP30 briefing were quoted in articles from E&E News and Inside EPA.
• EESI’s work on data centers has been cited 10 times since our last newsletter, including in articles by Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and The Oklahoman.
• The Cool Down cited EESI’s 2021 fact sheet on fossil fuel externalities in an article about electric vehicle charging cable theft.
• Tricities Business News cited EESI’s article on circular economy strategies for critical minerals in a piece on the domestic supply chain.