Hello and welcome to Climate Change Solutions!

It’s hot out there! Washington, D.C., recently endured a record four days in a row of heat index temperatures over 100°F. Heat domes also formed up and down the East Coast and in the Southwest. With more triple-digit temperatures on the way, it’s a great time to re-up extreme heat solutions, from dedicated city-level heat response plans to passive cooling infrastructure to coping measures for athletes (hydration breaks, anyone?).

And don’t forget to join EESI and the Natural Resources Defense Council this Thursday at noon for an online briefing about tracking and reducing nitrogen fertilizer use and its associated emissions and lowering costs for farmers. Scroll down for details, and RSVP here.

Stay cool, stay hydrated, and be safe!

Briefing | Beating the Heat: A 2025 Heat Policy Agenda
[1 hr. 40 min. watch]

This briefing, held in partnership with the Federation of American Scientists, examined how federal policies can bolster resilience to extreme heat at the state and community level. Speakers highlighted policy considerations for Congress and the Administration to prevent infrastructure damage, economic impacts, and loss of life from heat. They also described opportunities to improve federal and subnational coordination on heat preparedness, management, and resilience. [click for more]

Grid Bill SECURES House Passage: The House passed the Securing Community Upgrades for a Resilient (SECURE) Grid Act (H.R.7257) to safeguard the country’s energy infrastructure. Reps. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) and Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) reintroduced the bill to require states to assess electric grid vulnerabilities to extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and cyber threats in their respective state energy security plans. To learn more about grid resilience solutions, check out EESI’s briefing, Powering Up: Improving Energy Grid Reliability and Resilience to Lower Energy Bills.

No Tide Too High: Reps. Cleo Fields (D-La.), Troy Carter (D-La.), Mike Ezell (R-Miss.), and Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.) reintroduced the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Premium Transparency Act (H.R. 9511). The bill would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide increased transparency in how they determine policyholders’ NFIP premiums and outline steps for reducing these costs. For more policy solutions to rising flood insurance costs, check out EESI’s article on the latest updates to the NFIP.

Keeping Geological Data on the Map: Reps. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) introduced the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (MRI) Reauthorization Act of 2026 (H.R.9640). Earth MRI is a U.S. Geological Survey program that helps generate baseline data on geologic hazards, critical mineral, and geothermal resources across the United States. This bill would extend the program’s funding (currently set to expire at the end of September) for another five years and expand research to include natural hydrogen deposits. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) introduced the Senate version (S.4870) in June.

Let's Get Critical: Members of the House introduced three bills this week to improve secondary domestic sourcing of critical minerals through recycling or recovering waste products: the Battery Recycling for America’s Competitive Economy (BRACE) Act (H.R.9615) from Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), the Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative Authorization (EMRTAI) Act (H.R.9616) from Reps. August Pfluger (R-Texas) and Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), and the Coordinating and Harnessing America’s Recovery of Minerals (CHARM) Act (H.R.9617), led by Reps. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.). To learn more about critical mineral sourcing and supply chains, check out our issue brief and our lithium and cobalt deep dives.

We track all environmental, energy, and climate legislation and hearings happening on Capitol Hill. See the full legislative trackers for June 29 - July 3 and July 6-10.

Fertile Ground for Reform: A Research Roadmap for Agricultural Nitrogen Pollution
This Thursday, July 16
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Online only

Nitrogen is a key component in fertilizer, making it critical to food security. Due to overapplication, only about half of nitrogen fertilizer is actually absorbed by crops, leading to high levels of nitrous oxide emissions and threatening drinking water, ecosystems, and public health. This online briefing will showcase findings from a new research roadmap that identifies opportunities for measuring and reducing agricultural nitrous oxide emissions. Panelists will pinpoint areas of innovation and opportunities for reducing nitrogen loss from fields and bringing down costs for farmers. The briefing will also help policymakers identify research and development needs, and highlight the role of federal and state legislatures in improving environmental, economic, and public health across the country. RSVP here.

Impacts of Severe Drought
Friday, July 24
12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Online only

Record-low rain and snow in the West this past winter have sparked fears of water shortages that could have ripple effects for economic activity, hydropower generation, and agriculture across the country. EESI’s next Rapid Readout will connect the dots between this year’s drought and the broader multi-year megadrought in the West, and discuss the role of federal policymaking in safeguarding communities from the drought’s impacts and generating long-term solutions. RSVP here.

Latest Media Coverage

• USA Today mentioned EESI’s article on passive cooling strategies in a piece mapping out air conditioning accessibility in the United States.
• Futurism cited EESI’s article on data center noise pollution in a story about a Michigan family living next to a data center.
• EESI’s article on data center water use was cited by several outlets, including The Guardian, USA Today, New Hampshire Public Radio, Fast Company, and The Cool Down.