Climate Change Solutions

Hello and welcome to Climate Change Solutions!

This issue, we’re highlighting the importance of reliable access to essential climate information. We sat down with Rebecca Lindsey following the launch of Climate.us, a new online platform that aims to help policymakers, researchers, and others find the climate data they need (and used to be able to look up at Climate.gov).

And last Friday, we were joined by Zach Hoylman, assistant state climatologist at the Montana Climate Office and research assistant professor at the University of Montana, who explained how drought permeates through the hydrological cycle, economic sectors, and communities as well as the resources and data needed for communities to adapt and become more resilient. And read on for an overview of the state of nuclear power generation, and updates on data center health impacts (the latest in our popular article series).

Climate Change Solutions will be on break for Congress’s August recess—but fear not, we’ll be back September 8. Happy summer!

The Latest Solutions

Article | Climate Data Is in Danger. Rebecca Lindsey and Climate.us Are Saving It.
[6 min. read]

The shutdown of Climate.gov has created new barriers to accessing widely-trusted climate science and data. Rebecca Lindsey, the former lead writer and editor of Climate.gov and current director and managing editor of Climate.us, sat down with EESI to discuss her goals and vision for this new project that aims to fill the very big shoes left empty by the now-defunct federal government website. [click for more]

Article | Data Centers Are Hotbeds for Health Impacts
[5 min. read]

As more data centers come online, their impacts on neighboring communities are becoming increasingly evident. This article reviews the myriad ways data centers affect public health, including from on-site diesel generator emissions and from the natural gas and coal power plants that power them. [click for more]

Topic Page | Nuclear Energy
[11 min. read]

In 2025, nuclear energy provided nearly 18% of total U.S. electricity generation. How up to date is your nuclear knowledge? Get all the facts with our updated nuclear energy topic page. This comprehensive overview covers the physics of nuclear power generation, permitting challenges, the status of waste storage solutions, recent legislative action, and more. [click for more]

On the Hill

Full Steam Ahead: The House passed the bipartisan Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act (H.R.8790). Reps. Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.) and Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.) introduced the bill, which would establish grants for supercritical and closed-loop geothermal system research programs. It would also establish a Next-Generation Geothermal Center for Excellence to support commercialization and workforce development. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced the Senate version (S.4406) in April.

Biennial Water Bill Flows Onward: The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works advanced the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026 (S.4949). Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced the bill, which reauthorizes flood control, ecosystem restoration, and other water resources projects under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Preventative Wildfire Bill Is Ablaze in the Senate: Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) introduced the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act of 2026 (S.5045) alongside Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). The bill would expand eligibility for states to use prescribed burns as preventative tools for wildfires. For more wildfire solutions, check out EESI’s briefing, Igniting Innovation: Progress and a Path Forward for Wildfire Policy.

Deep-Sea Monitoring in Danger: A bipartisan group of representatives led by Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) introduced companion legislation (H.R.9647) to the Saving the OOI Act of 2026 (S.4822), which passed the Senate in June. OOI refers to the National Science Foundation's Ocean Observatories Initiative, which has been targeted for dismantling despite the importance of accessible, real-time data to fisheries and coastal communities.

We track all environmental, energy, and climate legislation and hearings happening on Capitol Hill. See the full legislative trackers for July 13-18 and July 20-24.

In Case You Missed It

Video and Key Takeaways Now Available | Rapid Readout: Impacts of Severe Drought

A video recording and key takeaways are now available for last week’s Rapid Readout on the far-reaching implications of intensive drought across the country. We connected the dots between this year’s water shortage and the broader multi-year megadrought in the West, and discussed the role of federal policymaking in generating long-term solutions.

From the Archives | Tracking Down Data

Both our Q&A on Climate.us and Rapid Readout on drought brought home the importance of reliable climate data for predicting and responding to extreme weather. Get a refresher on where to find environmental information in 2026—including drought measurements—with our Tracking Down Data briefing.

Latest Media Coverage

Our data center water use article was cited by outlets including The Financial Times, Detroit Free Press, FOX54 News, Bridge Detroit, and ECOcitas.
The Kansas City Star cited our article on noise pollution from data centers in a piece about local data center ordinances in De Soto, Kansas.
The Texas Tribune cited our article about data centers and rising energy bills in a piece about community objections to a data center in East Texas.
Spectrum News cited our data center energy use article in a piece about the Trump Administration’s voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge.

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

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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