Climate Change Solutions

Hello and welcome to Climate Change Solutions!

Today’s issue features energy resilience solutions in the U.S. Virgin Islands and fuel-saving efforts by the Federal Aviation Administration. We also read Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s Abundance and highlighted some key climate and infrastructure takeaways.

Don’t miss today’s Congressional briefing, Next Stop: Sustainable Public Transit and Mobility! Join us at 3:00 p.m. EDT in the Capitol Visitor Center (SVC 208) or online to hear from our expert panel.

Finally, we’ve got a brand new twist on the traditional EESI briefing. Rapid Readouts give you everything you need to know about the latest pressing and fast-developing issues—all in 30 minutes. Last week’s Readout focused on the benefits ENERGY STAR delivers to households, retailers, developers, and utilities. Is there a climate, energy, or environmental topic you think we should cover next? Let us know!

EESI Communications and Development Internship deadlines extended: We are extending the deadline for our communications and development internships to Sunday, May 25, so tell the college student in your life to throw their hat in the ring! Our paid interns contribute to Congressional education while gaining insight into environmental and energy issues. Apply here.

The Latest Solutions

Novel Solar Program Supports Resilience in U.S. Virgin Islands
[8 min. read]

With assistance from EESI, the U.S. Virgin Islands Energy Office recently launched the Solar+ Financing Pilot Program to help residents affordably access battery storage and solar panels through on-bill financing. This is the first on-bill financing solar program administered by a U.S. territory or state energy office, and it is already helping bolster energy resilience on the islands. [click for more]

NextGen: Upgrading Air Traffic Management for Greater Efficiency
[4 min. read]

NextGen is a multi-billion-dollar, decades-long project to meet Congress’s directive to upgrade the national airspace system. Between 2010 and 2024, NextGen efforts led to an estimated $12.3 billion in savings, including lower fuel consumption that reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Read more about the program in this latest installment of our sustainable aviation series. [click for more]

Abundance and Its Insights for Policymakers
[12 min. read]

Abundance, by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, has a simple message: to live better, we need to create more. The authors underscore three trends currently inhibiting this approach in the United States: the prevalence of legalism, a false perception of the innovation process, and an underinvestment in novel scientific research. [click for more]

Podcast: EESI’s First-Ever Rapid Readout Tackles ENERGY STAR
[32 min. listen]

Today’s episode of EESI’s podcast is showcasing a brand new EESI resource, Rapid Readouts. Things are happening faster than ever, and you need information quickly. These 30-minute, interactive Readouts will bring you what you need to know, when you need to know it. Our first Rapid Readout took place on Friday and explored the benefits of ENERGY STAR. [click for more]

On the Hill

House Advances Mine Cleanup Bill: The House passed Rep. Darin LaHood’s (R-Ill.) Community Reclamation Partnerships Act of 2025 (H.R.167). The bill, which also passed the House last Congress, would accelerate abandoned mineland reclamation by enabling states to partner with non-governmental groups, whose contributions help reduce the burden on state budgets. A recent episode of EESI’s Climate Conversation podcast discusses the economic and health benefits of mine reclamation in Appalachia.

Bipartisan Fire Prevention Moves Forward: The House also passed the Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2025 (H.R.2492). Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), joined by Reps. David Valadao (R-Calif.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), introduced the bill to reduce wildfire risk by making it easier for the U.S. Forest Service to remove trees near electrical lines.

104 Lawmakers for Expanded Public Transit: Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) reintroduced the bipartisan Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act (H.R.3449). The bill aims to secure $80 billion in federal grant funding over four years to help local transit agencies increase rail and bus service, including in disadvantaged communities and communities with sparse service. Tune in to EESI’s briefing this afternoon to learn about the benefits of expanding and strengthening public transit systems.

Precision Agriculture Proves Popular: The House and Senate reintroduced three bipartisan bills to make precision agriculture equipment more financially accessible to farmers: Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) and Jimmy Panetta’s (D-Calif.) Precision Agriculture Loan Program Act of 2025 (H.R.3211), Sen. Deb. Fischer (R-Neb.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s (D-Minn.) Producing Responsible Energy and Conservation Incentives and Solutions for the Environment (PRECISE) Act (S.1616), and Sen. Fischer and Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D-Ga.) Precision Agriculture Loan (PAL) Act (S.1618).

We track all environmental, energy, and climate legislation and hearings happening on Capitol Hill. See the full legislative tracker for May 5 - May 9 and May 12 - 17.

Upcoming Events

Next Stop: Sustainable Public Transit and Mobility
TODAY!
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. EDT
Capitol Visitor Center, SVC 208 and online

Each day, roughly 6,800 public transit providers across the United States carry millions of people in rural and urban communities to work, school, medical appointments, and grocery stores by bus, ferry, tram, or subway. This briefing will highlight the federal programs and research that move our public transit forward. RSVP here.

Like Trains? Then Choo-Choose to Learn About Federal Rail Policy
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EDT
Rayburn House Office Building Gold Room (Room 2168) and online

This briefing will explore the past, current, and future role of rail in the U.S. transportation sector and highlight key rail programs under the surface transportation bill. Speakers will also describe opportunities to modernize railways through electrification, faster trains, track expansion, and safety improvements. RSVP here.

Economist Impact’s Sustainability Week U.S.
Thursday, June 12, 2025
All Day
Convene New York, 117 West 46th Street, New York, NY, USA

Economist Impact’s 5th annual Sustainability Week U.S. will explore how companies can use clean energy, smart technologies and strategic investments to promote economic growth and environmental responsibility. With more than 150 speakers, 500 in-person attendees, 50 case studies and 30 top energy companies, Sustainability Week 2025 presents original insights and practical solutions. Register here (EESI readers benefit from a 20% discount code: MPSWUS20).

Shifting Gears: Policies for a More Sustainable Highway System
Friday, July 13, 2025
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EDT
Online only

This briefing will highlight how the country’s highways can be maintained in the context of a changing climate, from increasing preparedness for extreme weather events to building out electric vehicle charging corridors. Panelists will highlight opportunities for federal policy to help relocate highways to reconnect communities, use cool pavement and climate-smart building materials, and manage toxic runoff from roads. RSVP here.

Beating the Heat: A 2025 Heat Policy Agenda
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EDT
Rayburn House Office Building Gold Room (Room 2168) and online

EESI and the Federation of American Scientists will discuss the 2025 Heat Policy Agenda, which outlines policy considerations for Congress and the Administration to prevent infrastructure damage, economic impacts, and loss of life from heat. Speakers will describe opportunities to safeguard critical infrastructure, improve productivity, and improve federal and subnational coordination on heat preparedness, management, and resilience. RSVP here.

And don’t forget about EESI’s 2025 Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum on Thursday, July 24, 2025!

In Case You Missed It

Briefing Video Now Available | Risky Business: Insurance in the Era of Climate Change

This briefing explored the basics of property insurance and how it functions in the United States, including the challenges faced by individuals, businesses, insurers, and reinsurers. Watch the briefing here.

Highlight Notes Now Available | Towards Healthier Outcomes in Surface Transportation

This briefing explored the nexus of transportation, public health, and climate change. Panelists described negative health outcomes associated with car-centric transportation and provided policy solutions that weave public health and climate considerations into the surface transportation reauthorization process. Read the full summary notes here.

Latest Media Coverage

The Badger Herald, a student newspaper based in Madison, Wisconsin, cited EESI's Climate, Environmental, and Health Impacts of Fossil Fuels fact sheet in an article highlighting the health benefits of switching to renewable energy.
AZoCleantech published a piece about sustainable aircraft developments that cited EESI’s article, "Federal Programs Advancing Sustainable Commercial Aircraft and Engine Technologies."
Farmonline, Australia’s leading agriculture publication, cited EESI’s fact sheet on biogas in an article (behind a paywall) about a pig farmer who has halved his electricity costs by using methane from his waste ponds to generate energy.

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

About EESI

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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