Welcome back to a new year, a new Congress, and a new issue of Climate Change Solutions!

If you’re new to EESI, this newsletter represents just a sample of some of our resources, which include briefings, fact sheets, articles, podcasts, and trackers on topics ranging from forever chemicals to clean energy investments to climate disasters like wildfires. Please forward this email to your colleagues new to climate issues, subscribe to our other publications, and check out our schedule of 2025 briefings.

Our first (online-only) briefing of the year is tomorrow: the Columbia River, the latest in our Resilient and Healthy Rivers Series. It’s not too late to RSVP. And the first two briefings in the series about the Mississippi River and Tennessee River are available to watch online.

Next, we’ll kick off Congressional Climate Camp, our briefing series dedicated to bringing you up to speed on everything you need to know about climate, environmental, and clean energy for a new Congress. Briefings include Navigating Climate Information for Effective Policy-Making, National Labs on the Cutting Edge of Climate Solutions, Understanding the Budget and Appropriations Process, and The Process and Path Forward for a Bipartisan Surface Transportation Bill. These briefings start on January 29 and will be held in person and online—don’t forget to RSVP!

One Year Into the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program: Spotlight on the Mid-Atlantic
[7 min. read]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy established the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTAC) Program in 2023 to support the Biden-Harris Administration's Justice40 Initiative. Today, 16 technical assistance centers, or TCTACs, are up and operating across national and regional scales. This article takes a closer look at the EPA Region 3 TCTAC serving the Mid-Atlantic region of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia, as well as seven federally-recognized tribes. [click for more]

Reeling in Restoration Funding for the Great Lakes: Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio), alongside Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) reintroduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2025 (H.R.284). The GLRI supports Great Lakes states, tribes, and communities with funding for projects that address issues like habitat loss, agricultural water pollution, and invasive species. The bill would provide an annual $500 million for the program over five years.

Longing for Conservation in Long Island: Reps. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) and Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) reintroduced the Long Island Sound Stewardship and Restoration Act (H.R.288). If passed, the bill would reauthorize the Environmental Protection Agency’s Long Island Sound programs for five years, and support the development of new conservation programs for 12 priority habitats in the region.

Biden Signings over the Holidays: President Biden signed several climate and environmental measures into law in the final days of the 118th Congress—from drought mitigation and habitat conservation to mine remediation and increased access to public lands. Find them all in December’s Congressional Round-Ups.

We track all environmental, energy, and climate legislation and hearings happening on Capitol Hill. See the full legislative tracker for January 6-10.

EESI is tracking recent announcements and updates about the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)

• The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced almost $5 billion in funding for a wide range of transportation projects across the country, ranging from strengthened passenger rail to reconnecting communities cut off by existing infrastructure.
• In the above funding, DOT included $635 million in grant funding for the buildout of electric vehicle charging and alternative fueling across states, tribes, and Washington D.C.
• The Department of Energy announced the 22 recipients of the Building Upgrades Inspiring Local Transformation (BUILT) Nonprofits program. Each nonprofit will receive a grant of up to $100,000 to support building upgrades reducing energy usage so that more money can be spent on the organization's mission.

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced over $6 billion in investments to the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) and Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) programs. These programs support rural electric cooperatives in financing clean energy projects. EESI’s article digs deeper into these programs.
• The Department of the Interior announced $121 million to help Indigenous communities build resilience to climate threats.
• The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced final rules for the IRA’s Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit. Final rules were also announced for the Clean Electricity Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Amount Program, Clean Electricity Investment and Production Tax Credits, the Clean Fuels Production Credit, and the Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicles Credit.

Ready to make a difference in climate policy? But not sure where to start? You won’t want to miss EESI’s start-of-the-new Congress briefing series, Climate Camp. We will go over the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for climate mitigation and adaptation policy. The briefings in this series are:

Navigating Climate Information for Effective Policy-Making
Wednesday, January 29
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST
Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2168 (Gold Room) and online
RSVP here

National Labs on the Cutting Edge of Climate Solutions
Thursday, February 13
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST
Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2168 (Gold Room) and online
RSVP here

Understanding the Budget and Appropriations Process
Wednesday, February 26
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (Room SVC 210 - North Side) and online
RSVP here

The Process and Path Forward for a Bipartisan Surface Transportation Bill
Thursday, March 13
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST
Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2168 (Gold Room) and online
RSVP here

EESI’s Resilient and Healthy Rivers briefing series will continue in the new year to explore challenges facing communities situated along U.S. rivers—from industrial pollution to flooding and drought. The briefings will highlight equitable solutions and policies that deliver multiple mitigation, adaptation, and economic benefits. The next briefings coming up in this series are:

The Columbia River
Wednesday, January 15 - Tomorrow!
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST
Online only
RSVP here

The Colorado River
Wednesday, February 19
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST
Online only
RSVP here

Latest Media Coverage

• The Great Lakes Echo quoted EESI President Daniel Bresette in an article detailing the ongoing debate in Minnesota over whether carbon-neutral energy sources should be considered “carbon-free” under the state’s recent climate law.
• EESI's issue brief on aircraft emissions was cited in an article by Simple Flying about decarbonizing business travel.
• The same issue brief was also cited by Yahoo News in a piece about Bill Gates’s carbon footprint from private air travel.
• WBZ NewsRadio (based in Boston) cited EESI's fact sheet on high-speed rail in a story about last Congress’s All Aboard Act, introduced by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).
• EESI was referenced in an opinion piece in the Daily Hampshire Gazette about sustainable agriculture in the Pioneer Valley.