Climate Change Solutions - June 8, 2021 | Newsletter

Hello and welcome to Climate Change Solutions!

Today, we are looking at climate solutions in finance, agriculture, and city planning. First, our article on how green banks are spurring investments in clean energy, which complements today's "Unlocking Capital of Climate Solutions: The Benefits of a National Climate Bank" briefing. Then, explore how eliminating parking could improve cities and how climate smart agriculture is mitigating climate change.

To celebrate Pride Month, EESI sat down with D.C.'s Gay for Good leadership to discuss why LGBTQ+ representation is so important in the environmental space.

And one of EESI's spring 2021 interns reflects on her experience during the February 2021 Texas blackout.

Also don't miss our executive director reflecting on our Congressional Climate Camp series as well as our latest podcast episode on the same topic.

Have a climate solution? Send tips to Solutions editor Amber Todoroff!

Headlines Green Banks: Driving Clean Energy Investments and Saving Families Money [5 min. read] On the Big Island of Hawaii, Ashley Nakamura had her heart set on installing solar panels on her home to help lower her energy bills. Electricity in Hawaii costs three times more than in the Lower 48 because the state relies on petroleum that needs to be shipped in from the mainland. But then she learned that she did not qualify for financing from her credit union. Many American families like the Nakamura's face a common barrier to clean energy upgrades: a lack of access to affordable capital. But there are solutions to help homeowners overcome this barrier. For example Hawaii established a green bank—the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority—in 2013 to help people like Ashley realize the money-saving benefits of clean energy and help the state meet its climate goals. [click for more]
	How Eliminating Parking Minimums Actually Makes Cities Better [3 min. read] When thinking about how to make cities more sustainable, parking doesn't usually make the top of the list. However, eliminating parking minimums is one way to encourage public transportation, walking, and biking while also reducing local emissions, car traffic, and noise. Click to read about the other benefits of rethinking city parking design. [click for more]
	Recent Hearings and Legislation Promote Climate-Smart Agriculture [4 min. read] On Caney Creek Ranch in eastern Texas, ranch manager Kimberly Ratcliff manages a 2,500-acre, environmentally sustainable farm that incorporates the entire ecosystem into a silvopasture practice. This allows Ratcliff to raise healthier cattle, maintain cleaner watersheds, and protect other wildlife, all while storing carbon and saving money. Ratcliff was one of four witnesses in a recent House Agriculture Committee hearing on climate-smart agriculture practices and conservation programs within the Farm Bill. Click to read how agriculture can be a major solution to the climate crisis. [click for more]
	Celebrate Pride with D.C.’s Gay for Good [3 min. read] Happy Pride Month! At EESI, we are committed to celebrating diverse identities and relationships while also recognizing the important contributions the LGBTQ+ community has made for equality, conservation, and environmental justice. EESI sat down with the leaders of Gay for Good's (G4G) D.C. chapter to discuss the organization’s work and why LGBTQ+ representation is important in the environmental space. Click to read our conversation with G4G D.C. Chapter Leader David Clark and G4G D.C. Officer Marcello Morgan. [click for more]

On the Hill

From May 24 to June 4, multiple bills introduced in Congress focused on cleaning up abandoned mines and plugging orphaned oil and gas wells. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) introduced two bills, H.R.1734 and H.R.1733, which seek to expand funding for the reclamation of abandoned coal mines. Both H.R.3585 and H.R.2415 would establish a program to plug, remediate, and reclaim orphaned oil and gas wells and surrounding land.

Several bills also dealt with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. H.R.3700 and H.R.3691 would amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize grants for technical assistance to rural, small, and tribal municipalities and establish a smart wastewater infrastructure technology grant program, respectively. a

Other notable bills include:

H.R.3534, which would implement large-scale forest restoration projects and assist communities in increasing their resilience to wildfires
H.R.3521, which would modernize the fleet of delivery vehicles used by the Postal Service with electric or zero-emission vehicles
H.R.3652 would establish a food waste research and technical assistance program and grant program.

See EESI's full environmental legislative tracker for May 24 to 28 here.

See EESI's full environmental legislative tracker for May 31 to June 4 here.

EESI News, Briefings, and Fact Sheets

	Blackout: An Intern Reflects on Texas Power Grid Failures [5 min. read] When snow and freezing temperatures slammed Texas in February, intern Rachel Snead, who was living in Austin, saw how much her city and her state were struggling. In this article, she describes why so many of the power plants failed and how outages threatened residents' health and safety. "That week, everything that had mattered to me before, like work, and school, fell away as we struggled to secure food, water, and shelter for our neighbors and ourselves," Rachel writes. "I fear as though apocalyptic scenarios like the outages may become commonplace if we do not properly prepare for events like these." [click for more]
	What I Learned at Congressional Climate Camp [4 min. read] EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette reflects on EESI's Congressional Climate Camps, a five-part briefing series covering climate change and the legislative process. "I could share one big takeaway, it would be how many policy options we have when it comes to climate change solutions." [click for more]
	Episode 15: ICYMI - Congressional Climate Camp 5: Understanding Budget Reconciliation [15 min. listen] What are the major challenges for Congressional lawmakers and their staff in drafting and passing reconciliation bills? And why does it matter for climate policy? This week, Dan and Sydney thought through those questions and more by recapping the key takeaways from our BONUS Congressional Climate Camp, condensing the briefing into just 15 minutes. [click for more]

EESI Around Town

EESI's recycling briefing was cited in a recent article by Forbes.

EESI's fossil fuel subsidies fact sheet was cited by Environmental Health News.

EESI's Energy Storage fact sheet was cited by Inverse.

Upcoming Events

Modernizing the U.S. Energy System: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Path Forward
June 11 and 18
12-1:30PM

Join us for a virtual briefing series about the climate benefits of modernizing the nation’s energy system. RSVP here

June 11: Modernizing America's Transmission Network
- Panelists will discuss what is needed to modernize the transmission network, including developing transmission infrastructure for offshore wind and increasing cooperation between states. The briefing will also cover how the transmission network can be constructed and maintained to maximize ecosystem conservation, respect Native lands, and increase the resilience of neighboring communities. RSVP here.
June 18: Leveraging Grid Edge Integration for Resilience and Decarbonization
- From grid-integrated buildings to electric vehicles, today’s energy system is rapidly expanding and transforming—especially at the “grid edge.” Briefing panelists will discuss policy opportunities such as a federal energy efficiency resource standard, state level efforts, and the nexus between buildings, transportation, energy storage, and the grid. RSVP here.

Electrification 2021
Virtual forum series

This summer, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is holding a series of virtual forums to enable comprehensive collaboration and informative exchanges on electrification solutions.

Frontiers of e-Mobility (June 7-10)
A Net-Zero Energy System for All (June 28-30)

ACORE Finance Forum: Examining the Renewable Energy Transaction Landscape
June 15-16
Virtual

The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) invites you to join it for the ACORE Finance Forum where it will examine how the renewable energy transaction landscape will evolve to meet growing demand. The event will bring together experts from across the renewable energy marketplace, including the sector’s largest and most influential investors, developers, utilities, manufacturers, advisors, and buyers to provide you with insights on the next stage of renewable energy finance and investment.

Register here!

EESI is a supporting organization for this series.

Thank You to EESI Team Members for Their Contributions to Climate Change Solutions:

Sydney O'Shaughnessy - Layout, Design, and Content Editor

Emma Johnson - Communications Associate

Amaury Laporte - Communications Director

As well as all EESI Staff, Interns, and Fellows who write and review content!

Environmental and Energy Study Institute

Daniel Bresette, Executive Director

EESI is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1984 by a bipartisan Congressional caucus to provide timely information and develop innovative policy solutions that set us on a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy path.

www.eesi.org

CFC #10627

Table Of Contents

Thank You to EESI Team Members for Their Contributions to Climate Change Solutions: