Hello and welcome back to Climate Change Solutions!

As the summer winds down, EESI is just gearing up for an exciting, jam-packed fall. First, we’re bringing you a brand-new issue brief: The State of PFAS Forever Chemicals in America. It covers their prevalence and effects on humans, as well as the federal regulation landscape and current legislative activity. Plus, we’re sharing a new economic analysis about how the Rural Energy Savings Program is creating jobs in rural areas.

Before fall flies by, keep an eye on our briefings page to sign up for upcoming events, on the Hill and online. This Thursday at 3 p.m., we’re Exploring the Policy Landscape of Carbon Dioxide Removal and featuring a fireside chat with Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)—don’t forget to RSVP!

Issue Brief: The State of PFAS Forever Chemicals in America
[15 min. read]

The term “perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances” (PFAS) refers to a group of thousands of synthetic chemicals with specific heat-, grease-, and water-resistant characteristics. Commonly known as "forever chemicals," PFAS possess a chemical structure that makes them extremely difficult to break down. They can be found in at least 200 different use categories and applications, including firefighting foam, food wrappers, cosmetics, clothing, cookware, and household products. The health effects of forever chemicals—which are detectable in the body fluids of at least 97% of Americans—are still being explored, but evidence suggests they can cause health issues ranging from fertility problems to increased cancer risk. In our latest issue brief, EESI reviews the current extent of PFAS contamination, its effects on humans, the federal, state, and local landscape for regulating PFAS, and options for further remediation and mitigation. [click for more]

This Congress has seen dozens of bills introduced on the topic of PFAS, or forever chemicals. Check out EESI’s latest issue brief on the topic to learn more about this legislation.

Energized About Efficiency: Reps. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) and Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) reintroduced the American Energy Efficiency Act (H.R.9467) in the House. The bill would establish a national energy efficiency resource standard that would lower energy costs for families and small businesses and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. The Senate introduced its own version of the bill (S.4615) in June of this year. For the latest energy efficiency solutions from across the country, check out the Energy Efficiency panel from EESI’s 2024 Clean Energy EXPO.

Water Resources Bill Moving Ahead: The Water Resources Development Act of 2024 passed out of the Senate (S.4367) with unanimous approval in early August. Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Ranking Member Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), steered the legislative package, which reauthorizes flood control, ecosystem restoration, and other water resource projects every two years. The House passed its version of the bill at the end of July. The House and the Senate are now addressing differences between the two versions of the bill.

Both Chambers Debating Energy and Water Appropriations: The Senate Committee on Appropriations unanimously approved the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2025 (S.4927) on August 1. The full House took up its own previously-introduced version of the bill for debate at the end of July. As the fiscal year 2025 budget process continues, follow along with the help of EESI’s briefing, Understanding the Budget and Appropriations Process.

We track all environmental, energy, and climate legislation and hearings happening on Capitol Hill. See the full legislative trackers for July 29-August 2 and August 5-September 6.

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 Department of Transportation announced over $1 billion in funding for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, which will help communities improve road safety and decrease traffic injuries and deaths.
• The Department of Energy (DOE) announced $430 million in funding for upgrades to hydropower sites, to help improve safety, grid resilience, and job protection. This funding is part of the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives program.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $232 million for brownfield cleanup via EPA’s Brownfields Program, aiming to re-energize and invest in communities dealing with these polluted and abandoned sites.

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $7.3 billion in funding for rural electric cooperatives to invest in electrification through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program.
• EPA announced $4.3 billion in funding for 25 community-driven projects that aim to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, as part of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program.
• The Department of Commerce, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), proposed $575 million to fund coastal resilience projects under NOAA’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge.
• DOE announced the launch of the federal home energy rebate program in three states: Wisconsin, Arizona, and New Mexico. This program helps provide discounts to households seeking to lower their energy bills through home improvement projects.

Exploring the Policy Landscape of Carbon Dioxide Removal
Thursday, September 12
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. EDT
Russell Senate Office Building SR-385 and online

EESI is partnering with the World Resources Institute (WRI) on a briefing about effective policy-making for carbon dioxide removal (CDR)—the practice of removing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and ocean. Panelists will explore existing policies supporting different stages of CDR development, the level of CDR we expect to need, policy options to enable scaling to that level, and more. This event will feature a fireside chat with Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) on CDR’s potential to deliver benefits for Colorado and the country. RSVP here

EESI’s 40th Anniversary Reception
Wednesday, September 18
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EDT
Library of Congress, James Madison Memorial Building

Join us for an evening celebrating 40 years of EESI working with Congress in a bipartisan manner to put the climate first, advance solutions, support rural communities, and develop young leaders! RSVP here

Broad-Based U.S. Support For Natural Climate Solutions
Monday, September 23
12:00 p.m. - 1 p.m. EDT
Nature Hub at New York Climate Week
101 Park Avenue, New York City, NY (in-person only)

EESI and the U.S. Nature4Climate coalition are co-hosting an event during New York Climate Week to highlight the broad-based support for natural climate solutions (NCS) as a climate strategy. During this event, panelists will discuss the results of recent polling on NCS as well as strategies that can scale up NCS implementation from a variety of different perspectives. Express your interest here

Funding Opportunities for Nonprofits, Municipalities, and Communities
Thursday, September 26
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. EDT
Dirksen Senate Office Building SD-G11 and online

The next briefing in our IRA and IIJA progress report series will explore funding dedicated to nonprofit organizations and municipalities. For example, the introduction of “direct pay” is allowing tax-exempt entities to access the benefits of federal clean energy tax credits for the first time. Meanwhile, the DOE and the EPA are hard at work rolling out new programs specifically tailored to these entities. Panelists will describe the status of IRA and IIJA programs that increase the technical and financial capacity of these public sector groups. RSVP here

The Landscape of Federal Policy and Investment in Coastal Climate Resilience: What’s New and Where the Work Remains
Monday, October 7, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EDT
Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
2799 Richmond Highway Arlington, VA, Room 10
To attend, register for the Restore America’s Estuaries 2024 Coastal & Estuarine Summit (one-day and full conference passes available)

Congress has a critical role to play in the health and resilience of coastal communities. Four years ago, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute published a report, A Resilient Future for Coastal Communities: Federal Policy Recommendations from Solutions in Practice, which included 30 federal policy recommendations to increase coastal resilience from Alaska to North Carolina. Since that time, Congress has made historic investments through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, which included support for coastal communities. But where are we now? This dedicated session, hosted by EESI at the conference, will provide an assessment of progress made and the work that remains, with a particular focus on Congress’s role in advancing coastal climate resilience. RSVP here

We have even more upcoming events detailed on our website! Click here to learn more.

Latest Media Coverage

• EESI President Daniel Bresette was quoted extensively on fossil fuel subsidies in a CNBC mini documentary and corresponding article about record U.S. oil production.
• Daniel also provided comments regarding fossil fuel subsidies to the Wall Street Journal for an article about the Democratic party’s evolving platform on the issue.
• One5C quoted Daniel in an article about induction stoves.
• Live Science cited EESI’s iron batteries article in a piece about a new energy storage project being developed in Maine.
• EESI’s Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum was highlighted by The Well News in an article focused on the growing interest in hydropower.