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October 26, 2024
From EESI's President, Daniel Bresette
Four decades of advancing climate solutions? That calls for a celebration! EESI’s 40th anniversary has led to reflection about how our work has evolved, and what we need to do better to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
Some things stay the same, like the insatiable demand for nonpartisan, science-based information on Capitol Hill.
Some things are more important than ever, like the need to forge bipartisan support for climate policies and investments that can ride out political ups and downs.
Some things are better, like the ability to engage with partners on social media and share our resources with a wider audience, including journalists and faith leaders.
Some things have worsened, like the constant barrage of climate impacts on communities.
I am grateful to you and others like you who help EESI make a positive difference no matter how the world changes.
At the midpoint of this decisive decade for action, the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping communities adapt to impacts and become more resilient has never been greater.
What does the future hold? Well, I am writing an article about our vision, and after I finish it, you will definitely get a copy in your mailbox.
I hope you will continue our partnership by making a gift to help propel our work forward. Whether you donate online, make a grant from a donor-advised fund, or give in a tax-smart way with appreciated stock or a qualified charitable distribution, it all helps to advance equitable climate solutions.
Thank you!
USDA’s Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP) offers zero-interest loans to rural electric cooperatives and other borrowers to capitalize on-bill financing programs. Since RESP was established by the 2014 Farm Bill, 43 rural electric cooperatives, green banks, and others have secured more than $500 million for on-bill financing programs. EESI has supported applications for about 60% of all RESP loans to date. EESI commissioned an analysis by economist John A. “Skip” Laitner, which showed that RESP has created almost 700 net direct, indirect, and induced jobs in rural areas through 2023. On-bill financing programs allow homeowners and renters to invest in clean energy with no upfront costs. When people spend less on energy, they have more money to spend elsewhere, which boosts economic activity and leads to more jobs. The RESP application pipeline could support loans worth $100 million or more per year—and thousands of net jobs—in the near term. If RESP stays on its current trajectory, it could sustain about 15,000 jobs by 2040. Whether RESP lives up to its potential is up to Congress. More funding for USDA is needed to meet the demand for zero-interest loans. The bipartisan Rural Energy Savings Act would make some modest, but important, improvements to RESP, like providing grants to help utilities increase capacity to reach more people.
In late 2020, EESI authored a report, A Resilient Future for Coastal Communities, based on policy recommendations and findings from 42 experts and practitioners from our 16-part briefing series. This month, EESI Policy Director Anna McGinn (far right in the above photo) convened some panelists from EESI’s briefing series to look back at what has changed in federal resilience policy over the past four years and what still needs to be done. At a session at the Restore America’s Estuaries conference organized around EESI’s report, panelists discussed new funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and key program improvements in laws like the Digital Coasts Act, which provides improved mapping capabilities. Panelists noted the addition of significant—but still inadequate—federal dollars for coastal resilience.
The panelists agreed that demand for federal investments that enhance community resilience is huge, and likely driven higher by the availability of new federal dollars. However, many communities, especially those on the frontlines of climate impacts, often lack the capacity to submit applications without additional technical assistance. New policies and investments provided by Congress have made a difference on the ground for communities doing the day-to-day work of coastal resilience and preparedness. But even historic funding levels fall short of meeting the need, which will only continue to increase as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe.
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