U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.) is the new Democratic Co-Chair of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus. He was invited to serve as co-chair by U.S. Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), the co-chairs of the Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (REEE) Caucus. U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) serve as deputy co-chairs of the Senate REEE Caucus.

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Exactly 40 years ago today, the first board of directors of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) convened in Washington, D.C., to set an ambitious agenda to educate policymakers about environmental, energy, and climate change topics. Former Rep. Richard L. "Dick" Ottinger (D-N.Y.) was elected to serve as the first chair of the board along with former Rep. Thomas B. Evans (R-Del.) as vice-chair.

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“EESI applauds the enactment of historic investments in climate solutions,” said EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette. “The reconciliation bill passed by Congress and signed into law today will cut household energy bills, create quality jobs throughout the United States, jump-start emerging clean energy technologies, and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

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"The passage of these clean energy provisions is a step in the right direction," said EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette. "Phasing out HFCs is long overdue, and it means the U.S. will finally catch up with the rest of the world on this critical issue."

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“The Trump Administration unfortunately never misses an opportunity to take a wrong turn on climate action,” said EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette. “The 2021 budget proposal released today could—and should—provide a path to significantly reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, but instead it does the exact opposite.”

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The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) today submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Climate Crisis an extensive set of policy recommendations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change.

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On April 8, Hawaii Governor David Ige formally announced the Green Energy Money $aver (GEM$) on-bill financing program, a statewide initiative to make clean energy more affordable for homes and small businesses. The culmination of more than seven years of work by Hawaiian authorities, the program provides easy-access financing for cost-effective rooftop solar panels and other renewable distributed energy systems, as well as energy efficiency upgrades. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) has provided assistance to the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority (HGIA), the GEM$ administrator, since 2017.

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The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) commends the Farm Bill conferees and the House and Senate Agriculture Committees for their tireless commitment to produce a Farm Bill, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, this year. In a year when farmers, ranchers, and rural communities are struggling, and the agricultural economy is down nearly 50 percent compared to 2014, finalizing the Farm Bill is more important than ever. According to EESI Policy Associate Jessie Stolark, “Whether it’s producing a greater variety of renewable and bio-based products from forestry residues and agricultural resources, helping farmers and rural communities adapt to climate, or further supporting energy efficiency programs that help rural residents save energy and money, the Farm Bill could be doing even more to deliver economic development, climate adaptation and mitigation tools to rural America."

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The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA) today announced their new Partnership for Advancing an Inclusive Rural Energy Economy. The Partnership will put more money in the pockets of people in rural communities by supporting rural electric cooperatives (co-ops) in developing on-bill financing programs for energy efficiency upgrades, community projects in solar, and clean energy storage.

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The Trump administration's full budget proposal for fiscal year 2018, released on May 23, is little changed from the initial budget outline released on March 16. Despite widespread concern from both political parties in Congress, government advisers, and the private sector, over the highly questionable items included in the "skinny budget," the administration has dug in on dismantling vital environmental, scientific, and social programs. "Although the administration frames their proposals as beneficial to taxpayers and job creation, these cuts would reduce the economy's long-term productivity and harm public health," said EESI Executive Director Carol Werner.

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