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Electric School Buses and the Grid
An electric school bus with a plugged-in charging cable

Electric vehicles

Electric School Buses and the Grid

Electric school buses have established themselves as a clean, reliable, cost-effective alternative to their diesel-powered predecessors. As well as improving our children’s health and reducing air and noise pollution in our communities, however, when equipped with vehicle-to-grid technology, electric school buses can become a critical source of battery storage to provide stability, capacity and emergency power to the grid, and have the potential to play a key role in the transition to a renewable energy grid.

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Shifting Gears

Highways & infrastructure

Shifting Gears

The U.S. system of transportation finance, designed a century ago with the sole purpose of funding the construction of the nation’s highways, is today a major obstacle to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable transportation system. Addressing the challenges of the 21st century will require a new paradigm for transportation finance – one that charges transportation taxes and fees that reflect the full costs of our transportation choices, and prioritizes projects that deliver the greatest societal benefits.

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Rooftop Solar and the 2021 Texas Power Crisis

Solar power

Rooftop Solar and the 2021 Texas Power Crisis

In February 2021, Texas' electricity system failed amid a prolonged cold snap - leaving millions of Texans shivering or in the dark. Rooftop solar power, especially if paired with energy storage, could have played an important role in reducing the strain on the Texas grid during the crisis.

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Solar on Superstores

Solar power

Solar on Superstores

The wide open, flat, sunny roofs of malls and superstores are perfect locations for solar panels. The U.S. has over 100,000 big retail buildings, with enough solar potential to power almost 8 million homes. Generating renewable energy where we shop is good for the public and for the environment.

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The Threat of “Forever Chemicals”
a woman's hand holding a clear glass beneath a running kitchen tap

Toxic threats

The Threat of “Forever Chemicals”

PFAS, or "forever chemicals," are used in non-stick pans, paper products, textiles, firefighting foam, electronics and other products. However, PFAS are dangerous for public health. Nearly indestructible in the environment, PFAS can cause kidney cancer, thyroid disruption, reduced responses to vaccination and other health problems. The Threat of "Forever Chemicals" documents the presence of these chemicals in Maryland and the risk they pose, and recommends steps for Maryland to protect public health and the environment.

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Renewables on the Rise 2021
Wind turbines in eastern Washington state

Clean energy

Renewables on the Rise 2021

In 2020, America produced almost four times as much renewable electricity from the sun and the wind as in 2011, with wind and solar producing 11% of our nation’s electricity in 2020, up from 3% in 2011. Virtually every day, there are new developments that increase our ability to produce renewable energy, apply it to a wider range of energy needs, and reduce our overall energy use.

Renewables on the Rise 2021 reviews the progress of states and the nation toward a clean energy system powered by renewable energy and tracks the progress of the key technologies that will make that system a reality. 

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Trouble in the Air
woman wearing mask against air pollution

Clean air

Trouble in the Air

Millions of Americans are exposed to unhealthy levels of pollution every year. Ozone and small particulate matter, among other pollutants, are widespread in the U.S. and have serious health effects. This report examines EPA air quality data from 2020 and shows how often Americans living in large urban areas, small urban areas and rural counties were exposed to air pollution that could damage their health.

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Trash in America
recycling bin overflowing with plastic

Recycling & compost

Trash in America

Our current system of consumption and disposal wastes natural resources and creates pollution that threatens our health, environment and the global climate. Trash in America explores how the costs of this system fall on society at large – not on the producers and consumers who drive it – and argues that America should move toward an economic system characterized by zero waste and a “closed-loop” economy in which less is consumed and all materials are reused, recycled and composted in a continuous cycle.

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Unhealthy Debt

Health care

Unhealthy Debt

The high cost of health care, expensive monthly insurance premiums, high deductibles, and expenses not covered by insurance all add to health care’s strain on Oregonians’ finances. One indication of the financial burden of health care is the number of Oregonians filing for bankruptcy who report having medical debt. To help consumers, Oregon policymakers should pursue a variety of policies to reduce the high cost of health care, including a state-level public insurance option.

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Rooftop Solar at Risk

Solar power

Rooftop Solar at Risk

California’s ambitious climate and clean energy goals depend on steady growth in rooftop solar power. Utilities, however, are pushing for dramatic reductions in compensation to solar customers that could disrupt that growth – cuts similar to those that have triggered dramatic declines in solar installations in other states. To avoid a “solar cliff,” California must learn from those cautionary examples and adopt policies that provide a solid foundation for future growth in rooftop solar.

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