WRI works to inform Congress about the opportunities and impacts of legislative proposals that affect U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and to help shape federal policies that will lead the U.S. on a path of low-carbon growth.
The United States Congress has a critical role to play in reducing domestic greenhouse gas emissions and positioning the United States to maintain its competitive position in a low-carbon global economy. Congress works in tandem with federal agencies like the EPA, state governments, and businesses to achieve needed and pledged reductions in greenhouse gases.
The non-partisan World Resources Institute works with committees and members of Congress throughout the House of Representatives and Senate to provide objective analysis of legislative proposals and their impacts. Explore the wide variety of resources we have available for congressional decision makers below:
Regulation and Bill Summaries
EPA
| Description | WRI Analysis |
|---|---|
| Proposed Performance Standards for New Power Plants (April 2012) | Summary |
112th Congress
| Bill | WRI Analysis |
|---|---|
| Bills That Would Limit U.S. EPA’s Clean Air Act Authorities | Summary |
| Clean Energy Standard Act of 2012 (S. 2146) | Summary |
| Projected Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions from the Power Sector |
111th Congress
| Bill | WRI Analysis |
|---|---|
| American Power Act (Kerry-Lieberman) | Summary |
| Summary of Offset Provisions | |
| Summary of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) Provisions | |
| Practical Energy and Climate Plan Act (Lugar) | Review of Emissions Reductions |
| American Clean Energy Leadership Act | Summary |
| Carbon Limits and Energy for America’s Renewal Act (Cantwell-Collins) | Summary |
| Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (Kerry-Boxer) | Summary |
| Summary of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) Provisions | |
| American Clean Energy and Security Act (Waxman-Markey) passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on June 26, 2009. | Summary |
| Summary of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) Provisions | |
| Analysis of Allowances to the States | |
| Overview of Offset Quality | |
| A Closer Look at ACES |
Testimony
| Date | Title | Witness |
|---|---|---|
| January 26, 2012 | Testimony: China’s Prospects for Shale Gas and Implications for the U.S. | Sarah Forbes |
| April 4, 2011 | Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Energy and Power: The Transformation of China’s Energy System | Deborah Seligsohn |
| April 1, 2010 | Testimony Before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China: Measuring, Monitoring, and Reporting Energy and Climate Data | Deborah Seligsohn |
| October 29, 2009 | Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works: Getting to Yes on Climate Change | Jonathan Lash |
| March 11, 2009 | FutureGen And The Department of Energy’s Advanced Coal Programs | Sarah Forbes |
| March 10, 2009 | Green and Mean: Can the U.S. Economy Be Both Climate Friendly and Competitive? | Rob Bradley |
| February 4, 2009 | Testimony Before the Select Committee On Energy Independence and Global Warming | Rob Bradley |
| January 15, 2009 | Statement To the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce | Jonathan Lash |
Information and Analysis Tools
Good decision making depends on high-quality information. WRI has developed a range of products that provide valuable and easily accessible data to help decision makers effectively respond to climate change:
- Greenhouse Gas Inventories and Registries
- International and US Climate Data
- Tracking Federal Agencies’ Actions to Reduce U.S. Emissions
Power Almanac of the American Midwest
The Power Almanac is a data-rich web-based platform designed to provide easily accessible information on Midwestern electricity resources, including power plants, natural resources, and industrial facilities.
Explore >
Fact Sheets
Download these informative fact sheets on the key climate issues:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- What Are Limits on EPA? Clean Air Act Holds Answers (PDF, 2 pages, 64 Kb)
- EPA, The Clean Air Act, and U.S. Manufacturing (PDF, 4 pages, 386 Kb)
- For EPA Regulations, Cost Predictions Are Overstated (PDF, 3 pages, 265 Kb)
- Response to EEI’s Timeline of Environmental Regulations For the Utility Industry (PDF, 5 pages, 810 Kb)
- EPA Mercury Rules and Power Reliability (PDF, 2 pages, 197 Kb)
International and U.S. Action
- U.S. Climate Action in 2009-2010 (PDF, 6 pages, 252 Kb)
- Reviewing and Verifying International Climate Action (PDF, 2 pages, 169 Kb)
- Role of Adapation (PDF, 2 pages, 123 Kb)
- International Negotiations on Climate Change (PDF, 3 pages, 188 Kb)
- Midwest States Show Leadership in Addressing Climate Change (PDF, 2 pages, 193 Kb)
Wind, Solar, and Renewable Energy
- Policy Design for Maximizing U.S. Wind Energy Jobs (PDF, 2 pages, 122 Kb)
- Concentrating Solar Thermal Power: Clean Energy for the United States (PDF, 2 pages, 341 Kb)
- Mitigating Recession: How Stimulus Policies Can Serve Economic and Environmental Goals (PDF, 2 pages, 129 Kb)
- Capitalizing on Renewable Energy (PDF, 3 pages, 247 Kb)
China
- China’s Carbon Intensity Target
- China: Energy and Climate Policy Action (PDF, 4 pages, 242 Kb)
- China: Policy Insights (PDF, 2 pages, 543 Kb)
- China: Key Statistics (PDF, 3 pages, 435 Kb)
Biofuels, Forests and Ecosystems
- Stacking Payments for Ecosystem Services (PDF, 4 pages, 160 Kb)
- Climate Change, Forests and Finance (PDF, 2 pages, 113 Kb)
- Biofuels and Climate Change Impacts (PDF, 2 pages, 129 Kb)
Coal and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
- Midwest Coal States Endorse Aggressive Regional Climate Action (PDF, 2 pages, 172 Kb)
- Carbon Capture & Sequestration: Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 2 pages, 189 Kb)
- U.S. Electricity Markets Increasingly Favor Alternatives to Coal (PDF, 4 pages, 464 Kb)
Official Comments
WRI’s official comments on proposed standards.
Stories
Publications
Contacts
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