The House Committee on Energy and Commerce passed the Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act (H.R.1618). Reintroduced by Reps. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) and Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), the bill would help farmers to integrate precision agriculture technologies into their operations. The House Committee on Natural Resources advanced the Wetlands Conservation and Access Improvement Act of 2025 (H.R.2316). Reps. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) and Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.) introduced the bill to continue to...| Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Critical minerals are key components in a range of products and equipment, from consumer electronics and military technology to solar panels and electric vehicle batteries. Their unique chemical properties make them particularly suitable for energy technologies and irreplaceable for certain purposes. This issue brief looks at the clean energy technologies that rely on critical minerals, critical mineral supply chains, the externalities of critical mineral development, critical mineral seconda...| Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Highlights: The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation passed the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2025 (S.93). Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) reintroduced the bill to reauthorize and bolster federal programs that improve forecasting, monitoring, and mitigation of harmful algal blooms. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and David Joyce (R-Ohio) lead the bill (H.R.644) in the House. Check out EESI’s briefing...| Environmental and Energy Study Institute
In May and June of 2025, Congress held a total of 60 environmental, energy, and climate-related hearings. The House of Representatives held 37 of these hearings, spanning 9 of 22. The Senate held 23 such hearings across 11 of its 20 committees. Hearings covered issues ranging from Farm Bill conservation programs to harvesting American seafood to environmental justice. However, fiscal year 2026 appropriations took center stage, with 19 hearings considering the Trump Administration’s bud...| Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Highlights: The House passed the Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act (H.R.2269). Reps. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) and Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.) reintroduced the bill to improve labeling for non-flushable products, preventing expensive damage to sewage systems and reducing trash flow into rivers and the ocean. The bill’s Senate companion (S.1092), reintroduced by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), passed the Committee on C...| Environmental and Energy Study Institute
A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast. Ready to make a difference in climate policy, but not sure where to start? We have you covered. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for our start-of-the-new-Congress briefing series, Climate Camp. We will review climate science, cutting-edge innovations, and the role of the legislative process in climate mitigation and adaptation. The surface transportation bill reauthorizes federal highway, trans...| Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Highlights: The Senate passed the Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act (S.154). Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and bipartisan cosponsors reintroduced the bill to extend the life of the System Conservation Pilot Program to 2026. The program tests water conservation strategies in the Colorado River Basin to alleviate the impacts of severe drought. For more on conservation efforts across the river basin, check out EESI’s Colorado River briefing. Sens. Sheldon White...| Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Data centers have a thirst for water, and their rapid expansion threatens freshwater supplies. U.S. data centers consume about 450 million gallons of water per day, which impacts nearby communities—particularly in water-stressed areas. Cooling data centers with water requires a large amount of energy, which often releases carbon emissions. New and bigger AI-focused data centers will increase water and energy consumption. Novel technologies like direct-to-chip cooling and immersion cooling c...| Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Welcome to a new twist on the typical EESI Congressional briefing: EESI Rapid Readouts! Things are happening faster than ever, and you need information quickly. These 30-minute interactive Readouts bring you what you need to know, when you need to know it. Grab your lunch and tune in on June 6 to learn about the current status of budget reconciliation. This Readout will answer your questions on the mechanics of reconciliation, how the process could unfold in the coming months, and how the p...| Environmental and Energy Study Institute
A live webcast will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Federation of American Scientists invite you to a briefing about how federal policies can bolster resilience to extreme heat at the state and community level. Communities are experiencing hotter, more frequent, and more prolonged periods of record-breaking heat. Not only does extreme heat have immediate public health ramifications (heat-related deaths have more than doubled sin...| Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Data centers have become a significant part of our daily lives, from cloud computing to video streaming to artificial intelligence (AI) and crypto mining. Data centers are essentially large warehouses filled with internet-connected devices, and each center is connected to others through mostly buried wires. In room after room of rows and stacks of servers, routers, and switches, data is flowing and humming almost 24/7. Internet traffic data flows through the fiber-optic underground cables bet...| Environmental and Energy Study Institute
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (REEE) Caucuses invite you to join us for the 28th Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum (EXPO 2025). Top-level speakers will showcase technologies and solutions that reduce carbon emissions, save households money, improve the economy, build resilience, and protect our security interests. The EXPO is free to attend and open to the publ...| Environmental and Energy Study Institute