Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)

Help us confront climate change and advance renewable energy, green jobs, energy efficiency and sustainable communities.  Since 1984, we’ve worked with Congress and diverse constituencies to develop innovative solutions. 

Why do we exist?

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) occupies a unique niche as a nonprofit organization that has a relationship with Congress built on providing credible nonpartisan information and innovative policy ideas. EESI works to address climate change and foster energy efficiency and renewable energy, sustainable transportation and communities, high performance green buildings, as well as sustainable bioenergy, farms, and agriculture. We work through coalition building, media outreach, publications, and influential briefings.

Climate change and our dependence on fossil fuels pose a tremendous threat to our environment, health, national security, and economy. EESI has been working to address these threats and to develop win-win policy solutions and strategies through all of its work to shift the country toward clean and sustainable energy for over 20 years.  We have won many battles, but with evidence of climate change mounting—higher average temperatures, melting glaciers, more extreme weather events—it is more urgent than ever that we redouble our efforts to address climate change. This change will create jobs, improve national security, revitalize rural economies, increase U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

EESI was founded by a bipartisan Congressional caucus in 1984 to improve the information and solutions available to Congress as it considers environmental and energy issues. As an independent organization that receives no Congressional funding, EESI has a strong relationship with Congress and federal agencies and serves as a trusted source of nonpartisan information on energy and environmental solutions. Our history and reputation provide us with substantial access to policymakers, Congressional staff, and other key stakeholders to share the latest science, technology, and policy information and engage knowledgeable experts in the national debate.

What have you accomplished?

Over the years, EESI has an impact on many policy initiatives and on the people who turn to us to learn and become involved.  More than 13,000 individuals engaged in energy, climate change, sustainable transportation, green buildings, and sustainable biomass and agriculture depend on us for accurate information and innovative policy ideas.  We produce a highly acclaimed newsletter, Climate Change News, which reaches thousands, including Congressional offices, with the latest information on the threats against the environment.  In addition, our factsheets, policy papers, and other publications are often used by media and other environmental groups to educate their members. Our top 10 accomplishments in 2010 include:
1. The Launch of a Rural Energy Savings Program. We launched a partnership to carry out an innovative pilot project to finance energy efficiency improvements for rural South Carolina homes with low-cost loans repaid through customers’ electric bills. EESI and our partners aim to expand the program to eventually upgrade 225,000 homes and save co-op members $280 million a year in energy costs.  Robert Hershey’s family is one of many benefiting from this project. They had become accustomed to the heat and humidity that came with each summer as temperatures inside their home could get above 85°F, even with their heat pump running at full power, thanks in part to a leaky black roof. The family’s energy bills could exceed $400 during peak summer cooling and winter heating months. Hersey sensed that the home could be made a lot more energy efficient. But the family didn’t have much money to invest. The solution came when the Hersey home was chosen to receive an energy efficiency retrofit as a part of test program to evaluate potential energy savings. “It’s made a big difference. We love it!” said Hersey after the upgrade.

2. Demonstrated that energy efficiency is a key aspect of affordable housing. Appliance standards and building energy performance codes are some ways the government can help improve housing’s energy efficiency and affordability. We showed the potential for energy efficiency measures to reduce the amount Americans spend on utility bills and help the environment. 

3. Showed that clean energy and a healthy economy go hand in hand. EESI highlighted the latest economic research and local stakeholder feedback on the economic and job creation benefits of addressing climate change and investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and public transportation through briefings, webinars, meetings with Congressional staff, and stories on our website and in social media. 

4. Demonstrated that climate change and oil dependence are national security issues.
We published a paper on the connection between climate change and national security and the role of climate change as a threat multiplier.  We also brought leaders from the defense community to brief Congressional staff and the public on why and how the military is helping lead the transition to clean energy.

5. Testified before Congress on high performance green buildings. The federal government has an opportunity to lead by example. EESI testified before Congress on the importance of the federal government’s incorporation of high performance building practices into the renovation and construction of government buildings.

6. Highlighted the many renewable energy technologies that contribute to U.S. energy supply. From offshore wind to renewable biogas, we have highlighted the latest renewable energy technologies for our nation’s leaders.  One noteworthy event was the 14th Annual Congressional Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency EXPO, which featured more than 50 clean energy exhibitors and presentations by several Members of Congress, administration representatives, and green businesses.

7. Brought lessons learned from other countries on the path to a low-carbon economy to U.S. policymakers. EESI partnered with the Swiss Embassy to convene a high-level dialogue between the Swiss President and senior U.S. officials on developing a clean energy economy.  We also worked with the Nordic Council to tell the stories of how the Nordic countries responded to the oil crises of the 1970s by investing heavily in energy efficiency and renewable energy.  Our work showed U.S. policymakers that greenhouse gas reductions can be part of a successful economic development strategy.

8. Examined the health impacts of our energy choices. We conducted a Congressional briefing on the health costs of our reliance on fossil fuels and personal vehicles. For example, the air pollution from coal-fired power plants cost us $58 billion in health damages in 2005.  We also highlighted the health consequences of black carbon, a component of soot produced by diesel engines, inefficient biomass cookstoves, and open fires.  Black carbon is a leading cause of death in developing countries and a contributor to climate change.

9. Examined strategies to reduce oil consumption. EESI wrote about how to reduce our dependence on oil and held briefings and meetings on broader oil supply and demand issues and potential policy solutions.  We also examined the role of electric vehicles, public transit, high speed rail, and cellulosic biofuels to examine the economic and environmental impacts of each. 

10. Showed Congress that public support exists for action on climate. As the Senate prepared to take up climate legislation in summer 2010, EESI convened a briefing on public opinion on the issue.  A polling expert presented his research, which found that 76 percent of Americans wanted the federal government to limit greenhouse gas emissions, refuting polls that appeared to show climate change as a low priority for Americans.  We also continue to meet the demand for the latest climate science, business, and policy news in our weekly Climate Change News, emailed to nearly 4,000 subscribers every week.

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