EESI was founded in 1984 by a bipartisan group of members of Congress to fill a critical need: turning complex concepts into accessible information, inviting decision makers from both sides of the aisle to ask questions and find solutions to climate change, the most urgent threat facing the world today. Our primary goal is to accelerate the transition to a new, low-emissions economy based on energy efficiency and renewable energy. To achieve our goals, EESI advances innovative policy solutions that set us on a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy path. EESI's strength lies in translating complicated subjects into compelling stories, case studies, and user-friendly materials for policymakers and the public. EESI serves as a trusted source of credible, non-partisan information on energy and environment solutions—in Washington, D. C. , and across our country.
EESI uses four primary strategies: policymaker and stakeholder education, coalition building, policy development, and technical assistance. Policymaker and Stakeholder Education Our highly-respected briefings on Capitol Hill, webcasts, policy papers, articles, and newsletters on the latest environmental science, technology, and policy developments reach thousands of people globally. Our materials are used by the media as resources for their news stories, and by educators to inform and inspire the next generation of climate leaders. Coalition Building EESI facilitates communication among stakeholders?including those with interests related to the environment, business, national security, and public health?and their representatives in Washington, D. C. EESI participates in numerous coalition-building meetings, conferences, and other events. EESI adds value to the policy debate as a convener, framer, and synthesizer. Our nonpartisan political stance allows us to work with Congressional offices from both sides of the aisle, as well as think tanks, nonprofits, companies and trade associations. Policy Development Congressional offices (both Democratic and Republican), federal agencies, administration officials, and members of our diverse nationwide network to develop "win-win" policy solutions that accomplish multiple objectives, such as reducing energy costs for consumers, strengthening national security and global competitiveness, cleaning up our air and water, improving public health, creating jobs, and fighting climate change. Technical Assistance EESI provides technical assistance to utilities, primarily cash-strapped rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities, to help them innovate by embracing renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electrification. The desire to achieve win-win solutions led EESI to become involved in providing technical assistance to advance the adoption of on-bill financing in 2010. On-bill financing?a mechanism allowing customers to pay for home energy improvements over time via their electricity bills?expands access to cost-saving clean energy to households of any income level. We now assist local nonprofits, state and local governments, and rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities in twelve states. In our national policy work, too, EESI provides significant technical assistance by responding to policymaker requests, including requests for information, requests to review proposed legislation, requests related to confirmation processes, requests to have our expert staff speak at conferences or in private meetings, and so on.
EESI has continually proved we have the history, connections, and knowledge to act as an effective catalyst for change. History For over 35 years, EESI has acted as a catalyst, framer, connector, facilitator, and synthesizer of ideas and issues to help move win-win ideas forward. Connections EESI develops and disseminates information through our numerous briefings on science, technology, and environmental and energy policy issues, briefings to which our broad-based network is invited to attend in person; we also livecast all briefings. We facilitate communication among diverse stakeholders and their representatives in Washington, D. C. EESI staff also participate in numerous coalition-building meetings, conferences, and other events. Knowledge In 1988, EESI’s Board declared that addressing climate change was a moral imperative, making EESI one of the first organizations to issue such a statement in the United States. EESI has been able to cultivate great leadership and capabilities on climate solutions because we look at energy and climate impacts holistically. We seek to unite a range of constituencies behind win-win solutions, building consensus and emphasizing the multiple benefits of a stable climate, the socio-economic benefits of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, and the costs of inaction.
Our Policy Impact Our policy work focuses on federal policymakers and those who are affected by them; these include representatives of state and local governments, industry, labor, embassies, nonprofits, academia, the media, and the public. EESI publishes two to three web articles per week and publishes a biweekly newsletter, Climate Change Solutions. So far in 2019, we have organized 19 hard-hitting briefings and offered technical assistance to the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, which has issued a Request for Information. We’ve brought attention to how the goals of long-term reliability and resilience will help ensure economic resilience, public health and safety, national security, fiscal responsibility, jobs, quality of life, and U. S. competitiveness. More broadly, since our founding, EESI has worked to accomplish multiple goals. We’ve set up Blue Ribbon Task Forces, held invitation-only workshops, started coalitions. . . For example, we were one of the co-founders of the Climate Action Network and started the Surface Transportation Policy Project, which led to huge changes in transportation policy. Our work has led to requests for Congressional testimony as well as speaking engagements, helping spread ideas further. Our Technical Assistance Impact During months with peak energy use, many rural customers may spend up to 60-80 percent of their income on energy (much of which is wasted); this can—and needs to—change. We assist rural electric cooperatives (co-ops), which serve 14 percent of the nation’s homes—and 93 percent of the nation’s “persistent poverty counties,” where it is difficult to rise out of poverty. EESI also works with public power utilities, which serve 1,400 towns of populations under 10,000, many of which are isolated and economically depressed. We are already helping in twelve states— Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington—plus Puerto Rico, as it recovers from Hurricane Maria and aims to create the first electric co-op there. Additionally, we have been critical in maximizing the reach and effectiveness of the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP). This federal program provides no-interest loans to electric co-ops and other rural utilities, enabling them to implement on-bill financing programs. The program has so far committed $55 million to 19 electric cooperatives. We are currently helping co-ops apply for another $37. 5 million in financing. This kind of financing is critical to scaling up energy efficiency and renewable energy, especially in struggling rural areas!
EESI's role is critical—our respected briefings are attended by Congressional staff and media, we receive requests for assistance from rural co-ops, and media outlets continually engage with our resources. Our Recent Top Accomplishments 1. Helping South Carolina electric cooperatives obtain a zero-interest federal loan for $13 million to make low- and moderate-income households more energy efficient. 2. Spreading strategies for the development and/or improvement of on-bill financing and electrification programs to 12 states. 3. Playing an active role in the passage of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA), an important reform that makes it easier for communities to prepare for disasters, and to rebuild better after they have been struck. Looking Forward We plan to increase our engagement with federal climate policy even more. We will further improve how policymakers understand climate change mitigation as well as resilience and adaptation, including nature-based solutions wherever appropriate. We also aim to help more co-ops launch or scale up inclusive clean energy programs for their members, thereby funneling help to rural economies. With our facilitation, rural, resource-strapped utilities are better equipped to improve their communities, while also reducing their energy use.
