Engaging with Congress on Climate Change Solutions

I hope you found time during the holiday season for some rest and relaxation. For me, it was that, plus some baking and trying new recipes. It was good to take a little break.

After the wild ride of last year, here we are in 2026. And 2026 is off to—how to put it politely?—quite a start.

Thanks for your commitment to advancing climate solutions. It means a lot. 

Before the policy calendar really gets all jammed up, I wanted to share a “sneak peek” into some of what you are making possible. Here are a few educated guesses about what will be reflected in our educational resources in the coming months:

• Energy affordability will be a major theme—maybe the major theme—of clean energy policy discussions on Capitol Hill. The drivers of rising energy costs are more complicated than many policymakers realize. This means that it will be a priority for EESI to provide Congressional staff with nonpartisan, science-based information they can trust to help make sense of the challenges and learn about potential solutions.

• The brightest outlook for bipartisan cooperation in Congress could be the effort to reform disaster relief and recovery policy. Last year, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure advanced the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans Act. We covered this legislation in a Rapid Readout briefing in October and an article in December. Resilience policy experts and practitioners have applauded the bill because it would help communities prepare for climate impacts and weather the storms that hit them.

• And then there will be the “will they, won’t they” around old-fashioned legislating. What are the prospects of another government shutdown? Will there be any progress on the Farm Bill? What about reauthorizations for transportation programs or water infrastructure financing? The constant turnover of staff and recent (and impending) retirements of experienced members of Congress contribute to massive knowledge gaps that EESI can be trusted to help fill with timely and relevant educational resources about the widest range of environmental, clean energy, and climate topics. 

The best way to keep up with all this is to read our biweekly newsletter, Climate Change Solutions. (Becoming more informed about these topics also happens to be a really good new year’s resolution, so please tell your friends and family who need a quick “win” to subscribe!)

Thanks for your continued partnership. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2026!

– Dan

P.S. I am so grateful to everyone who was part of EESI’s successful year-end campaign. Thanks! 

Links:

• Get EESI's newsletters, fact sheets, briefing notices, & more!
• Check out climate solutions in YOUR state!
• Watch recent Congressional briefings and RSVP for upcoming ones!