Kristen Soares

Improving transit systems helps secure safer, healthier, more affordable, and better connected communities. What that actually looks like depends on a number of different factors: climate, geography, funding, and political contexts. Fortunately, states have a broad array of legislative and...

Roughly 40 states offer data centers billions of dollars in state and local subsidies, forgoing vital tax revenue that supports schools, roads, public transit, and healthcare. However, minimal transparency requirements make the true extent of their economic impact murky. While...

Transportation is the leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., but addressing this pollution requires more than just vehicle electrification. Fortunately, this broad range of policy solutions comes with benefits that extend far beyond emissions. Climate-oriented transit systems...

Energy affordability and reliability remain a key issue ahead of elections in November, and state lawmakers have a variety of policy solutions at their disposal. However, as states gear up to communicate how grid modernization, transmission expansion, and clean energy...

As data centers continue driving electric load growth and greenhouse gas emissions, states must ensure they have robust protections in place. Understanding how these facilities are sited, what types of generation they are investing in, and what jurisdiction state governments...

With elections fast approaching, climate communicators need to answer some key questions: How can we connect people’s increasingly complex near-term priorities with long-term climate goals? How can we discuss climate without saying “climate”? State advocates and policymakers need to reframe...

Energy demand is rising, electricity prices are increasing, and the grid is struggling to keep up. To meet this challenge, states must invest in energy infrastructure, while ensuring that investments benefit both the grid at large and local host communities....

The most far-reaching climate victories aren’t won by climate advocates alone; they’re built through broader coalitions with shared stakes in the outcome. As states across the country face rollbacks and other attacks on climate and clean energy goals, building strong...

As our buildings and transportation become progressively electrified and new energy intensive facilities come online, states must engage in robust planning to ensure this load growth is supplied by clean energy. Our transmission grid today is aging and fragmented, but...