Research / Energy & Environment

Webinar | October 2020
Flood Planning and Mitigation: Lessons from South Carolina and Texas
In recent years, Southern states have been inundated by major flood events. The impacts of these events can create significant and long-term strain on states' economies, both in terms of tangible losses and damages, as well as lost productivity. A study by the National Institute of Building Sciences found that every dollar spent on disaster mitigation saves $6 in future disaster costs. Southern states are beginning to take a more proactive approach to flood planning, pivoting from a recovery-oriented approach to one focused on resiliency and mitigation. This program highlights flood mitigation planning and policies undertaken in South Carolina and Texas.
Presentations:
Thomas Mullikin, Chair, South Carolina Floodwater Commission
Kathleen Ligon, Program Manager and Special Assistant, Texas Water Development Board

Webinar | July 2020
Stranded Investments in the Energy Sector
SLC Energy & Environment Committee Virtual Program
Presiding Officer: Senator Ed Emery, Missouri; Chair, SLC Energy & Environment Committee
Stranded investments, sometimes called stranded costs or stranded assets, are the historic financial obligations incurred by utilities that, due to changes in market conditions, are rendered unrecoverable. As natural gas, renewable resources and battery storage increase their share of the energy generation market, a growing number of utilities are opting for the early retirement of existing coal-fired plants, resulting in millions of dollars in stranded investments. With energy use down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this program focuses on the implications of stranded investments and explores possible policy solutions.
Presentation:

SLC Regional Resource | January 2020
The Netherlands Model: Flood Resilience in Southern States
In recent years, Southern states have been inundated by major flooding events. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), annual flood records are expected to be broken again in 2020 and beyond. Taken together, these repeated flood events can create a significant and long-term strain on states’ economies, both in terms of tangible losses and damages, as well as lost productivity. This SLC Regional Resource reviews recent flooding data in Southern states and explores how the Netherlands’ model of “living with water” may help states strengthen their resilience while reducing the cost of recovery for future flood-related disasters.
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SLC Energy & Environment Committee
2020-2021
Chair

Representative
Jim Gooch Jr.
Kentucky
2020-2021
Vice Chair

Senator
Ken Yager
Tennessee
Immediate
Past Chair

Senator
Ed Emery
Missouri
The SLC Energy & Environment Committee considers issues related to the abundant natural resources of Southern states and the pivotal role they play in the region's economic prosperity. In sustaining economic development, meeting growing energy needs, and maintaining the South's high quality of life, states are increasingly recognizing the need to forge energy and environmental policies that ensure sound stewardship of the region's resources. Recent issues examined include the expansion of wind energy production in Southern states; waste tire disposal laws; interstate groundwater disputes; and the implications of federal energy and environment policies on the states.
More SLC research into Energy & Environment
Other | December 2019
SLC Regional Resource | April 2019
Weathering the Storm: Assessing the Agricultural Impact of Hurricane Michael
Policy Analysis | March 2019
Other | January 2019
SLC Special Series Report | October 2018
SLC Special Series Report | January 2018
SLC Special Series Report | May 2017
Webinar | January 2017
Webinar | July 2016
Webinar | May 2016
Policy Analysis | April 2016
Policy Analysis | March 2016
Southern States' Response to the U.S. Supreme Court Stay of the U.S. EPA Clean Power Plan
Webinar | January 2016
Produced Water Reuse and Recycling: Challenges and Opportunities
SLC Issue Alert | December 2015
A River Runs Through It: An Update on the Tri-State Water Wars
Presentation | December 2015
SLC Regional Resource | October 2015
Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Waste Tire Disposal Laws in the Southern States
Policy Analysis | October 2015
Webinar | June 2015
SLC Issue Alert | April 2015
Clearing the Air: SLC State Responses to the Clean Power Proposed Rule
SLC Regional Resource | March 2015
Tale of Two Cities: The Impact of Slumping Oil Prices on the Economy
SLC Regional Resource | February 2015
SLC Regional Resource | December 2014
Webinar | December 2014
Policy Analysis | December 2014
Webinar | October 2014
Waste Storage and Water Contamination: Lessons from West Virginia and North Carolina
Policy Analysis | September 2014
Webinar | July 2014
SLC Regional Resource | April 2014
Waste Storage and Water Safety: Lessons from West Virginia and North Carolina
Webinar | October 2013
Policy Analysis | January 2012
SLC Special Series Report | August 2011
Economic Expansion, Energy Independence and Environmental Efficiency: Renewables in the South
Policy Analysis | May 2011
Policy Analysis | April 2011
SLC Regional Resource | June 2010
SLC Regional Resource | May 2010
SLC Regional Resource | January 2008
SLC Regional Resource | June 2004
Southern States' Clean Air Act Compliance: Ozone and Particulate Matter Standards in Transition
SLC Regional Resource | January 2004
Regional Transmission Organization Presence and Activities in Southern States
SLC Regional Resource | April 2002
Water Permitting Fees and TMDL Development in Southern States
SLC Regional Resource | October 2000