Briefing Series: Congressional Climate Camp 2025 --- various dates January - March 2025 --- Washington, DC and ONLINE

Ready to make a difference in climate policy? But not sure where to start? We have you covered. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for our start-of-the-new Congress briefing series, Climate Camp. We will go over the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for climate mitigation and adaptation policy.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025 • 2:00 - 3:30 PM EST
Rayburn House Office Building (Room 2168 (Gold Room))
45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20515
Live webcast will be streamed at eesi.org/livecast

EESI’s first Climate Camp briefing will serve as an interactive refresher on the drivers of climate change and the latest deployable solutions to address the challenge. This Congress, topics such as agriculture, infrastructure, and national security will be front and center. The briefing will cover climate concepts and terminology—from types of greenhouse gases to renewable energy technologies—to help you identify policy solutions at the intersection of these issue areas.

At this briefing, panelists will showcase tools—like Climate Interactive’s EN-ROADS simulator—that staff can use to easily digest climate data and generate policy ideas. They will also highlight federal agency resources essential to understanding the climate challenge and innovative solutions to address it.

Thursday, February 13, 2025 • 3:00 - 4:30 PM EST
Rayburn House Office Building (Room 2168 (Gold Room))
45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20515
Live webcast will be streamed at eesi.org/livecast

The Department of Energy’s 17 National Laboratories conduct groundbreaking research across 18 states. The National Labs are designed to be hubs of scientific inquiry that inform advancements in human health, infrastructure, energy, and national security. This briefing will highlight examples of this innovation in action.

From supercomputing to large-scale renewable energy deployment, panelists will detail how the labs help shape future climate solutions. Representatives from the National Labs will also describe what underpins this work and how the labs have evolved over time to best address the key scientific questions of the day. The briefing will highlight Congress’s role in funding this research network and setting its priorities, as well as the tangible benefits the National Labs provide to states and communities.

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 • 2:30 - 4:00 PM EST
The U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (Room SVC 210 - North Side)
First St SE, Washington, DC 20515
Live webcast will be streamed at eesi.org/livecast

This briefing will cover the fiscal year 2026 presidential budget proposal and the outlook for Congressional appropriations. Panelists will describe the different stages of the appropriations cycle and how the process interfaces with other legislative activity on the Hill. The briefing will also shed light on the role of the 12 appropriations subcommittees, and highlight ways Congressional staff—working both on and off the appropriations committees—can engage with the process. To illustrate the appropriations process, panelists will share examples from federal energy and environmental programs.

Thursday, March 13, 2025 • 3:00 - 4:30 PM EST
Rayburn House Office Building (Room 2168 (Gold Room))
45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20515
Live webcast will be streamed at eesi.org/livecast

The surface transportation bill reauthorizes federal highway, transit, and rail funding and programs every five years. This final briefing of EESI’s Congressional Climate Camp series will provide a breakdown of everything decision-makers need to know ahead of the bill’s next reauthorization in 2026.

Panelists will describe the transportation bill’s history, including bipartisan cooperation, climate-related provisions, and external stakeholder engagement. Looking ahead, the briefing will explain the general timeline for the reauthorization, the bill’s jurisdiction, and key issues across bill titles. The briefing will also share on-the-ground climate success stories from the most recent reauthorization—the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.