The Big Story 

A bipartisan group of governors said Thursday they want to quadruple the number of energy-efficient heat pumps installed in the U.S. by 2030. 

© AP Photo/David Zalubowski,

A group representing roughly half of the nation’s governors said they hope to install a total of 20 million heat pumps in their states.

If they accomplish this goal, it would more than quadruple the approximately 4.7 million heat pumps already installed in the U.S.

Background:

• Heat pumps cool and heat buildings while using less electricity than air conditioning.
  
  
• They can also be used instead of emissions-producing technology, like gas furnaces.

The announcement was made by the U.S. Climate Alliance, which is comprised primarily of Democratic governors along with Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R).

In addition to the Climate Alliance announcement, 10 states also said they would explore zero-emissions targets for space and water heaters.

Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

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How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:

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Coming Up from The Hill 

Making the Grade: Solving the U.S. Math Problem — Sept. 26, 3:30-5:30 p.m. ET | National Press Club Holeman Lounge & streaming

A recent study by NWEA found that middle and elementary school students’ math progress stagnated last year. Join The Hill as we convene lawmakers, math advocates and educators to discuss the state of U.S. math education and why it’s no longer acceptable to laugh off being “bad at math.” Speakers include:

• Rep. Jim Baird (R-Ind.), co-sponsor of Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act
• Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.), member of the House Financial Services Committee
• Rebecka Peterson, 2023 National Teacher of the Year
• Tim Hudson, Chief Learning Officer at Dreambox
• Josh Recio, Course Program Specialist, Secondary Mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin; and more.

What We’re Reading 

News we’ve flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:

• South America, particularly Brazil, will experience a scorching end to winter (The Washington Post)
  
  

• Hydropower delays pose grid threat as permits lapse (E&E News)

   

• Water levels on the Mississippi River are plummeting for the second year in a row (CNN)

What Others are Reading 

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

Would a government shutdown impact Social Security, VA benefits?

As lawmakers continue to try to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month, many are growing concerned about how it could affect them, especially when it comes to federal monthly payments they receive. Read more

Ramaswamy sparks furor with comments on race

Vivek Ramaswamy has sparked a firestorm of criticism since launching his 2024 presidential campaign for comments that some have called racially charged. Read more

Opinions in The Hill 

Op-eds related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: