Reports



THG’s white papers and reports have been developed to advance the dialogue around key environmental issues and initiatives. Covering a range of timely topics and deconstructing the complex natural resource issues that challenge our clients, these white papers and reports delve into the subject matter details and regulatory context to provide a complete analysis.

  • Building a Resilient Economy in the Lower Illinois River Valley — Considerations for Farm Profitability, the Workforce, and Rural Recovery
    Prepared by THG for John Wood Community College on behalf of the Illinois Green Economy Network | June 2020
    In recognition of the need to better understand the challenges facing rural communities, John Wood Community College (JWCC) secured a grant from the Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN) and commissioned THG Advisors (THG) to develop a report entitled, “Building a Resilient Economy in the Lower Illinois River Valley – Considerations for Farm Profitability, the Workforce, and Rural Recovery,” examining opportunities for creating positive regional impact. A key part in the overall development of the report involved interviews with a broad range of regional stakeholders to gain a practitioner’s perspective on conditions, issues, and concerns. A pre-recorded webinar is being offered in conjunction with the release of this report for on-demand viewing.

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    Webinar Recording

  • Public-Private Partnership Opportunities for Water and Water Resource Recovery Utility Energy Projects
    Prepared by THG for Water Research Foundation | September 2017
    On behalf of the Water Research Foundation, THG in collaboration with PLDO conducted an assessment of public-private partnership (P3) opportunities for water and water resource recovery utility (W&WRRU) energy projects. The final report will assist W&WRRUs identify opportunities and undertake energy projects through P3s. The report includes a detailed review and discussion of relevant energy projects and P3 issues, including energy and P3 project drivers, legal matters, risk allocation, financing options, contractual drafting and structuring, and monitoring and oversight. Collaborating with a geographically diverse set of utilities, the report contains case studies providing concrete examples and lessons learned for P3 energy projects at W&WRRUs. The report concludes with a set of recommended best practices for undertaking such projects. The goal of this research project and report is to better position utilities to consider the use of P3s to achieve their infrastructure needs in the most financially and environmentally effective manner possible. The Water Environment & Reuse Foundation was a partner on this project.

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  • The Future of RCRA – Making the Business Case
    Prepared by THG | December 2016
    As the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) reached its 40th anniversary of enactment, THG released a white paper reflecting on the progress made, challenges overcome, and future priority areas of focus. THG has worked to collect lessons from RCRA’s past and opportunities for its future by interviewing an array of experts who approach the topic with extensive experience from private sector and federal and state government perspectives. Also reflected in its white paper are insights shared on these topics at THG’s 2016 Summit, The Future of RCRA – Making the Business Case, held in Washington, DC on October 26, 2016. The Summit convened a community of experienced practitioners to exchange ideas and discuss priorities for RCRA’s future. This report is not a comprehensive analysis of every aspect of RCRA, but instead highlights a selection of the common themes and key takeaways heard in both the interviews and Summit. Our goal was to identify priority focus areas as EPA looks towards RCRA’s future and its “2040 goals.”

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  • Nuclear Power and the Clean Energy Future
    Prepared by THG for Nuclear Matters | September 2016
    On behalf of Nuclear Matters, THG has developed a comprehensive study that underscores the role of existing nuclear power in avoiding carbon emissions and meeting clean energy goals. The report provides an in-depth, data-driven analysis and results in two major contributions to public policy and lawmaking discussions. First, it quantifies the carbon value of U.S. nuclear power, which provides nearly 20% of the country’s electricity supply, while accounting for roughly 63% of carbon-free electricity. The report finds that U.S. nuclear power avoids over 531 million tons of CO2 emissions per year, which amounts to a social cost of over $85 billion by 2020. Second, the report investigates how states can best value nuclear power, notably through the adoption of a mass-based approach that accounts for new sources of emissions, when formulating their compliance pathways under the Clean Power Plan. A collection of state-specific fact sheets accompanies the report, demonstrating the critical role of existing nuclear within each nuclear generating state.

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  • The Role of Green Infrastructure – Nature, Economics, and Resilience
    Prepared by THG for the Conservation Leadership Council | November 2015
    This report, developed by THG on behalf of the Conservation Leadership Council (CLC), explores green infrastructure as an approach to address the challenges of the 21st century within the water sector. Green infrastructure relies upon nature-based systems and processes in place of structural and highly-engineered traditional infrastructure. THG’s report examines its potential to reduce costs, enhance resilience, and provide social, environmental, and economic returns. It presents the current policy context and then sets forth the opportunities and policy pathways to enhance consideration of green infrastructure in federal, state, and local decisions about water-management infrastructure. The report also examines new market-based approaches, such as water quality trading and public-private partnerships, that offer the potential to expand green infrastructure investment.

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  • The Rise and Future of Green and Sustainable Remediation
    Prepared by THG | February 2014
    THG’s white paper focuses on green and sustainable remediation, an effort underway within the remediation industry to make contaminated site cleanups more environmentally, economically, and socially beneficial. The report details the development of this concept as well as the many ongoing efforts, successes, and challenges to advancing remediation practices in the United States and internationally.

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  • U.S. Unconventional Oil and Gas Development: Life Cycle Examination from a Local Community Perspective
    Prepared by THG’s Mentoring Energy & Environment Together Program | February 2014
    THG established a mentor-protégé program, Mentoring Environment & Energy Together (MEET), in conjunction with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (OK DEQ) to provide personal and professional growth opportunities as well as environmental-energy education. MEET’s pilot project consisted of a diverse group of young professionals in the greater Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area. A key aspect of the program was for the group to work collaboratively on an environmental-energy project. The group identified the project topic of interest as a life cycle examination of unconventional oil and gas development as it relates to the surrounding community, and the report captures the groups’ findings.

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  • Proposed Public-Private Partnership Projects for U.S. Inland Waterways Infrastructure Financing, Operations, and Governance
    Prepared by THG for U.S. Soybean Export Council | December 2013
    This report, developed by THG on behalf of the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) in collaboration with the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC), presents the case for an alternative financing strategy to encourage greater private participation in the operations, repair, and maintenance of the inland waterway system.  It examines the existing financing mechanisms, funding levels, operating practices, and governance arrangement and focuses on practical solutions offered by public-private partnerships (P3s).Note: This report cited the USACE Navigation Data Center CY 2012 data set in order to capture present commodity tonnage and trends at a number of lock sites on the Upper Mississippi River System. After posting the report it was discovered that the CY 2012 data set contained errors. In February 2014, the CY 2013 data set update was entered into the USACE NDC system and attempted to correct those errors. Subsequently, a Statement of Clarification – Data Set Discrepancy has been completed in order to correct tonnage values reported on pages 21 and 22 of this report. These corrections have not changed THG’s conclusions or recommendations.

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  • Hydraulic Fracturing Guidebook
    Prepared by THG | Fall 2012
    The Hydraulic Fracturing guidebook is a content-rich white paper that focuses on the current and future environmental, regulatory, and legal issues tied to hydraulic fracturing. This report provides an overview of the history, economics, and resource availability of natural gas drilling using unconventional techniques. Environmental concerns, current and pending regulations on the state and federal level, and the current status and implications for legal proceedings are thoroughly investigated.

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