Media Center

New York Governor Formally Sets in Motion the Process to Enact One of the Nation’s Most Aggressive Clean Energy Standards

December 2, 2015 Press ReleaseNew York

NEW YORK (Dec. 2, 2015) — New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today directed the State Department of Public Service to design and enact a new Clean Energy Standard mandating that 50 percent of all electricity consumed in New York…

EPA Asks Court To Nix Pesticide Linked to Butterfly Decline

November 25, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (November 25, 2015) — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reversed course and yesterday asked a federal court to remove Dow AgroSciences’ Enlist Duo from the market. NRDC sued EPA last year to challenge the agency’s approval of Enlist Duo…

Alberta to Limit Carbon Emissions from Tar Sands Sector

November 22, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (November 22, 2015) – The provincial government of Alberta, Canada, today announced that it will limit, over time, emissions from the tar sands crude oil sector, which produces one of the dirtiest and most carbon-intensive energy sources in the…

Report: Steam Heat Fixes to NYC Apartments Could Save Owners Nearly $150 Million Annually, Cut Climate Pollution

November 20, 2015 Press ReleaseNew York

NEW YORK (November 20, 2015) – Energy efficiency upgrades to the steam heating systems found in the vast majority of New York City apartments could save building owners $147 million in annual energy costs and maintenance savings, help the city…

New Report: Ultra High-Definition TVs Could Add $1 Billion To Viewers’ Annual Energy Bills

November 17, 2015 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Nov. 17, 2015) – The latest ultra high-definition (UHD) televisions use an average of 30 percent more energy than their high-definition (HD) predecessors, which could add $1 billion to U.S. viewers’ annual utility bills if energy-saving improvements…

Fashion Design University Honors NRDC’s Linda Greer for Innovation

November 16, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (November 16, 2015) — Linda Greer, pioneer of the program Clean by Design at Natural Resources Defense Council, will be recognized this evening with a “Positive Impact Award” for her innovation in sustainability in the fashion industry. The award…

Retrofit Chicago Commercial Buildings Initiative Recognizes Energy Efficiency Leaders Across the City

October 21, 2015 Press Release

CHICAGO (October 21, 2015) – Retrofit Chicago’s Commercial Buildings Initiative has announced awards honoring buildings and individuals who are achieving measurable energy performance improvement and advancing the effort to improve energy efficiency throughout the City of Chicago. “Chicago has one…

COURT: Worst Mercury Pollution in Maine’s History Must be Cleaned Up

September 2, 2015 Press Release

BANGOR, Maine (September 2, 2015) – A Maine court today held the former owners of a chlorine bleach plant accountable for tons of mercury it dumped into the Penobscot River over the course of four decades. The judge ordered the…

Report: Significant Energy Efficiency Savings Available to Ohioans for Years to Come

August 26, 2015 Press Release

CHICAGO (August 26, 2015) – A new study finds there is huge potential in Ohio to save families and businesses money on their utility bills through energy saving programs. This study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)…

White House Initiative on Energy Efficiency and Other Clean Energy a Huge Step Forward

August 24, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (August 24, 2015) – The public-private initiative announced today by the Obama Administration will ease some of the worst impacts of climate change being felt in America’s low-income communities, where parents struggle to pay high energy bills and their…

California’s Energy Efficiency Success Story: $90 Billion in Utility Bill Savings, Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs, and 40+ Polluting Power Plants Avoided

August 20, 2015 Press ReleaseCalifornia

SAN FRANCISCO (Aug. 20, 2015) – California’s 40-year commitment to energy efficiency has saved Californians $90 billion on their utility bills, created hundreds of thousands of efficiency jobs, and will have avoided the pollution from 41 power plants by the…

Pennsylvania on Target to Meet EPA Carbon Pollution Limits with Clean Energy and Efficiency

August 20, 2015 Press Release

HARRISBURG (August 20, 2015) – Pennsylvania can strike a blow against climate change and meet its new federal target for cutting power plant carbon pollution by advancing wind and solar power, boosting energy efficiency and adopting complementary policies to help…

Groups Sue EPA for Failure to Protect Communities from Hazardous Spills from Storage Facilities

July 21, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (July 21, 2015) – The Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform (EJHA) and People Concerned About Chemical Safety (PCACS), joined by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), sued the Environmental Protection Agency today, citing its decades-long failure…

Canadian Energy Policy Facilitates Tar Sands Pipelines, Not Carbon Reduction

July 17, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (July 17, 2015) – Canada’s 13 provincial and territorial premiers today issued a national energy strategy, after lengthy negotiations. While the premiers added new recommendations on clean energy and energy efficiency to a tepid commitment to reduce greenhouse gas…

New Report: U.S. Power Sector Continues to Reduce Air Pollution Emissions in Advance of EPA’s Clean Power Plan

July 14, 2015 Press Release

BOSTON, MA – The most comprehensive analysis to date on U.S. power plant air pollution emissions shows that most of the nation’s largest electric utilities have seen significant reductions in global warming pollution in recent years. The report’s release comes…

New Urban Housing Rules Could ‘Level the Playing Field’

July 8, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (July 8, 2015) – The new rules announced today by the Obama Administration requiring cities and towns to scrutinize their housing patterns for racial bias is an important and long-awaited step toward improving the lives of all Americans.

Dow Told to Shelve Herbicide Threatening to Push Monarchs Over the Brink In New York Times Ad

July 7, 2015 Press ReleaseNew York

(New York, July 7, 2015) – The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) placed an ad in The New York Times today to increase the pressure on Dow Chemical to “end this chemical arms race” against nature by shelving its toxic…

NRDC Urges Administration to Act Promptly on Mercury Rule, Following Court’s Ruling

June 29, 2015 Press Release

WASHINGTON (June 29, 2015) – The Supreme Court today returned the Environmental Protection Agency’s mercury and toxic air rule to the lower court for reconsideration, saying EPA must consider costs in deciding whether to regulate air pollution from power plants.

NRDC, Others Call for EPA to Create National Mercury Inventory

June 25, 2015 Press Release

Potent neurotoxin reported in children’s toys, and in other consumer products

Statement on New York’s 2015 State Energy Plan

June 25, 2015 Press ReleaseNew York

ALBANY, N.Y. (June 25, 2015)—The Cuomo Administration today released New York’s 2015 State Energy Plan, after years of analysis and robust public comment.