News & Commentary

EV Charging Programs Set for Approval in Michigan and Ohio

October 29, 2020 Expert BlogMichigan, Ohio, MidwestMax Baumhefner

Utility regulators in Michigan and Ohio are set to approve programs that will help electrify cars, trucks, and buses in the state to the benefit of all utility customers.

The Consumers Energy IRP and the Future We Want for Michigan

October 8, 2020 Expert BlogMichiganSamantha Williams, Gabrielle Habeeb

Consumers Energy has an important regulatory filing coming up that is going to impact every single person living in Michigan. In the coming months, the utility will file their next long-term energy plan—known as an Integrated Resource Plan or “IRP”.

Ann Arbor’s Climate Plan Centers Community Voices

June 18, 2020 Expert BlogMichiganAviva Meyers

In its journey toward carbon neutrality, Ann Arbor is employing innovative ways to engage with community members. The city seeks input from frontline populations in order to create an equitable future where all Ann Arborites can thrive.

Defender of Energy Efficiency—and Equity

February 3, 2020 NRDC in ActionGeorgia, Detroit, Michigan, Baltimore, Maryland, Norfolk, VirginiaKeith Mulvihill

Dawone Robinson, regional director of NRDC’s Energy Efficiency for All Project, works to create opportunities for low-income communities of color to save energy and money.

With Family Roots in the Mines, He’s Championing Illinois’s Clean Energy Future

January 31, 2020 NRDC in ActionMichigan, Illinois, Chicago, PeoriaNicole Greenfield

With grassroots groups and other partners, J. C. Kibbey is fighting for one of the country’s most ambitious climate bills—and a just transition away from coal.

Michigan's New Lead Rule Exposes Drinking Water Inequality

October 7, 2019 Expert BlogUnited States, MichiganJeremy Orr

New drinking water sampling protocols required by Michigan's revised Lead & Copper Rule are exposing inequalities in safe drinking water enforcement.

The Long List of Issues with DTE's Long-Term Energy Plan

September 4, 2019 Expert BlogMichiganAriana Gonzalez

Highlights from our testimony.

Is the Home of Big Auto Going Electric?

July 15, 2019 DispatchMichiganSusan Cosier

With its incoming network of charging stations and incentive programs for consumers, Michigan may have the most forward-looking EV infrastructure plan in the Midwest.

Will China Save the Planet?

November 27, 2018 NRDC in ActionBeijing, ChinaNicole Greenfield

Barbara Finamore, NRDC’s senior strategic director for Asia, witnessed the birth of China’s clean energy movement. Her new book considers its future.

Can We Save the Midwest’s Only Rattlesnake?

July 16, 2018 DispatchMidwest, Michigan, IllinoisSusan Cosier

As the region’s wetlands disappear, so may the swamp rattler.

This Is How We Stand Up to Trump

December 20, 2017 NRDC in ActionUnited States, Washington, D.C., Utah, Michigan, CaliforniaNicole Greenfield

Meet a handful of the NRDC staffers who resisted Trump’s attacks and defended our environment in 2017—and who won’t stop fighting anytime soon.

Keeping a Close Watch on China’s Climate Transition

November 7, 2017 NRDC in ActionBeijing, Shanghai, ChinaJeff Turrentine

JingJing Qian, senior strategic advisor for NRDC’s China program, is bearing witness to some truly remarkable changes taking place in her home country. She’s also helping to make those changes happen.

Kill the Renewable Energy Industry? The Midwest Says “NO!”

January 17, 2017 DispatchIllinois, Chicago, MichiganSusan Cosier

Since the election, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio have been keeping their clean power progress strong.

Before Flint, Before East Chicago, There Was Smeltertown

November 29, 2016 DispatchFlint, Indiana, Texas, NewarkLauren Villagran

After a 1970s CDC study showed that the mostly Mexican-American population of this Texas town had dangerously high blood lead levels, its buildings were demolished and its residents were booted.

The Petcoke Problem: Where to Store the Risky Tar Sands Refining By-Product

November 1, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Canada, Chicago, Detroit, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Virginia

Petroleum coke, typically stored outdoors in big open piles, can blow right into nearby homes and cause serious health problems. Unsurprisingly, communities are fighting Big Oil to keep this noxious material out of their backyards.

One of the Worst Places for a Pipeline? Under the Great Lakes

May 19, 2016 DispatchCanada, Michigan, WisconsinSusan Cosier

The strong, erratic currents of the Straits of Mackinac could make an oil spill disastrous for two lakes and a whole lot of coastline.

NRDC's Commitment to Green Starts with Its Offices

April 29, 2016 NRDC in ActionNew York City, Chicago, Santa Monica, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, BeijingMelissa Denchak

Each one of our six workplaces in the United States and China is a model of earth-friendly design.

EJ: Getting Us (All of Us) to Environmentalism 4.0

March 2, 2016 ExplainerUnited States, Flint, Michigan, ChicagoBrian Palmer

“Environmental justice” isn’t only about what is put in whose backyard—it’s the future of the environmental movement.

Remember the Kalamazoo

July 21, 2015 DispatchMichiganBrian Palmer

Five years ago, a pipeline spilled a million gallons of tar sands crude into a Michigan river—and we’re still cleaning it up.

Does Home Weatherization Pay for Itself?

June 29, 2015 ExplainerUnited States, MichiganBrian Palmer

Let’s take a deeper look into last week’s energy efficiency bombshell.