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Expert Blogs

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How to Fix What Xcel Got Wrong on Clean Heat

Expert BlogColoradoAlejandra Mejia Cunningham

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission should approve a Clean Heat Plan that delivers more emissions reductions at a lower cost

Colorado Climate Progress: 2023 Year in Review

Expert BlogColoradoAlana Miller

This past year saw continued climate action, with important policies that will reduce carbon emissions and air pollution while improving quality of life.

RGGI States Learning and Sharing On Climate and Equity

Expert BlogEast, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, VirginiaJackson Morris

A new report finds that the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative delivers on jobs, emissions reduction, and economic benefits—and provides a framework to address equity in the future.

Colorado Legislative Roundup: 2023

Expert BlogColoradoAlana Miller

A suite of important, yet heavily negotiated, environmental bills are making their way to Governor Polis’s desk.

Colorado's Win for Clean Trucks

Expert BlogUnited States, ColoradoClaire Lang-Ree
Colorado voted to adopt historic standards to promote clean trucks in the state, which will reduce harmful air pollution from trucks and buses. It's time for other Western states to move forward with these safeguards.

New Program Will Help Ensure Reliable Electricity in the West

Expert BlogCanada, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, WestKelsie Gomanie
The Western Resource Adequacy Program (WRAP) is designed to provide benefits for customers, utilities, and the environment.

Equitable Building Decarbonization Across the Country: 2022

Expert BlogCalifornia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, OregonCaroline Keicher, Joe O'Brien-Applegate
Policies and programs aimed at new construction and existing buildings continue to gain traction as communities and elected officials realize the feasibility and benefits of ambitious and equity-centered action.

A $3 Billion Milestone for the Western Grid

Expert BlogUnited States, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, WestKelsie Gomanie

After a year of record-breaking heat waves, drought, and flooding, add to that list some good news for the Western United States: The Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) is positioned to surpass $3 billion in cumulative benefits by the end…

Preserving Oregon's Economy-wide Cap on Carbon Emissions

Expert BlogOregon, California, WestRalph Cavanagh

Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission adopted the second state-level economy-wide carbon cap in the country (in December 2021), after California’s. The resulting Climate Protection Program (CPP) relies on the state’s sovereign authority to regulate environmental hazards, and on supporting authority under…

Colorado Proposes Shift from Highway Expansion to Transit

Expert BlogColoradoAlana Miller

In what would be a win for climate, equity, and all Coloradans, the Colorado Department of Transportation has proposed canceling two highway widening projects in the Denver region and reallocating resources to transit.

Colorado Legislative Roundup 2022

Expert BlogColoradoAlana Miller, Sam Gilchrist

The 2022 session brought about major victories for our health and environment and big opportunities for us to continue to invest in a clean, healthy and fair Colorado for all.

EPA: It’s Time to Act. We need Clean Trucks Now

Expert BlogUnited States, California, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, WashingtonPatricio Portillo, Heather Kryczka
Cutting tailpipe emissions and moving to zero emission vehicles can eliminate the diesel fumes causing childhood asthma, emergency room visits, and loss of life.

Portland Acts on Climate, Equity with Parking Fee

Expert BlogPortland (Oregon), OregonElizabeth Stampe, Sarah Elkotbeid

The city has passed a resolution to generate revenue by increasing parking rates to better capture the true cost of driving—to climate and communities—and use the revenue to bring greater equity to the transportation system.

Climate & Public Health Agenda for Colorado in 2022

Expert BlogColoradoAlana Miller, Sam Gilchrist
While the beginning of 2022 may feel less certain than we’d all hoped, we’re looking forward to fighting for environmental progress in the State Capitol and beyond.

Western Climate Initiative: OR & WA Add Caps to CA's AB32

Expert BlogCalifornia, Oregon, Washington, WestRalph Cavanagh
In 2021, fifteen years after California made climate history by becoming the first US state to adopt an economy-wide carbon emissions cap, Oregon and Washington completed a West Coast hat trick by becoming the second and third. Well, almost.