News & Commentary

Celebrating New York’s First Offshore Wind Project

March 14, 2024 Expert BlogUnited States, New YorkKit Kennedy

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland commemorate the completion of South Fork Wind.

Bees on the Brink: Will Minnesota Act to Save Them?

February 13, 2024 Expert BlogMinnesotaLucas Rhoads

The legislature has a crucial opportunity to pass bills to protect people and pollinators from needless pesticide use.

Columbus Signs Milan Urban Food Policy Pact

February 5, 2024 Expert BlogUnited States, Ohio, ColumbusAnya Obrez

Columbus Signs Milan Urban Food Policy Pact

We Need Healthy Farm Ecosystems – Not Harmful Pesticides

December 14, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, Washington, D.C., Florida, CaliforniaAllison Johnson

EPA should do more to protect pollinators – and we need to ramp up resources to help farmers build healthy ecosystems themselves.

South Fork Wind Is Also a Victory for Whales

December 7, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, New YorkDr. Francine Kershaw

The first U.S. utility-scale offshore wind project turns on the lights—and was built with strong protections in place for endangered whales.

Electric Vehicles: A Win-Win for Illinois Drivers & Utility Customers

December 5, 2023 Expert BlogIllinoisMuhammed Patel, Annie Minondo

Widespread adoption of electric vehicles in Illinois will benefit all utility customers as we transition towards a cleaner transportation system.

Farm-to-Glass Supports Organic Farming

November 16, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C., Ohio, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Michigan, Maine, CaliforniaAllison Johnson

Cheers! NRDC and our partners toasted a good cause on Capitol Hill: growing organic!

The Belvidere Plant's Transition to an EV Plant Has a Bright Future

November 13, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, IllinoisGina Ramirez

The United Auto Workers’ historic strike results in important benefits, including a path for reopening the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois.

National Scorecard Says Illinois Can Do Better on Transportation

November 8, 2023 Expert BlogIllinoisMuhammed Patel, Samantha Henningson

A new scorecard from NRDC shows that Illinois is trailing behind its neighbors in building a clean and equitable transportation system.

Solar Gets Backing Before the Ohio Supreme Court

October 24, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, OhioDaniel Sawmiller

The Ohio Supreme Court has received written arguments in a case that could decide the future of large-scale solar projects in Ohio.

Clean Cars Yield $178 Billion in Benefits for Illinois

October 16, 2023 Expert BlogIllinoisMuhammed Patel

A new study shows that the Advanced Clean Cars II Program can bring $178 billion in benefits to Illinois.

Winter Storm Elliott Report Highlights the Risk of Natural Gas Failures

July 20, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, East, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, TexasDana Ammann

PJM’s report on Winter Storm Elliott found that gas generators were responsible for 70 percent of forced outages during December 2022. Climate change will only intensify future severe weather. 

Organic Needs a Boost in the Farm Bill

July 12, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, California, Iowa, Washington, D.C.Allison Johnson

Our public investments in organic food production have not kept pace with the organic sector’s growth – and that’s a missed opportunity for domestic economic development. The Opportunities in Organic Act would help U.S. farms meet consumer demand by reducing…

A Tale of Two Capacity Auctions—and Still Too Much Coal

July 10, 2023 Expert BlogMidwest, IllinoisMeghan Hassett

A capacity price spike impacted Illinoisans’ electricity bills last June. What has MISO done to prevent it from happening again? It’s a mixed bag—with too many fossil fuels inside.

Illinois Must Invest in Transportation Options for All

June 28, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, IllinoisSamantha Henningson, J.C. Kibbey

The infusion of $10 billion in federal funds presents an opportunity to either double down on a dirty, unfair status quo—or choose a new transportation future.

Midwest states need a modern grid to supercharge clean energy goals

June 15, 2023 Expert BlogMinnesota, Midwest, Illinois, MichiganMeghan Hassett

Midwest states are already leading on clean energy, but achieving their goals depends on the power grid's readiness. We need the electricity system to catch up.

Major NYC Environmental Advance: City Council to Pass Universal Organics Collection Law

June 7, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, New York CityEric A. Goldstein

New York City Council is poised to pass a law that would mandate organics collection.

Pollinators Notch Big Wins in Minnesota

May 26, 2023 Expert BlogSt. PaulLucas Rhoads

In a historic 2023 session, Minnesota reined in pesticide use, increased pollinator habitat, and built momentum toward additional protections. 

A Blueprint for Advanced Industrial Manufacturing in New York

May 23, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, New YorkIan Wells

New York can lead the nation in low-carbon industrial manufacturing. Here is how.

Illinois Needs to Address Transportation Pollution—Not Widen I-55

May 15, 2023 Expert BlogIllinois, ChicagoMeghan Hassett, J.C. Kibbey

Illinois has a transportation pollution problem. Expanding I-55 would only worsen it, putting vulnerable communities at risk.