News & Commentary

Mapping Clean Energy in the West

August 31, 2023 Expert BlogColorado, New MexicoClaire Lang-Ree

Colorado and New Mexico can take advantage of Energy Community tax credits to build renewable energy and jumpstart an equitable workforce transition.

CARB Must Reform LCFS Program

August 23, 2023 Expert BlogCaliforniaKiki Velez

Will CARB listen to the community voices calling for change to the LCFS Program?

At Long Last, the Vision of the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition Is Realized

August 21, 2023 Expert BlogArizonaBobby McEnaney

The designation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni—Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument is not only extremely popular but its protections are long overdue.

DOE Shrugs as U.S. Natural Gas Exports Surge

August 11, 2023 Expert BlogLouisiana, Texas, Florida, Alaska, New Jersey, PennsylvaniaGillian Giannetti, Morgan Johnson

A decade-long expansion of U.S. liquefied natural gas export terminals has transformed American energy policy.

Dirty Energy Is Not in the Public Interest

August 9, 2023 Expert BlogNew MexicoClaire Lang-Ree

It's time for a New Mexico utility to invest in clean energy over dirty coal and gas.

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. 

Golden State Natural Resources’ Biomass Boondoggle

July 19, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaRita Frost

Community leaders, environmental groups, and residents oppose greenwashed biomass production and export scheme in California.

Renewables and Storage Hold Their Own in the Texas Heat Dome

July 5, 2023 Expert BlogTexasJohn Moore

No fossil fuels, no problem? Texas investments in wind and solar pay off, generating record-breaking renewable power to meet all-time high electricity demand during nearly 10-day heat dome—despite fossil fuel plant failures.

Colorado's Historic Win for Building Electrification

June 28, 2023 Expert BlogColoradoClaire Lang-Ree

The Public Utilities Commission in Colorado approved a budget of over $429 million for new building electrification and energy efficiency programs for customers of Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest utility, in a recent proceeding. This decision is a win for Coloradans…

How New Mexico Can Move Forward on Climate and a Just Transition

June 21, 2023 Expert BlogNew MexicoNoah Long, Alexis Mena

The bottom line is that, without significant new action, the state will not meet its targets to cut emissions and will not protect New Mexican communities from the clear, present, and increasing consequences of climate change.

Study Shows 14,000 Unplugged Oil and Gas Wells in Gulf of Mexico

May 23, 2023 Expert BlogTexas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, FloridaRebecca Loomis, Rebecca Ramirez

Industry has neglected thousands of unused oil and gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico. They will cost an estimated $30 billion to plug and decommission.

Community Science Is Changing How People Can Fight Pollution

May 23, 2023 PerspectivesHouston, Texas, St. Louis, Missouri, Chicago, IllinoisCourtney Lindwall

Grassroots groups are collecting their own pollution data to increase accountability and demand environmental justice.

California ISO Approves $7.3 Billion Investment in Transmission

May 22, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, CaliforniaKelsie Gomanie, Peter Miller

Ambitious investment to boost transmission in support of clean energy is approved by the California Independent System Operator.

Home Depot's Shareholders Should Oppose Board Leadership

May 17, 2023 Expert BlogWashingtonShelley Vinyard

One year after shareholders requested the company report on reducing its forest-sourcing risk, Home Depot has failed to address shareholder concerns.

Colorado's Win for Clean Trucks

May 5, 2023 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.

Western Electricity Grid Is Entering Its Day-Ahead Market Era

April 28, 2023 Expert BlogWest, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, WashingtonKelsie Gomanie

NRDC is working with stakeholders to safeguard consumer interests and environmental protections as utilities from California to the Great Plains weigh proposals to share energy resources through an organized market.

Public Land Grab: Senate Bill Gifts Miners Pass to Pollute

April 28, 2023 Expert BlogWest, Nevada, Idaho, United StatesJosh Axelrod

Senators Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV) and Jim Risch (R-ID) have introduced legislation that makes it easier for mining companies and others to acquire rights to federal land and to be able to use them as dumping grounds and worse. The legislation…

Colorado Gas Customers Demand Action to Lower Bills, Emissions

April 11, 2023 Expert BlogColoradoKiki Velez, Alana Miller

Coloradans are demanding relief from high gas heating bills. Legislators can take action by reducing the state’s dependence on gas, a fossil fuel that is bad for our wallets, our climate, and our health.

Colorado River Carbon Bomb: Utah's Uinta Railway Project

April 6, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, UtahJosh Axelrod

Backers of a proposed crude-by-rail project in northeastern Utah—which would unleash a carbon bomb potentially larger than the controversial Willow Project—want taxpayer support to the tune of $2 billion.

Rate Increases and Blackouts: Duke Energy’s Strategy for 2023

April 6, 2023 Expert BlogNorth Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, EastLuis Martinez

Duke failed to keep the lights on last December, but it is now pursuing enormous rate increases of more than 30 percent to help pay for fossil fuels and huge executive salary raises.