News & Commentary

Greater Energy Equity Ahead, in both Maryland and Virginia

May 25, 2023 Expert BlogVirginia, Maryland, Richmond (Virginia)Walton Shepherd, Lucy LaFlamme, Dawone Robinson

New state laws in MD and VA will lower spiking electric bills for those least able to afford them, through better-designed home energy efficiency improvements.

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.

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.

Holding Interior to Account on Gulf Oil and Gas Leasing

March 6, 2023 Expert BlogAlabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, TexasIrene Gutierrez

Continuing to extract oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico will have a steep price for the environment and coastal communities in the region. That's why NRDC and our partners took BOEM to court.

Cover Crops for Every Climate

February 17, 2023 Expert BlogWest, Midwest, East, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Idaho, New Mexico, TexasLara Bryant, Dr. Daniel Rath

Cover crops are adaptable, valuable, and effective enough that farmers can benefit from them in every region of the United States—even cold or dry areas.

Supercharge EmPOWER to Ensure No Marylander Gets Left Behind

February 16, 2023 Expert BlogMarylandDeron Lovaas, Sam Whillans

Creating a low-income energy savings target can ensure that Maryland’s energy efficiency program works toward equity—not against it.

Equitable Building Decarbonization Across the Country: 2022

December 14, 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.

Celebrating Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Food Matters Cohorts

December 9, 2022 Expert BlogBaltimore, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C.Madeline Keating, Darby Hoover

This month, we mark the successful completion of our two-year partnerships with the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast cohorts. Our work with Great Lakes cities will continue in 2023.

Memo to Maryland: Start Over on Workplace Heat Protections

November 16, 2022 Expert BlogUnited States, MarylandJuanita Constible

Maryland needs to shelve its weak and unenforceable proposal for workplace heat standards and start over again.

It’s Time to Transition Away from Offshore Oil Leasing

October 6, 2022 Expert BlogAlaska, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, FloridaIrene Gutierrez

The Heat Was On and Our Power Grid Held: But Will It Next Time?

October 4, 2022 Expert BlogCalifornia, TexasChristy Walsh

It wasn’t easy, but the U.S. power grid defied record-breaking heatwaves and doomsday warnings to survive the summer without major service interruptions.

NRDC Inflation Reduction Act Ad Campaign

August 17, 2022 Expert BlogCalifornia, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia, WashingtonTimothy Edland

The campaign in 15 states and 14 congressional districts will educate the public about the Inflation Reduction Act and thank key senators and members of Congress for their support.

Solar Helps Keep the ACs Humming in Texas

July 21, 2022 Expert BlogTexasJohn Moore

In a month that has seen Texas sizzle under record-breaking heat, solar, and wind power have been key to helping keeping the lights on—and air conditioners humming.

Solving Problems—Not Pointing Fingers—in Texas

July 13, 2022 Expert BlogTexasChristy Walsh

Blaming any one power source is a mistake. We can’t make any one source of power foolproof, but we can make a grid that’s nimble, resilient, and reliable.

Toward a Renter's Right to Heat-Safe Housing

June 9, 2022 Expert BlogNew York City, Maryland, United StatesSam Whillans

Everyone deserves to stay safe and cool during extreme heat waves.

Putting the Brakes on Toxic “Forever Chemicals” in Maryland

April 29, 2022 Expert BlogMarylandTom Hucker

An important new law in Annapolis stops the introduction of new toxic PFAS into the Maryland environment.

The Texas Storm That Proved the Need for Grid Investments

February 9, 2022 Expert BlogTexas, United StatesChristy Walsh

It has been a year since Winter Storm Uri left millions of people without power. The United States cannot wait any longer to invest in its aging transmission system.

How to Stop a Highway

November 19, 2021 DispatchHoustonTim Vanderpool

Houston activists fuel a growing movement to increasingly center environmental justice in infrastructure and protect urban neighborhoods from endlessly expanding road projects.

Despite Climate Dangers, Offshore Leasing Continues in Gulf

November 17, 2021 Expert BlogUnited States, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Mississippi, AlabamaValerie Cleland, Lauren Kubiak

This morning, the Biden administration held the largest offshore oil and gas lease sale in U.S. history by offering up almost 80 million acres of ocean to the fossil fuel industry. Though the Biden administration has been bold on climate…

Through a Solar Transformation, a Former Landfill Is Poised to Become a Community Lifeline

September 28, 2021 DispatchHoustonMaudlyne Ihejirika

In Sunnyside, Houston—a neighborhood that recently registered the city’s highest unemployment rate—residents are preparing for an influx of jobs to come from the Sunnyside Energy Community Solar project.