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Aerial view of the National Petroleum Reserve in northwestern Alaska

The Biden Administration Protects Millions of Acres of Arctic Alaska

Latest NewsAlaskaJenny Shalant
The new Special Areas Rule in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska could boost biodiversity and empower Indigenous Peoples to defend the lands they’ve relied on for generations.
Two adults and a child walk along a sandy shoreline

“Forever Chemicals” Called PFAS Show Up in Your Food, Clothes, and Home

ExplainerUnited StatesMolly M. Ginty, Courtney Lindwall
These toxic chemicals are so common in consumer products and manufacturing that they’re everywhere—including inside our bodies.
A river with green trees on either side, with yellow hills in the background

In Planning for Climate Change, Native Americans Draw on the Past

ExplainerUnited States, CanadaTim Vanderpool
Across North America, Indigenous tribes and nations are consulting their traditional ecological knowledge to help prepare for a warming world.

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Equitable Rate Reform FAQ

Expert BlogCaliforniaMohit Chhabra, Sylvie Ashford
Improving how we pay for shared electric system costs in California

Reforming CA's Electric Rates for Decarbonization and Equity

Expert BlogCaliforniaSylvie Ashford, Mohit Chhabra
NRDC and The Utility Reform Network submitted an electric rate design proposal to the California Public Utilities Commission to promote equity and encourage beneficial electrification. This is the first stage in a regulatory process to implement income-based fixed charges.

California's Net Metering Reform: Necessary, Accurate, Fair

Expert BlogCaliforniaMohit Chhabra

The CPUC’s Proposed Decision, if adopted, it would institute significant reforms to the Commission’s net metering (NEM) rate for residential customers with rooftop solar. This proposed decision is the culmination of a year-long proceeding at the CPUC.

A Four Point Guide to California's Net Metering Update

Expert BlogCaliforniaMohit Chhabra, Julia de Lamare, Merrian Borgeson

What should rooftop solar customers be paid for the electricity they generate, and how should the costs of the electric system that we all depend on be shared among customers with and without rooftop solar?

California Enacts Plan for Smart Offshore Wind Development

Expert BlogCaliforniaSandy Aylesworth, Mohit Chhabra

When AB 525 became law last month, California set the standard for floating offshore wind energy development in the United States. The law requires California to develop offshore wind in a way that creates good jobs, protects California's unparalleled marine…

New Energy Efficiency Rules Will Cut Carbon & Lower Costs

Expert BlogCaliforniaLara Ettenson, Mohit Chhabra

With the sixth annual Energy Efficiency Day planned for Wednesday, it’s a good time to remember that efficiency is one of the most effective ways to fight dangerous climate pollution and catalyze action to address historic underinvestment in vulnerable communities.

California’s NEM 3.0 Must Grow Rooftop Solar Sustainably

Expert BlogCaliforniaJulia de Lamare, Mohit Chhabra

One of the foremost challenges that the California Public Utilities Commission faces in developing a new net energy metering policy, called NEM 3.0, is to ensure that rooftop solar continues to grow sustainably in California as required by law.

CPUC's Clean Energy Order: Necessary, Timely, and Ambitious

Expert BlogUnited StatesMohit Chhabra

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) adopted a decision to acquire 11.5 GW of mostly carbon-free electricity over the next five to seven years. This decision firmly places the state on course to getting to zero carbon electricity and a…

Ocean Wind Becomes California’s Future Power

Expert BlogCaliforniaSandy Aylesworth, Mohit Chhabra

Department of Interior advances leasing for offshore wind energy development in California offshore waters, ending years-long impasse with the Department of Defense.

New Electric Rates Put Power Back in Californians' Hands

Expert BlogCaliforniaAlejandra Mejia Cunningham, Mohit Chhabra
California’s policy makers and IOUs are now taking action to reward Californians for using electricity at the times when it is cleanest and most plentiful, by introducing time-varying pricing plans.

CA’s Carbon-Free Electricity Goal Needs Bold Action Now

Expert BlogCaliforniaJulia de Lamare, Mohit Chhabra
A new report released by California’s energy agencies says we could reach zero-carbon electricity by 2045, which is great news for the state’s climate goals. But bold action will be needed to achieve that milestone.

Rooftop Solar in California is Ready to Take the Next Step

Expert BlogCaliforniaMohit Chhabra, Julia de Lamare
Through this blog we explain NEM, why California’s current policy needs to evolve, and share NRDC’s proposal in the California Public Utilities Commission’s NEM 3.0 proceeding. Our proposal is intended to support sustainable growth in the solar industry while increasing…

CPUC Takes a Big First Step Toward Climate Change Adaptation

Expert BlogMohit Chhabra
California’s Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) just became the nation’s first utility regulator to take the impact of climate change on energy infrastructure and services seriously. This blog explains how climate change impacts each aspect of the energy system; how the…