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“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.
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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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In a Win for Health, the EPA Toughens Limits on Soot Air Pollution

Expert BlogUnited StatesDr. Vijay Limaye, John Walke, Emily Davis
Today's agency action will deliver life-saving protections from dangerous air pollution.

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After Broad Run, FERC's GHG Policy Is on Thin Ice

Expert BlogGillian Giannetti
The DC Circuit fired a warning shot this week at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and its analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with gas pipeline projects. The court rejected the core legal arguments that underpin the agency’s policy…

FERC Can't Just Check the Climate Box

Expert BlogGillian Giannetti
In its order approving the Calcasieu Pass LNG terminal, FERC announced a "new approach" for considering the direct greenhouse gas effects of LNG facilities. FERC’s “new approach”—applied over Commissioner Richard Glick’s dissent—falls far short of what is required under both…

McNamee Should Recuse Himself in FERC Resilience Dockets

Expert BlogGillian Giannetti
The Natural Resources Defense Council today joined with other organizations in formally asking new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Commissioner Bernard McNamee to recuse himself from two pending proceedings related to the Department of Energy’s proposal to bail out coal and…

The Coal/Nuke Plant Bailout: We Must Remain Vigilant

Expert BlogGillian Giannetti
Recent media reports suggest that the White House has tabled its plan to bail out costly coal and nuclear plants. While this would be an encouraging development for consumers and the nation’s energy markets, it is far too soon to…

FERC Should Reconsider Staff Delegation for Key Orders

Expert BlogGillian Giannetti
FERC commissioners delegate numerous activities, ranging from scheduling hearings to reviewing limited types of uncontested applications for energy infrastructure, to FERC staff. This makes sense. Just like any well-functioning business, the commissioners must be able to rely on staff to…

Trump Officials Pressured National Lab to Help Coal Agenda

Expert BlogGillian Giannetti
Trump administration officials pressured the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to write their March 2018 resilience study to benefit coal producers, according to a Bloomberg story posted today based on documents obtained by Sierra Club and…

Reliability Experts to FERC: Focus on “No Regrets” Actions

Expert BlogJohn Moore, Gillian Giannetti
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) held its annual conference on electric system reliability this week. Unsurprisingly, the topic of resilience was featured throughout and the message from most energy experts was clear: power grids should focus on implementing “no…

The Coal/Nuke Bailout, or DOE’s Game of Whack-A-Mole

Expert BlogUnited StatesGillian Giannetti

If it feels like you've been reading about a potential federal bailout for America's aging and uneconomic coal and nuclear plants for a long time, you're not wrong. Despite consistent opposition, the idea just won't die. DOE's game of whack-a-mole…

FERC Takes a Step Backward on Environmental Impacts

Expert BlogGillian Giannetti
Buried within a routine order, a 3-2 majority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) unveiled a new policy on May 18 that limits FERC's analysis and disclosure of the environmental impacts of natural gas pipeline projects. The policy undermines…

Worried About Grid Resilience? Don’t—You Can Sleep Well

Expert BlogGillian Giannetti
NRDC, Sustainable FERC Project, and 15 other organizations wrote the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today arguing that Rick Perry's warning of an impending energy resilience nightmare is just that: a dream out of touch with reality.

Grid Resilience Efforts Should Focus on Customer Benefits

Expert BlogJohn Moore, Gillian Giannetti
A new report by three prominent energy experts correctly says that the focus of "resilience" should be on electricity customer needs. Those customer needs lie primarily on the distribution system—not the high-power grid.