There’s so much to celebrate this month. In our top story, you’ll meet Natalie King, the founder and CEO of the first African-American woman-owned electric vehicle (EV) charger manufacturer in the world, located in Detroit. In subsequent stories, you’ll learn about the recent protection of one million acres of land surrounding Grand Canyon National Park, endorsements for congressional climate champions, recent victories in Maine, Montana, and Ohio, and the important connections between a healthy democracy and a healthy planet. Read this month’s LCV Top 5 stories.

1. Celebrating the IRA’s Successes and Promise
2. President Biden Designates New Monuments
3. LCV Action Fund Announces Congressional Endorsements
4. The Power of the Conservation Voters Movement
5. Why LCV Focuses on Democracy and Climate

August 2023 Top 5 Stories

1. Celebrating the IRA’s Successes and Promise

One year after its passage, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is ushering in a new era of clean energy and countless individual success stories. Take entrepreneur Natalie King, for example. King is the founder and CEO of Dunamis Charge, the first African-American woman-owned electric vehicle (EV) charger manufacturer in the world.

The company is thriving in the heart of Detroit, employs over 135 workers, is slated to produce over 400,000 EV chargers by 2025 — and is fueled by growing demand for EVs thanks to the related tax credits included in the IRA. King credits President Biden’s strong commitment to clean energy and manufacturing for her company’s success, saying, “I believe that clean energy technology gives entrepreneurs a true opportunity to do good for our community while being good at what we do.” Watch a short video featuring King.

Read more stories like King’s.

But it’s not just entrepreneurs like King who are benefiting from the landmark legislation signed into law by President Biden last August. The IRA — the most important action the U.S. has ever taken to address climate change — is moving our country toward an equitable clean energy future and making tangible differences in people lives by:

• Creating more than 170,000 good-paying jobs, with 9 million jobs projected by 2032.
• Launching hundreds of clean energy projects in rural communities, towns, and cities across the country.
• Increasing the viability of electric vehicles with up to $7,500 in tax breaks for their purchase and $7 billion for charging stations nationwide.
• Spurring investments in clean energy solutions through tax credits, grants, and loans to state and local governments, Tribes, rural electric cooperatives, nonprofits, and households.
• Encouraging business growth through tax incentives for more energy efficient buildings and manufacturing processes that reduce overhead costs and curb pollution.

It took LCV and our movement over a decade of grit, vision, and focused strategy to win passage of the IRA. But our work didn’t stop there. LCV and our 30+ state affiliates are laser-focused on maximizing the benefits of the federal clean energy plan by helping individuals, communities, small businesses, and states understand and make use of more than $369 billion in federal investments available to cut carbon pollution, save consumers money, create jobs, and expand environmental justice. Our plans are well underway and include:

• Conducting 1,000+ briefings with local and state elected officials to prepare them to tout and implement the affordable clean energy plan in their communities.
• Equipping members of Congress to educate their constituents and put federal dollars to work in their states, including by providing consultation and communications resources for policymakers in English and Spanish.
• Creating a groundswell of grassroots activism that encourages community members to show support for clean energy projects through canvassing, letters to the editor, and other means. To date, we’ve activated 9,500+ volunteers, participated in 150+ events, placed 30+ op-eds and editorials, earned 70+ news stories, and run 100+ TV, digital and print ads in 130+ districts in 27 states.

When fully implemented, the federal clean energy plan will bring our nation 80% of the way to reaching our 2030 climate goals. That’s why LCV is also pushing for additional executive and state-level actions that will get us the rest of the way there. At the same time, we must protect these critical clean energy investments from far-right, pro-polluter Congressional Republicans and presidential candidates who are actively trying to turn back the clock on this historic and urgently-needed progress.

As LCV Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis told POLITICO, “We’re living in this moment of tension between a very important victory and also the importance of implementation and getting it right…This is just the start of a race and not at all the end.”

Read more about the benefits of the IRA and the fight to fend off climate tipping points.

See what states are doing to celebrate and implement the IRA.

2. President Biden Designates New Monuments   

In recent decades, the U.S. has lost one football field worth of land to development every 30 seconds. This stunning figure (detailed in a Center for American Progress report) is even more compelling when you consider that these losses are largely preventable and that losses in natural lands can contribute to the rise in global temperatures.

Thanks to our supporters, LCV is helping to protect public lands by collaborating with national and local organizations, participating in public meetings and turning out others to do so, placing digital ads to drive thousands of public comments, and advocating with administration officials.

This work has helped encourage the Biden-Harris administration to do more to fulfill its commitment to preserving 30 percent of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030, a goal often referred to as “30×30.” This month, President Biden designated two new monuments, the latest in a series that represents strong conservation efforts as well as successful collaborations with states, Tribes, and private partners.

In addition to the monuments detailed above, President Biden has designated three others to date, including Camp Hale in Colorado, Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada, and Castner Range in Texas.

3. LCV Action Fund Announces Congressional Endorsements

Elections have consequences. That’s why LCV Action Fund works to help elect pro-environment candidates, including helping to elect and reelect 90 U.S. senators and 450 members of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1990. Over the last several years, LCV Action Fund’s efforts have also helped elevate climate change, clean energy, environmental justice, and democracy as critical issues in key elections.

LCV Action Fund recently announced its first round of 2024 congressional endorsements, including 85 incumbent climate and democracy champions and five new candidates in competitive districts. With this summer’s deadly heat and raging fires, it’s clearer than ever that we must elect and reelect leaders who will fight for equitable and effective climate solutions at the scale and pace required. See the candidates who have received LCV Action Fund endorsements to date.

4. The Power of the Conservation Voters Movement

There are a lot of things that make LCV unique in the environmental movement, one of which is our ability to quickly mobilize the public in response to rapidly changing policy and advocacy needs. This has been critical to our success in recent years, helping us hold elected leaders accountable to advance and defend strong policies on climate, clean energy, democracy, and more. The Conservation Voters Movement (CVM) is at the center of this success. 

LCV supports and amplifies the work of our 30+ state affiliates, including by facilitating close collaboration and sharing of expertise and resources across the CVM. Three state-level victories in recent weeks illustrate the power of the CVM:

The impact of CVM victories like these has a multiplier effect. As states make progress on climate action and democracy issues, their examples influence what happens in cities, other states, and at the federal level. That’s why LCV continues to invest in our state affiliates, providing millions of dollars in grant support each year, along with training, advice, and coalition-building opportunities.

5. Why LCV Focuses on Climate and Democracy

At LCV, we understand that our nation’s biggest environmental challenges require political solutions. That’s why, along with our state affiliates, we focus on building a strong democracy to help ensure a healthy environment. With mounting threats to democratic access and the stark reminders of the need for climate action in recent months, this combined work has never been more important.

In 2023 alone, more than 300 restrictive voting bills have been proposed in 45 states, building on the wave of similar bills passed in recent years.

As part of our ongoing advocacy for national protection of voting rights, LCV has actively supported passage of the Freedom to Vote Act since 2019. This summer, we joined a broad coalition of climate and environmental groups urging Congress to pass this critical legislation. The bill was recently reintroduced by Representative Sarbanes (MD-3) and Senator Klobuchar (MN) and would set basic federal standards so all Americans can cast their ballots in the way that works best for them. Specifically, the legislation aims to protect and increase safe, secure, and equitable voting access, especially for those who have historically dealt with the highest barriers to voting, including communities of color, people with disabilities, and young people.

As part of our ongoing efforts to keep these issues top of mind, LCV recently engaged members of Congress in a Q&A session about how legislation like this can help protect access to the ballot box — and what they’re doing to maintain and protect a strong, robust democracy for all. Read responses from members of Congress during the voting rights Q&A.