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ICYMI: Major clean energy wins in NE, NV & NJ

Nov 25, 2019

Contact: Emily Samsel, 202-454-4573, emily_samsel@lcv.org

The first half of 2019 was one of the most impactful 6 months of climate action ever thanks to a groundswell of state and local action. Clearly momentum hasn’t slowed — Nebraska, Nevada and New Jersey all took significant action this month to move residents towards a clean energy future:

In Nebraska, the public electric utility that serves 45% of the state’s population adopted a zero carbon by 2050 goal on November 14. The move by the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) means that almost half of the Cornhusker State is now on track to receive completely clean energy by 2050. This is a major turnaround in a state that currently gets 70% of its electricity from fossil fuels.

LCV’s affiliate in Nebraska, Nebraska Conservation Voters (NCV), has been hard at work for years recruiting and electing clean energy champions to the OPPD board. NCV ran a robust campaign encouraging the OPPD to pass the zero carbon goal this fall and Executive Director of NCV Eliot Bostar had this to say about the big win: “This goal represents the kind of leadership that is historic, forward-thinking and greatly benefits not just Omaha but all Nebraskans. It’s exciting to see this board take action to make our electricity system cleaner and more affordable.” More here.

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In Nevada, Governor Steve Sisolak signed an executive order on November 22 directing state agencies to take action on climate change by reducing Nevada’s greenhouse gas emissions, asking agencies to consider climate change’s disproportionate impact on disadvantaged and low-income communities. The state will also start the process of establishing stronger vehicle emission standards.

LCV’s affiliate in Nevada, Nevada Conservation League (NCL), has been holding Governor Sisolak accountable to his campaign promises to protect the future of Nevadans and reduce carbon emissions harming Nevada communities. NCL Executive Director Andy Maggi’s response to the executive order:  “We applaud Governor Sisolak for signing this executive order to begin significantly reducing our state’s greenhouse gas pollution, crafting a State Climate Strategy, and taking steps towards setting stronger vehicle emissions standards.” More here.

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In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy signed an executive order on November 19 that more than doubles the state’s offshore wind energy goal. The governor committed the state to produce 7,500 megawatts of electricity through wind energy by 2035. Governor Murphy said that wind energy could power half the state’s energy needs and about 3.2 million homes if this goal is met.

LCV’s affiliate in New Jersey, New Jersey League of Conservation Voters (NJLCV) was the first environmental group to endorse Governor Murphy in his 2017 election bid and has been holding the governor to his pledge to make New Jersey a leader in the fight against climate change ever since. In response to the wind energy executive order, NJLCV Executive Director Ed Potosnak said: “We applaud Governor Murphy for his concrete actions to combat climate change and make NJ the greenest state in America by increasing our offshore wind commitment and creating thousands of good local jobs in the clean energy economy.” More here.

 

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