Each month, LCV shares five stories about the impact of our work. This month, we’re focusing on how we’re defending federal clean energy investments, advancing climate action in Connecticut and Nevada, preparing for upcoming elections in New Jersey and Virginia, and celebrating the power of our movement at LCV’s recent Capital Dinner.

This Month’s Stories

1. How We’re Defending Federal Clean Energy Progress

As we write, Trump’s “Big Ugly Bill” has cleared the U.S. House and is progressing in the Senate — and it could be the most anti-environmental legislation in our nation’s history.

What’s in the Bill at Present: In its current form, the legislation is horribly damaging to our communities, environment, and climate while benefiting big polluters and billionaires. It effectively halts federal clean energy investments and their cost-saving, job-creating benefits across the country. If passed, it will increase energy costs overnight, increase drilling on our public lands and waters, and shutter clean energy manufacturing facilities and related jobs.

What We’re Doing About It: LCV and our state affiliates, collectively, the Conservation Voters Movement (CVM) are doing everything we can to minimize harm and block this legislation. LCV staff, members, and our state affiliates are advocating on Capitol Hill to remove or blunt the worst parts of the bill and protect federal clean energy investments by:

• Generating tens of thousands of phone calls to congressional offices.
• Facilitating 158 in-person meetings between constituents and legislators or their offices, including 21 with Republican members or their staff.
• Advocating directly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in support of clean energy investments and environmental justice.
• Mobilizing thousands of LCV members to send emails to key lawmakers.
• Generating in-state news stories and opinion pieces to ratchet up pressure on wavering Republicans.
• Running ads targeting critical votes on the impacts to energy prices and good jobs.

What’s Next: We’ll be keeping up the pressure to preserve clean energy investments and public lands protections and holding members of Congress accountable for their votes. We’ll also continue mobilizing communities to advance state and local climate action and environmental justice, including using powerful videos like this one:

2. Connecticut Commits to Net-Zero Climate Emissions by 2050

Connecticut recently passed legislation to achieve net-zero climate emissions by 2050, which will improve air quality and address the causes of climate change by stopping greenhouse gas emissions at their source. The law had an impressive 59 co-sponsors, an indication of broad support for climate action across the state.

The legislation strengthens Connecticut’s 2022 commitment to 100% clean energy by strengthening targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide, requiring the state to cut climate pollution from all sectors.

Why It Matters

The legislation will:

• Protect health by requiring the state to cut harmful air pollution.
• Help mitigate climate change impacts by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting natural solutions that sequester carbon and protect habitats.
• Advance a just transition to a clean economy by creating green jobs, expanding workforce training programs, and establishing incentives for sustainable business practices.
• Encourage energy efficiency upgrades for homes, businesses, and schools.

How We Helped

LCV’s state affiliate, Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV), is a leader working to advance climate policy in the state legislature. This net-zero victory was years in the making, and CTLCV was at the forefront of crafting the omnibus legislation in 2023 and 2024. Their multiyear advocacy to get it over the finish line included:

• Coordinating statewide partners as part of the Connecticut Coalition For Climate Action.
• Driving thousands of constituent messages to decision-makers in support of the legislation.
• Organizing eight lobby days with hundreds of attendees and a climate march with more than 200 attendees.
• Hosting a series of Action Hour events to engage and mobilize community members, including a virtual testimony training.
• Submitting testimony in support of the legislation during committee hearings
• Elevating the issue’s visibility by hosting press conferences with partners, placing op-eds, running extensive digital ad campaigns, and taking out print ads in prominent newspapers.
• Organizing annual Environmental Summits that bring together state decision-makers and hundreds of attendees.

What’s Next

• Governor Ned Lamont said he plans to sign the legislation.

3. Nevada Increases Solar Access and Utility Accountability

Nevada enacted two critical pieces of legislation that expand access to solar energy, protect consumers from being overcharged on their energy bills, and require utilities to shoulder some of the cost of volatile fuel prices rather than passing it all on to ratepayers.

How We Won

Mobilization and Advocacy: LCV’s affiliates, Nevada Conservation League (NCL) and Chispa Nevada, were instrumental in mobilizing public support, organizing stakeholders, and advocating for these wins by:

• Advocating for utility accountability and empowering Nevadans to fight against unfair rate increases and utility practices through the Utility Watch Nevada campaign.
• Leading grassroots outreach that resulted in nearly 5,000 constituent messages to lawmakers, including an impressive text bank that mobilized 546 Nevadans to send 1,092 messages to their legislators in just 48 hours.
• Tabling in communities, holding events to educate and train advocates, organizing participation in legislative hearings, and hosting a lobby day that brought more than 50 attendees to Carson City.
• Building public awareness and shaping the narrative around energy policy and utility regulation through digital and print media, social media engagement, powerful videos, and compelling storytelling that uplifts the experiences of real people.

Understanding Community Needs: NCL also helped build the case for clean energy and corporate accountability by learning from constituents. They polled Nevadans to gauge perspectives on energy issues across the state and the results were clear:

• 78% backed allowing solar power installations at apartment buildings.
• 81% supported holding NV Energy accountable — including 84% of Democrats, 85% of Independents, and 71% of Republicans.
• 68% preferred local clean energy to importing methane gas.

Why It Matters

Increasing Access to Solar Power: The new solar-powered affordable housing law allows shared solar installations on multifamily residential properties, which will:

• Remove outdated barriers to rooftop solar for renters.
• Increase access to the cost-savings of clean energy.
• Help lower energy bills for households that need it most.

Holding Utilities Accountable: After a recent investigation found that NV Energy had overcharged more than 80,000 customers, some by more than $1,100, the accountability law passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, including a unanimous vote in the state Senate. The law will:

• Protect consumers by making utilities bear some of the financial risk of unpredictable fuel prices rather than allowing them to simply pass costs on to consumers.
• Require utilities to fully refund customers who are overcharged.

4. Elections: New Jersey, Virginia, and Beyond

The stakes couldn’t be higher for this year’s state-level elections in New Jersey and Virginia. In New Jersey, our state affiliate, New Jersey LCV and its affiliated entities, supported Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill and helped power her to victory in the state’s June 10th primary.

Meanwhile, with the June 17th primary behind us, Virginia LCV-PAC is working hard to elect Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger as the next governor of the state, maintain the narrow pro-climate Virginia Senate majority, and win a pro-climate majority in the state House.

Why It Matters: This November’s elections in both states provide opportunities to secure and advance clean energy and pro-democracy progress while also testing and refining strategies for the 2026 midterms.

Big Picture: Our New Jersey and Virginia affiliates are all in to make sure that climate and democracy champions are elected in both states. They’re leading the way to show the nation that pro-climate, pro-democracy champions are strong candidates — candidates who win elections and go on to shape just and equitable policies.

5. Building Power at LCV’s Annual Capital Dinner

The strength of the Conservation Voters Movement was on display during LCV’s recent Capital Dinner. This annual marquee membership event brings together the environmental community’s foremost leaders, friends, policymakers, champions, and supporters for a powerful evening. Speakers included notable members of Congress, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock (GA), and Representatives Greg Casar (TX-35), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), and Derek Tran (CA-45).

Gathering during this difficult time was as illuminating as it was energizing. We came together to celebrate our solidarity and recognize our collective power. We reveled in our victories, along with our defiance and our determination to continue our critical work protecting people and the planet.

Together, we celebrated the power of the Conservation Voters Movement:

We also honored Gene Karpinski, who served as LCV’s president for the last 19 years:

And, we got to know more about LCV’s new president, Pete Maysmith, including how his activism began when he protested nuclear weapons while in elementary school, thanks to his mom:

Events like this one and the recent No Kings Day protests across the country are vivid reminders of what we can do when we organize, link arms, and move forward — together. Check out these photos from the Capital Dinner: