Top 5 Stories — Spring 2026

Learn about our recent wins: LCV’s 2025 National Environmental Scorecard is holding elected leaders accountable. Newly elected leaders are increasing access to clean energy. LCV state affiliates are ensuring equitable policy implementation. LCV Action Fund endorses candidates for the midterms. Our Impact Report highlights what you made possible in 2025.

Read Our Top Stories

1. New LCV Scorecard Holds Leaders Accountable

LCV’s just-released 2025 National Environmental Scorecard tracks the voting records of every member of Congress on critical climate, environmental justice, public lands, and democracy legislation — holding them accountable for the actions they take while in office.

Where Accountability Fits in Our Work

At LCV, we help elect climate and democracy champions, work with them to pass policies that protect people and the planet, and hold them accountable for their actions once they’re in office. LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard is a key component of our accountability efforts — and a vital tool that helps the media and the public understand where members of Congress stand on critical environmental and democracy issues.

Why the Scorecard and Accountability Matter

The Scorecard and LCV’s other accountability efforts serve to:

Using the Scorecard

Equip yourself with the information you need to stay in the know and interact effectively with lawmakers using the Scorecard:

• Enter your zip code to see how your members of Congress scored, and call them to let them know what you think about their decisions.
• Use our interactive map to see states’ average scores and how they’ve changed over time.
• View all the votes we scored from the year, and click on any vote to read more about its impact.
• View lawmakers’ lifetime scores and how they’ve changed over time.
• See how highlighted members of Congress in the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, and Congressional Hispanic Caucus championed the environment and democracy.
• Download a copy of the LCV Scorecard PDF report.

About the Scorecard

• LCV has been publishing the National Environmental Scorecard for more than 50 years, providing our insights on each session of Congress.
• The Scorecard is available in both English and Spanish.
• We work with a panel of two dozen experts from across the environmental, environmental justice, democracy, and conservation movements to identify which critical votes to score each year.
• Every year the Scorecard is widely cited in the media and is known by legislators, news outlets, and the public as an authoritative source for evaluating the environmental voting records of those in Congress.
• The factual and authoritative nature of the Scorecard makes it harder for lawmakers to greenwash their records.

By keeping score, we’re shining a light on elected leaders’ policy positions and empowering constituents to know whether or not lawmakers are voting to protect their communities and the planet.

Dig Deeper

• Learn more about the Scorecard, what scores mean, and how to make good use of them. 
• See how congressional champions of color led the way, fighting back against attacks on affordable clean energy, our climate, and our democracy in 2025.

2. New Leaders Deliver Clean Energy and Affordability

Climate champions won decisive victories in the 2025 elections thanks to the work of our state affiliates with the support of LCV — and these newly elected leaders are already delivering results in New Jersey, Virginia, and Georgia.

New Jersey Governor Sherrill Freezes Utility Rates

• After running on an affordable energy platform and winning her race by over 14 percentage points, Governor Mikie Sherrill took immediate action to address soaring energy costs.
• Before she even finished her inaugural speech, she signed two executive orders declaring a state of emergency on utility costs.
• These delivered on her campaign promises by freezing electricity rates for New Jerseyans and directing the state to prioritize new, clean, low-cost solar power and battery storage development.

Virginia Governor Spanberger Advances Climate Action

• During her campaign, Governor Abigail Spanberger made clear her commitment to addressing high energy costs and reducing emissions, helping her win her race by 18 percentage points.
• In her first major address as governor, she made good on her promise that Virginia would rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
• This action will generate millions of dollars in revenue from polluters for low-income energy efficiency programs, flood preparedness, and clean energy projects.

Georgia Utility Regulators Win on Clean Energy and Ratepayer Protections

• Newly elected Georgia Public Service Commissioners Dr. Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard won their races against incumbents by large margins.
• This marked the first time any Democrat has won a nonfederal statewide office in Georgia since 2006.
• Dr. Johnson and Hubbard ran explicitly to address high utility costs by expanding clean energy and taking on the state’s utilities to fight rate increases.
• Before the commissioners were even sworn into office, Georgia Power, the state’s largest utility responded to the election results by announcing it would focus on rate relief for customers in 2026.

How We Won

Heading into November 2025’s state-level elections, the rising cost of living was a major issue for voters, with surging energy prices among the top concerns. Our state affiliates made a strategic decision to center issues of affordability in their campaign messaging.

• Georgia Conservation Voters Action Fund made the choices between candidates clear and drove voter turnout through robust organizing and voter communications, including billboards, texting, direct mail, and digital ads.
• New Jersey LCV Victory Fund engaged voters through a campaign that included digital outreach and direct mail focused on the costly energy policies of Sherrill’s opponent and their potential negative impacts on families.
• Virginia LCV’s Political Action Committee knocked on 210,000 doors, mobilized hundreds of volunteers, and sent direct mail to constituents, all focused on energy affordability.

What’s Next

These rapid moves by elected officials to address utility costs demonstrate the power of our movement. When we speak up, organize, and turn out, elected officials take notice and take action. Across the country, governors, state legislatures, and utility commissioners are bringing ratepayers relief through clean energy solutions. Here are just a few examples:

• Maryland Governor Wes Moore joins the chorus of governors calling for energy affordability
• Illinois Governor Pritzker signs historic Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act
• Indiana protects vulnerable Hoosiers from soaring utility costs 
• Utility reliability and rate increases become political issue in Michigan

3. How We Ensure Just and Equitable Clean Energy Progress

At LCV, we help elect strong climate and democracy leaders at all levels of government, and we work with them to pass policies that protect people and the planet. But our work doesn’t end there.

Once strong policies are in place, staff at LCV and our state affiliates roll up their sleeves to ensure fair, equitable, and robust policy implementation that benefits people in communities across the country. Our state affiliates leverage their staffs’ deep expertise to build coalitions, provide accurate information to residents, and gain community buy-in to help advance clean energy:

• IDAHO: Our state affiliate, Conservation Voters of Idaho, teamed up with Renew Northwest to create a new organization that includes farmers and landowners. Their ongoing work includes advancing balanced solar energy policies, with a focus on preserving property rights and supporting rural economic opportunities. Currently, they’re working to defeat a proposed Ada County ordinance that would effectively ban solar development.

• ILLINOIS: Governor JB Pritzker signed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, which builds off the success of the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act — the state’s 100% clean energy law. This sweeping legislation accelerates clean energy and battery storage development, creates a planning process for utilities to model how they will meet future energy demand reliably and cost-effectively, establishes new energy efficiency standards, and includes critical consumer protections.
• INDIANA: New energy affordability and ratepayer protection legislation has been enacted and includes multiple components of the policy agenda put forth by our state affiliate, Indiana Conservation Voters. The law establishes a low-income energy assistance program, prohibits shutoffs during extreme heat, and reforms utility regulation to limit how often utility companies can file rate increases. It also sets enforceable utility performance standards based on reliability and affordability.
• NEW MEXICO: The state became the fourth in the U.S. to establish a Clean Transportation Fuels Program. This market-based initiative incentivizes and expands access to lower-carbon transportation fuels. Revenue generated from the program will be invested into transportation electrification and clean energy initiatives — with a focus on rural and underserved communities.

Learn more about state and local wins in LCV’s 2025 Clean Energy Success in the States report.

4. NEW Impact Report: Hear from LCV Staff — and Activists Like You

With your support, in 2025, LCV and our state affiliates pushed for strong policies, held leaders accountable, and strengthened voting rights. Even while up against the most anti-environment presidential administration in our nation’s history, we secured climate and environmental justice progress across the country:

• People in Wisconsin will have safe drinking water flowing straight from their taps.
• Nevada residents will be refunded more than $65 million in gas bill overcharges.
• People in New Jersey and Virginia are now led by governors who prioritize clean energy, following decisive electoral victories.
• Commuters in Illinois will benefit from increased clean transit options.
• More eligible Washington state residents will be automatically registered to vote.
• Millions of acres of public lands will remain protected.
• Communities in Texas are safe from hazardous industrial development.
• Across the country, more state and local climate champions hold office.

Learn more about what you made possible in the 2025 LCV Impact Report. This is our first-ever digital Impact Report, with videos and other interactive features, and it’s also available as a PDF for those who prefer a more print-like reading experience. In it, you’ll meet some of the leaders and activists who, like you, drive our progress, including these:

Shy McElroy had questions about her son’s learning challenges. She dug through her son’s medical records and discovered high lead levels that had been ignored, damaging his ability to learn. McElroy now leads the Coalition on Lead Emergency, part of a clean water coalition that includes our state affiliate, Wisconsin Conservation Voters.

Monna Lytle wasn’t looking to be an activist, but when her neighbors weren’t getting the help they needed, she stepped up. Today, she is an LCV Chispa leader working to protect her Texas community from a damaging and costly water desalination plant and dangerous industrial rezoning.

Autumn Gabbard grew up in Michigan during the Flint water crisis. She’s learned to turn climate anxiety into action, and is an intern at Climate Action PA, a project of LCV’s Pennsylvania state affiliate, Conservation Voters of PA. There, she organizes local events, connects with grassroots partners, and supports youth-focused climate activism.

In the midst of daunting and dark times, we’re bringing the light forward, thanks to these activists and the support of people like you.

5. LCV Action Fund Announces Midterm Endorsements

This year, the balance of power in the U.S. House is up for grabs, along with key Senate seats. In just a few months, voters will have an opportunity to stand against the costly chaos and cruelty of the Trump administration and Trump-aligned congressional Republicans. To that end, LCV Action Fund has announced its latest round of endorsements. The endorsed candidates are committed to building a clean energy economy, defending our environment, and strengthening our democracy.

Winning Is Within Reach

This November, voters have an opportunity to block Trump’s dirty, harmful agenda by flipping just three competitive seats in the House. LCV Action Fund is supporting pro-environment House and Senate candidates across the country in 2026.

Meet One of 116 Endorsed Candidates

Democrat Janelle Stelson (PA-10) is undeterred. She’s running against Republican U.S. Representative Scott Perry after losing to him by just over 1% of the vote in 2024.

• Stelson is an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist with a nearly 40-year track record of listening to Pennsylvanians and fighting to deliver them the truth.
• She provides a stark contrast to Perry, who is the former leader of the House Freedom Caucus, brags about cutting billions of dollars in clean energy investments that drive down costs and create jobs, and has been among the most outspoken climate deniers in Congress.
• She received LCV Action Fund’s endorsement because she is committed to defending the environment and healthy communities in Congress.

Who LCV Action Fund Endorses

LCV Action Fund endorses candidates who will fight to address the climate crisis and strengthen our democracy, who are running in winnable districts, and who are representative of our nation’s diverse communities and identities.

See Other Endorsed Candidates

• LCV Action Fund’s most recently endorsed candidates are listed here.
• The full list of LCV Action Fund’s 2025-2026 endorsed candidates is here.