Your weekly resource to learn what the environmental movement is saying about the news of the day and the political fight of our generation. This week, we’re covering Trump and Republicans’ attacks on clean air and public lands, and state advancements in energy affordability and climate action.
Be sure to follow LCV on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and TikTok.
“We will not stop fighting, and we will not stop our work to protect the Boundary Waters. This place has such special meaning, it is a sacred place, and we will never stop defending it.”
— Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) on the Senate’s repeal of protections for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, opening the land for toxic copper-nickel mining.
“House Republicans are willing to gut the Clean Air Act and pollute our air in order to boost corporate profits. Children in my district already have one of the highest rates of childhood asthma. This bill would expose them to even more pollution. It’s unconscionable.”
— Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) on the House voting on a series of bills that would undermine the Clean Air Act and open exemptions for polluters to harm public health.
“With gas costing over $4 a gallon, inflation climbing, and mortgage rates going up, the American people literally cannot afford for Republicans to forgo another opportunity to work with Democrats to end Trump’s disastrous war at long last.”
— Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) calling for an end to the war with Iran that has caused the cost of living to skyrocket, including energy and gas prices.
LCV RELEASES CLEAN ENERGY DEPLOYMENT REPORT: LCV released a new report highlighting how LCV state affiliates are helping state and local governments overcome permitting and policy barriers and expand clean energy infrastructure, despite federal opposition.
OUR TAKE: LCV Local Clean Energy Deployment Director Kathleen Meil said, “This is what clean energy leadership looks like today. Energy costs are skyrocketing and communities are looking for solutions to the challenges they face every day. While extremists work to block affordable clean energy on ideological grounds, real leaders are doing the hard work to advance responsible energy projects that deliver affordable electricity and lasting local benefits. LCV and our state partners are working tirelessly alongside state and local elected officials to secure local benefits, streamline the process, and actually build the projects their residents need. People need leaders willing to say yes, and LCV is standing right alongside them, ready to find more ways to build a clean affordable future.”
ARIZONA LAUNCHES UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: Gov. Katie Hobbs has announced a $15 million utility assistance program called Power AZ aimed at helping working families struggling with rising energy costs. The initiative broadens assistance eligibility and will benefit an estimated 30,000 households who didn’t previously qualify for federal assistance.
CHISPA AZ TAKE: Chispa Arizona Advocacy and Political Director Vania Guevara said, “We commend Governor Katie Hobbs for following through on her promise and taking action to deliver relief to families across our state who are experiencing skyrocketing costs of living, especially as we face rising temperatures and the possibility of steeper energy bills. Even though Governor Hobbs did not secure her initial proposal of a $20 million investment, she still obtained $15 million and made it work. Power AZ expands eligibility beyond the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) income limits, making a critical resource even more accessible to working families. Under this initiative, a family of four with an annual income of $108,000 may be eligible for bill assistance. Though we believe this program will provide critical assistance to thousands of families in need, it does not resolve the issue of affordability in the long run, which is directly linked to corporate greed and politicians’ servitude to their bottom line or political agenda. Chispa AZ acknowledges this important step toward affordability and will continue to advocate for cleaner, affordable energy, water, and climate change mitigation.”
VIRGINIA GOVERNOR UPHOLDS COMMITMENT TO LOWERING UTILITY COSTS: Gov. Abigail Spanberger has signed a slate of energy laws as part of a broader push to lower utility costs. The legislation streamlines permitting for new renewable solar energy projects, increases battery storage targets, expands community solar programs, formalizes Virginia’s return to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and more.
VALCV TAKE: Virginia LCV Executive Director Michael Town said, “This has been a historic legislative session for clean energy as lawmakers passed dozens of bills to advance clean, affordable energy, reduce energy costs, and bolster our state’s goals to reach 100% clean energy.”
NEW YORK INVESTS IN ENERGY EFFICIENT HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS: New York will invest $150 million from the state’s Homes and Community Renewal’s (HCR) Green Small Buildings Program to expand energy efficient heat pump installations in residential buildings. The initiative will help residents lower their utility costs by replacing heating and cooling systems powered by fossil fuels with more affordable, clean energy units.
NYLCV TAKE: New York LCV said, “Good news! Governor Kathy Hochul just announced up to $150 million to install energy-efficient heat pump systems in small residential buildings across New York State. The funding, administered through New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s Green Small Buildings Program, will help expand access to clean heating and cooling tech while reducing emissions and improving affordability for homeowners and renters.”
MARYLAND LAWMAKERS PASS UTILITY RELIEF ACT: Maryland lawmakers passed the Utility RELIEF Act The legislation aims to tackle rising utility costs by limiting utility companies’ requests for rate increases and what costs they can pass on to ratepayers, and forcing data centers to pay their fair share. The bill, which Gov. Wes Moore is expected to sign into law, is projected to save residents hundreds of millions of dollars in the long term.
LARGEST RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT IN U.S. COMES ONLINE: SunZia Wind, the largest renewable energy project in the nation, has come online and is generating record-breaking amounts of electricity after two decades of planning and construction. The project will deliver affordable, clean energy to 3 million homes in Arizona and California.
LCV LAUNCHES ACCOUNTABILITY AD CAMPAIGN: LCV has launched a $4 million ad campaign across 11 congressional districts to educate the public on how the Republican Tax Law, also known as the “Big Ugly Bill,” has contributed to higher energy costs by attacking clean energy development while propping up the fossil fuel industry. The ads also urge members of Congress to lower energy costs. The campaign kicks off with a joint TV broadcast ad with Opportunity Wisconsin.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “Congressional Republicans broke their promise to lower energy costs. Instead of increasing access to affordable, clean energy, Congressional Republicans voted to kneecap the resources that can lower energy costs in order to prioritize the fossil fuel industry. Their constituents deserve to know who is responsible for their skyrocketing energy costs.”
INTERIOR ANNOUNCES OIL LEASE SALE ON PROTECTED ARCTIC LANDS: The Department of the Interior announced plans to hold an oil and gas lease sale on 1.5 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in June, marking the first of four sales mandated by Trump’s Big Ugly Bill. Previous lease sales in the ANWR have yielded no bids.
OUR TAKE: LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick said, “Time and again, the American people have said that they oppose drilling in the Arctic Refuge. The last lease sale in 2024 yielded no bids. Drilling here is not only bad economics – it’s reckless and wildly unpopular. Instead of further handcuffing us to be more dependent on fossil fuels, the administration should focus on prioritizing cleaner, more affordable and more reliable energy sources like clean energy. We simply cannot drill our way out of high energy costs. The U.S. is already producing more oil and gas than ever before, but when Trump forced a global energy crisis, prices skyrocketed once again. LCV stands with the Gwich’in people in their fight to ensure there is no drilling in the Arctic Refuge. Not now, not ever.”
SENATE OVERTURNS BOUNDARY WATER PROTECTIONS: Senate Republicans passed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that will overturn federal protections for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota, opening the protected watershed to toxic copper-nickel mining operations from the Chilean mining company Antofagasta.
OUR TAKE: LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick said, “As the Trump administration and its allies in Congress launch yet another attack on our public lands, LCV is grateful for leaders like Senator Smith and Senator Heinrich who are pushing back. Senators Smith and Heinrich are leading the fight against Congressional Republicans’ Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval to overturn protections that safeguard the headwaters of the Boundary Waters from toxic mining. The Boundary Waters is the most visited wilderness area in the country with nearly a quarter of a million visitors each year. Stripping this treasured place of protections from mining ignores decades of sound science, thousands of public comments, and would devastate the region’s ecosystem. And using the CRA to do it sets a dangerous precedent, potentially putting other public lands withdrawals at risk. The Senate must reject this CRA and uphold safeguards for this beloved place.”
CONSERVATION MINNESOTA TAKE: Conservation Minnesota Executive Director Paul Austin said, “The Boundary Waters are woven into Minnesota’s identity—a place where families have paddled, fished, and built lifelong connections to clean water and wild spaces. Protecting this extraordinary wilderness means protecting our shared heritage and a vital economic driver that supports more than 17,000 jobs and generates $1.1 billion in economic activity each year. Sulfide-ore copper and nickel mining poses significantly greater risks to water quality than traditional iron ore mining, and those risks are simply too great for a place this irreplaceable.”
HOUSETHREATENS CLEAN AIR ACT: The House this week voted on two air pollution and permitting bills that would undermine the Clean Air Act. The Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability (FENCES) Act and Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations (RED Tape) Act both passed the House, and the Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act is awaiting a vote. The bills would ease permitting requirements on federal construction projects and expand exemptions for taking pollution data into account in policy decisions. A coalition of organizations including LCV, signed a letter urging Congress to reject these bills.
OUR TAKE: LCV Government Affairs Advocate for Healthy Communities Lizzy Duncan said, “These bills are a direct and blatant attack on the health and safety of our communities. Right now, 156 million people across the country live in a place with dangerous ozone or particle pollution and these bills would make our air quality worse. At a time when health care and energy costs are through the roof, House Republicans are proposing legislation that would undermine the Clean Air Act and allow polluting industries to make our air less healthy, making us sicker and further driving up healthcare bills. The House must reject these anti-clean air attacks and put the health of our communities and the environment ahead of polluters’ profits.”
TRUMP WITHHOLDS MILLIONS IN AID AS ENERGY COSTS SKYROCKET: The Trump administration has failed to release more than $400 million in aid for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which helps 6 million low-income households heat and cool their homes. The delay comes as households across the country struggle to pay their utility bills in the face of skyrocketing costs driven by Trump’s fossil fuel agenda.
BLM ADVANCES REVIEW OF SOUTH DAKOTA URANIUM MINE: Trump’s Bureau of Land Management is moving forward with assessment of a uranium mining project in South Dakota. The project has received pushback from the Oglala Sioux Tribe and environmental groups due to the risk of groundwater pollution and destruction of public lands as a result of the mining process.
TRUMP FIRES PRESIDIO PARK TRUST BOARD: The Trump administration has terminated all six board members of the Presidio Trust, which oversees San Francisco’s Presidio park. The firings are a part of a broader effort from the administration to shrink federal agencies, and leave one of the country’s most visited parks in jeopardy.
CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS PROPOSE AFFORDABLE INSURANCE AND RECOVERY ACT: State senators are proposing the Affordable Insurance and Recovery Act to address California’s home insurance crisis as premiums are rising in areas prone to wildfires and flooding. The bill would allow the state to sue oil and gas companies for their role in climate-related damages and use those funds to stabilize the insurance market and help homeowners strengthen their properties against natural disasters.
ENVIROVOTERS TAKE: California Environmental Voters Chief Executive Officer Mary Creasman said, “This growing coalition, from consumer advocates, labor unions, local business groups, and climate justice organizations to talent and high-profile voices, makes one thing clear: California’s insurance crisis is hitting everyone. Families are being priced out, small businesses are on the brink, and entire communities are at risk. When entertainment industry leaders and trusted public figures join advocates on the ground, it underscores just how widespread and urgent this crisis has become. Californians are united in demanding that Big Oil stop passing the cost of their pollution onto our communities and finally pay their fair share.”
MASSACHUSETTS SENATE PASSES CLIMATE RESILIENCE BILL: The Massachusetts Senate passed the MASS Ready Act providing $3.6 million for programs to protect drinking water, clean up PFAS chemicals, and strengthen the state’s climate resilience against extreme weather. The bill would also restrict the use of single-use plastic bags and invest in land conservation efforts.
ELM TAKE: Environmental League of Massachusetts Senior Policy Director David Melly said, “ELM is pleased to see the Senate advance an environmental bond bill that meets present-day needs while preparing for the future. This bill’s combination of robust funding and thoughtful policy works together to protect clean air, clean water, natural resources, and access to green space. It takes important steps to address new threats like climate impacts and PFAS contamination while investing in proven, successful programs.”
MAINE PASSES DATA CENTER MORATORIUM: Maine lawmakers have passed a temporary moratorium on data centers with capacities of 20 megawatts or more, freezing construction until 2027. The bill gives the state time to assess the potential risks to the environment and the electric grid that large data centers could pose and creates a council to investigate impacts on utility costs and ratepayers.
MCV TAKE: Maine Conservation Voters said, “Yesterday, Maine lawmakers passed the first statewide moratorium on data center construction anywhere in the country. Why? Because their construction has far outpaced the ability of policymakers to protect people and the environment from their impacts. And, when it comes to protecting its people and the environment, Maine is a leader. Communities surrounding data centers have experienced a 267% increase in their electricity bills according to one study from Bloomberg, and the downstream impacts to water quality are deeply alarming. A mid-sized data center on average uses 300,000 gallons of water a day, and the bigger facilities can use millions, discharging warmed water and pollutants back into our rivers, our lakes, and our streams. It is the responsibility of government to protect people and make their lives materially better, and that’s what this law would do, by pushing pause (only on large-scale data centers), so policies can catch up and protect people and the environment from these resource-hungry facilities while ensuring we can benefit from the economic opportunities they do present. We need to put people before the interests of billion-dollar corporations.”
ILLINOIS RESIDENTS GATHER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LOBBY DAY: Hundreds of Illinois residents rallied at the Capitol to support a trio of environmental bills that would address wetlands preservation, ban the use of polystyrene foodware, and regulate the water and energy demands of data centers.
IEC TAKE: Illinois Environmental Council Senior Policy Manager Cate Caldwell said, “We’re up against the $6 trillion oil and gas industry, which is hiking utility rates for consumers in order to profit, while also serving as a starting point for every piece of plastic that ends up in our waterways. We’re up against tech giants like Meta and Google. They’re rushing to build data centers across our state, but they’re ignoring the concerns of local communities. They’re using dangerously large amounts of water and energy. And we’re also facing developer bulldozers threatening our remaining wetlands, putting clean water, habitat and natural ground protection at risk. We’ve made incredible strides in climate action, clean energy progress and environmental protections. When we’re faced with big fights, we come up with big, bold solutions.”
SOUTH CAROLINA LAWMAKERS ADVANCE PROTECTED LANDS ACT: The South Carolina House of Representatives voted in favor of the South Carolina Protected Lands and Conservation Coordination Act. The bill would expand land conservation efforts across the state and set long-term goals to protect ten million acres, up to half of all South Carolina’s land.
CVSC TAKE: Conservation Voters of South Carolina said, “The Protected Lands Act recognizes the critical importance of natural resources to South Carolina’s environmental health, economic vitality, agricultural productivity, and quality of life, and will codify land protection benchmarks that move South Carolina closer to the goal of protecting ten million acres, or 50% of the state’s land area. Codifying these benchmarks will ensure that land protection remains top of mind at the Statehouse in two key ways: by allocating the necessary resources for land protection to the relevant state agencies and by pursuing policy that stewards and prioritizes our state’s natural resources. The bill also creates provisions for coordinating land protection projects and annual reporting requirements for state resource agencies, ensuring that funding for conservation is used efficiently and effectively for the benefit of all South Carolinians. CVSC thanks Rep. Moore for championing this legislation, the many co-sponsors for their support, and the entire chamber for their favorable vote. We hope to see continued forward momentum on this significant legislation as it moves over to the Senate.”
ENVIRO GROUPS CHALLENGE DOE ORDER TO KEEP COAL PLANT OPEN: Washington Conservation Action joined a coalition of environmental and public interest groups challenging the Department of Energy’s decision to force Washington’s TransAlta coal plant, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and mercury pollution, to remain operational past its planned shutdown date.
WCA TAKE: Washington Conservation Action Climate and Clean Energy Senior Manager Julian Santos said, “The DOE is ignoring reality: Washington is ready for clean energy. Propping up this outdated plant doesn’t protect our electrical grid—it just raises costs for residents and delays the shift to affordable, renewable energy.”
ANALILIA MEJIA WINS SPECIAL ELECTION FOR NEW JERSEY’S 11TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: LCV Action Fund endorsed candidate Analilia Mejia won the special election for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District. Meija’s campaign focused on energy affordability, holding utilities accountable for skyrocketing energy costs, and investing in clean energy.
OUR TAKE: LCV Action Fund Vice President of Political Affairs Craig Auster said, “Congratulations to Representative-elect Analilia Mejia on her victory in New Jersey! We know that she will fight tirelessly to make life more affordable, hold the utilities and fossil fuel companies accountable, and ensure we all have clean air to breathe and water to drink. While Trump and extreme Congressional Republicans are raising costs for families and giving handouts to their billionaire and Big Polluter friends, voters are making it clear: they support candidates who will bring down electricity bills and protect our health and environment.”
ENERGY SECRETARY QUESTIONED OVER BUDGET CUTS PROPOSAL: Energy Secretary Chris Wright faced sharp criticism from Democrats as he defended Trump’s proposed fiscal budget for 2027 that would significantly cut funding for nondefense programs, including renewable energy development. Wright defended the proposal as energy and gasoline prices continue to skyrocket due to the ongoing war in Iran.
SUPREME COURT BACKS OIL INDUSTRY IN LOUISIANA COASTAL LAWSUITS: The Supreme Court ruled 8-0 to allow the oil and gas industry to move lawsuits attempting to hold them accountable for Louisiana’s coastal erosion from state to federal courts. The ruling affects ongoing lawsuits filed by Louisiana parishes seeking accountability for environmental harm tied to oil and gas development.
ON THE BLOG: Stay tuned for exciting new content coming to The Power Source Blog!
ON OUR SOCIALS: Nature is once again under assault from Trump and MAGA Republicans as they overturned a toxic mining ban near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. They’re more focused on destroying our public lands than addressing the out of control energy cost crisis. We’re calling them out and holding them accountable for gutting clean energy with their Big Ugly Bill.
APRIL 20-26: DC Climate Week.
APRIL 22: Earth Day.
MAY 5: Indiana statewide primary election.
MAY 5: Ohio statewide primarily election.
©2026 League of Conservation Voters