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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 data center regulation, dirty energy, and updates in the 2026 election cycle.
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“These are some of the biggest companies in the world — they can afford to be good neighbors, follow the rules, and do this right.”
— Governor Josh Shapiro (PA) in his executive order setting strict requirements for data center development in Pennsylvania.
“[This proposal is] the ultimate definition of a solution in search of a problem.”
— Chris Wood, who helped write the original Roadless Area Conservation Rule in 2001, on the Trump administration’s proposal to repeal it.
“It’s our duty as Minnesotans to ensure the sacred place remains wild, pristine and unharmed.”
— Governor Tim Walz (MN) on his executive order aimed at keeping toxic copper mining projects out of the headwaters of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters.
PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR SETS STRICT REQUIREMENTS FOR DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT: Governor Josh Shapiro issued an executive order setting strict requirements for data center development. The executive order requires developers to meet specific standards for energy affordability, environmental protection, transparency, economic development, and community engagement.
OUR TAKE: LCV President Pete Maysmith said, “Across the country, working families are overwhelmed by sky rocketing energy costs. We know big tech’s unregulated data center rollout has made the problem worse. The public needs state leaders to step up and make sure these companies use affordable clean energy, pay their fair share, and protect local communities from air and water pollution. Governor Shapiro has listened to public outcry to put environmental and cost safeguards in place. This is a good move for Pennsylvania. We need to see this kind of action in every community: clean energy first, strong environmental safeguards, greater business transparency, and protections for ratepayers.”
CVPA TAKE: Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania Executive Director Molly Parzen said, “We applaud Governor Shapiro for listening to the concerns of the environmental community, local elected officials and community advocates and establishing important protections for working families and our environment in the face of an unchecked data center explosion. Our commonwealth’s affordability crisis is being exacerbated by the rapid surge in data center development, which also threatens our clean air, our pure water and our open space. This Executive Order is a meaningful step forward that will help expand clean energy generation and put safeguards in place to protect local communities.
“Data center developers and Big Tech titans cannot be allowed to rake in record profits at the expense of our energy bills, our clean air or our water. We appreciate that Governor Shapiro listened to the calls of so many advocates from both the environment and labor movements and brought us to the table to develop a response.”
CHISPA NEVADA FIGHTS DAILY DEMAND CHARGE: Chispa Nevada attended a legislative hearing where they spoke out against NV Energy’s proposed daily demand charge which will calculate customers’ energy costs based on the time of day when they use the most energy. While lawmakers declined to move forward with banning the charge, Chispa NV and communities across Nevada will continue fighting for fair, affordable energy rates that put families first.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FORCES CAMPBELL COAL TO REMAIN OPEN…AGAIN: Energy Secretary Chris Wright has extended a Trump executive order forcing a Michigan coal plant to stay open for the sixth time. The plant was originally scheduled to shut down in May 2025, but has been forced to remain operational at a cost of nearly $260 million to Michigan ratepayers.
MILCV TAKE: Michigan LCV Federal Government Affairs Director Bentley Johnson said, “At a time when energy costs are skyrocketing, Donald Trump is forcing Michiganders to pay more to keep the outdated Campbell coal plant running, a move that has cost ratepayers $259 million to date. Consumers Energy has confirmed it is costing more than $640,000 every single day to keep Campbell open, and those costs are being passed on to Michigan customers. Michiganders need relief, not expensive executive overreach to prop up outdated fossil fuel plants.”
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES PLAN TO REVERSE ROADLESS RULE: The U.S. Forest Service has released a proposal to reverse protections for 45 million acres of pristine public land protected under the 2001 “roadless rule,” which bans road construction and logging on 60 million acres of untouched wilderness. Allowing construction and logging in these areas threatens wildlife habitat, drinking water supplies, and sacred Indigenous sites.
OUR TAKE: LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick said, “For the last 25 years, the Roadless Rule has protected America’s most pristine and ecologically intact forests. Now, in a clear giveaway to billionaire industry executives– and against the wishes of the millions of people who have voiced their support for these protections over the last three decades – Trump and his allies want to gut protections for more than 44 million acres of our national forests. The lands protected by the Roadless Rule provide important wildlife habitat and clean drinking water for millions of people, and are critical to fighting the climate crisis. We cannot allow the Trump administration to bulldoze our public lands, national forests, and bedrock environmental protections – all to pad the profits of their industry donors.”
MINNESOTA GOVERNOR PROTECTS BOUNDARY WATERS FROM MINING: Governor Tim Walz issued an executive order aimed at keeping toxic copper mining projects out of the headwaters of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, the most visited wilderness area in the country.
OUR TAKE: On Bluesky, LCV said, “Minnesota Gov. Walz just signed an executive order to block mining near the Boundary Waters. The move comes after Trump and Republicans in Congress overturned a 20-year ban to allow a Chilean company to build a dirty iron-sulfide mine in the area. This is a big victory for our public lands!”
CONSERVATION MINNESOTA TAKE: Conservation Minnesota Executive Director Paul Austin said, “For decades, Minnesotans have fought to keep sulfide mining pollution out of the Boundary Waters watershed—because once clean water is lost, there’s no getting it back. Governor Walz’s executive order is a powerful, necessary step to protect this irreplaceable wilderness. Now it’s on all of us to make sure this protection outlasts any single administration.”
LCV, NRDC ACTION FUND, AND EDF ACTION LAUNCH $9 MILLION ACCOUNTABILITY AD CAMPAIGN: LCV, NRDC Action Fund, and EDF Action launched a $9 million ad campaign calling out Senator Jon Husted’s (OH) proposal to allow utility companies to bypass pollution controls and independent reviews for expanding their dirty power plants. The ad will run across Ohio on broadcast, cable, digital, and radio through the end of the month.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “Ohioans know all too well what happens when powerful utilities and special interests get to write the rules. Senator Husted and the rest of Congress should be focused on real solutions to skyrocketing energy prices and that starts with standing up to Trump’s efforts to ban clean energy and derailing transmission projects our grid desperately needs. When Ohioans are struggling to pay their energy bills and the state has already lost thousands of family-sustaining clean energy jobs, including many union jobs, Senator Husted should be working to get those projects back online instead of crafting extreme giveaways to polluters that threaten Ohioans health and do nothing to lower costs.”
OEC ACTION FUND TAKE: Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund Vice President of Campaigns Pete Bucher said, “Senator Husted has continued to promise lower energy costs for Ohioans, but at every opportunity, he’s chosen not to act on it. We need more utility transparency and clean, lower-cost energy to give people the relief they need on their electric bills.”
LCVAF ENDORSES TROY JACKSON FOR U.S. SENATE: LCV Action Fund announced its endorsement of Troy Jackson for U.S. Senate representing the state of Maine. Jackson, who previously served as the President of the Maine Senate, has a strong pro-environmental record and deep connection with Maine’s North Woods.
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “Mainers have made it clear that they want a senator who will protect our rights and communities and support real affordability solutions instead of prioritizing Trump’s personal benefit and the profits of Big Oil and Gas. Troy Jackson has the experience and the commitment we need to help build a clean energy future that centers good-paying jobs, to protect our lands and waters, and fight for a free and fair democracy.”
JACKSON TAKE: Troy Jackson said, “Mainers understand that protecting our environment and building a strong economy are not competing priorities — they go hand in hand. The same natural resources that define our way of life also support good jobs and local economies across our state. As Maine’s U.S. Senator, I’ll work to ensure a transition to a clean energy economy works for working people, creates good-paying jobs, and keeps Maine’s land and waters healthy for generations to come. I’m proud to have the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund standing with us in this fight.”
LCVAF ENDORSES DR. ADBUL EL-SAYED FOR U.S. SENATE: LCV Action Fund announced its endorsement of Dr. Adbul El-Sayed for U.S. Senate representing the state of Michigan. El-Sayed is a dedicated public servant with a history of taking on Michigan’s biggest polluters and advancing public health.
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has dedicated his career to protecting the health and safety of communities, addressing environmental injustice, and holding Big Polluters accountable. He is the candidate Michiganders need in the Senate. The future of our climate and our rights are increasingly at stake as Senate Republicans continue to help Trump’s corrupt agenda, raising costs for families and lining the pockets of corporate and fossil fuel billionaires. LCV Action Fund is proud to endorse Dr. El-Sayed and support his campaign to fight for people, the planet, and our fundamental rights.”
EL-SAYED TAKE: Dr. Abdul El-Sayed said, “In the United States Senate, I’m going to fight to keep Michigan’s environment clean and safe for generations to come—including protecting our Great Lakes from polluters. I’ve spent my career as a public health official standing up to corporate polluters. I’m honored to have the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund alongside me in this fight and I look forward to working in the Senate to protect our air, water, and natural resources together.”
LCVAF RELEASES NEW ENDORSEMENTS FOR U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: LCV Action Fund announced its newest round of endorsements for the 2026 midterm elections. Endorsed candidates include Amish Shah (AZ-01), Adrian Boafo (MD-05), Christina Hines (MI-10), Will Lawrence (MI-07), Sean McCann (MI-04), Greg Landsman (OH-01), and Representative Darren Soto (FL-09).
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “While Trump and Republicans in Congress are making life more unaffordable for families and enriching their billionaire polluter cronies, these candidates are putting people first and supporting the clean energy solutions we need to lower record-high energy bills and reduce pollution. Communities cannot afford Trump’s reckless agenda to fund record profits for Big Polluters while the climate crisis and extreme weather increasingly wreaks havoc on livelihoods. Last month was our country’s hottest on record — we are all in to elect candidates who will address the climate crisis, hold polluting corporations accountable, and protect our communities and future generations.”
LCVAF CANDIDATES WIN FLORIDA PRIMARY ELECTIONS: LCV Action Fund endorsed candidates Bale Dalton (FL-07), Kathy Castor (FL-14), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20) won their respective primary elections. All LCV Action Fund endorsed candidates for this cycle can be found here.
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “Voters in Florida made it clear last night — they want candidates who will fight for our communities, the air we breathe and the water we drink, and a free and fair democracy. The devastating impacts of the climate crisis and Trump’s manufactured energy crisis is personal to Floridians bearing the costs every day. LCV Action Fund is all-in to continue supporting candidates who will fight for a clean energy future and to protect our planet.”
LCVVF LAUNCHES $550K AD BUY: LCV Victory Fund launched a $550,000 ad campaign supporting Stefany Shaheen in the Democratic primary for New Hampshire’s first district. The ads will run on cable, Direct TV, and radio through the primary election on September 8th.
LCVVF TAKE: LCV Victory Fund Senior Vice President of Campaigns Sara Schreiber said, “As the Trump administration continues to roll back clean water standards, Granite Staters deserve a leader like Stefany Shaheen who will stand up to the Trump administration and fight to protect clean water from toxic chemicals. Now more than ever, we need to ensure that we send clean water champions to Congress who will fight Big Polluters, advocate for clean air and water, and work to keep energy costs lower.”
ON THE BLOG: Stay tuned for exciting new content, coming soon to The Power Source Blog!
ON OUR SOCIALS: Let me get this straight. Last month was the hottest on record, but Trump wants to destroy intact forests and force polluting coal plants to stay open. Everyday people can’t afford gas, but Big Polluters are making record profits and the EPA wants to make it more dangerous and expensive to drive a car. Nationwide, people are struggling to pay their bills, but Trump is spending $1 billion in taxpayer dollars on renovating the White House. Data centers are already driving up costs and emissions, but the Trump administration is trying to build even more. Did I get all that?
AUGUST 22: First day of National Parks Week.
AUGUST 29: Comment period closes on EPA’s proposal to roll back emissions standards for heavy duty vehicles.
SEPTEMBER 7: Labor Day.
SEPTEMBER 15: National Voter Registration Day.
SEPTEMBER 21: Comment period closes on USDA’s proposal to repeal the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
©2026 League of Conservation Voters