©2025 League of Conservation Voters
Your weekly resource to learn what the environmental movement is saying about the news of the day and the political fight of our generation. Be sure to follow LCV on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, BlueSky, and TikTok.
“The Musk-Johnson proposal is not serious. It’s laughable. Extreme MAGA Republicans are driving us to a government shutdown.”
– House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the government funding proposal House Republicans put forward after they derailed a bipartisan funding deal in the eleventh hour.
“The study put forward today finds that unfettered exports of LNG would increase wholesale domestic natural gas prices by over 30%. Unconstrained exports of LNG would increase costs for the average American household by well over $100 more per year by 2050.”
— Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on the release of the Department of Energy’s study regarding the environmental and economic impacts of exporting liquefied methane gas.
“If California isn’t leading on climate during the most anti-climate presidential administration in history, then boy, that’s an issue, and we’re not going to let that happen.”
— California state Senator Scott Weiner on efforts to roll back a landmark climate law that requires companies to report their greenhouse gas emissions.
BIDEN RELEASES UPDATED NDC EMISSIONS TARGET: President Biden released an updated U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 61-66% of 2005 levels in the next 10 years, accelerating the country’s transition to net-zero emissions. On the same day, the U.S. Climate Alliance announced new targets from governors to reduce climate pollution. Read what our state leagues have to say on the new target!
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of State Policy and Advocacy Bill Holland said, “This new climate target provides a clear north star for continued action and reflects the reality that the clean energy revolution that has been unleashed is here to stay and will be ramped up by states and cities because it is helping to lower costs and create good jobs, and is widely supported. We must continue to build on the historic climate progress made by the Biden-Harris administration. Thanks to state and local leadership, more than 40% of people in the U.S. already live in places committed to 100% clean energy and Governors must and will build on that progress in the years ahead. We commend the Biden-Harris administration for its historic leadership on climate and clean energy that centers good jobs and environmental justice. We pledge to work with the Governors in the U.S. Climate Alliance whose commitment to reducing climate pollution even further ensures that we will continue to build a clean energy economy that works for us all. ”
EPA GRANTS CALIFORNIA ADVANCED CLEAN CARS II WAIVER: EPA approved a waiver for California’s Advanced Clean Cars II plan, which aims to phase out new gas powered vehicles by 2035.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration’s affirmation of California’s and over a dozen other states’ authority to clean up their air, the ACCII program will rapidly cut light-duty vehicle emissions, helping ensure that families in states across the country will breathe cleaner, healthier air. We know fossil fueled vehicles are major contributors to the carbon pollution exacerbating the climate crisis and increasing the risk of more extreme weather events, including hurricanes and heat waves, that further degrade air quality and put communities in danger. States like California are leading the way to lowering toxic tailpipe emissions for the health of people, the planet, and future generations.”
ENVIROVOTERS TAKE: California Environmental Voters Senior Political and Organizing Director Mike Young said, “Advanced Clean Cars II is a major victory for clean air and public health, solidifying California’s leadership in transitioning to 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035. We commend the Biden administration for approving this waiver, recognizing its transformative potential to cut harmful tailpipe emissions and accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles beyond the Golden State. This decision underscores the importance of bold, forward-thinking action to combat the climate crisis and protect public health. As we prepare for the challenges of a hostile administration next year, California’s commitment to climate action will continue to serve as a beacon for the rest of the country.”
DOE RELEASES LONG AWAITED LNG ANALYSIS: The Department of Energy released its analysis on the environmental and economic impacts of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), also known as liquefied methane gas, exports.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “With higher costs and more harmful pollution, these studies further underscore that continued LNG exports only benefits oil and gas executives seeking to pad their profits. These studies clearly show that continuing the massive buildout of LNG exports is a bad bet for the economy with harmful environmental impacts – raising energy prices for families, increasing costs for manufacturers and endangering the health of frontline communities already overburdened by pollution and the climate crisis. With such negative impacts from LNG exports, it’s clear the Biden-Harris administration was right to take the time to do this evaluation. It is also clearer than ever that continued buildout of LNG exports is not in the public interest. To keep energy affordable and pollution from getting out of control, we must heed the results of these studies and DOE should move to deny new LNG exports projects.”
CHISPA TX TAKE: Chispa Texas Program Director Elida Castillo said, “We all lose with Liquefied Natural Gas ‘LNG’ exports. It only makes the rich richer while raising prices and poisoning us. This new DOE study helps further demonstrate that our Gulf communities who are being harmed every day by the toxic emissions of formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide, etc. that come from LNG facilities shouldn’t continue to be sacrificed in the name of the false promise of cheaper fuel. These exported fracked gas shipments are driving up foreign and domestic energy costs around the world, contributing to inflation and increasing what we all pay for everyday items. The price also comes with poisoned water and more methane emissions. In short, the only winners here are a small group of LNG facility owners and their shareholders who have been making billions at the cost of our health, communities, environment, and pocketbooks. Chispa Texas will keep working with our frontline communities to submit comments to the Department of Energy to strengthen their analysis and offer a fuller picture of all the ways LNG harms our communities.”
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION APPROVES SOUTHCOAST WIND PROJECT: Southcoast Wind Project is the 11th offshore wind project approved by the Biden-Harris administration and brings the total offshore wind permitted by the administration to 19 gigawatts, or enough to power more than 6 million homes.
DOE AND EPA AWARD $850 MILLION TO REDUCE METHANE POLLUTION: DOE and EPA announced $850 million in awards through the Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP) to reduce methane pollution from the oil and gas sector.
DOI ANNOUNCES UPDATED WESTERN SOLAR PLAN: The Department of the Interior released an update to the 2012 Western Solar Plan to expand solar development potential on federal land in five states: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. The updated plan will help guide efficient and environmentally responsible solar energy permitting on public lands across the West.
EPA ADMINISTRATOR MICHAEL REGAN TO STEP DOWN: Michael Regan announced today that he will be stepping down as EPA administrator at the end of this month. During his time as administrator, Regan has been a tireless advocate for clean air and water for all people and a dedicated climate champion.
OUR TAKE: LCV Chair and former EPA administrator Carol Browner said, “Congratulations to Administrator Regan on his remarkable tenure as the head of the EPA. Administrator Regan has been a tireless leader and fierce advocate for many of the biggest and most important actions to tackle the climate crisis, including cutting pollution from cars, trucks, and power plants. From day one, he has prioritized environmental justice and the communities bearing the disproportionate impacts of fossil fuel pollution. Under his leadership, the EPA has driven cleaner, healthier air and water for everyone in our country.
He has also overseen the rapid disbursement of tens of billions of dollars from the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act. As a result, he’s made the goal of removing all lead drinking water pipes a reality, increased the number of zero-emission school buses on the road, helped ensure 80% of the country is covered by climate action plans, and furthered our progress toward a clean energy economy. We are forever grateful to Administrator Regan for his incredible leadership for our families, communities and environment.”
CONGRESS RELEASES CR TEXT LACKING FUNDING FOR CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE: Congress released bill text for a continuing resolution that would fund the government through March 14, 2025. The bill failed to add the Inflation Reduction Act’s climate-smart agriculture funding as a part of a one year extension of the Farm Bill. Shortly after the text was released, Republicans threw Congress into chaos by rejecting the CR just hours before the current government funding deadline this evening and attempting to pass a bill that did not reflect the bipartisan agreement made with Democrats. (As this was sent, the House was preparing to hold a vote on a slightly revised bipartisan bill to avert a government shutdown.)
OUR TAKE: LCV Healthy Communities Program Director Madeleine Foote said, “Speaker Johnson’s irresponsible decision to block adding the Inflation Reduction Act’s climate-smart agriculture funding into the Farm Bill’s baseline is a huge missed opportunity to support farmers across the country. These conservation programs are incredibly popular and help farmers reduce pollution, improve soil health, and increase the sustainability of their farms. Leaving this crucial funding out of the CR and Farm Bill extension fails both farmers and our environment. We greatly appreciate all the members of Congress who have fought incredibly hard to protect these critical investments, and we will keep working to pass a final Farm Bill that continues the critical investments farmers need to both be part of the solution to the climate crisis and to continue putting food on our families’ tables.”
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION DESIGNATES FRANCES PERKINS NATIONAL MONUMENT: The Biden-Harris administration officially designated the Frances Perkins National Monument to honor the life and legacy of labor leader Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve on a presidential cabinet.
OUR TAKE: LCV President Gene Karpinski said, “LCV celebrates the designation of the Frances Perkins National Monument honoring the life and legacy of workers’ rights advocate Frances Perkins. Perkins served as Secretary of Labor under President Roosevelt and championed transformative policies such as Social Security, a minimum wage, and the 40-hour work week. Her dedication to labor rights highlights the connection between strong environmental and labor policies and the importance of an empowered workforce to achieve our climate goals. We applaud the Biden-Harris administration’s dedication to protecting our nation’s most culturally and environmentally significant sites with this designation, which recognizes women’s contribution to this country and further cements their historic conservation legacy.”
MCV TAKE: Maine Conservation Voters Partnerships Director Nick Janzen said, “Maine Conservation Voters applauds the decision to designate the Perkins homestead as a national monument. Frances Perkins was a crucial voice for land conservation and labor rights and helped millions of Americans out of poverty as an architect of the New Deal. While her legacy includes groundbreaking achievements for women in politics, the environment, and workers, Perkins also exhibited a dismaying lack of awareness about the very real and adverse impacts of segregation and voting barriers. This designation presents an important opportunity to learn from Perkins’s at-times contradictory life and age.”
MONTANA SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS RULING IN FAVOR OF YOUTH CLIMATE ACTIVISTS: In a 6-1 decision, the Montana Supreme Court upheld a landmark 2023 ruling in favor of youth climate activists who sued the state government over a law preventing regulators from considering climate impacts when permitting energy projects. In August 2023, a Montana district court ruled that the law violated the right to a “clean and healthful environment” as granted in the Montana state constitution. The judge stated that greenhouse gas emissions “have been proven to be a factor” in climate change and laws that limited the ability of regulators to consider climate effects were unconstitutional.
MCV TAKE: In response to the original August 2023 court ruling, Montana Conservation Voters Executive Director Whitney Tawney said, “Today’s ruling is a victory for all Montanans. Instead of passing laws that limit our ability to regulate pollution, the state now must consider how its policies affect the health and wellbeing of its citizens and environment. The ruling is also a reminder of the importance of Montana’s constitution, and we applaud the brave young Montanans who stood up to protect the rights and freedoms promised to everyone in this state.”
CONNECTICUT ANNOUNCES NEW SOLAR AND ENERGY STORAGE PROJECTS: The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced the selection of new solar projects which will generate 518 megawatts (MW) of clean, renewable and affordable energy, along with 200 MW of energy storage capacity. DEEP says that these new projects will reduce energy supply costs for Connecticut customers by an estimated $424 million during their first 20 years in operation.
CTLCV TAKE: Connecticut LCV Deputy Director Connor Yakaitis said, “DEEP’s decision to invest in solar energy is a positive step toward advancing Connecticut’s clean energy future. Solar plays a crucial role in meeting the state’s 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target, and we are encouraged by this important progress. Unfortunately, today’s announcement also means offshore wind in Connecticut will take a back seat. Offshore wind is the most cost-effective way to lower energy costs, create jobs, and meet our climate goals. By stepping away from this opportunity, Connecticut risks falling behind neighboring states that continue to invest in a diverse clean energy portfolio.”
ON THE BLOG: Check out the newest article on The Power Source Blog for a healthy dose of optimism and hope to take into 2025 as we look back on the biggest climate wins from the past year!
ON OUR SOCIALS: Things we love: the Safe Drinking Water Act, a win for youth climate activists in Montana, new national historic landmarks and monuments, and updated emissions targets. Things we don’t love: the SCOTUS case threatening to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act.
DECEMBER 24: Christmas Eve / Noche Buena.
DECEMBER 25: Christmas Day.
DECEMBER 25: Hanukkah begins at sunset.
DECEMBER 26: Kwanzaa begins.
JANUARY 1: New Year’s Day.
JANUARY 3: 118th Congress ends and 119th Congress begins.
JANUARY 20: Inauguration Day 2025.
©2025 League of Conservation Voters