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 a fifth win for offshore wind, attacks on our public lands, and a new batch of endorsements from LCV Action Fund.
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“A lot of these are skilled jobs that are no longer there if projects get canceled. That’s the real harm – the loss in the workforce and lost wages and the uncertainties for families. And when a family is feeling like that, they’re looking for somebody to blame and they could look at the president and say, well, he canceled the project that was employing me because he didn’t like it was solar. And yes, that could cost you at the ballot box.”
—Sen. Shelly Moore Capito (WV), Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair, on the Trump administration’s termination of billions of dollars of funding for clean energy projects.
“They know that this is hurting them and if these lawless, thuggy bands continue to roll through the streets, it is very bad for them. They have an impetus to reform it, particularly now that Trump sort of gave them the green light.”
— Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY), Senate Democratic Leader, on the need for Republicans to work with Democrats on reforming Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Department of Homeland Security funding bill.
“[The] U.S. clean energy economy that entered 2025 with momentum — but exited the year with record project, job and investment cancellations, eroding investor confidence and mounting instability.”
— E2, a national organization advocating for policies that help the economy and the environment, in a new report on the impact of IRA rollbacks in 2025.
JUDGE HANDS TRUMP FIFTH LOSS IN OFFSHORE WIND FIGHT: A federal judge dealt the Trump administration its fifth consecutive court loss over offshore wind projects under construction, lifting a baseless federal stop-work order on New York’s offshore wind project Sunrise Wind. The court ruled the administration failed to justify its construction freeze. Once completed, Sunrise Wind will generate enough energy to power 600,000 homes. With this ruling, all five offshore wind projects whose construction was halted by the Trump administration in December have successfully won injunctions in court to re-start construction.
OUR TAKE: LCV Local Clean Energy Deployment Director Kathleen Meil said, “The Trump administration’s attempts to ban clean energy have already cost us billions. They’ve stalled projects, killed jobs, and raised energy bills for millions of families. Today’s ruling is yet another proof point that their actions are built on baseless claims propping up Trump’s irrational vendetta against offshore wind. As energy demand continues to rise, the Trump Administration is doing everything they can to block the deployment of affordable, reliable clean energy. We will keep fighting to lower energy costs, grow clean energy jobs, and protect the health and safety of our communities.”
NYLCV TAKE: New York LCV President Julie Tighe said, “Today’s court ruling is a clear victory for New York workers, families, and our clean energy future. NYLCV applauds the decision allowing Empire Wind to resume construction, and we urge swift and similar action for Sunrise Wind and the other projects across the East Coast. Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind alone employ thousands of workers across New York and throughout the country, and once completed they will produce more than 1.7 gigawatts of clean, reliable, affordable energy – enough to power more than 1.1 million homes. Stopping these projects prevent New Yorkers from accessing reliable energy without the rollercoaster ride of costly fossil fuels. These projects underwent exhaustive reviews – including from the Department of Defense – prior to being fully permitted by the federal government. The President must not now unilaterally contradict these reviews and throw thousands of union workers off the job, no matter how badly he wants to curry favor with his Big Oil donors. We look forward to workers returning to the job without further delay and to the courts ultimately rejecting the Trump Administration’s unlawful attempt to kill clean energy jobs and halt fully permitted projects.”
TRUMP VOTERS SUPPORT SOLAR ENERGY: A new poll found that Trump voters broadly support solar energy. Over 50% of Trump voters support utility-scale solar development, with that number reaching a whopping 70% when the solar panels are produced in the U.S. This is evidence that not only is Trump’s war on clean energy bad for the environment and the economy, it is in direct opposition with the wishes of the people.
TRUMP ATTEMPTS TO SELL ARCTIC REFUGE TO OIL CORPORATIONS: The Department of the Interior (DOI) has started the process to offer oil and gas drilling leases in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The sale could lead to devastating destruction of land that is vital for the protection of wildlife and the way of life for native tribal communities. Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” mandates the administration hold a lease sale in the ANWR by July 4th, with three additional sales by 2035.
OUR TAKE: LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick said, “After its last disastrous oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic Refuge received zero bids, Trump’s DOI is once again attempting to sell off more than one million acres of the Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge for oil and gas leasing. Not only is drilling in the Arctic Refuge not economically viable and reckless, it blatantly ignores the interests of the native Gwich’in people and hundreds of thousands of public comments opposing it. It would also destroy wildlife habitats and the sacred landscape of the Coastal Plain, all for the benefit of Big Polluters. DOI must stand with the people who have stewarded this land for a millennia and not move forward with this decision to advance destructive oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Refuge.”
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CANCELS PROJECTS TO REDUCE POLLUTION FROM TRANSPORTATION: The Trump administration has illegally clawed back $943 million in funds from the Department of Transportation. The funding would have helped build out electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure to reduce pollution from transportation and make EVs more accessible to low-wealth communities and communities of color.
NYLCV HIGHLIGHTS TOP POLICY PRIORITIES FOR LEGISLATOR ACCOUNTABILITY: New York LCV and Environmental Advocates NY joined forces to announce a slate of 2026 legislative priorities they’ve designated as “superbills”, which will be more heavily weighted in their annual scorecards. The two organizations are the only groups in New York that release scorecards grading lawmakers on their votes on environmental legislation.
NYLCV TAKE: New York LCV State Policy Director Patrick McClellan said, “Our scorecards are meant to give New Yorkers a clear picture of who is truly leading — and who is falling behind — when it comes to protecting our environment and public health. By giving these Superbills greater weight, we’re underscoring that progress on these priorities isn’t optional. These are the actions New Yorkers expect, and they are essential to safeguarding our communities, water, and air.”
CVNM HOSTS CLIMATE SOLUTIONS DAY AT THE CAPITOL: Conservation Voters New Mexico packed the Roundhouse along with faith leaders, environmental groups, youth activists, and other partners for a rally in support of the Clear Horizons Act, which would codify the state’s emissions reductions targets and set a statutory goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The Clear Horizons Act passed its first committee on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON CONSERVATION ACTION HOSTS DEMOCRACY DAY: In late January, WCA along with dozens of organizational partners gathered together for its annual Democracy Lobby Day. Over 150 community members from 36 legislative districts had 88 scheduled meetings with lawmakers to discuss bills that would prohibit mass voter challenges, require preclearance for local election changes, improve ballot access for pre-trial detainees, and allow local races to opt in to ranked choice voting. All four legislative priorities passed the first deadline to be heard in committee this past Wednesday.
STEWARDSHIP UTAH FIGHTS AGAINST STATE-LEVEL SAVE ACT: As the push for the SAVE America Act ramps up in Congress, Stewardship Utah is also fighting back against legislation that would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote. In a state where more than 9 out of 10 voters register online and by mail, this would have a dramatic effect on people’s access to their right to vote. While Stewardship Utah continues to oppose the bill, HB 209, they have managed to negotiate changes to allow additional forms of identification beyond passports and birth certificates, including tribal documents, marriage licenses, and legal name change certificates.
LCV ACTION FUND ANNOUNCES NEW ROUND OF ENDORSEMENTS: LCV Action Fund announced 14 endorsements for the U.S. House of Representatives. The endorsements include incumbents Don Beyer (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Deborah Ross (NC-02), and Mike Thompson (CA-04), in addition to candidates Jake Levine (CA-32), Donavan McKinney (MI-13), Janelle Stelson (PA-10) and Elaine Luria (VA-02).
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Vice President of Political Affairs Craig Auster said, “While the extreme Republican majority in the House continue to hand power to Trump, raise energy costs for families, and gut critical funding that protects the health of our communities, climate champions in Congress are pushing back. The urgency to flip the House in 2026 has never been stronger to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink, protect our treasured public lands from being given away to Big Polluters, and protect our right to vote in free and fair elections. LCV Action Fund is all in to help these pro-climate, pro-democracy champions and elect a Congressional majority who will prioritize our families and our environment.”
HOUSE VOTE ENDS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: Both the Senate and House have agreed to funding levels for five of the six outstanding appropriations bills, as well as a two week continuing resolution (CR) for the final bill funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This agreement ended a three day partial government shutdown, but sets up a potential third, very partial shutdown if lawmakers cannot agree on how to fund DHS by the end of next week. Democrats are holding firm on their calls to reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol in the bill following the events in Minneapolis, and across the country, over the last several weeks.
HOUSE PASSES RESOLUTION UNDERMINING DC LOCAL DEMOCRACY: The House passed a resolution this week that would invalidate recent changes to Washington, DC’s local tax policy and destabilize its budget. The resolution has also passed out of committee in the Senate. Because DC is not a state, Congress has the authority to interfere in its local policy. But because DC should be a state (and does not have full voting representation in Congress), Congress should not use that authority. The resolution is an anti-democratic overreach of power that would undermine DC’s autonomy and priorities set by the elected DC Council, jeopardize the District’s financial stability, and roll back a tax credit to lift DC children out of poverty. Ahead of the vote in the Senate, LCV joined a coalition of groups including Free DC and DC Vote urging Senators to oppose the resolution.
COALITION TAKE: From the letter, “We are writing to you to urge you to vote NO on S.J.Res. 102/H.J.Res. 142. This disapproval resolution is an anti-democratic overreach into local governance issues and would further encroach on DC’s right to manage its own budget. This resolution would destabilize DC’s finances and impoverish DC’s children.”
ON THE BLOG: This week on The Power Source Blog, learn about how Trump’s energy policies are weakening the U.S. and handing power to China.
ON OUR SOCIALS: Turns out, people in this country support policies to lower energy costs… who would’ve thought? And something really crazy? Republican lawmakers support it too. Amidst all the attacks on our public lands and democracy (here and here), it’s good to know there is still some common sense out there.
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 9: SAVE Act 2.0 vote expected on House floor.
FEBRUARY 13: Partial (DHS) government shutdown funding deadline.
FEBRUARY 14: Valentine’s Day.
FEBRUARY 16: President’s Day.
FEBRUARY 17: Lunar New Year.
©2026 League of Conservation Voters