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 state-level progress on data center guidelines, the Trump administration’s attacks on clean energy, and Virginia’s exciting new ratepayer relief bills.
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“We must continue to do whatever we can to keep working families and small businesses from absorbing the costs of data center energy use.”
— Governor Tina Kotek (OR) on the Oregon utility commission’s rate hike for data centers.
“Our communities need more protections for our health and safety, not less.”
—Chispa Nevada Program Director Audrey Peral on the Trump administration’s proposed rollback of pollution limits for trucks and buses.
“It is unacceptable to politicize the disaster declaration process.”
— Rhode Island’s congressional delegation on Trump’s denial of disaster relief aid to blue states.
NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR CONTINUES TO PROVIDE RELIEF FOR RATEPAYERS: New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, who campaigned on lowering energy costs and advancing clean energy, signed three bills aimed at holding utility companies and data centers accountable for driving up New Jerseyans’ energy bills. In addition, she announced a $25 credit to all New Jersey ratepayers through the Residential Universal Bill Credit program, and a $150 credit to lower- to moderate-income families through the Residential Energy Assistance Payment program. Including these latest actions, policies enacted by Governor Sherrill in the first six months of her term will save New Jerseyans an estimated $1 billion on their energy bills each year.
OREGON APPROVES HIGHER ENERGY RATES FOR DATA CENTERS, LOWERS BILLS FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS: The Oregon Public Utility Commission increased energy rates for data centers under the POWER Act, which was passed last year. The commission approved Portland General Electric’s requested 29.7% increase for data centers, cryptocurrency companies, and other large industrial energy users. This decision will save the utility’s residential customers 1.3% on their energy bills and helps put a structure in place for data centers to pay for their own energy needs and to protect Oregonians from rising costs in the future.
MASSACHUSETTS SPEEDS CLEAN ENERGY GROWTH: Aiming to reduce bureaucratic delays and build more clean energy, Massachusetts is implementing recently enacted deadlines for clean energy permitting decisions. Under the new rules, the public has robust opportunities for engagement, cities and towns have 12 months to review permits for small clean energy facilities, and the state has 15 months to decide on permits for large clean energy facilities.
WHITE HOUSE’S “FREEDOM FUEL” GAS STATIONS DO NOTHING TO HELP EVERYDAY PEOPLE: As fuel prices surge amid his continued attacks on Iran, Trump has launched 25 “Freedom Fuel” gas stations under the guise of reducing fuel prices for consumers. This empty gesture does nothing to lower energy prices for everyday people across the country. Quite the opposite: Trump’s actions, including cancelling offshore wind projects, blocking vehicle charging stations, and reigniting the conflict in Iran, are actively driving up costs across the board.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ROLLS BACK POLLUTION LIMITS: Trump’s EPA has proposed rolling back rules that aimed to reduce toxic emissions from heavy-duty trucks. This rollback would expose our communities, particularly low-income and communities of color who are more likely to live along transportation corridors, to more dangerous, health-harming pollution.
OUR TAKE: LCV Government Affairs Advocate, Climate & Clean Energy Darien Davis said, “Trump is seeking to roll back limits on health-harming tailpipe pollution from trucks and buses, making our air dirtier and more unhealthy for our communities and the kids who depend on diesel buses to get to school. Communities living near busy highways and freight hubs can’t wait for relief from ruinous, toxic diesel pollution. The EPA must do their job to protect the public and especially the communities with low wealth and communities of color disproportionately harmed by Big Polluters and the fossil-fueled climate crisis.”
CHISPA NV TAKE: Chispa Nevada Program Director Audrey Peral said, “Our communities need more protections for our health and safety, not less. Toxic pollution from trucks and buses has damaging and costly health impacts on the children and people who ride and live near them and worsens our country’s chronic health crisis. We need enforcement of these pollution limits to hold polluters accountable for making our comunidades and our children sicker.”
TRUMP DENIES DISASTER AID FOR BLUE STATES: Trump rejected $227 million in aid requests for four Democratically-led states: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, who are recovering from a snowstorm in February. This follows Trump’s approval of FEMA disaster aid for six red states two days prior.
TRUMP CUTS ACCESS TO PROGRAM SAVING NORTH CAROLINANS THOUSANDS ON ENERGY COSTS : Under new guidelines from the Trump administration, many North Carolina households are now unable to access rebates families had already been using to replace costly fossil-fueled appliances with more energy efficient options.
NCLCV TAKE: North Carolina LCV Clean Energy Campaigns Director Meech Carter said, “This is a very illegal, explicit ploy to satisfy fossil fuel companies. We know that electric appliances are more efficient than their traditional, fossil-fueled counterparts, [which] we also know are causing significant health impacts, like respiratory diseases and more. To narrow this program to not support transitioning away from fossil fuels … It’s not increasing affordability for residents. It’s actually causing more health problems in the long term.”
GRAHAM PLATNER DROPS OUT OF MAINE SENATE RACE: Following sexual assault allegations against Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, multiple environmental groups, including LCV, withdrew their endorsements and called for Platner to drop out of the race. Platner suspended his candidacy on Wednesday, clearing the path for Democrats to nominate a new candidate.
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “Our elected officials and those that strive to hold public office should be held to the highest standards of ethics and integrity. Our thoughts are with Jenny Racicot who bravely shared her story and we hope that she, and all victims of sexual violence, get the support and care needed to heal and recover. In light of this credible and disturbing allegation, we are rescinding our endorsement of U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner and call on him to withdraw his candidacy. It is critical that he step down so that the Maine Democratic Party can swiftly replace him on the ballot with someone who can win back voters’ trust, hold polluting and greedy corporations accountable, and protect the air, water and land that are vital to Mainers’ way of life and economy.”
ON THE BLOG: As we recover from Trump’s Freedom 250 extravaganza (anyone seen those air quality readings in D.C. over the past week? 😬), we’re looking forward to a better future for our communities and the planet.
ON OUR SOCIALS: One year after Republicans passed Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” one thing’s for certain: our energy bills are definitely big. Prices (and temperatures) are only going to keep going up as Trump continues to gut clean energy projects across the country (here and here).
JULY 17-19: John Lewis Good Trouble Lives On Weekend of Action.
AUGUST 1: August recess begins.
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