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 new legislation to tackle high costs and pollution, and how LCV plans to mobilize key voters in the midterms.
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“We sit in a country that’s got the wrong number of people on the Supreme Court, possibly the wrong number of representatives in the House of Representatives. And by the way, when you consider the disenfranchisement of the people of DC, we have the wrong number of states in the U.S.”
— Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on areas for political reform in the nation.
“This bill will save lives in my district. While there is so much more work to do to protect public health in our neighborhoods, we’ll all breathe a little easier knowing that we finally took this important first step.”
— Illinois State Sen. Celina Villanueva, a co-sponsor of Illinois’ new environmental justice bill, on the importance of the bill for communities of color.
“We cannot afford to allow Trump to continue to abuse his power with an Attorney General who serves his corrupt agenda instead of protecting the rule of law and the people’s rights.”
— LCV Senior Director of Judiciary & Democracy Doug Lindner on Trump’s nomination of Todd Blanche, his former defense attorney, to succeed Pam Bondi as Attorney General.
ARIZONA LEGISLATORS PAUSE TAX INCENTIVES FOR DATA CENTERS: Arizona lawmakers and the governor’s office released a bipartisan budget agreement that includes a three year moratorium on tax incentives for data centers. The budget also provides a $1.4 billion tax cut for working class families and invests in job creation, education, and water security. The budget provisions aim to lower utility bills for Arizona families, as well as protect the state’s water future. LCV state affiliate Chispa AZ was instrumental in getting this budget across the finish line.
REPORT SHOWS BURDEN OF 20 YEARS OF GAS INFRASTRUCTURE EXPANSION ON CONNECTICUT RATEPAYERS, MAKES THE CASE FOR RENEWABLES: A new report released by the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis and Connecticut LCV shows that significant investments into natural gas expansion in Connecticut have resulted in higher costs for customers who were forced to pay for the new gas infrastructure while their energy bills remain high. Connecticut is a net-exporter of electricity, meaning the state’s residents not only bear the burden of the infrastructure buildout, but the health and environmental damage of gas-fired generation as well, while other states benefit from the electricity.
CTLCV TAKE: Connecticut LCV Deputy Director Connor Yakaitis said, “Ratepayers should understand the far-reaching and unintended consequences that expanding natural gas will have on the cost and quality of living for Connecticut residents. They should also understand the significant cost and impact that expanding natural gas will have on the state and on individuals’ budgets. Investing in renewable energy is more than a benefit for the environment. This report shows us that we need to take a pause and really understand the impact of future energy decisions before we commit to investments that will impact residents for generations to come. The increased cost to ratepayers, the competitive disadvantage to the state, and the public health effects of these decisions should be part of the discussion. CTLCV is excited to provide these tools to policymakers as they grapple with how to include affordability as a central plank to their platform.”
MICHIGAN HOUSE DEMOCRATS INTRODUCE FINAL BILLS IN THE RATEPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS: Democrats in the Michigan House joined Michigan LCV and other advocates to unveil three new bills that are part of the Ratepayer Bill of Rights, intended to improve energy reliability and reduce costs for customers. If enacted, the laws would prohibit utilities from using ratepayer funds to support executive compensation, political lobbying, advertising and political spending, cap the companies’ return on equity at 8.2% and require an independent audit every five years to examine utility performance.
MLCV TAKE: Michigan LCV West Michigan Regional Organizer Michael King said, “Young Michiganders are fed up with skyrocketing energy costs and are looking to our elected leaders to do something about it. That’s why I’m proud to stand with state lawmakers today who are introducing bills that would cap utility company profits, stop them from charging us for their private jets and public relations campaigns and audit them to ensure their investments go toward improving grid reliability.”
THE NEXT CRUCIAL VOTING BLOC–THE ENERGY BILL VOTER: Concerns about the cost of living, particularly the cost of energy, have reached historic highs. At the same time, voters’ approval of Trump and Republicans’ handling of the economy has reached new lows. With midterms fast approaching, it is critical that we mobilize persuadable voters who are frustrated by Trump’s handling of the economy and skyrocketing energy costs, a group of voters LCV Victory Fund (LCVVF) is calling “Energy Bill Voters.” This week, LCVVF released a memo detailing how we plan to reach this important voting bloc to win midterm elections in critical districts across the country.
LCVVF TAKE: LCV Victory Fund Senior Vice President of Campaigns Sara Schrieber said, “When voters hear about members of Congress who supported massive tax giveaways to billionaires and corporations while slashing programs that help everyday families, they understand who is to blame for high energy prices. By cutting funding for clean energy and consumer relief, Trump and his allies shifted the burden from Big Oil onto hardworking Americans and key voting blocs are ready to make them pay a political price.”
MERKLEY INTRODUCES BILLS TO TACKLE TRUMP’S BARRIERS TO RENEWABLE ENERGY, LNG EXPORT COSTS: Senator Jeff Merkley (OR) released new legislation that would reverse the Trump administration’s barriers to building renewable energy. The Trump administration has attempted, at times illegally, to place restrictions on the development of renewable energy, meaning less clean energy on the grid and higher costs for energy consumers nationwide. Merkley also introduced a bill that would guarantee that exports of new liquefied fossil gas (LNG) do not raise prices for consumers.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “The Trump administration has stopped at nothing to try to ban clean, affordable energy, and their schemes have sent electricity prices up 16%. We appreciate Sen. Merkley’s efforts to reverse the unfair and costly actions of Trump and his fossil fuel cronies and protect access to clean energy. Across our country, people agree that we need more clean, affordable electricity, not less.”
TAKE 2: LCV Senior Federal Advocacy Campaigns Director Leah Donahey said, “Oil and gas CEOs are making record profits, while hardworking families are struggling to make ends meet. It’s about time Congress made clear that billionaire CEOs should not get a free pass to export more of our country’s energy at the expense of hardworking families’ health and pocketbooks.”
U.S. INFLATION ACCELERATES AMIDST TRUMP’S WAR IN IRAN: For the third month in a row, inflation in the U.S. continued to accelerate as negotiations to end Trump’s war in Iran remain at an impasse. Energy prices, rising 3.9 percent, played the most significant role in the increase in May, with the data center boom and a persistent drought adding to the increase in prices for consumers. However, Trump continues to dismiss these concerns, even going so far as to say he “loves the inflation” in a press briefing this week.
TRUMP STRIPS PROTECTIONS FOR THREE NATIONAL MARINE MONUMENTS IN THE PACIFIC: Trump restored commercial fishing in three of the nation’s marine national monuments across the Pacific Ocean, effectively removing protections for these ecosystems. The proclamation expands commercial fishing to around half a million square miles and is another example of Trump’s dangerous rollback of critical environmental safeguards put forth during the Biden administration.
ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE PASSES BILL STRENGTHENING AIR POLLUTION REGULATIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES: Illinois legislators passed a bill requiring the state to enact stricter requirements for air monitoring and consider the cumulative impacts of air pollution, particularly in environmental justice communities, when issuing air emissions permits. The bill is a major win in the years-long fight to cut health-harming pollution in communities of color across Illinois.
IEC TAKE: Illinois Environmental Council CEO Jen Walling said, “This is a significant and meaningful step forward for communities who simply want clean air to breathe, and our work to secure that basic human right continues. We hope to secure greater protections for more communities in the future and the passage of the Hazel M. Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance in Chicago.”
DESPITE TRUMP’S ATTACKS, SOLAR POWER HITS NEW MILESTONE: For the first time last month, solar power supplied more electricity to the grid than coal, becoming the third-largest source of electricity for the U.S. in May. This milestone arrives even as Trump attempts to boost the coal industry with massive giveaways and shut down clean energy alternatives.
TRUMP NOMINATES TODD BLANCHE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL: Trump officially nominated his former defense attorney Todd Blanche for Attorney General. Blanche, the Deputy Attorney General, has led the Justice Department on an acting basis since Trump fired former Attorney General Pam Bondi in April.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Director of Judiciary & Democracy Doug Lindner said, “The DOJ is supposed to serve and protect the public, not one person. Trump is nominating his former defense lawyer, Todd Blanche, to lead the Department of Justice so it can continue to protect the interests of the president over the people. As Deputy Attorney General, Blanche has helped weaponize the Justice Department to go after Trump’s enemies and protect his friends — recently attempting to give 1.8 billion taxpayer dollars to the president and his fellow insurrectionists, and using DOJ funds to pay Big Polluters not to build the clean energy projects we need to lower energy costs.
“Blanche has presided over the decimation of DOJ divisions responsible for protecting our environment, and our civil and voting rights. He has also openly welcomed Trump’s politicization of DOJ decisions while refusing to recuse from Trump-related matters and purging ethics officials. We cannot afford to allow Trump to continue to abuse his power with an Attorney General who serves his corrupt agenda instead of protecting the rule of law and the people’s rights. The Senate must reject this dangerous nomination.”
LCV ACTION FUND ENDORSED CANDIDATES ADVANCE TO CA GENERAL ELECTION: The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund (LCVAF) congratulates endorsed candidates Mike McGuire (CA-01), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Josh Harder (CA-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Randy Villegas (CA-22), George Whitesides (CA-27), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Derek Tran (CA-45), Dave Min (CA-47), and Mike Levin (CA-49) on advancing to the general election in California.
OUR TAKE: LCV Action Fund Vice President of Political Affairs Craig Auster said, “LCV Action Fund congratulates these candidates who are committed to fighting for clean energy solutions and a free and fair democracy for everyone in this country. The global energy crisis caused by Trump and his MAGA allies in Congress are raising costs for working families while they continue to give handouts to their billionaire and Big Polluter donors. Voters want candidates who will protect our communities and make utility bills affordable. We are all in to help these candidates win in November.”
ON THE BLOG: Stay tuned for exciting new content coming to The Power Source Blog!
ON OUR SOCIALS: Since Trump and his fossil fuel buddies insist on behaving like children, we broke down the cost comparison and environmental impacts of fossil fuels vs. clean energy the only way we think might break through – with toys. And as we’re all stressing about how we’re going to pay our energy bills as summer heats up, Trump has an especially hot take on our costs.
JUNE 16: Primary elections in D.C. and Oklahoma.
JUNE 19: Juneteenth.
JUNE 21: First day of summer.
JULY 4: 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
©2026 League of Conservation Voters