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 attacks on our democracy, continued efforts to rollback clean energy progress, and states’ efforts to fight back.
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“When climate change is flooding our streets, poisoning our air, driving up healthcare and disaster costs, how can the EPA justify abandoning that duty to protect Americans to appease polluters under the false flag of economic growth?”
— Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin as he is questioned by House and Senate lawmakers about environmental policy and the Trump administration’s 2027 fiscal budget proposal.
“Today’s decision by this illegitimate Supreme Court majority strikes a blow against the Voting Rights Act and is designed to undermine the ability of communities of color all across this country to elect their candidate of choice.… The extremists have completely and totally failed America. So they’ve concluded, aided and abetted by the Trump Court, that they have to cheat to win.”
— House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais which significantly weakens the Voting Rights Act and civil rights protections for voters.
“I have fought this bill every step of the way and am standing with the families it starves, the rural communities it sells out, and the millions of Americans who understand that our public lands and our food assistance programs belong to all of us, not just the ultra-wealthy and well-connected.”
—Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02) on the House Republicans’ passage of a farm bill that will jeopardize our public health, rollback environmental protections and fail to reverse cuts to SNAP, weakening support for struggling families.
NJLCV APPLAUDS MIKIE SHERRILL’S FIRST 100 DAYS: New Jersey LCV awarded Gov. Mikie Sherrill an “A” grade for her first 100 days in office, applauding her swift actions on statewide clean energy expansion, tackling energy affordability, advancing standards for clean drinking water, and climate resilience.
NJLCV TAKE: New Jersey LCV Interim Executive Director Allison McLeod said, “Governor Sherrill came out of the gate strong, proving she is a leader who delivers on her promise. By prioritizing clean energy and water infrastructure, while fighting back hard against federal attempts to undermine our environmental standards, she has set a new national standard for state leadership. Her administration’s approach demonstrates that strong environmental leadership also increases economic opportunities and lowers costs for working families. Governor Sherrill’s first 100 days have proven that we can lower costs for working families and grow our local businesses while building a greener, more resilient future.”
MICHIGAN UTILITY COMPANY PROPOSES MASSIVE RATE INCREASE: Michigan utility DTE Energy plans to request a $474 million electricity rate increase to fund a new data center project and the conversion of a coal power plant to gas, and develop a massive battery storage facility. DTE Energy says if their data center proposal is approved and the facility comes online by 2027, they will pause further rate hikes until at least 2028, a move which Michigan LCV has characterized as holding Michigan ratepayers “hostage.”
MLCV TAKE: Michigan LCV Energy Accountability Manager Alex Kellogg said, “Michiganders are not going to be held hostage by DTE for a data center nobody wants because it was approved the wrong way — jammed down our throats with non-disclosure agreements, a fast-tracked ‘rocket docket,’ and contracts so redacted they looked like swiss cheese. DTE has spent the past decade jacking up our bills year after year, pocketing tens of millions in CEO salaries and charging us for flying around on private jets. We’re not dumb: Michiganders know this so-called two-year ‘rate freeze’ is smoke-and-mirrors because DTE is under pressure, and that our bills will continue to climb with passed-on fuel costs, market swings, and ballooning delivery fees. Michigan is done being treated like a greedy corporation’s own personal ATM. No matter what DTE says, these constant, rubber-stamped rate hikes must end, and data center approval processes must be open and transparent – if you want to come to Michigan, deal with us straight up. Michiganders pay the highest energy costs in the Midwest for some of the worst reliability in the country. Our bills are too damn high, and it’s a joke that DTE is trying to act like they’re doing us a favor while holding us captive for a controversial warehouse of computer servers dressed up as the ‘Red Barn Project.’”
WISCONSIN REGULATORS PROTECT RATEPAYERS FROM COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH DATA CENTERS: The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin approved a modified electricity rate structure for large-scale data centers designed to protect consumers from rising energy costs tied to surging demand from data centers. The changes aim to ensure data centers pay their fair share of utility costs and to keep energy rates affordable for consumers.
WCV TAKE: Wisconsin Conservation Voters said, “The Public Service Commission made an important decision Friday that will protect our pocketbooks! It rejected WE Energies’ proposal to make ratepayers cover much of the cost to build new infrastructure needed for data centers, and instead requires data centers to cover that cost. We need state legislation that writes this into law so everyday people are protected from rising utility bills. Thanks to the Clean Economy Coalition of Wisconsin for their work on this!”
OHIO SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF CONSUMER PROTECTIONS: The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled submetering companies must be treated as public utilities, placing them under state regulatory oversight. The ruling is expected to reshape Ohio’s rental housing energy market by extending consumer protections and giving state regulators power to ensure transparency and protections against submeter electricity rates.
NEW YORK ENERGY ADVANCES RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS: The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced plans to grant funding and permits for land-based wind, solar and hydroelectric projects that are ready for construction. The initiative leverages soon-to-expire federal tax credits to reduce costs for ratepayers as projects are deployed to generate clean, affordable energy to homes and businesses statewide. New York State has also granted utility company AES Clean Power permits for two wind projects and one solar power project. The projects are expected to generate enough clean energy to power 60,148 homes and return $2,180,000 in utility bill credits to residents over the first ten years of operation.
MASSACHUSETTS ACTIVATES CONTRACTS WITH VINEYARD WIND: Massachusetts has signed two 20-year contracts to purchase energy at a fixed rate from Vineyard Wind, the largest offshore wind project in the nation. The contracts will save ratepayers $1.4 billion in energy costs by reducing reliance on volatile natural gas.
IOWA COALITION LAUNCHES AD CAMPAIGN ON ENERGY COSTS: LCV, in partnership with Fairness for Iowa, launched a $150,000 ad campaign calling out Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) for her voting record that has rolled back clean energy development and driven up energy costs for Iowa families, and urging her to lower costs.
NEVADA COMMUNITY DEMANDS ACTION ON RISING ENERGY BILLS: Community members and organizations gathered at the Clark County Library in Nevada for a #FreezeTheRates town hall, calling on the state’s decision-makers to address skyrocketing utility costs. Panelists and residents shared concerns about rising NV Energy rates and the upcoming daily demand charge set for 2027. With key officials absent, attendees made one thing clear: Nevadans are demanding fair, affordable electricity bills now.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS ATTEMPT TO RESTORE CLEAN ENERGY TAX CREDITS: A group of House Republicans have introduced legislation to reinstate renewable energy and efficiency tax credits that were rolled back by the Republican Tax Law also known as the “Big Ugly Bill.” The proposal aims to revive clean energy investments and expand development to lower utility costs and promote energy affordability.
TWO HOUSE DEMOCRATS INTRODUCE LOWERING UTILITY BILLS ACT: Representatives Greg Casar (TX-35) and Josh Riley (NY-19) introduced the Lowering Utility Bills Act to ban utilities from charging customers for their company expenses and aim to prevent the construction of costly infrastructure projects that would raise customers’ energy bills. The bill could save families $500 a year in utility expenses.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “Energy costs are out of control and struggling consumers want to hold accountable those causing the problems. Thank you to Reps. Casar and Riley for fighting to bring more accountability to the Trump administration, extreme Republican leadership, and greedy fossil fuel CEOs, for lowering energy bills for families across the country, and for working to increase access to clean energy.”
SUPREME COURT GUTS VOTING RIGHTS ACT: In a major blow to multiracial democracy, the Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed Justices sided with Trump-aligned, anti-voter activists and struck down a Louisiana congressional map created to ensure equitable representation for Black voters. The decision allows states to redraw federal, state, and local districts to cut out the voices of minority communities. Following more than a decade of attacks by the Supreme Court’s Republican majority, dissenting Justice Elena Kagan pronounced this the “latest chapter in the majority’s now-completed demolition of the Voting Rights Act.”
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Director of Judiciary and Democracy Doug Lindner said, “Today’s decision by the MAGA Supreme Court justices represents one of the biggest rollbacks of freedoms for the American people in living memory. For generations after the Civil War, the promise of civil rights and voting rights for Black Americans was broken by racist laws and racist officials, as well as widespread violence and intimidation. In 1964, only 6.7% of eligible Black voters in Mississippi were registered to vote. By 1967, two years after the landmark Voting Rights Act (VRA), 59.8% were registered. And now that law is effectively gone. Far-right Supreme Court justices have repeatedly and baselessly weakened the Voting Rights Act for over a decade, but today’s decision represents a new low for the Court as well as the nation. Demolishing the historic Voting Rights Act threatens the right to vote for tens of millions of Black voters and other voters of color, whose primary protection from disenfranchisement is lost. It imperils fair district maps for voters nationwide, as the MAGA justices have now denied protection against both racial and partisan gerrymandering. It will exacerbate environmental injustice and endanger the health of disenfranchised communities across the country. Even as we redouble our efforts to protect free and fair elections at the state level, we cannot allow this decision to stand. Congress must protect our fundamental freedom to choose our own leaders by passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore the VRA, as well as the Freedom to Vote Act and D.C. Statehood. And at the next opportunity, we must expand and rebalance our Supreme Court by adding seats for justices who work for the people, not polluter-backed authoritarians.”
ENVIROVOTERS TAKE: California Environmental Voters Executive Director Mike Young said, “The Voting Rights Act is being hollowed out in real time and left standing in name only while its power is stripped away piece by piece. What was once a cornerstone of our democracy is being reduced to a shell, and this Court seems intent on finishing the job. The institution that’s supposed to protect our most fundamental rights is creating a modern-day Jim Crow. California will continue to fight back against this destructive and unpatriotic regime.”
WCV TAKE: Wisconsin Conservation Voters said, “Yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais is a devastating rollback of our fundamental freedoms. By gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), the Court has dismantled the most vital tool we have for stopping discrimination and disenfranchisement against voters of color. On both the state and national level, we will continue to fight to enact policies that protect the freedom to vote, including pushing Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. These laws would restore the protections the Court just took away.”
CVNM TAKE: Conservation Voters New Mexico said, “Today’s ruling sets the nation back to the Jim Crow era and deliberately silences the voice of voters most impacted by environmental racism and social injustice. This is the latest in a series of decisions made by the Supreme Court and the Trump Administration that have slashed fundamental and essential voting rights across the county. CVNM strongly condemns this ruling, which will have very real impacts on communities of color. New Mexico has led the nation in voting rights policy, and has long recognized the intentional patterns of oppression and suppression communities of color experience. We urge all of our state leaders to prioritize bold actions that protect and uphold our democracy in this wake of intentional and deliberate harm to our fundamental rights.”
INTERIOR CANCELS OFFSHORE WIND LEASES: The Interior Department has terminated two offshore wind leases: Bluepoint Wind off the coast of New York and Golden State Wind off California. The Trump administration is paying the developers hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to end their leases and requiring the companies instead to invest in fossil fuel infrastructure. This latest scheme is part of Trump’s broader effort to ban clean, affordable energy and prop up dirty, expensive fossil fuels.
TRUMP SIGNS REPEAL OF BOUNDARY WATERS PROTECTIONS: Trump has signed illegitimate legislation allowing destructive mining development in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters following a narrow vote in the Senate earlier this month. The repeal marks the first time the Congressional Review Act (CRA) has been used, with no statutory basis, to roll back mining protections for public lands, setting a dangerous precedent and putting other public lands at risk of losing protections.
OUR TAKE: Ahead of the vote in the Senate, LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick said, “As the Trump administration and its allies in Congress launch yet another attack on our public lands, LCV is grateful for leaders like Senator Smith and Senator Heinrich who are pushing back. Senators Smith and Heinrich are leading the fight against Congressional Republicans’ Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval to overturn protections that safeguard the headwaters of the Boundary Waters from toxic mining. The Boundary Waters is the most visited wilderness area in the country with nearly a quarter of a million visitors each year. Stripping this treasured place of protections from mining ignores decades of sound science, thousands of public comments, and would devastate the region’s ecosystem. And using the CRA to do it sets a dangerous precedent, potentially putting other public lands withdrawals at risk. The Senate must reject this CRA and uphold safeguards for this beloved place.”
CONSERVATION MINNESOTA TAKE: Ahead of the vote in the Senate, Conservation Minnesota Executive Director Paul Austin said, “The Boundary Waters are woven into Minnesota’s identity—a place where families have paddled, fished, and built lifelong connections to clean water and wild spaces. Protecting this extraordinary wilderness means protecting our shared heritage and a vital economic driver that supports more than 17,000 jobs and generates $1.1 billion in economic activity each year. Sulfide-ore copper and nickel mining poses significantly greater risks to water quality than traditional iron ore mining, and those risks are simply too great for a place this irreplaceable.”
HOUSE PASSES HARMFUL FARM BILL: House Republicans passed their Farm Bill, H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026. The legislation puts our public health at risk, undermines environmental protections, and fails to help farmers while locking in cuts to food assistance (a.k.a. SNAP), which millions of people rely on to feed their families.
OUR TAKE: LCV Healthy Communities Program Director Madeleine Foote said, “The Farm Bill forced through by MAGA House Republicans is a direct threat to the health of our families, our communities, and our environment. Instead of supporting the farmers who are on the frontlines of rising costs and climate impacts. This bill prioritizes corporate interests and leaves family farmers with little meaningful help to confront their biggest challenges. The bill will undermine critical conservation and forest management programs, jeopardize public health, and erode community safety and states’ rights. At a time when families across the country are struggling to put food on the table, this bill also fails to address the damaging cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program made by H.R. 1, making it even harder for people to access healthy food. Congress should be working to strengthen our food systems, protect our environment, and support the people who feed our nation, not doing the opposite. We urge the Senate to reject this harmful bill and instead pass a Farm Bill that puts people, farmers, and communities first.”
MAINE GOVERNOR VETOES DATA CENTER MORATORIUM: Maine Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill that would have paused data center construction statewide until 2027 over concerns it would impact redevelopment and economic recovery in a town called Jay. Mills instead plans to study the impact of data centers through a new state council and signed a separate measure blocking data centers from receiving tax incentives.
MCV TAKE: Maine Conservation Voters Executive Director Maureen Drouin said, “Governor Mills has sided with large-scale data center developers over safeguards for Maine people and the environment, leaving communities at risk to higher energy prices and more pollution. Across the country, the development of large-scale data centers has far outpaced the ability of policy and lawmakers to properly regulate them and establish sensible protections. Maine had a chance to push pause and establish the right regulatory framework to protect its people, their wallets, and the environment from polluting, resource-hungry data centers. This veto flies in the face of that responsibility and the bipartisan will of the Maine Legislature, passing the buck to the next Governor to rein in large-scale data centers after they’ve arrived.”
SOUTH CAROLINA LAWMAKERS REJECT OFFSHORE DRILLING AMENDMENT: South Carolina state senators rejected a proposed amendment to allow offshore drilling on the state’s coast in their approved budget in an attempt to protect the coast from pollution and environmental degradation. The proposed budget is now under consideration in the House.
CVSC TAKE: Conservation Voters of South Carolina said, “Senator Lee Bright of Spartanburg attempted to dissolve long-standing protections against offshore drilling by proposing to remove a proviso banning onshore drilling infrastructure on South Carolina’s coast. The proviso has been in place since 2016 and has safeguarded our coast from the development of destructive drilling infrastructure while also protecting us from the risk of spills and the havoc they can wreak on our coastal ecosystems. Senator Bright’s proposal was met with a strong rebuke from many Senators who spoke to the economic and cultural value that South Carolina’s coast provides and warned of the extreme folly of removing these protections. We are proud of the Senate standing up to the senseless removal of coastal protections.”
COLORADO POLL SHOWS RESIDENTS SUPPORT DATA CENTER REGULATION: A new poll released by Conservation Colorado finds 91% of Colorado voters support regulations on data center development. The poll highlights widespread concerns related to data centers and rising utility costs, water consumption, and potential environmental impacts. Colorado lawmakers are currently considering a bill that would establish regulations to protect ratepayers and the environment from data centers.
CONSERVATION COLORADO TAKE: Conservation Colorado CEO Kelly Nordini said, “Data centers in other states have dramatically increased energy bills, guzzled up local water and worsened air pollution and health and noise problems for local communities. Coloradans should not be left with higher energy costs, dirtier air and less water so that some of the richest tech companies in the world can profit. With 91% of Coloradans in support of fair rules for big tech, the Colorado legislature must move forward with the commonsense guardrails proposed by SB26-102.”
PENNSYLVANIA TAKES ONE STEP FORWARD AND TWO STEPS BACK ON AIR POLLUTION: Pennsylvania has distributed $267 million in federal funds to 31 companies through its Rise PA program to cut industrial carbon emissions. These projects will reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions by 1.3 million metric tons. However, this reduction in emissions is counteracted by Gov. Josh Shapiro’s recent decision to extend the operations of two coal plants, which significantly increase air pollution.
CVPA TAKE: Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania Executive Director Molly Parzen said, “This $267 million investment is a win for our economy and our environment. By helping our industrial sector transition to cleaner technologies, we are improving the air our families breathe and ensuring that Pennsylvania businesses can remain competitive and pay workers more by lowering costs. It is difficult to fully celebrate a reduction in pollution today when, just last week, the Governor decided to allow two dirty coal plants to continue to operate that will continue to increase costs for ratepayers and pump millions of metric tons of pollution into our air. Unfortunately, the 1.3 million metric tons of carbon pollution eliminated by these projects will be dwarfed by the estimated 7 million metric tons of pollution expected over the newly extended lifetime of these coal plants. Our children and seniors, who suffer most from poor air quality, deserve state leadership that prioritizes air quality and pollution reduction consistently and sustainably.”
LCV ACTION FUND ANNOUNCES HOUSE AND SENATE ENDORSEMENTS: LCV Action Fund has endorsed a new slate of Senate and House candidates who are committed to lowering energy costs and taking on the fossil fuel industry by investing in clean energy. LCV Action Fund officially endorsed Juliana Stratton, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Illinois, and U.S. House candidates Mike McGuire (D-CA-01), Randy Villegas (D-CA-22), Donna Miller (D-IL-02), La Shawn Ford (D-IL-07) and Chaz Molder (D-TN-05).
OUR TAKE: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “As temperatures rise, so are gas prices and electricity bills for people all over the country, thanks to the reckless policies of Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress. This November, voters have the opportunity to elect new leaders who will fight to bring down costs by investing in the fastest and most affordable energy — clean energy. We are proud to endorse these candidates because they are not afraid to take on the fossil fuel companies, utilities and other powerful special interests who want us to pay more, breathe dirtier air and drink dirtier water, all for the sake of their own profits.”
NJ LAWMAKER INTRODUCES BILL FOR DATA CENTER TRANSPARENCY: New Jersey Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) introduced the AI Data Center Site Selection Transparency Act of 2026, a bill aimed at increasing public awareness and input on proposed AI data center developments. The bill would require developers to disclose plans to build data centers to communities at least 180 days in advance and include details on energy use, water consumption and environmental impacts.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “Families deserve real notice and clear information about how massive AI data centers could affect their daily lives—from electricity bills to water use and neighborhood health. This legislation ensures people, not corporations, have a real say, with transparent, accessible details and enough time to get involved before decisions are made. We thank Rep. McIver for championing accountability and putting people and their communities first when it comes to data center development.”
ZELDIN QUESTIONED ON PROPOSED EPA BUDGET CUTS: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin testified during a series of Congressional hearings this week, facing bipartisan criticism over the Trump administration’s 2027 proposed budget that would slash EPA’s budget by 52% and roll back environmental protections. Lawmakers questioned Zeldin on the administration’s deregulatory agenda that has included repealing the endangerment finding, canceling billions in grants and cutting thousands of agency staff.
FEDERAL COURT ADVANCES MVP SOUTHGATE PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION: A federal court rejected environmental groups’ request to pause the Mountain Valley Southgate Pipeline project while water quality permits are still being litigated. The pipeline would transport gas through Virginia and North Carolina and potentially damage and pollute the surrounding environment.
ON THE BLOG: Primary elections are happening in all 50 states through September ahead of the November midterms, and registration deadlines are coming up fast. Use our guide to make a plan on how to register to vote, check your state’s registration deadlines, and spread the word about these incredibly important elections!
ON OUR SOCIALS: We’re fired up after SCOTUS dismantled our voting rights and MAGA Republicans passed a farm bill that will put corporations over struggling families, our environment and our health. Trump’s EPA is also trying to gut the Safer Communities Rule and endanger millions of people who live near toxic chemical plants. Show up for your state elections this year and use your vote to show this administration we won’t put up with their anti-environment, anti-democracy agenda anymore.
MAY 5: Indiana statewide primary election.
MAY 5: Ohio statewide primary election.
MAY 5: Cinco de Mayo.
MAY 10: Mother’s Day.
©2026 League of Conservation Voters