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 slew of bills from Congressional Republicans that will make life easier for Big Polluters while harming our public health and environment and driving up our energy bills.
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“One in three people live in great vulnerability because of these climate changes. To them, climate change is not a distant threat, and to ignore these people is to deny our shared humanity.”
— Pope Leo XIV at the United Nations climate talks on the need for concrete action to stop climate change.
“Trump forcing this outdated and inefficient coal plant to remain open is not only unnecessary, it’s raising our energy costs at a time when our bills are already too damn high.”
— Michigan State Rep. Julie Brixie on the Trump administration issuing another 90 day extension for the operation of the J.H. Campbell Coal Plant, which was supposed to retire in May.
“It’s hugely emotional for me personally, but also, I think, for the communities that have been able to rely on a Grijalva to stand up for them.”
— Rep. Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07) on joining the House Natural Resources Committee, which her father previously chaired.
OREGON GOVERNOR DIRECTS STATE TO SPEED UP CLEAN ENERGY: Governor Tina Kotek issued an executive order that will speed up the process of building and connecting new clean energy generation to the electrical grid. This will help Oregon meet rising energy demand while lowering costs for consumers and reducing harmful climate pollution.
OLCV TAKE: Oregon League of Conservation Voters Executive Director Lindsey Scholten said, “The State Energy Strategy made it clear that electrification is essential to keeping our communities safe and resilient. The Governor’s Executive Order is a good first step in implementing these recommendations, putting our state on a path to reach our climate goals and ensure clean, affordable energy for Oregonians.”
PENNSYLVANIA COUNTY TO MAKE POLLUTERS PAY: The Allegheny County Council unanimously voted to increase permit fees for polluters. Revenue from these permits will support pollution monitoring and enforcement of clean air laws to improve public health.
CHISPA NV CALLS ON STATE LAWMAKERS TO RESTORE FAIR ENERGY RATES: After the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada voted to keep NV Energy’s controversial daily demand charge despite strong opposition from families and advocates, Chispa Nevada and partner organizations called on state lawmakers to intervene and restore fair, predictable rates for Nevadans.
CHISPA NV TAKE: Chispa Nevada Program Director Audrey Peral said, “We’re incredibly disappointed with the PUCN’s decision. We feel that someone needs to act and really protect us all, because utility monopolies are continuing to make millions of dollars while communities are struggling to survive.”
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES VOTES ON DIRTY ENERGY AND ANTI-DEMOCRACY BILLS: This week, House Republicans advanced a slew of bills aimed at promoting dirty energy, weakening our democracy, and worsening the affordability crisis.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “After seven weeks of doing nothing to deliver affordability for families, House Republicans are prioritizing votes this week that give handouts to polluters instead of addressing skyrocketing costs across the country and continued threats to our democracy. From selling off our public lands to oil, gas, and coal executives to approving projects without evaluating impacts and limiting public input, these bills are corrupt polluter handouts that will likely raise energy costs across the country.
“At the same time, Congressional Republicans are trying to take away people’s voice and participation in our democracy. Taking away the Department of Energy’s required public interest determination before allowing more liquid methane gas (LNG) exports, illegitimately cancelling protections for public lands that were set up through a public process with public input, and overruling DC laws that were passed by our elected representatives, only tramples on our democratic processes and self-government. Instead of advancing giveaways for polluters, Congress should be taking action to ensure polluters pay their fair share of rising costs from climate change and harming our health, the Trump administration stops its ban on affordable clean energy, and our democratic processes and institutions remain strong.”
PRO-POLLUTER ‘SPEED ACT’ ADVANCES IN COMMITTEE: The House Natural Resources Committee marked up the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, moving to prop up Big Polluters at the expense of environmental protections and public input. Read more about LCV’s opposition to the SPEED Act, the PERMIT Act, and more about the benefits of NEPA.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “House Republicans have once again shown they are more interested in helping their fossil fuel billionaire buddies instead of working to lower utility costs for American families. The SPEED Act is another giveaway to Big Polluters that allows the Trump administration to continue its assault on clean energy while rigging the permitting process for harmful projects by cutting public input, gutting environmental protections, and blocking people’s day in court. Adequate staffing and resources delivered improvements in permitting timelines last year, and yet this bill does nothing to stop the indiscriminate firings of career civil servants or disregard for congressional direction on funding. We urge Congress to follow the lead of the members of Congress who opposed this bill in committee today and get serious about lowering utility costs by building clean, affordable energy that creates jobs and protects the health of our communities.”
SENATE VOTES TO SUPPORT METHANE POLLUTION LIMITS DELAY: The Senate voted down a Congressional Review Act resolution led by Senators Adam Schiff (CA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) that would have invalidated the EPA’s harmful and unlawful rule to delay compliance deadlines for the oil and gas industry to cut dangerous methane pollution.
OUR TAKE: LCV Healthy Communities Program Director Madeleine Foote said, “This vote once again shows that the allegiance of Senate Republicans lies with big polluters and their profits, not the health of our families and communities. By greenlighting EPA’s unlawful delay of compliance deadlines for the oil and gas industry to cut dangerous methane pollution, these Senators have signed off on pumping more cancer-causing pollution into frontline communities, worsening our climate, and wasting money and our natural resources. We thank Senators Schiff and Whitehouse for leading the effort to reverse the EPA’s harmful action and standing up for our communities, and we will continue to fight alongside them for strong methane standards that protect public health and the environment.”
TRUMP ADMIN RELEASES RECKLESS 5-YEAR LEASE SALE PLAN FOR OFFSHORE DRILLING: The Trump administration released its reckless and dangerous draft five year plan opening 1.3 billion acres of waters for offshore oil and gas drilling. The plan would auction waters off the coast of Alaska and southern and central California and in the Gulf of Mexico for drilling.
OUR TAKE: LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick said, “As extreme weather becomes more frequent and severe, the Trump administration is moving full steam ahead on its dangerous agenda to make our communities less safe by releasing a plan to allow offshore oil and gas leasing in several previously protected areas. This needless, reckless expansion of offshore drilling would jeopardize our coastal communities, public health, local economies, and the environment, while prolonging our dependence on fossil fuels and doing nothing to lower costs. As families face skyrocketing energy bills and extreme weather becomes more dangerous, we should be investing in affordable, fast, and reliable clean energy–not opening up our coasts to costly, dangerous drilling that threatens our health, safety, and future.”
TRUMP ADMIN RELEASES POLLUTED WATER RULE: EPA and the Department of the Army released a revised Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule restricting which bodies of water are protected by the Clean Water Act. This rule, better characterized as the “Polluted Water Rule,” would be devastating for our waters and communities, and is another attempt to dismantle the bedrock Clean Water Act.
OUR TAKE: LCV Healthy Communities Program Director Madeleine Foote said, “The Trump administration’s Polluted Water Rule is another blatant giveaway to big corporate polluters that will jeopardize the waters that our families and communities rely on for drinking, recreation, and fueling our local economies. In 2023, the Supreme Court’s devastating Sackett decision stripped federal protections from millions of miles of streams and tens of millions of acres of wetlands, and now corporate polluters are pushing their friends in the administration to go even further in decimating our clean water safeguards. They won’t be happy until the Clean Water Act is nothing more than words on a page and they can pollute our waters with abandon.
“The public overwhelmingly supports stronger protections for our waters, and contrary to this administration’s preference, do not think polluting industries should be left to police themselves. The Trump administration should abandon this attempt to ignore science and the law, and work to ensure everyone, no matter who they are or where they live, has access to the clean water they deserve.”
TRUMP ADMIN FORCES MICHIGAN COAL PLANT TO STAY OPEN: The Department of Energy issued a third order to force the J.H. Campbell Coal Plant in Ottawa County, Michigan to stay open. The plant was set to close in May, but has been forced to restart by the Trump administration, adding over $80 million in costs that will be passed on to ratepayers. Michigan state lawmakers have introduced a resolution calling for an end to the Trump administration’s reckless order.
MLCV TAKE: Michigan League of Conservation Voters Federal Government Affairs Director Bentley Johnson said, “The decision to keep Campbell open comes at a time when costs for everything are up and Michigan families are having to make hard decisions of whether to pay their light bill or put food on the table. Despite promising to bring energy costs down, Trump’s policies are causing them to skyrocket and the impact is being felt right here in Michigan.”
ON THE BLOG: Trump has been outspoken about his love of coal. This week on The Power Source Blog, learn how his love affair with the most polluting and most expensive energy source is driving up your energy bills and harming the environment.
ON OUR SOCIALS: Our energy bills? Higher. Our waters? More polluted. Our democracy? Under threat. At least the Trump administration isn’t, like, costing us millions of dollars a day by forcing obsolete coal plants to stay open or anything, right…? RIGHT?!?
NOVEMBER 27: Thanksgiving.
DECEMBER 3, 12-2:00: LCVEF and National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s Conservation and Regenerative Agriculture Expo. Press advisory coming soon.
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