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 states’ progress on clean energy and democracy, and the selloff of public lands.
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“Under Mr. Trump, Republicans have gone even further. They have become the party that stands in the way of lower energy prices for American households.”
— New York Times Editorial Board on Trump and congressional Republicans’ energy policies that are driving up costs.
“As with every other shortsighted, self-serving decision by this administration, this move is silencing the people who will be impacted the most.”
— Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) on the Trump administration’s decision to permit the Ambler Road Project and open the Alaska wilderness up for mining.
“Instead of working to lower health care and energy costs, the President, his administration, and Republicans in Congress are choosing to drive those costs through the roof.”
— Senator Martin Heinrich (NM) on impacts of Trump’s war on clean energy for working families.
STATES ADVANCE CLEAN ENERGY AMIDST FEDERAL ATTACKS: As Donald Trump and congressional Republicans attack clean energy, state leaders are enacting policies to advance clean energy, which will lower energy costs and pollution. Across the nation, state and local leaders are taking legislative and executive action to protect the environment, lower utility bills, and reduce pollution.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of State Policy and Advocacy Bill Holland said, “State and local leaders continue to provide a different path focused on deploying clean energy at scale, reducing pollution, and lowering utility bills. In recent weeks, we’ve seen actions like California governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order to speed up clean energy projects eligible for federal Inflation Reduction Act tax credits before they expire, and New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherril’s No Rate Hikes pledge that she made on the campaign trail last month. These actions follow months of significant steps taken at the state level to build renewables and protect ratepayers around the country.
“In partnership with groups across the country, the League of Conservation Voters’ state affiliates in the Conservation Voter Movement have rallied the public and won meaningful progress nationwide. Together, they understand that our collective response has never been more important. State action is critical to not only hold the line against federal attacks, but to keep the country moving forward on climate.”
STATES STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY AGAINST AUTHORITARIANISM: As the Trump administration attempts to dismantle our democracy at the federal level, LCV partners in the Conservation Voters Movement (CVM) are working overtime to secure major democracy victories in the states. From legal protections for voters of color to fighting partisan gerrymandering, states continue to make progress to protect voting rights and fight authoritarianism.
OUR TAKE: LCV State Democracy Policy Senior Director Amanda Gnaedinger said, “States across the country are fighting to defend a free and fair democracy. Our best course of action for a stronger democracy is to not only protect fundamental freedoms, but expand democracy so it is a responsive and trusted institution for all people—no matter their race, income, ability, or zip code. The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) along with over 30 state partners, collectively called the Conservation Voters Movement (CVM), has worked this year to successfully secure legal protections for voters, lessen the damage of Trump’s Project 2025 agenda, and slow the creep of authoritarianism into state legislatures in state houses around the country.
“The relentless attacks on our communities and freedoms coincide with environmental and energy policies that are leading to higher costs, more pollution, and more extreme weather. These challenges cannot be solved through advocacy if we are left with an unresponsive, unrepresentative democracy. Therefore, in order for everyone to enjoy clear air and water, public lands, and affordable clean energy, we must all rise to make sure our government can hear us, protect us, and reflect us all.”
INDIANA RALLIES AGAINST PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING: Vice President J.D. Vance visited Indiana to pressure lawmakers to redraw congressional maps and eliminate the two seats held by Democrats. In response, Indiana Conservation Voters (ICV) held a rally to tell Indiana lawmakers: No mid-decade map meddling. ICV has led the charge over the past month in opposition to map manipulation, including early rallies and delivering thousands of petition signatures to legislative leadership.
ICV TAKE: Indiana Conservation Voters said, “Hoosiers have been more than clear on this issue over the past two months: We don’t want Washington outsiders telling us how to run our state. Attempts to redraw Indiana’s legislative maps in the middle of the decade are unfair, unnecessary and out of step with hard-working Hoosiers’ priorities.
“What’s more, they want to come into our state and tell us what to do with our legislative process while the federal government is shut down. Maybe they should just stay in Washington and clean up their own mess instead of disrupting our lives and our state with their political shenanigans.
“Indiana leaders should continue to reject this distraction from D.C. and stay focused on the real issues that matter to Hoosiers: inflation, energy costs and taxes.”
OREGON MOVES TO FAST TRACK CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS: Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed an executive order to accelerate renewable energy projects before federal tax credits expire. The executive order will focus Oregon’s agencies to speed up its permitting process to complete energy projects that create jobs, build energy capacity, and lower costs.
OLCV TAKE: Oregon League of Conservation Voters said, “Federal tax credits for renewable energy projects will expire next year, due to the elimination of these incentives by the Trump Administration. However, thanks to Governor Tina Kotek’s Executive Order, Oregon will speed up its otherwise lengthy permitting process to get these projects underway before the deadline. This Executive Order defends Oregon families, family-wage jobs, and our state’s energy resilience. We’re glad to see Oregon leading, joining a handful of states who have sped up their processes as well.”
ARIZONA RALLIES COMMUNITY TO DEMAND ENERGY JUSTICE FROM APS: Chispa AZ and community members burdened by $300–$500 monthly bills and record-breaking heat gathered outside the Arizona Public Service (APS) substation wall to protest the utility’s latest proposed rate hikes. Organizers called out the company for fueling the climate crisis and shifting costs onto communities already most impacted.
CHISPA NEVADA HONORED WITH GREEN IMPACT AWARD: Chispa Nevada was honored with the Green Impact Award at the Nevada Conservation League’s Home Means Nevada 2025 Awards Dinner. The award recognizes locally rooted organizations leading the way on environmental and climate justice. Chispa NV was celebrated for its community-driven advocacy to ensure cleaner air, renewable energy, and a more equitable future for Nevada’s families.
KAINE, HEINRICH MOVE TO END TRUMP’S SHAM ENERGY EMERGENCY: Senators Tim Kaine (VA) and Martin Heinrich (NM) reintroduced a resolution to terminate the sham Trump Energy Emergency order, which was designed to line the pockets of Big Oil rather than lowering energy costs. The resolution failed after senators voted along party lines.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Federal Advocacy Campaigns Director Leah Donahey said, “Democrats are fighting back to address rising costs by voting unanimously to reject Trump’s energy emergency order. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans continue to do the bidding of Big Oil at the expense of hardworking families. At a time when energy demand is increasing and costs are skyrocketing, we should be focused on deploying the cheapest and fastest energy – clean wind, solar, and batteries. Yet Trump and Republicans continue to cancel cheaper, faster, and more reliable clean energy projects daily. The Trump administration is determined to prioritize the agenda of billionaire CEOs by forcing expensive coal-fired plants to stay open, selling off our public lands to drilling and mining, and canceling clean energy initiatives. We applaud Senators Kaine and Heinrich for continuing to push back against Trump’s sham, which is designed only to line the pockets of Big Oil CEOs and put the health, affordability, and safety of our communities at risk. We are all in to continue fighting for clean energy incentives and projects that keep costs low and work for everyone.”
HOUSE DEMOCRATS CONDEMN CANCELLATION OF $8 BILLION IN ENERGY PROJECTS: Last week, the Trump administration and the Department of Energy announced the cancellation of nearly $8 billion in clean energy projects in politically targeted states. Over 160 House Democrats wrote a letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright condemning the likely illegal action, which will eliminate jobs, weaken our electric grids, and raise electricity prices.
HOUSE DEMOCRATS’ TAKE: From the letter, “This decision is a reversal of properly awarded projects that will harm American jobs, drive private capital out of our country, weaken our power grid, and give China a strategic edge. This Administration’s decision to play political games will result in genuine harm at a time when millions of American families are already struggling to pay their electricity bills amidst the everrising cost of living. These blatantly partisan cancellations must immediately be reversed.
“The projects that the Department of Energy (DOE) has unilaterally decided to cancel were driving down costs for all our constituents—regardless of their political affiliation. Household electric bills have already increased 10% nationally since January 2025 and are poised to spike even further. This Administration’s reckless energy policy and award terminations, designed to stifle the development of cheap clean energy and prop up more expensive dirty energy, will only further increase the cost burden for families to keep the lights on.”
TRUMP ADMIN ROLLS BACK PROTECTIONS FOR ALASKA WILDERNESS: President Trump signed an executive order approving the Ambler Road Project in Alaska. This decision opens up Alaska’s treasured public lands for mining, threatening local communities and the environment.
OUR TAKE: LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick said, “While the government is shut down for the people, Trump is making sure it stays open for billionaire polluters. Approving the Ambler Road Project ignores science, years of engagement with Alaska Native communities, and public input. This reckless decision will harm the health of Alaska Native communities and their way of life and Alaska’s wildlife and treasured public lands of the Brooks Range and Gates of the Arctic. This is just the latest example of Trump continuing to give away our public lands despite the fact that these sell offs are deeply unpopular amongst the majority of people across the country.”
167 MILLION TONS OF COAL AUCTIONED OFF ON FEDERAL LANDS: The Trump administration hosted a coal lease sale in Montana auctioning off 167 million tons of coal on federal lands. The auction drew only one bid for $186,000, just one-tenth of a penny per ton of recoverable coal. Even taking into consideration the new cut rates for coal set by the Trump administration, the bid was rejected by BLM. This flop of a lease sale exemplifies that, in addition to damaging surrounding environments and public health, coal is inefficient and unpopular.
ON THE BLOG: LCV and the New York Times Editorial Board agree: Trump and congressional Republicans are responsible for your high energy bills. Learn more about how they are driving up your energy costs in the newest article on The Power Source Blog.
ON OUR SOCIALS: Congressional Republicans just aren’t getting it: we need more clean energy and lower prices, not more coal driving up energy prices and planet-warming emissions. As the shutdown stretches into the second week, we will continue to fight this administration for the sake of our climate and communities across the country.
OCTOBER 13: Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
OCTOBER 15: Fight For Fair Maps rally outside of the Supreme Court.
OCTOBER 18: No Kings October Mobilization.
OCTOBER 18: Clean Water Act 53rd anniversary.
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