LCV is fighting every day to create a brighter, safer, healthier future for people and the planet.
LCV is fighting every day to create a brighter, safer, healthier future for people and the planet.
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, just like last week, energy bills are just too high – we’re covering states’ clean energy solutions, the administration’s attacks on CAFE standards, and who we trust to put people over polluters.
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“You open up your power bill and all of the sudden you’re using less electricity than last year but you’re paying more for it. Make that make sense.”
— Blair St. Ledger-Olsen, Director of Advocacy & Campaigns at Virginia LCV, on LCV’s Power Source podcast discussing the impact of data centers on electricity bills.
“This isn’t returning land to the people. It’s clearing the title so it can be leased out from under them.”
— Senator Ben Ray Luján (NM) in an op-ed about the Trump administration stripping protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.
“This is good news but MAGA justices have a majority even without Alito, and he is far from the only one with shady ties to Big Polluters.”
– Doug Lindner, LCV senior director of judiciary and democracy, in a CNBC article on Supreme Court Justice Alito’s recusal from the upcoming Suncor v. Boulder case.
NORTH CAROLINA REGULATORS DENY PROPOSED GAS PLANT EXPANSION: The North Carolina Utilities Commission rejected Duke Energy’s proposal to add 255 MW to an existing gas plant due to its “staggering” price tag, which would fall on ratepayers. They also called out the utility for basing their justification for the expansion on assumed future data centers, rather than actual energy demand.
NCLCV TAKE: North Carolina League of Conservation Voters Director of Clean Energy Campaigns Michelle “Meech” Carter testified at a hearing prior to the decision, saying, “Computer servers don’t breathe this air, and neither do the Amazon employees in Seattle or the Duke Energy employees in Charlotte who submitted these applications. NCLCV is asking DAQ employees to follow federal and state laws and deny these permit applications to protect our air and our communities.”
CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR NEWSOM SIGNS ARRAY OF ENVIRONMENTAL BILLS INTO LAW: This week, Governor Newsom signed an array of bills into law that will reduce pollution, lower electricity costs, hold utilities and oil companies accountable, incentivize clean energy, and protect our democracy. This included a data center guardrails package that requires operators to pay all associated energy costs so they don’t raise Californians’ bills, ensures data centers don’t threaten the state’s clean energy goals, and incentivizes data centers to procure clean energy. However, Newsom also vetoed a bill to restore environmental review for advanced manufacturing and another to expand community solar programs to renters and apartment residents. He also signed a bill that weakens air pollution standards by expanding the model years of “collector cars” that are exempt from smog checks.
ENVIROVOTERS TAKE: California Environmental Voters Chief Strategy Officer Shannon Olivieri Hovis said, “California showed it can stand up for its values and push back against a federal administration determined to gut our progress on climate, health, and affordability. When corporate interests tried to pass costs onto families, our legislators drew a line. And when those bills reached the Governor’s desk, he signed them. Defending our democracy, putting guardrails around data centers and utilities, protecting our right to clean air, and standing up to Trump’s agenda to keep us hooked on fossil fuels is exactly what meeting this moment looks like. There’s still work ahead, particularly to reduce plastic pollution, protect families from dangerous industrial projects, and ensure they can afford basic necessities like safe water, but California has a strong foundation to build on. We look forward to working with California’s next Governor to build on the progress made this year and take on the fights that were left unfinished.”
VIRGINIA GOVERNOR SPANBERGER RELEASES ENERGY PLAN: The Spanberger administration released a new energy plan that details how Virginia can meet surging energy demands while advancing clean energy. The plan expands solar and battery storage, examines how Virginia can reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and ensures data center growth does not come at the expense of clean energy and affordable electricity for families.
VALCV TAKE: Virginia League of Conservation Voters Director of Advocacy and Campaigns Blair St. Ledger-Olson said, “Four years of obstruction by the Youngkin Administration, rollbacks and chaos at the federal level, and the Commonwealth’s inaction to-date to hold data center developers accountable to stronger clean energy standards are resulting in higher bills for Virginians and making it harder to reach Virginia’s ambitious goals of 100% clean energy generation. The Spanberger Administration has its work cut out for them, and this energy plan recognizes the challenges ahead. Pausing data center approvals until robust community and environmental protections are in place will go a long way in ensuring we’re making the right kinds of energy investments and that our utilities aren’t overbuilding and overcharging Virginians because of Big Tech. We are committed to working with this Administration to advance an affordable clean energy future that puts everyday Virginians first.”
MORE THAN 100 ARIZONANS JOIN CLIMATE TOWN HALL IN PHOENIX: More than 100 Arizonans gathered in Phoenix this week for the “No Denying Climate Change” town hall with U.S. Representative Yassamin Ansari, Arizona State Representative Brian Garcia, Chispa Arizona and other local climate organizations. Community members and advocates discussed how extreme heat, poor air quality and rising energy costs are affecting Arizona communities, while calling attention to the need for continued action on climate and clean energy. Check out Chispa AZ’s post here!
WASHINGTON COURT STRIKES DOWN DECEPTIVE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY-FUNDED INITIATIVE: The Washington Supreme Court threw out initiative 2066, which attempted to roll back a broad slate of state policies to promote electrification, phase out natural gas, and reduce climate pollution, and require utilities to provide gas. I-2066 was deemed unconstitutional due to “logrolling,” or combining lots of different actions into one initiative, effectively deceiving voters. The text voters saw on their ballot was only a short summary of the sweeping 21-page initiative. The Washington state constitution limits initiatives to one subject to ensure greater transparency and help voters understand what they are voting on. LCV affiliate Washington Conservation Action joined partner organizations, the City of Seattle, and King County as parties in the lawsuit challenging I-2066.
WCA TAKE: Washington Conservation Action Climate and Clean Energy Director Caitlin Krenn said, “Today’s ruling is a huge win for Washingtonians who want to secure a healthy, affordable future. Initiative 2066 was a deceptive attempt, backed by a megamillionaire, to lock our state into expensive, polluting fossil fuels for decades and undermine the State’s climate policies. By upholding the state’s constitution, the Supreme Court has put us back on track to reap the benefits of cheaper, cleaner renewable energy.”
NEW YORK GOVERNOR HOCHUL SIGNS LAW INCENTIVIZING ELECTRIC LANDSCAPING EQUIPMENT: New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a new law that will offer commercial incentives for purchasing electric landscaping equipment. This will reduce harmful air pollution and improve New Yorkers’ health.
NYLCV TAKE: New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe said, “Making it easier for businesses, state agencies and local governments to purchase electric landscaping equipment will lower greenhouse gas emissions, help create quieter communities and reduce harmful air pollution across the state — especially for the landscapers who use this equipment every day.”
TRUMP ROLLS BACK CAFE STANDARDS: President Trump rolled back Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards that help consumers save money by reducing how much gas their vehicles use. The rollback comes as gas prices remain above $4 per gallon and oil and gas companies reported more than $85 billion in profits in the second quarter. Recent polling also found that three-quarters of the public wants strong fuel economy standards restored rather than weakened.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “Driving gas prices up through an ill-conceived war and then making consumers use more of it is a brutal one-two punch. While doing nothing to address gas prices that remain over $4 per gallon and oil and gas companies reporting over $85 billion in profits in the second quarter, the Trump administration is now making things worse for consumers by rolling back rules that help them save money by using less gas.”
LCVVF DATA CENTER AD PROGRAM IMPROVES RESULTS FOR DEMOCRATS: New ad testing from Blue Rose Research shows that LCV Victory Fund’s “Incredible Deal” ad, which is running in AZ-06, IA-03, MI-07, MN-01, VA-01, and WI-03, increased unfavorability for Republicans by 8 percentage points and moved vote choice towards Democratic candidates by 4.7 percentage points. The ads focused on incumbent Republicans in those districts who took data center-linked donations, voted to give billions in tax breaks to data center developers and left their voters with polluted local water and rising energy bills.
LCVVF LAUNCHES $4.5 MILLION AD CAMPAIGN TARGETING SENATOR HUSTED: LCV Victory Fund launched a $2 million digital ad campaign focused on Senator Jon Husted’s record on data centers. This ad comes after Husted’s failed attempt this week to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act, which only asked states to “consider” regulations on data center developers instead of offering legislation with any real accountability. The program also includes $2,500,000 in mail that targets Husted on his history with FirstEnergy. The digital ad will run on CTV through October 12th. Watch the ad here.
LCVVF TAKE: LCV Victory Fund Senior Vice President of Campaigns Sara Schreiber said, “Senator Husted has had plenty of opportunities to regulate data center developers and Big Tech. Now, with nearly 30 days until the election he is grasping at straws in a failed attempt to run from Big Tech and distance himself from his corrupt reputation. Ohioans deserve a leader who will actually stand up to Big Tech when they are hurting communities, and help lower their utility costs, instead of making empty promises.”
LCVVF WEEKLY ROUNDUP: The data center debate continued to fuel conversation this week as Dirty Dozen member Senator Jon Husted failed to push through the Ratepayer Protection Act, which only asked states to “consider” regulations on data center developers instead of offering legislation with any real accountability (that’s right, you just read about LCV Victory Fund’s ads targeting Husted in the previous entry). This week we are taking a look at new ad testing based on our $2 million data center ad program currently running in six House districts, stories from the field, and sharing ads that dropped on the airwaves this week. Read the full roundup here.
SENATE RELEASES PERMITTING LEGISLATION: Senators released the bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, permitting legislation that could have major implications. LCV is reviewing the legislation to assess its impacts, including whether it will help rapidly scale affordable clean energy and modernize the grid while protecting clean air and water, public lands, and community input.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “We will be assessing whether and how it enables our ability to significantly and rapidly scale affordable clean energy solutions, build a modern and resilient grid, and rein in explosive growth of dirty data centers and gas power plants to address skyrocketing energy costs, meet growing demand, and tackle climate change.”
LCV OPPOSES SO-CALLED “STOP INSIDER TRADING ACT” AND ITS EXTREME ATTACKS ON VOTING RIGHTS: Ahead of a Senate vote on the so-called “Stop Insider Trading Act,” LCV urged senators to vote no. The bill includes extremely restrictive voter ID provisions from the SAVE America Act that would make voting more difficult for Americans, disproportionately affecting people of color, young people, and people with disabilities. LCV also warned of the burden the bill would place on state and local election offices, and said votes on this bill could be included in the 2026 National Environmental Scorecard.
OUR TAKE: In a letter to the Senate, LCV President Pete Maysmith said, “People of color, young people, and people with disabilities disproportionately lack access to these forms of ID, and the bill would exclude documents currently permitted by states across the country… We urge you to vote NO on H.R. 7008, the so-called Stop Insider Trading Act, which includes extreme attacks on voting rights. This bill includes a strict voter ID provision from the SAVE America Act that would make casting a ballot harder for Americans in nearly every state.”
LCVAF ENDORSES PEGGY FLANAGAN FOR U.S. SENATE: LCV Action Fund announced its endorsement of Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, highlighting her record of fighting for Minnesota communities, clean energy jobs, and a liveable climate. Flanagan has pledged to protect environmental safeguards and clean energy investments from Trump and his allies’ attacks.
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “Peggy Flanagan’s career demonstrates her deep commitment to fight for Minnesota’s communities, for the air we breathe and the water we drink, and for ensuring a livable climate for future generations. As MAGA Republicans in Congress continue to help Trump roll back safeguards for our health so that polluters continue to make massive profits at our expense, we need leaders who will stand up for people and hold Big Polluters accountable.”
ON THE BLOG: Climate change is costing us all, from higher energy bills to disaster damage. Here’s how the Suncor v. Boulder case could make Big Polluters pay their fair share.
ON OUR SOCIALS: Are energy prices actually down 50%? Not even close. LCV Victory Fund also dug into Jon Husted’s connection to the FirstEnergy’s bribery scandal. If your instinct is to ignore it, we get it. But it’s not all bad: we also chatted with Congresswoman Maxine Dexter about data centers and national parks during Climate Week, the Virginia delegation stood up for clean drinking water and recreation areas, and we rounded up some Good Climate News you might’ve missed this week.
OCTOBER 5: Supreme Court oral arguments in Suncor v. Boulder.
OCTOBER 12: Indigenous People’s Day.
October 15: Last day of Latino Heritage Month
October 18: Clean Water Act 54th anniversary
OCTOBER 24: National Vote Early Day.
NOVEMBER 2: Comment period closes on EPA’s proposal to not limit any climate pollution from power plants.
NOVEMBER 3: ELECTION DAY.
©2026 League of Conservation Voters