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 landmark climate action in Illinois, clean energy tax credits, and the rollback of protections in the Arctic.
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“The role climate change has played in making Hurricane Melissa incredibly dangerous is undeniable.”
— Marc Alessi, climate attribution science fellow at the Union of Concerned Scientists on the impact of climate change on the intensity of Hurricane Melissa.
“Turning your back on families facing washed-out roads, damaged schools, and flooded homes because they’re not seen as political allies is unconscionable.”
— Kerry Schumann, executive director of Wisconsin Conservation Voters, on the Trump administration’s denial of disaster assistance to Wisconsin counties that experienced historic flooding in August.
“Opening new offshore lease areas while cancelling clean energy progress is potentially illegal, a failure of leadership, and a dereliction of the public trust.”
— 109 congressional Democrats in a letter opposing the Trump administration’s plans to expand offshore oil and gas drilling in federal waters.
ELECTION DAY 2025, ENERGY AFFORDABILITY IS ON THE BALLOT: As energy prices are on the rise, voters in races across the country will cast their ballots on the future of clean, affordable energy in next Tuesday’s state and local elections. LCV’s state affiliates are running campaigns in several key races, including New Jersey and Virginia’s gubernatorial elections. Read more about these campaigns.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Vice President of Campaigns Sara Schrieber said, “Right now, voters have a choice vote to elect leaders who have cozied up to their billionaire execs and are hellbent on doing the bidding of Big Oil and Big Polluters or vote to elect leaders who are putting people first and working to lower energy costs, create high-paying jobs, and put the health and safety of our families and communities first.”
ILLINOIS PASSES NEXT-GENERATION CLIMATE POLICY: In the biggest 24 hours of climate action in state history, the Illinois state Legislature passed a sweeping energy omnibus bill, the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA), as well as the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act. The CRGA includes policies to advance clean energy and battery storage, upgrade the electrical grid, and provide consumers with tools to reduce their energy bills. The Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act invests $1.5 billion into clean transportation, filling a critical budget gap to improve and increase access to public transit.
IEC TAKE: Illinois Environmental Council CEO Jen Walling said, “The passage of the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act marks the biggest climate action by any state since the Trump administration rolled back the federal Inflation Reduction Act, and further cements Illinois’ legacy as a national leader on climate. While Trump and his cronies in the federal government dismantle climate- and cost-saving policies, Illinois is stepping up to fill the gap.
“The CRGA Act doubles the investment we made in renewable energy in the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act while also investing in new programs like battery storage that meet the urgency of the current moment. With constant attacks from the federal government on clean energy progress and new challenges as a result of the influx of energy-intensive data centers, Illinois is taking decisive action with the CRGA Act to expand our clean energy workforce, increase access to cost-saving clean energy, and ensure our power grid is resilient for generations to come.”
IEC TAKE 2: Illinois Environmental Council Legislative Relations Director Dany Robles said, “Today, the Illinois legislature decisively rejected the anti-climate and anti-environmental justice policies touted by the Trump administration. While the federal government repeals climate policies, Illinois is investing $1.5 billion dollars in public transit, which is key to mitigating air and climate pollution. And while the Trump administration rejects DEI initiatives and policies grounded in equity, Illinois is passing policies that prioritize accessibility and economic vitality for all Illinoisans. Thanks to the leadership of the Governor’s Office, State Senator Ram Villivalam, and State Representative Eva-Dina Delgado, among other climate leaders in the General Assembly, Illinoisans will move across the region more safely, reliably, and affordably, and the state will continue to move forward on its climate goals.”
REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON INTRODUCES AMERICAN ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND AFFORDABILITY ACT: Representative Mike Thompson (CA-04) and Representative Richard E. Neal (MA-01) introduced the American Clean Energy Independence and Affordability Act to restore clean energy tax credits passed under the Inflation Reduction Act. The bill would restore tax credits for clean energy, extend incentives for energy efficient appliances, reinstate clean vehicle tax credits, and more, driving down energy costs for families across the country, who’ve already seen their bills increase by 11% so far this year.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, “We applaud Congressman Mike Thompson for his leadership on the American Clean Energy Independence and Affordability Act. This is a critical step to restoring clean energy incentives that lower energy costs for families and businesses, strengthen energy security, create jobs, and boost U.S. manufacturing. At a time when congressional Republicans have shut down the government and driven up electricity prices 10% this year, Rep. Thompson and other Democrats are doing the work to advance clean, affordable, and reliable energy.”
SENATE PASSES NPR-A CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT ROLLING BACK PROTECTIONS IN WESTERN ARCTIC: The Senate passed the NPR-A Congressional Review Act resolution, a Republican-led rollback of safeguards for wildlife and communities impacted by drilling in the Western Arctic. This legislation further threatens vital resources and wildlife to benefit Big Polluters. Stay up to date on all of the Trump administration’s attacks on our public lands with LCV’s Attacks on Public Lands and Waters tracker.
OUR TAKE: LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick said, “Instead of working to protect people, Republicans and the Trump administration continue to sell-off Alaska to Big Oil as part of its sham energy emergency and dirty energy agenda that attacks Alaska’s public lands and its natural resources. Today’s passage of the CRA to undo the safeguards afforded in the current management plan will worsen the climate crisis and prove devastating to our land and water resources and the wildlife of the region that sustain Alaska Native communities.
“The CRA is being weaponized to undermine scientific expertise and public processes that informed these agency actions, upending precedent and stability. Trump and Republicans have shown time and time again they will bypass public processes to benefit billionaires, even if it means ignoring traditional knowledge and science. Senate Republicans paving the way for more drilling in the Arctic will only put more money in the pockets of Big Polluters at the expense of communities and future generations.”
INDIANA CONSERVATION VOTERS CONTINUE THE FIGHT AGAINST MID-DECADE REDISTRICTING: Indiana Conservation Voters, the League of Women Voters of Indiana, and Common Cause Indiana delivered “keep going” care packages to all 50 of Indiana state senators. The packages were delivered to serve as a reminder to stay energized and stand against mid-decade redistricting as the Trump administration continues to pressure lawmakers into supporting partisan gerrymandering.
ON THE BLOG: The government was shut down all month, but we were hard at work peacefully protesting the Trump administration, holding Republicans accountable for raising our energy costs, advancing clean energy, celebrating Chispa’s tenth birthday, and driving over 9 million views on public lands content.
ON OUR SOCIALS: This week has brought some pretty scary news, including Hurricane Melissa making landfall, a decision to reopen Alaska’s Arctic coastal plain to oil and gas drilling, denied FEMA funding, and an impending lapse in SNAP benefits. And let’s not forget, in the spirit of Halloween, high energy bills are downright spooky.
NOVEMBER 4: Election Day.
NOVEMBER 11: Veterans’ Day.
NOVEMBER 27: Thanksgiving.
©2025 League of Conservation Voters