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 transparency and accountability, and how we’re fighting attacks on our climate and democracy.
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“The president acts like a private equity company. He bought the country, and he’s demolishing it from the inside out.”
— Juanny Romero, founder and CEO of Mothership Coffee in Nevada, during House Oversight Committee Democrats’ field hearing on how Trump’s policies are making life unaffordable for everyday people.
“Our parks belong to all of us. These places should be protected for every generation, not sold off to Trump’s ultra-wealthy friends to profit off of.”
— Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02) on reports that Trump is in talks to sell off a portion of Yosemite National Park to private developers.
“The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor.”
— Donald Trump in a post on Truth Social, callously dismissing nationwide concerns about the many ways data centers will negatively impact peoples’ lives and communities.
NEW JERSEY TO IMPROVE DATA CENTER TRANSPARENCY: Governor Mikie Sherrill signed a bill requiring data centers to disclose their energy and water use. This will allow for better oversight and regulation of the industry, and help New Jerseyans to make more informed decisions about data center development in their communities. By signing this bill, Sherrill has officially implemented her full four-part data center plan.
NJLCV TAKE: On Bluesky, New Jersey LCV said, “Governor Sherrill just signed a bill into law to require data centers to be transparent about their water and energy usage! We need to understand exactly what data centers mean for our grid, our water, and the bills that New Jersey families pay.”
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDS WITH WINS FOR CLIMATE, CLEAN ENERGY, AND AFFORDABILITY: California lawmakers approved numerous bills to safeguard communities against pollution, advance clean energy, hold energy utilities accountable, and protect ratepayers from rising energy costs. Wins from this year’s legislative sessions included a data center guardrails package that requires operators to pay all associated energy costs so they don’t raise Californians’ bills. The package also ensures data centers don’t threaten the state’s clean energy goals, and incentivizes data centers to procure clean energy. Additional bills promote building electrification, mandate environmental review for polluting facilities, expand access to solar, and increase oversight of utility spending to prevent companies from passing on unnecessary costs to customers. All passed bills are now awaiting the governor’s signature.
ENVIROVOTERS TAKE: California Environmental Voters Chief Strategy Officer Shannon Olivieri Hovis said, “California legislators closed a bumpy year by standing with families over corporate interests. The Senate and Assembly advanced nearly every climate justice bill left on the table this session, matching the overwhelming voter support for clean air, healthier and cheaper energy options, environmental protection, and corporate accountability. Seventy-eight legislators voted to close a dangerous loophole that let polluting development projects skip environmental and health reviews. Aligned with voters, legislators sent a powerful package of policy solutions and climate investments to the Governor’s desk. Bills to deliver relief on climate-driven household costs, hold corporate polluters accountable, safeguard clean air and water, and protect our democracy now need only the Governor’s signature to start improving people’s lives.”
HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS HOLD AFFORDABILITY FIELD HEARING: Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee joined Nevada Representatives Dina Titus (NV-01), Susie Lee (NV-03), and Steven Horsford (NV-04) for a field hearing in Las Vegas, Nevada focused on Trump’s attacks on affordability. Members of Congress heard testimony from expert witnesses who highlighted how President Trump’s policies have driven up the cost of gas, housing, and especially energy bills for working families.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Federal Advocacy Campaigns Director Leah Donahey said, “Trump and congressional Republicans have made everything more expensive for everyday people. They have canceled clean, affordable energy projects that would have lowered energy bills and started a war that sent gas prices soaring and gave billions more in profits to oil companies. Thank you to House Oversight Democrats for holding today’s hearing exposing this corruption and offering real solutions to address the affordability crisis. With oil and gas company-aligned administration officials giving their cronies handouts daily, we need Democrats taking this action — shining the spotlight on this corruption and holding them accountable.”
NCL TAKE: Nevada Conservation League Executive Director Kristee Watson said, “Every month, Nevada families ask themselves how much further a paycheck can stretch. Now we’re told to compete with data centers for the water and power our households depend on, with families footing the bill either way. Across Nevada, public lands once set aside for solar, the kind of project that would have lowered our costs, are being sneakily handed over to data centers that spike our bills and drain a water supply we cannot afford to lose. It is the same story everywhere: someone at the top profits while working families cover the tab. As the state’s leading voice for public lands and water, Nevada Conservation League will not let this scheme go unanswered. We thank House Oversight Democrats for shining a spotlight on it today, because Nevadans deserve to know exactly who benefits while we count every dollar.”
LCVVF AD TESTING SHOWS ACCOUNTABILITY ADS EFFECTIVE IN SWAYING VOTERS: New testing of three LCV Victory Fund ads across five battleground congressional districts showed that messages focused on House Republicans’ cuts to the clean energy supply, and the resulting impact on utility bills, can have a significant impact on voters’ views on Republican House candidates. The testing showed that the evaluated ads moved vote choice in our direction by as much as 7 percentage points, and increased unfavorables for Republican House candidates by as much as 12 percentage points.
CORPUS CHRISTI CITY COUNCIL REJECTS DESALINATION PROJECT: In a 5-3 vote, the Corpus Christi City Council rejected a proposal to move forward with a desalination plant in Corpus Christi, Texas. Desalination projects are harmful to public health and the environment. LCV’s state affiliate, Chispa Texas, has led the charge against the project through sustained local organizing and community engagement
CHISPA TX TAKE: Chispa Texas Program Director, and mayor of Taft, Texas, Elida Castillo said, “Chispa TX has been working with the Hillcrest neighborhood to defeat the Inner Harbor ‘HILLCREST’ desalination project since we first started in 2021. We do not take for granted the courage it took for the Fab Five to make this decision, and we thank them for doing the right thing. We hope that future council members make the same commitment to prioritize community concerns over billionaires’ profits.”
HOUSE REPUBLICANS ATTEMPT TO BAN SCOTUS EXPANSION: This week, House Republicans attempted to amend the Constitution to forever lock in the nine-seat Supreme Court, and with it the Court’s MAGA majority. The proposal, H.J. Res.1, failed in the House thanks to near-unanimous opposition from Democrats, demonstrating that all options are on the table for Supreme Court reform moving forward. Ahead of the vote, LCV sent a letter to members of the House urging them to oppose the proposal.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Director of Judiciary & Democracy Doug Lindner said, “Instead of doing their job to help people, Trump’s Republican allies in Congress are continuing to erode our fundamental checks and balances and do the bidding of Big Polluter donors by pushing a Constitutional amendment to end Congress’ centuries-old power to set the number of Supreme Court justices. The corrupt MAGA justices on Trump’s captured Supreme Court have benefited from lavish gifts from their billionaire friends for years while twisting the law to roll back our environmental protections, empower Big Polluters, and imperil our freedom to vote.
“LCV appreciates members of Congress who rejected this dangerous Constitutional amendment, preserving Congress’ fundamental power to hold the Court accountable. The current Supreme Court supermajority has proven their allegiance to billionaire benefactors over the people and MAGA political agendas over the Constitution. Without bold action, they will continue distorting the law to undermine our freedoms and protections for generations to come. The next pro-democracy Congress and President must expand and rebalance the Supreme Court with new Justices who follow the Constitution, honor our freedoms and protections, and earn the people’s trust with the highest standard of ethics. Until then, Congress must keep all options on the table.”
TAKE 2: In a letter to Congress ahead of the vote, LCV President Pete Maysmith said, “This proposed amendment would deprive Congress of one of its most important powers under the system of checks and balances established by the framers of the Constitution over two centuries ago. We urge you to ensure Congress keeps all options on the table to hold the Court accountable to the people and the Constitution.”
ON THE BLOG: With so much misinformation out there, clean energy can be… confusing. We’re here to clear the air on one of the cheapest forms of energy available: wind.
ON OUR SOCIALS: It was another really super awesome week for the Trump administration, which successfully offended the majority of the country, forced national park emergency response workers to instead work on Trump’s DC vanity projects, further enriched its donors, and attempted to restrict Congress’ ability to expand the Supreme Court. Excellent work, no notes.
SEPTEMBER 7: Labor Day.
SEPTEMBER 15: National Voter Registration Day.
SEPTEMBER 21: Comment period closes on USDA’s proposal to repeal the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
OCTOBER 5: Supreme Court oral arguments in Suncor v. Boulder.
©2026 League of Conservation Voters