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 attacks from the Trump administration and Congress on popular conservation programs and renewable energy.
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“Costs are too high, and utility costs are out of control.”
— New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill on her plan to declare a state of emergency on utility costs.
“Instead of working with Democrats to lower the cost of living and consider funding bills that have a chance of becoming law, House Republicans just wasted another week on a bill that raises energy costs, threatens our national security, and does nothing to address the looming government funding deadline.”
— Representative Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) on House Republicans’ narrow passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water bill over bipartisan opposition to its drastic, harmful cuts.
“Donald Trump is shutting down wind farms for no reason. People’s electric bills are spiking. Our energy grid is strained. It’s idiotic and harmful to the American people.”
— Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) on the Trump administration’s recent attacks on wind farms.
CHISPA ARIZONA AND LCV ORGANIZE ART ACTIVATION DURING GRAND CANYON TRIP TO HIGHLIGHT THREATS TO ARIZONA PUBLIC LANDS: LCV and Chispa Arizona hosted an art activation on Friday, August 29th during an annual Latine community camping trip to the Grand Canyon. The event featured two large communal tents with art painted by Phoenix artists Jesse Yazzie and Cora Quiroz to represent our defense of Madre Tierra (Mother Earth). This event is part of the multi-state Protect Our Public Lands campaign to raise awareness and fight against the Trump administration’s sell-off of public lands and threats to our clean water, highlighting the value of these sacred places and resources like Grand Canyon National Park and the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.
NEW WEBSITE HELPS NEVADA LATINES UNLOCK THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN ELECTRICITY SAVINGS: Chispa Nevada and partners launched AhorraEnElectricidadNV.org, a new website designed to help Nevada Latines save money on their electricity bills. The free, easy-to-use, Spanish-language tool connects Nevadans to federal, state, and utility programs they may qualify for — including expiring federal energy tax credits and rebate programs at risk of cancellation from the Trump administration — to make clean energy and energy efficiency home upgrades.
INDIANA CONSERVATION VOTERS LEADS THE FIGHT AGAINST MID-DECADE REDISTRICTING: The Indiana legislature is poised to agree to call a special session next week to redraw the state’s congressional district maps, aiming to eliminate the two seats held by Democrats. In response, Indiana Conservation Voters (ICV) has been leading the movement to get the public to oppose this undemocratic action. Earlier this week ICV launched a media campaign featuring digital video and radio ads emphasizing that “Hoosiers play fair” and driving them a petition at PlayFairIndiana.com that tells Indiana lawmakers: No mid-decade map meddling. ICV plans to collect these petitions and drop them off at the governor’s office next week.
NEW JERSEY ENACTS LAWS TO ADVANCE CLEAN ENERGY AND BATTERY STORAGE DEVELOPMENT: New Jersey enacted legislation expanding its successful community solar program to bring an additional 3,000 megawatts (MW) of solar power online. The state also launched the Garden State Energy Storage Program to reach the state’s goal of developing 2,000 MW of grid-scale battery energy storage capacity by 2030 without raising electricity rates.
CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR ACCELERATES CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS AT RISK DUE TO TRUMP ADMIN: In response to the Trump administration gutting Inflation Reduction Act tax credits, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order directing state agencies to fast-track renewable energy projects in order to take advantage of federal tax incentives before they’re eliminated.
SENATORS KAINE AND HEINRICH MOVE TO TERMINATE TRUMP’S SHAM ENERGY EMERGENCY: Senator Tim Kaine (VA) and Senator Martin Heinrich (NM) refiled legislation to terminate Trump’s sham Energy Emergency. Trump’s so-called energy emergency drives up families’ costs, doles out public lands and waters for Big Polluters, kills jobs, and promotes dirty, expensive energy.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Federal Advocacy Campaigns Director Leah Donahey said, “We applaud Senators Kaine and Heinrich for continuing to push back against Trump’s sham energy emergency that is designed to line the pockets of Big Oil CEOs and put the health and safety of our communities at risk. The real emergencies are families’ high energy costs and climate impacts harming communities, while oil and gas executives rake in massive profits. Meanwhile, Trump has cancelled crucial clean energy programs and projects that had been lowering utility bills, boosting energy production, and providing high-paying jobs for families and communities across the country. Despite clean energy being the most affordable and easiest to deploy, Trump and his Big Oil allies are determined to undo the progress to build a clean energy economy that works for us all. The Trump administration is even forcing retired fossil fuel plants to keep running at huge costs to consumers and public health, while shutting down newly built wind and solar. At a time when energy demand is increasing and costs are skyrocketing because of Trump’s and Congressional Republicans’ policies, Congress must protect and fund the clean energy initiatives that are keeping costs low and vote to denounce Trump’s sham energy emergency.”
HOUSE PASSES ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT: House Republicans barely passed their Fiscal Year 2025 House Energy and Water Development and Related Appropriations Act, over bipartisan opposition to its harmful, drastic attacks on money-saving, pollution-reducing programs.
This bill cuts vital funding for clean energy technology, eliminates cost-saving energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, and advances discriminatory and other harmful poison pill policy riders. Ahead of the vote, LCV and Natural Resources Defense Council led 41 environmental organizations in sending a letter to the House of Representatives urging members to oppose the bill.
COALITION TAKE: From the letter, “On behalf of our millions of members and supporters, the 41 undersigned groups urge you to oppose the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies (Energy and Water) Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). The bill contains reckless cuts, which—in concert with the Administration’s rampant staffing reductions—will decimate American innovation on the next generation of clean energy technologies while doing nothing to address high energy bills faced by families and businesses nationwide.
“The Energy and Water appropriations bill is our opportunity to invest in the next generation of clean energy technologies that will drive down energy costs for consumers and keep the United States at the forefront of clean energy innovation. Unfortunately, the House FY26 Energy and Water proposal shows Congress’ insistence upon doing the exact opposite: letting other nations invent and manufacture the cutting-edge clean energy technology the world is demanding while the United States stays reliant upon expensive and dirty fossil fuels.”
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR ISSUES SECRETARIAL ORDER UNDERMINING THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND: The Department of Interior issued a secretarial order targeting the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). This order undermines the popular and bipartisan program, putting our public lands at risk and opening the possibility for future sell-off.
OUR TAKE: LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick said, “This order is part of an unpopular string of actions by the Trump administration to attack our public lands, harming the economies of rural communities and hindering the work that sportsmen, ranchers, outdoor recreation enthusiasts, Tribes, and local communities have been doing to protect treasured places.
“The Land and Water Conservation Fund has enjoyed strong bipartisan support since its creation in the 1960s because people of all walks of life support improving existing public lands and want to create more opportunities for outdoor access in communities across the country. Contrary to the claims that these changes will increase access to the outdoors, this order imposes new hurdles and oversight for local and state agencies to implement projects, limits partnerships intended to further local access and outdoor recreation, and applies additional restrictions on LWCF land protection projects. This means access to tens of thousands of acres of land due to be protected will be lost. This secretarial order opens up the possibility for future sell-off of public lands by allowing states to use state-side funding to buy federal lands. With this order, the administration is once again moving forward with a policy that threatens our public lands by damaging a program that has garnered widespread support in its success increasing outdoor recreation across the country for decades.”
LCVAF ENDORSES JAMES WALKINSHAW FOR U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: LCV Action Fund (LCVAF) endorsed James Walkinshaw for election to the U.S. House of Representatives representing Virginia’s 11th district in the upcoming special election. Walkinshaw has a history of environmental activism, and has led Fairfax County’s efforts to address climate change as Chair of both the Board of Supervisors’ Legislative Committee and Environmental Committee.
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Vice President of Political Affairs Craig Auster said, “Across Virginia and the country, families are struggling with the rising costs of energy and the climate crisis, but James Walkinshaw has the leadership needed to ensure we protect our communities, our environment, and future generations. With his impressive record working in local and federal government, James Walkinshaw is an experienced, proven climate champion who we need now more than ever as the Trump administration and Congress sell out our future to Big Oil. LCV Action Fund is thrilled to support his campaign.”
VLCV TAKE: Virginia LCV Executive Director Mike Town said, “Virginians understand that to bring down energy costs and protect our environment, we must continue to invest in clean energy and that is what James Walkinshaw has done in Fairfax County. We know that in Congress he will always put our Commonwealth first, fight for lower costs and to address the climate crisis.”
WALKINSHAW TAKE: Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw said, “I’m honored to have the support of the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, a national leader in the fight for our planet. Fairfax families see the ugly environmental impacts of Trump’s so-called Big Beautiful Bill, and we must defend our communities from these harmful policies. Now more than ever, we must stand shoulder to shoulder in our shared mission to confront the climate crisis, grow clean energy jobs, reduce energy costs, and secure a healthier, more sustainable future for every family. With LCVAF by our side in Congress, we can take on this fight and win a better future.”
REPRESENTATIVE JERRY NADLER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT: Representative Jerry Nadler (NY-12) announced his retirement after more than 30 years in Congress. Rep. Nadler has worked tirelessly throughout his career to secure environmental protections for vulnerable communities and hold Big Polluters accountable.
OUR TAKE: Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Chieffo said, “For more than 30 years in Congress, Rep. Nadler has been a distinguished leader and key ally in the fight to tackle the climate crisis–earning him a 97% lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard. As one of the co-authors of the Make Polluters Pay Climate Fund Act, Rep. Nadler held Big Polluters accountable for their role in perpetuating the climate crisis and stood up for communities experiencing the devastating impacts of fossil-fueled extreme weather and environmental injustice. During his time as the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Nadler worked tirelessly to protect our freedoms and was a leader in the fight for fair courts and a democracy that works for the people. We look forward to continuing to work with Rep. Nadler for the remainder of his term and we are grateful for his decades-long work protecting our families, communities, environment, and democracy.”
ON THE BLOG: We’re cooking up some exciting content for The Power Source Blog, stay tuned!
ON OUR SOCIALS: The summer we… protected public lands, held Republicans and the Trump administration accountable for raising costs, and stood up for working families.
SEPTEMBER 6: Chispa Texas Organizing Summit in Corpus Christi, Texas.
SEPTEMBER 6: We Are All DC March and Rally.
SEPTEMBER 12: Chispa Nevada speaks at EcoMadres 2nd Annual Summit.
SEPTEMBER 20: Make Billionaires Pay March and Rally.
SEPTEMBER 21: Sun Day Solar Day of Action.
SEPTEMBER 22: Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown.
SEPTEMBER 30: Government Funding Deadline.
OCTOBER 1: Yom Kippur begins at sundown.
OCTOBER 13: Indigenous People’s Day.
OCTOBER 18: No Kings 2.
OCTOBER 18: Clean Water Act 53rd anniversary.
©2026 League of Conservation Voters