©2024 League of Conservation Voters
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Your weekly resource to learn what the environmental movement is saying about the news of the day and the political fight of our generation. Be sure to follow LCV on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
“This would be a historic mistake.”
— Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on the consequences of Republicans’ plan to weaken President Biden’s Affordable Clean Energy Plan.
“The Project 2025 plan provides a very clear road map—they want to dismantle clean air and clean water protections and essentially let Big Oil and other big polluters off the hook for their pollution.”
— Dave Willett, LCV senior vice president of communications, on the threat Project 2025 poses to the environment.
“Young people like me are deeply concerned about the ongoing drought we are experiencing in Southern Nevada and what this means for our future.”
– Francisco Chavero, Chispa Nevada member, on the climate-change-caused drought in the Colorado River.
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION REACHES OFFSHORE WIND MILESTONE: On Thursday, the Biden-Harris administration approved a proposed offshore wind project off the coast of Maryland – the 10th offshore wind development approved by the administration. To date, the administration has approved 15 gigawatts of clean, renewable offshore wind energy, enough to power 5.25 million homes. Thursday’s approval is a major milestone and the halfway point in achieving the administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of State Policy and Advocacy Bill Holland said, “The federal and state announcements this week are more clear proof points that offshore wind is a significant part of the country’s energy future. New projects across the country have already created thousands of good paying union jobs with the potential to power millions of homes with reliable, inexpensive energy. This is exactly how we power clean energy leadership and keep up the momentum so we can reach our national goals and deliver these enormous benefits for East Coast workers and ratepayers.”
MDLCV TAKE: Maryland LCV Director of Climate Policy & Justice Rebecca Rehr said, “The approval of U.S. Wind’s Maryland Offshore Wind Project is a big step forward for our state’s clean energy future. This project will help Maryland meet its climate goals while bringing real economic benefits to our communities. With the potential to power more than 700,000 homes and create thousands of good jobs, offshore wind is an important part of the equation to meet the growing energy demand and climate impacts we face. We’re excited to see this move towards energy independence and a cleaner power grid for all Marylanders.”
GULF OF MAINE OFFSHORE WIND IS ONE STEP CLOSER: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) completed the environmental review for the Gulf of Maine Wind Energy Area today. This is a crucial step towards issuing commercial offshore wind leases and seizing the potential to generate up to 15 GW of clean, renewable offshore wind power in the Gulf of Maine.
MCV TAKE: Maine Conservation Voters Climate & Clean Energy Director Lucy Hochschartner said, “Maine needs offshore wind to bring good, union jobs, move away from expensive and volatile fossil fuels, and protect our coastlines from further climate damage. We are excited to be one step closer to bringing homegrown energy to Maine with the knowledge that the lease areas have no significant impact to our ocean ecosystems.”
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION ADVANCES CHUMASH HERITAGE NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY PROPOSAL: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of central California.
OUR TAKE: LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick said, “LCV celebrates the release of the final environmental review and the Biden-Harris administration’s intention to designate the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of central California. Once designated, the sanctuary will protect irreplaceable coastal resources and ecosystems, as well as the cultural heritage of the Chumash people who, alongside other California Native Tribes and local community members, have advocated to protect this region for decades. We applaud the administration for following the lead of these Tribal groups and advancing protection of natural and cultural resources while expanding clean offshore wind energy. We urge President Biden and Secretary Haaland to continue taking historic steps to protect our public lands and oceans.”
CEV TAKE: California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) Federal Advocacy Coordinator Aaron McCall said, “We are thrilled to see the dream of the Northern Chumash Tribe and other local tribal communities finally realized after more than 40 years of community organizing, with the news that the Biden-Harris Administration will be protecting over 5,000 square miles of marine habitat off the coast of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties in Central California with the new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary designation. This designation is an example of successful conservation and co-management with the US and tribal communities. Californians will continue to lead the way in advancing our 30×30 goals, protecting our oceans and wildlife, and ensuring access to culturally and historically significant sites for years to come; and we are excited to have the partnership of the Biden-Harris administration as we try to expand protections in Wildspaces across California through monument and sanctuary designation in collaboration with tribal communities.”
EPA ANNOUNCES $300 MILLION IN CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANTS TO TRIBES AND TERRITORIES: EPA announced that 33 Tribes and one territory will receive greenhouse gas reduction grants, totaling $300 million. The grants are funded through the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. Proposed projects that received grant funding will reduce pollution from transportation, electricity, and buildings, and create jobs in their communities.
LCVVF EXPANDS FIELD PROGRAM IN BATTLEGROUND STATES: LCV Victory Fund has expanded its field programs to include presidential, Senate and House races in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nebraska, New York and California. This $6.2 million expansion of LCVVF field programs builds on the $14.5 million field organizing program launched in North Carolina, Montana, Arizona and Ohio in July.
LCVVF TAKE: LCV Victory Fund National Field Director Erin Phillips said, “Already this summer we’ve knocked over 318,000 doors and have been seeing a very enthusiastic response. With less than 60 days until election day, and as mail ballots begin to land in mailboxes, it is imperative that we continue to meet voters where they are and build awareness around what is at stake in this election. Vice President Kamala Harris, Governor Walz and climate champions running in the Senate and House understand that building a clean energy economy that will lower costs for families, expand high-paying family sustaining jobs, ensure access to clean air and clean water, and protect our environment is a win-win-win-win strategy. We are fighting to elect champions up and down the ballot to ensure that our families, communities, environment and our democracy are protected.”
BIDEN SIGNS PRO-LABOR EXECUTIVE ORDER: Today, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Investing in America and Investing in American Workers. The executive order (“Good Jobs EO”) will support strong labor standards, including good wages and workplace safety, and is critical to maximizing the impact of President Biden’s Affordable Clean Energy Plan. With this executive order, President Biden further cements his legacy as the most pro-union president in this country’s history.
LCV WRAPS AD CAMPAIGN URGING CONGRESS TO PROTECT CLEAN VEHICLES AS MAGA REPUBLICAN CONTINUE TO ATTACK PROGRESS: In advance of next week’s planned vote by extreme MAGA House Republicans to hamstring electric vehicle tax credits that were part of the Biden-Harris administration’s historic Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, LCV completed a $165,000 digital ad campaign to urge members of Congress in both the U.S. Senate and House to continue to protect the health of communities, invest in cleaner cars and trucks, and support the Biden-Harris administration’s investments and actions to create more good-paying, family-sustaining, cleaner electric vehicles jobs while fighting the climate crisis.
OUR TAKE: LCV Government Affairs Advocate on Climate Change and Clean Energy Darien Davis said, “Extreme MAGA House Republicans are continuing to attack the historic progress of the Biden-Harris administration’s affordable clean energy plan, which is creating good-paying, family-sustaining clean energy jobs and saving consumers money while combating the fossil-fueled climate crisis. These consumer tax credits are boosting electric vehicle options for consumers, saving families money on transportation costs, and helping cut tailpipe pollutants in the communities of color and communities of low wealth who disproportionately face harmful health impacts from pollution.”
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS URGE DEBATE MODERATORS TO ASK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE: LCV joined a coalition of environmental groups – including Center for American Progress Action Fund, Climate Power, Greenpeace USDA, NRDC Action Fund, and many others – in sending a letter to David Muir and Linsey Davis who will be moderating next week’s presidential debate on ABC. The letter urges them to ask the candidates about climate change.
COALITION TAKE: From the letter, “A climate question has been asked in every presidential debate for the last four years. When millions of Americans tune in on Tuesday, we hope you will continue this pattern, take the opportunity to discuss the urgency of the climate crisis, and help voters learn more about both candidates’ plans to address climate change, lower energy costs for the middle class, and take our country forward.”
MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND ANNOUNCE PIONEERING OFFSHORE WIND PROCUREMENT: This morning, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee announced the selection of nearly 2.9 GW of offshore wind energy from three projects that together will power over 1.4 million homes in a first-of-its-kind multi-state offshore wind procurement. Connecticut also partnered with its neighbors in a tri-state offshore wind solicitation that closed earlier this year, but it has not yet selected any projects. It’s expected that the state will announce a decision at a later date.
ELM TAKE: Environmental League of Massachusetts Offshore Wind Director and New England for Offshore Wind Regional Lead Kelt Wilska said, “The selection of a total 2,878 MW of offshore wind projects is a big win for Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and it demonstrates the benefits of a collaborative procurement approach for New England. The more than 100 members of the New England for Offshore Wind coalition believe that offshore wind is the single biggest lever we can pull to address the climate crisis, strengthen our regional economy, protect ratepayers, improve public health, and create family-sustaining union jobs. We are delighted that the states worked together on a multi-state solicitation, and we look forward to seeing more New England states collaborate, as the region expands development in new lease areas, such as the Gulf of Maine.”
CTLCV TAKE: Connecticut LCV President Mike Urgo said, “We actively await Connecticut’s reaction to the Tri-State procurement. This is a critical time for renewable energy and we must keep the momentum going, as a region. We recognize there are a variety of factors that may influence Connecticut’s path forward, and we are hopeful that Governor Lamont will allocate our share of wind energy to one of the bidding developers soon. Procuring offshore wind will mark a significant step toward reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, improving the state’s air quality, and addressing the health impacts associated with fossil fuel pollution.”
EPA AWARDS NEW JERSEY $156 MILLION UNDER SOLAR FOR ALL PROGRAM: The federal EPA awarded a $156 million Inflation Reduction Act Solar for All grant to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to develop solar programs in the state. These programs will bring clean, affordable solar energy to low-income and historically disadvantaged communities across New Jersey.
NEW JERSEY LCV TAKE: New Jersey LCV Executive Director Ed Potosnak said, “This grant will enable low-income and overburdened communities to take advantage of clean, renewable solar power to mitigate climate change and clean up our air. Not only will community solar help our environment, but it will bring real savings to New Jersey residents and provide good-paying, family-sustaining jobs in the clean-energy economy. Solar energy has the potential to meet 30-40% of energy capacity needs in New Jersey by 2050. We commend Governor Murphy and the staff at the BPU for pursuing this grant to advance community solar and create healthier communities while providing financial savings for residents who live with energy insecurity.”
ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO LAUNCH HOME ENERGY REBATE PROGRAMS: Arizona and New Mexico became the third and fourth states to launch home energy rebate programs under the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda. These programs will help households, particularly those with low- to middle-incomes, save money on energy efficient home upgrades.
GRANHOLM TAKE: U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said, “Arizonans know more than most the urgency of deploying energy efficient measures, like insulation and upgraded HVAC systems, so households across the state can slash their utility bills without putting people in danger of heat-related health impacts. Arizona is one of the states leading the nation in building up their local workforce and keeping money in the pockets of their residents, all thanks to the Investing in America agenda.”
LUJAN GRISHAM TAKE: New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said, “New Mexico is the first state to enable residents to get home-energy efficiency rebates at the point of sale, reflecting our ongoing commitment to leading on the clean energy transition. These rebates are available to low-income residents, ensuring that all of our citizens can participate in this transition.”
ON THE BLOG: As election day approaches (only 59 days to go!), we’re bringing you everything you need to know about being a poll worker and how you can get involved in helping ensure everything runs smoothly this November! And, from Chispa, learn about summer intern Nicolas Thompson’s personal experience of being impacted by Hurricane Beryl, which tore through the Gulf of Mexico and Texas’s Gulf Coast earlier this summer, and what it taught him about the importance of grassroots advocacy in addressing the climate crisis.
ON OUR SOCIALS: We love content creators, and content creators love Harris’s record on environmental issues! Other things we love? Getting time off to vote! Speaking of love, there’s also a whole lot of love between Donald Trump and Big Oil (which we don’t love).
SEPTEMBER 9: Congress back in session.
SEPTEMBER 10: Presidential debate.
SEPTEMBER 14: Start of Latinx Conservation Week.
SEPTEMBER 15: Latinx Heritage Month begins.
SEPTEMBER 17: Voter Registration Day.
SEPTEMBER 22: First day of autumn.
SEPTEMBER 30: Current government funding expires.
©2024 League of Conservation Voters