News & Commentary

California’s New Electric Plan Doesn't Cut Enough Carbon

March 26, 2020 Expert BlogMohit Chhabra

Suspend Shutoffs of Essential Utility Services in Crisis

March 20, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesAlexis Cureton, Khalil Shahyd

As the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic grows, we support calls for utility shutoff moratoriums to protect our most vulnerable communities.

Clean Energy Homes: An Easy 'Yes' for Californians

March 18, 2020 Expert BlogPierre Delforge

Given a choice between clean electricity or fossil (a.k.a. “natural”) gas to power home appliances, Californians overwhelmingly choose renewable power by a 48-point margin. The results of a survey of 1,000 California voters released this month confirm that switching to…

Celebrating Peoria’s Clean Energy Future

March 10, 2020 Expert BlogSelena Kyle, Neeti Jain

NRDC is working with local nonprofits on job training, bus electrificiation, solar energy, energy efficiency, and lung-health programs to help the Peoria area prepare for the closure of the E.D. Edwards coal-fired power plant.

Improved Building Energy Model Code Challenged

March 9, 2020 Expert BlogLauren Urbanek

Better building codes mean lower energy bills, which results in lower costs for consumers and fewer carbon emissions for the planet. Sounds like a winning combination, right? Unfortunately, opponents are now trying to reverse that progress.

San Antonio Picks Up the PACE to Fund Efficient Buildings

March 5, 2020 Expert BlogStefan Schaffer

The idea behind the American Cities Climate Challenge is to give the 25 participating cities the resources they need to accelerate their efforts to tackle the climate crisis. With support from the Climate Challenge, San Antonio is now speeding toward…

San José Launches Energy Challenge to Cut Building Emissions

March 5, 2020 Expert BlogOlivia Walker

Nineteen large buildings are now on the path to shrinking their carbon footprints under San Jose’s new Better Buildings program, which will advance both the goals of Climate Smart San Jose—the City’s climate action plan—and compliance with the city’s new…

Columbus Takes Bold Steps to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions

March 4, 2020 Expert BlogStefan Schaffer

The City of Columbus, Ohio could soon ask its building owners to track and report how much energy and water is used at their properties as part of a new benchmarking and transparency ordinance. If city council passes the policy…

Governor Cuomo Proposes Transmission Improvements for NY

March 4, 2020 Expert BlogCullen Howe

Albuquerque Challenges Local Buildings to Reduce Energy Use

February 27, 2020 Expert BlogOlivia Walker

The City of Albuquerque took a huge step toward its greenhouse gas reduction goals today by kicking off the Albuquerque Mayor’s Energy Challenge program, a voluntary private-sector energy challenge designed to incentivize and support local businesses in their efforts to…

The Energy Department’s Continued Attacks on Energy-Saving Light Bulbs Are Illegal

February 25, 2020 Expert BlogNRDC

NRDC and partners are suing the agency for its refusal to update energy efficiency standards that would save U.S. consumers billions of dollars and spare the planet 38 million tons of carbon pollution annually.

AZ Helps Fossil Industry Limit Local Clean Energy Leadership

February 24, 2020 Expert BlogAlejandra Mejia Cunningham

Arizona’s state government just moved to severely limit local communities’ ability to support buildings powered entirely by affordable clean electricity for decades to come. This attack on local leadership is the latest attempt to keep Americans locked into polluting fuels…

A First: Converting Energy Efficiency Gains into Clean Power

February 24, 2020 Expert BlogRalph Cavanagh

Can a utility in one region buy some of the pollution-free electricity that a utility in another region saves when its customers improve their energy efficiency? We’re about to find out. And if this effort succeeds, it will be a…

FERC Excludes Clean Energy From NY’s Capacity Market

February 20, 2020 Expert BlogCullen Howe, Rebecca Behrens

Energy Efficiency Is for Everyone

February 20, 2020 Expert BlogDeron Lovaas

The benefits of the nation’s largest energy resource aren’t reaching those who could most use them. We can fix that.

Electrifying Buildings and Cars Can Rein in Electric Rates

February 19, 2020 Expert BlogMohit Chhabra

New Tool Explores the Race to 100% Clean

February 13, 2020 Expert BlogUnited StatesSophia Ptacek

Explore our new interactive and explanatory mapping tool to see how far we’ve come on clean energy and to learn more about the climate and clean energy commitments made to date.

The City Insider Proving that Mayors Can Lead on Climate

February 11, 2020 NRDC in ActionChicagoNicole Greenfield

Chris Wheat, who helped make Chicago a greener place from inside its city hall, is now helping empower city governments across the country to realize their many climate ambitions.

Los Angeles City-Owned Buildings to Go 100% Carbon Free

February 10, 2020 Expert BlogMaria Stamas

Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti today committed all new or substantially rehabilitated buildings owned by the City of Los Angeles to be 100 percent carbon free—and to use less carbon-intensive building materials in the process.

AEO 2020: Renewables Clinch Power Sector

February 7, 2020 Expert BlogRachel Fakhry, Robert Harding

Renewable energy races ahead of coal and gas in the United States--but to achieve the Paris Climate Agreement more policy action is needed.