News & Commentary

A New Pathway to a Western Grid

May 31, 2024 Expert BlogWest, Colorado, Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Utah, WyomingKelsie Gomanie

Pathways Initiative approves two-step approach to create independent governance for a west-wide electricity market.

Congress Responds to the Biden Administration’s Commonsense LNG Decision

February 15, 2024 Expert BlogUnited States, International, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, TexasAlexandra Adams

Not long after the administration’s pause on permits, the fossil fuel industry—and its supporters in Congress—pulled out all the stops to oppose the decision and spread misinformation. 

Organic Needs a Boost in the Farm Bill

July 12, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, California, Iowa, Washington, D.C.Allison Johnson

Our public investments in organic food production have not kept pace with the organic sector’s growth – and that’s a missed opportunity for domestic economic development. The Opportunities in Organic Act would help U.S. farms meet consumer demand by reducing…

New Program Will Help Ensure Reliable Electricity in the West

February 16, 2023 Expert BlogCanada, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, WestKelsie Gomanie

The Western Resource Adequacy Program (WRAP) is designed to provide benefits for customers, utilities, and the environment.

The Race to Organize Energy Markets in the Western U.S. Is On

January 13, 2023 Expert BlogArizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, WyomingKelsie Gomanie

A western regional transmission organization would spur the development of clean electricity sources and lower costs for consumers.

A $3 Billion Milestone for the Western Grid

November 16, 2022 Expert BlogUnited States, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, WestKelsie Gomanie

After a year of record-breaking heat waves, drought, and flooding, add to that list some good news for the Western United States: The Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) is positioned to surpass $3 billion in cumulative benefits by the end…

For Thousands of Years, Indigenous Tribes Have Been Planting for the Future

November 30, 2021 DispatchIowa, Canada, Pennsylvania, OklahomaSusan Cosier

With yields of biodiversity and a more climate-resilient food supply, a movement is sprouting in BIPOC communities across North America to save heirloom seeds and preserve culture.

A Monumental Matter at Bears Ears—Land of Sacred Power

April 9, 2021 Expert BlogUtahSharon Buccino

Secretary Haaland knows with every fiber of her body the value of the 1.35 million acres of lands originally designated as Bears Ears National Monument—not simply for their beauty and tranquility, but for their cultural significance and sacred power.

MISO and SPP Can Benefit from a More Connected Grid

March 3, 2021 Expert BlogTexas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kansas, MissouriToba Pearlman

Electric grids across the Midwest, South, and in Texas failed a key resilience test during last month’s winter storm, and one key conclusion is clear: The grids connected via transmission lines fared significantly better than those isolated and on their…

In Landmark Victory for Indigenous Communities, Dakota Access Pipeline Ordered to Shut Down

July 7, 2020 Expert BlogNorth Dakota, South Dakota, IowaNRDC

The dangerous crude oil pipeline threatened the water supplies and ways of life for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. The win underscores the power of dogged defense by Indigenous groups and conservationists, as well as the importance of the National…

Huge Win for Standing Rock and the National Environmental Policy Act

March 25, 2020 Expert BlogNorth Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, IllinoisDan West, Dr. Jennifer Sass

A federal court orders the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to write a full environmental impact statement for the Dakota Access Pipeline.

This Is How We Stand Up to Trump

December 20, 2017 NRDC in ActionUnited States, Washington, D.C., Utah, Michigan, CaliforniaNicole Greenfield

Meet a handful of the NRDC staffers who resisted Trump’s attacks and defended our environment in 2017—and who won’t stop fighting anytime soon.

Farms on the Fringe: New Takes on America’s Farming Tradition

August 1, 2017 DispatchCalifornia, Colorado, Iowa, New York, Kentucky, New MexicoTracie McMillan

These six farmers have found innovative ways to grow plants in today’s climate, whether in corn country or coal country, with fish tanks or smartphones.

State Legislators Say Iowa Has Achieved Sustainable Farming (It Hasn’t) and Doesn’t Need More Research (It Does)

July 17, 2017 DispatchIowaSusan Cosier

The state’s lawmakers have cut funding for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, leaving rural farmers in the lurch.

Why the West Is Best (for Clean Energy)

October 5, 2016 DispatchColorado, Utah, New MexicoBecca Cudmore

Solar and wind power are booming in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. Here are some secrets to their success.

Cowboying Up

September 26, 2016 NRDC in ActionUtahJeff Turrentine

NRDC’s Bobby McEnaney wrangles ranchers, energy experts, and environmentalists to protect public lands while expanding clean energy.

Guess Which State Towers Over All the Others on Wind Energy?

May 26, 2016 Latest NewsIowa, MidwestJeff Turrentine

If you want to know what the future of renewables looks like, look no further than Iowa.

Why Are Our Waters Turning Green?

March 14, 2016 NRDC in ActionLouisiana, Toledo, Ohio, Des Moines, IowaNicole Greenfield

Toxic algal blooms are suffocating waterways from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Erie.

A Sickening Swill

December 5, 2014 DispatchIowaSusan Cosier

Iowans don't want runoff from factory farms coming out of their faucets. So it’s about time the government does something about it.