News & Commentary

UPDATED: Another Court Victory for the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee

August 18, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Lucas Rhoads

A court sided with NRDC in its latest lawsuit to protect the endangered rusty patched bumble bee, paving the way for critical habitat protections. 

N.C. Offshore Wind Surveys Advance with Protections for Right Whales

August 11, 2023 Expert BlogNorth CarolinaDr. Francine Kershaw

NRDC is pleased to see that initial offshore wind planning surveys close to right whale calving habitat will be undertaken with protective measures in place.

The IRA Turns One: An Update on Buildings-Related Programs

July 31, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Lauren Urbanek

The past year has been a busy one as federal agencies have begun the early stages of rolling out Inflation Reduction Act funds.

NYC’s New Pizza Oven Rule Will Protect Neighborhood Air Quality

July 31, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, New York CityEric A. Goldstein

The law will target the emissions and other air pollution that come through people’s windows from nearby pizza restaurants.

Winter Storm Elliott Report Highlights the Risk of Natural Gas Failures

July 20, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, East, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, TexasDana Ammann

PJM’s report on Winter Storm Elliott found that gas generators were responsible for 70 percent of forced outages during December 2022. Climate change will only intensify future severe weather. 

The Senate Must Defend the Success of DOE Clean Energy Programs

July 19, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Sangina Wright

The House’s Energy and Water bill contains harmful provisions for U.S. households, U.S. competitiveness in the global clean energy race, and our climate fight. 

Oregon Must Do More to Reduce Entanglements

July 10, 2023 Expert BlogOregon, United StatesDr. Francine Kershaw

Help our West Coast marine life and ask the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to require stronger management measures.

The Supreme Court Gets Clean Water Supremely Wrong

June 29, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Jon Devine

The Supreme Court got the facts, the law, and the policy wrong in its recent ruling attacking wetland protections under the Clean Water Act.

Federal Agencies Restore Endangered Species Protections—Mostly

June 23, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Lucas Rhoads

U.S. FWS and NMFS proposed to reverse prior rollbacks of protections for imperiled species, but more is needed.

Landmark Neonic Bill Headed to Governor Hochul’s Desk

June 14, 2023 Expert BlogNew YorkDaniel Raichel

The New York legislature passed a first-in-the-nation bill to dramatically curb the pesticides that decimate pollinators and threaten New Yorkers’ health.

RGGI States Learning and Sharing On Climate and Equity

June 6, 2023 Expert BlogEast, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, VirginiaJackson Morris

A new report finds that the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative delivers on jobs, emissions reduction, and economic benefits—and provides a framework to address equity in the future.

Greater Energy Equity Ahead, in both Maryland and Virginia

May 25, 2023 Expert BlogVirginia, Maryland, Richmond (Virginia)Walton Shepherd, Lucy LaFlamme, Dawone Robinson

New state laws in MD and VA will lower spiking electric bills for those least able to afford them, through better-designed home energy efficiency improvements.

The Proposed Colorado River Deal: A Short-Term Band-Aid for a Long-Term Problem

May 23, 2023 Expert BlogWest, California, Arizona, Nevada, MexicoDr. Mark Gold

The Colorado River conservation proposal from Arizona, California, and Nevada reduces diversions by 1 million acre feet a year. Is this enough to make river management sustainable?

Study Shows 14,000 Unplugged Oil and Gas Wells in Gulf of Mexico

May 23, 2023 Expert BlogTexas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, FloridaRebecca Loomis, Rebecca Ramirez

Industry has neglected thousands of unused oil and gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico. They will cost an estimated $30 billion to plug and decommission.

A Blueprint for Advanced Industrial Manufacturing in New York

May 23, 2023 Expert BlogUnited States, New YorkIan Wells

New York can lead the nation in low-carbon industrial manufacturing. Here is how.

Strengthen Power Plant Carbon Standards for Greater Climate Benefit

May 22, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Amanda Levin, Sophia Ahmed

Power plants have operated without accountability for their carbon emissions for too long. The proposal represents a good first step, however, the EPA should seize the opportunity to strengthen the standards in both scope and speed. This approach will help…

New Buildings in NY to Be Electric, but the Job Is Not Done

May 22, 2023 Expert BlogNew YorkLauren Urbanek

New York's All-Electric Building Act makes it the first state to promote efficient electrification of new construction.

Breaking Through the PJM Interconnection Queue Crisis

May 18, 2023 Expert BlogEastDana Ammann

NRDC analyzes the outlook for new transmission in PJM Interconnection, the largest U.S. grid operator, and the impact of reforms designed to ease the logjam of projects awaiting approval to connect to the grid. 

EPA: Neonics Likely Driving 200+ Species Toward Extinction

May 15, 2023 Expert BlogWashington, D.C.Lucas Rhoads

U.S. EPA's unprecedented findings confirm that widespread neonic pesticide use threatens critical pollinators, other wildlife, and whole ecosystems. 

Moving from Uncertainty to Opportunity for Oil and Gas Workers

May 10, 2023 Expert BlogLouisianaClaudia Blanco Nuñez, Josh Axelrod

A recent report from True Transition captures a range of oil and gas worker experiences and finds potential for a skills transfer between fossil fuel and renewable energy jobs.