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Expert Blogs

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Smart RGGI Investments Can Lower Electricity Bills in PA

Expert BlogPennsylvaniaMark Szybist

Investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) can help lower electricity bills for Pennsylvanians, as well as improve public health, our climate, and Pennsylvania’s economy.

PA Bill Would Block Local Efforts to Clean Up Buildings

Expert BlogPennsylvaniaMark Szybist

After an extra dark, long, COVID winter, the trees are finally in bloom and the birds are singing. Unfortunately, it’s also the season when bills that would stifle Pennsylvania’s transition to a brighter clean energy future are popping up in…

VAs Are a Bad Deal for California’s Fish and Wildlife

Expert BlogCaliforniaDoug Obegi

Unfortunately, the State of California continues to negotiate backroom deals with the biggest water users in the State that fails to protect and restore water quality in the Bay-Delta, threatening thousands of fishing jobs, farms and communities in the Delta…

A New Customer Bill of Rights: Affordable Utility Services

Expert BlogIllinois, United StatesDeron Lovaas, Larry Levine
The vital need for uninterrupted utility service was evident before the coronavirus pandemic, but the COVID-19 public health emergency has reinforced the essential nature of utility service and the threats of energy and water poverty.

Brief Filed in Lawsuit to Protect Delaware River from PCBs

Expert BlogNew Jersey, PennsylvaniaMarisa Guerrero, Julia Jonas-Day
Water quality in the Delaware River is under threat of PCB chemical pollution from a proposed liquefied natural gas export terminal. To protect the river, NRDC filed an amicus brief in a federal lawsuit challenging the facility's dredging and construction…

Colorado’s SB 246 a Major Step Toward Healthier Homes

Expert BlogColoradoAlejandra Mejia Cunningham
Colorado Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg introduced a much-needed proposal this legislative session to help Coloradans transition to healthier homes powered by affordable, clean electricity.

Chicago Lays Out New Green Recovery Priorities on COVID-19

Expert BlogChicago, IllinoisStefan Schaffer
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a series of environmental priorities aligned with a “Green Recovery,” a significant step toward reducing the city’s reliance on fossil fuels and creating more equitable economic opportunities in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

New Electric Rates Put Power Back in Californians' Hands

Expert BlogCaliforniaAlejandra Mejia Cunningham, Mohit Chhabra
California’s policy makers and IOUs are now taking action to reward Californians for using electricity at the times when it is cleanest and most plentiful, by introducing time-varying pricing plans.

The Kansas Energy Story—and Opportunity

Expert BlogKansasGabrielle Habeeb, Ashok Gupta
Kansas may not be the first state that comes to mind when you think “renewable energy powerhouse”—but it has become one.

The Bay-Delta Salmon Crisis That Didn’t Have to Be

Expert BlogCaliforniaKate Poole
Enough with playing politics with the heart of California’s freshwater system. It is well past time for both the state and federal governments to update standards for salmon management in the Bay-Delta.

How Cities Are Centering Equity in Benchmarking Policies

Expert BlogDenver, Colorado, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Seattle, WashingtonCaroline Keicher
A new resource from the City Energy Project—Incorporating Equity into Energy Benchmarking Requirements: Guidance for Policy and Program Practitioners—helps cities understand the opportunity to leverage benchmarking and transparency policies to address racial and social equity.

Opportunities to Strengthen AC Efficiency Labels in India

Expert BlogIndiaSameer Kwatra
In a rapidly warming world, climate friendly air conditioner are vital to providing essential cooling, while keeping greenhouse gas emissions and energy use low. However, a large number of ACs and refrigerators sold in the Indian market may not be…

Fighting Inequity with Solar Power

DispatchMinneapolis, St. PaulSusan Cosier
Minneapolis’s 4d program to boost energy efficiency and affordable housing in the city is kicking it up a notch.

The Case for Equitable Building Decarb in the Midwest

Expert BlogMidwestAmulya Yerrapotu
By taking an equity-first approach to building decarbonization, the Midwest can unlock not just a core climate solution, but also vital health, economic, and jobs benefits, and ensure they reach the communities that need them most.