G2. Local Greens

This analysis is an expanded and updated version of an earlier presentation to the Ohio River Valley Institute.

A new report describes the exponential rise in the development of gas-fired power in the US, primarily for data centers. According to Global Energy Monitor, the US nearly tripled its gas-fired capacity in development in 2024, totalling almost 252 gigawatts (GW), a volume roughly equivalent to the sum of plans for China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and South Korea. If all in-development plants are built, the US’s existing gas fleet would grow by nearly 50%. More than one-third of gas-fired power generation capacity under development in the US is slated to serve data centers on site, or “behind-the-meter.”

Data center expansion is one of the single-most important drivers of new gas demand in the US, and is evidenced by a new trend of Big Tech entering long-term contracts with gas companies to supply on-site power generation. The top five hyperscalers announced plans to spend $700 billion in 2026, driven by AI and data center development. This development means significant new demand for electricity, much of which will be supplied by gas. Though exact figures on data center expansion are difficult to nail down, several long-term agreements have made national headlines.

Much of this growth is slated for Appalachia: 8.8 GW of on-site (behind-the-meter) gas-fired power generation is at various stages of development in Pennsylvania, all of which would be fueled by Appalachian gas.

Data center growth in other parts of the country could also mean increased gas production in Appalachia. For example, many of the new gas power plants coming online in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama to replace older plants (including coal-fired ones) could be serviced by gas produced in Appalachia thanks to new pipeline capacity under development (i.e. MVP and several projects along or near Transco and Tennessee Gas Pipeline systems).

Global Energy Monitor’s findings mirror other recent studies, including a new report released by Cleanview in January 2025. According to Cleanview’s study, more than 50 GW of behind-the-meter projects were announced in 2025, including 7.5 GW in Pennsylvania, 2 GW in West Virginia, and 1.1 GW in Ohio.

 

Long-term growth

According to the Energy Information Agency’s latest Annual Energy Outlook, Appalachian gas production is expected to increase substantially from 37 Bcf/d in 2025 to between 66 Bcf/d and 73 Bcf/d by 2050. Appalachian gas could account for nearly half of all natural gas produced in the US. This Appalachian gas production would increasingly meet gas demand across the US in the coming decades, including the massive LNG buildout and ensuing demand growth along the Gulf Coast. EIA describes several reasons for this demand growth.

Associated gas production linked to crude oil in the Permian is expected to decline over the same period. The Haynesville basin, where production has grown recently thanks to its proximity to the Gulf’s LNG terminals, is deeper and will be increasingly more expensive to drill, limiting its longer-term outlook.

EIA expects that as Appalachian gas production increases and as gas prices continue to rise along the Gulf, significantly more gas will flow between the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio region (Appalachia production zones) to the Midwest. At the same time, the volume of gas moving from the Midwest region to South Central increases significantly as it becomes more favorable for midstream companies to invest in pipelines and associated infrastructure to transport cheaper Appalachian gas to the Gulf.

This illustrates how Appalachian gas will increasingly flow south through the Midwest to meet LNG demand on the growth, as well as growing gas demand centers in the Southeast. The dramatic increase of gas flows from Appalachia into the Midwest and from the Midwest into South Central will necessitate pipeline development to increase takeaway capacity out of Appalachia.

 

LNG capacity ramps up

LNG exports are contributing to all-time high residential electricity rates and LNG capacity is set to grow even more. Three new LNG export facilities are driving this year’s growth: Plaquemines LNG, Corpus Christi Stage 3, and Golden Pass LNG. Meanwhile, five additional LNG export projects in the US reached financial investment decisions (FID) and are currently under construction: Golden Pass LNGPort Arthur LNG, Rio Grande LNG, Woodside Louisiana LNG, and CP2 LNG. LNG export capacity could reach as much as 21.1 Bcf/d (25.2 Bcf/d peak) by 2028 from just the first three projects.

At the same time, top Appalachian gas producers, including EQT and Wjlliams, have secured contracts with LNG terminals on the Gulf to buy LNG and sell it directly to customers in Europe and Asia. After buying cargoes from the terminals, the companies can sell them to Europe and Asia at higher prices than they can get in the US. These purchase agreements represent a major expansion for these gas companies, allowing them to control more of the supply chain and to capture the price spread between US domestic gas and international prices.

Capital spending by the 13 largest midstream companies rose 14% in 2024 and 20% in 2025, representing a rebound in midstream investment followed by a period of restraint after 2020, as reported by industry analyst RBN Energy. Most of the gas supply for LNG terminals along the Gulf will come from the Permian and Haynesville basins in the near term; however, Appalachian gas will meet much of the demand growth from power generation and data centers.

 

Pipeline buildout meets sluggish growth

Appalachian gas production has been hovering between 34 and 36 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) since 2020 due to constraints from limited pipeline takeaway capacity. Since then, however, Appalachian gas production grew 2.1 Bcf/d from 2024 to 2026, largely thanks to the June 2024 startup of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). MVP directed up to 2.0 Bcf/d of gas from northwest West Virginia toward the Southeast and now two MVP expansion projects are in development: the MVP Boost, which would increase the mainline capacity to 2.6 Bcf/d, and the MVP Southgate project, which would extend the MVP mainline from its terminus in Pittsylvania County, Virginia to new interconnections in Rockingham County, North Carolina.

Pipeline projects are also slated to expand capacity and de-bottleneck interstate corridors. Examples include a slew of expansions along the Transco interstate pipeline, the Appalachia Reliability project along the Eastern Gas Transmission system, and a series of projects along the Texas Gas Transmission system.

Boardwalk’s Borealis pipeline would extend the Texas Gas Transmission (TGT) pipeline across Ohio, expanding Appalachian gas producers’ access to customers in the Midwest and Gulf Coast. The project is designed to work in concert with Boardwalk’s expansion plans elsewhere on the TGT system, an interstate pipeline that spans eight states from Ohio to Louisiana. FERC is reviewing the Kosci Junction project, a 1.6 Bcf/d capacity pipeline that would extend the TGT system across Mississippi, terminating at Transco Station 85. If Boardwalk completes both the Borealis and the Kosci Junction projects, it would be the first time the Clarington hub in Appalachia would directly connect to the premium Station 85 market, on the border of Mississippi and Alabama.

 

Near-term uncertainty

Even though national trends indicate that natural gas production in Appalachia is likely to grow in the coming decades, the immediate outlook is a murkier prospect.

Nearly every major player in the Marcellus and Utica gas basin discussed expectations for higher gas demand from new power generation in and near their production areas, with the majority of anticipated power generation being tied to planned data centers.

For example, Appalachia’s largest producer, EQT, will supply 665 MMcf/d of gas to a planned 4.4 GW power station in Homer City, and 800 MMcf/d to a 3.6 GW power plant in Shippingport, PA, each of which will support large data center campuses. NextEra Energy and Google announced plans to partner in multiple sites across the US to scale hyperscale data center campuses with on-site power generation. Likewise, Williams is developing three major gas plants in Ohio to fuel Meta’s hyperscale complexes.

At the same time, EIA predicts Appalachian production will see modest growth in the near term, rising 0.4 Bcf/d in 2026 and 0.7 Bcf/d in 2027. EIA’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook does not adequately account for the emerging trend of recent data center-related increase in planned gas-fired power capacity but it’s unlikely that all of the proposed data centers in the US will move forward, making it difficult to understand the short-term impact on gas production in Appalachia.

A recent analysis from Aurora Energy Research determined that potentially two thirds of announced data center capacity was “speculative”, meaning that these developers have yet to secure site control, obtain permits, or don’t have active interconnection requests. The bulk of the remaining planned capacity is associated with “newcomers”, or companies with no current operational capacity, which calls into question just how much of the new gas-fired power capacity assessed by the Global Energy Monitor will actually materialize.

The post Appalachian Gas: Near-Term and Long-Term Trends appeared first on Ohio River Valley Institute.

Maryland Public Service Commission asked staff to conduct further analysis despite evidence that ending gas line extension allowances would provide $1 billion in savings to gas customers over next decade

 

BALTIMORE, MD —The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) today delayed finalizing regulations to end gas line extension allowances (LEAs), preventing gas customers from having to pay for the expansion of the gas system to new homes and businesses. When finalized, the new rules are expected to save Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) and Washington Gas Light (WGL) customers nearly $1 billion in the next decade. The Commission asked staff to conduct further analysis, with an unclear timeline for when the Commission will make a decision, adding to advocates’ concern that regulator delays from the PSC are putting customer savings at risk.

“The analysis is already in: allowing gas utilities to pass on the cost of new gas lines to their existing customers unfairly drives up energy bills and locks us into polluting fossil fuels for decades to come. Maryland gas customers shouldn’t have to wait a day longer for regulators to take action to address rapidly rising gas delivery rates,” said Emily Scarr, Senior Adviser at Maryland PIRG Foundation. “Whether it’s finalizing rules to save customers $1 billion or ending multi-year ratemaking, the Commission is creating a habit of unnecessary delays that harm customers and benefit utilities.”

Under the draft regulations, new customers and developers can still choose to connect to the gas system, but will be responsible for the cost of doing so. The hearing comes just weeks after the Maryland General Assembly rejected attempts by housing developers and gas utilities to prevent the PSC from finalizing rules to end LEAs.

“Today’s decision by the Public Service Commission is disappointing and continues to place burdens on front-line communities and Marylanders already struggling to pay costly energy bills,” said Sari Amiel, Staff Attorney at Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program. “Ongoing reliance on costly gas infrastructure impacts our health and financial well-being, while utility companies reach record profits. We will continue advocating for the state to move away from reliance on fossil fuels and towards more affordable and efficient clean energy.”

Initially petitioned for by the Office of the People’s Counsel (OPC), the rulemaking is the first to come from the “future of gas” proceeding, a venue for short and long-term gas planning. The proceeding aims to protect customers from skyrocketing costs by smoothing the transition away from gas heat and appliances and the outsized infrastructure costs that come with it. 

“Seeing the commission delay such an important consumer protection at the 11th hour is exceedingly disappointing. Gas utilities use line extension allowances to boost their profits while locking in decades of pollution and costs,” said Bryan Dunning, Senior Policy Analyst at Center for Progressive Reform. “Each day we delay, utilities are incentivised to further build out the gas system, undermining state climate goals.” 

For decades, existing gas customers have covered some or all of the costs to extend gas lines to new customers, driving up delivery rates and adding to utility profits over a decades-long payback period. Connecting a home to the methane gas system hooks it onto fossil fuels for years, contributing to climate pollution in the state and creating new risks for deadly explosions.

“Maryland gas customers shouldn’t be incentivising housing developers to build housing with dual fuel sources, when electric heating is safer, cleaner, and more affordable for renters,” said Monica O’Connor of Grassroots Maryland Legislative Coalition’s Climate Justice Wing. “Today’s decision by the PSC to delay the end of incentives for new gas lines not only fails to align regulatory policy with fiscal prudency, but sets back our state climate goals.”

In 2025 alone, BGE planned to spend $103.5 million on gas pipeline expansion, costing customers $397 million, while Washington Gas Light (WGL) planned to spend $56.25 million, costing customers $238 million.  Utility spending on gas pipelines has caused energy bills to rise in Maryland. Since 2010, Baltimore Gas & Electric and Columbia Gas customers have seen their delivery rates more than triple, far outpacing the rate of inflation, due to excessive gas utility spending. This rise in delivery costs is why BGE gas customers now pay $2 to BGE for delivery for every $1 they spend on gas. A recent analysis found that gas delivery charges account for more than 60% of the average Maryland customer’s gas bill.

“We’re very frustrated to see the Commission needlessly delay a clear action to align state climate goals, consumer protections, and lower gas ratepayer costs,” said Brittany Baker, Maryland Director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “We need strong leadership from the PSC to act in the best interest of ratepayers and transition Maryland off the gas distribution system. Today, they missed the mark.”

The Upgrade Maryland campaign is calling on the PSC to swiftly finalize regulations to end LEAs, both to protect customers from the rising costs of the gas system and to ensure utility regulation is in line with state climate policy.

###

Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC and beyond.

The post Advocates Warn Utility Regulators’ Decision to Delay Puts Customer Savings at Risk appeared first on Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

Emails obtained by Public Domain and Fieldnotes show the Interior department worked closely with Continental Resources to secure drilling permits in Converse County, Wyoming, despite a court injunction restricting new drilling on public land there. Continental Resources supplied the Bureau of Land Management with a playbook to bypass environmental restrictions meant to protect the county’s groundwater, and the BLM has since rushed to issue over 70 permits to Continental using the loophole.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum received $250,000 in campaign donations from Continental Resources, which is controlled by billionaire oil tycoon Harold Hamm, when he ran for president in 2023. Burgum has also received around $50,000 in oil royalties from land he leased to Hamm’s company.

“This reminds me of the days of the Bush-Cheney administration’s massive push to drill the West, when it was obvious that the oil industry was calling the shots when it came to public land management,” Erik Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds Project, told Public Domain. “But we never had such direct and obvious proof that oil corporations were giving the orders, and BLM officials at the highest levels were obediently carrying them out.”

CWP says goodbye to executive director

In the latest episode of the Center for Western Priorities’ podcast, The Landscape, we say goodbye to former Executive Director Jennifer Rokala. In a conversation with the entire CWP team, Jen reflects on the highs and lows of leading CWP for 11 years, what she’s most proud of, and what gives her hope for the future of America’s public lands. Listen now wherever you get podcasts or watch on YouTube.

Quick hits How many federal public lands jobs did the Mountain West lose?

KUNC

Congressman seeks probe of $11 million no-bid contract for Park Service fountain revamp

E&E News

Opinion: Pikes Peak region’s outdoors future depends on LWCF funding

Colorado Sun

Navajo Nation residents push back on possible copper mine

KNAU

How controlled burns can help save taxpayers billions

Grist

This fight unfolding in southern Utah could have implications for states trying to take over federal lands

Bloomberg

Shared ground: Coalition forms to promote affordable housing on public lands

Deseret News

Wildfire is an increasing threat to the West’s recreation economy, according to new research

The Conversation

Quote of the day

Proposed budget cuts and growing bureaucratic obstacles are threatening to slow or stop LWCF-funded projects across the country… Whatever your politics, that should concern you. LWCF has never been a partisan program. It was built on a bipartisan foundation and has delivered results under presidents and Congresses of both parties for 60 years.”

—David Leinweber, founder of Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance, Colorado Sun

Picture This

@Interior

Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge offers a chance to unplug from the stresses of daily life and reconnect with Minnesota’s tallgrass prairie.

Photos by Mike Budd / USFWS

Feature image: Interior Secretary Doug Burgum (left) and oil tycoon Harold Hamm (right); Source: Burgum photo by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia, Hamm photo by david_shankbone via Flickr

The post Interior bypasses court injunction at behest of oil donor appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Click the icon at the bottom right to view the issue full screen. March 2026

The post Down to Earth: March 2026 appeared first on Montana Environmental Information Center - MEIC.

Don’t be fooled by NorthWestern Energy and the PSC’s spin on the latest rate increase to Montanan’s energy bills. In November 2025, the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) announced it denied $43 million in rate increases to NorthWestern Energy “to the benefit of Montana customers.” So why are Montana customers still paying more? MEIC’s Energy …

The post MEIC’s Nick Fitzmaurice Explains How NorthWestern Energy Keeps Getting Away with Raising Montana Customer’s Rates appeared first on Montana Environmental Information Center - MEIC.

This June, residents of Marin and Sonoma Counties face a choice: keep the SMART train running, or watch one of the region’s most important climate investments unravel. 

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) train carries over 4,000 riders each weekday, offering a proven alternative to car travel that eases Highway 101 congestion and cuts greenhouse gas emissions. But without renewed funding, SMART cannot sustain current operations, let alone grow.

That’s why Measure B — a continuation of the existing quarter-cent sales tax for SMART train service and the adjacent multi-use pathway — will appear on the June ballot in Marin and Sonoma counties. Measure B doesn’t create a new tax. It keeps your existing investments alive — securing the next 30 years of service.

Greenbelt Alliance proudly endorses Measure B and encourages voters across Marin and Sonoma counties to vote YES on the June ballot.

Why It Matters

SMART is more than a train. Every trip taken on SMART means fewer cars on the road, less pollution in the air, and a cleaner commute for thousands of North Bay residents. For an environmentally motivated community, Marin and Sonoma’s housing and transportation systems still depend heavily on single-occupancy vehicles. This measure represents a needed investment in public transportation. 

Without Measure B, SMART will not be able to maintain today’s service levels. That means fewer trains, fewer riders, and more cars on 101. It means an incomplete pathway system. And it means abandoning an investment that voters in Marin and Sonoma counties have already made in their shared future.

Protecting and Growing a Regional Investment

Over the past decade, SMART has extended its reach across the North Bay, and the 24 mile pathway running alongside the tracks has become a beloved active transportation corridor for cyclists and pedestrians alike. Measure B protects that progress and opens the door to more: expanded service hours, greater geographic reach, and a pathway system that’s finally complete.

A YES vote on Measure B directly funds:

• Continued daily SMART train service connecting Sonoma and Marin counties
• A reliable, low-emissions alternative to Highway 101
• Expansion of service hours and geographic reach across the North Bay
• Completion and maintenance of the SMART pathway for cyclists and pedestrians
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions from the region’s transportation sector. People who ride SMART reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 33% compared to completing the same trip in a car.

A Smart Investment in Our Shared Future

At Greenbelt Alliance, we believe that resilient communities require both healthy lands and healthy transportation systems — the kind that give people real alternatives to driving, reduce emissions, and keep our region connected even as climate pressures intensify.

The quarter-cent sales tax that funds SMART is already in place. Measure B simply continues it. The cost of not renewing this funding — degraded service, stranded riders, and backsliding on our climate commitments — is far greater than the cost of saying yes.

Thirty years from now, the North Bay can be a place where hopping on a train is as natural as getting in a car – where our transportation choices match our values. That future starts this June. Vote YES on Measure B.

The post Vote Yes on Measure B: Keep SMART Moving for the Next 30 Years appeared first on Greenbelt Alliance.

Tara locals are concerned their backyards will be industrialised, after the Queensland Government today approved a coal seam gas development proposed by Origin Energy’s joint venture Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG).

This article is a brief overview.
See all of the articles from the Water Quality campaign.

Historically, the Gualala River was home to abundant coho salmon and steelhead trout populations that numbered in the tens of thousands. Today, the endangered coho salmon are all but gone and threatened steelhead are struggling to survive in the home river they evolved and adapted to over millennia. The dwindling salmonid population is a critical indicator of the declining health of the Gualala River, and its 300 square mile watershed, and continues to be at the core of Friends of Gualala River’s work.

FoGR is working with state agencies to reduce water quality impairments from both sediment pollution and pollution from stormwater run-off containing toxic tire grit (6PPD).

Adult coho salmon; photo by NOAA Fisheries Sediment (TMDL)

In 2001, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed the Gualala River as impaired under the Clean Water Act due to excessive sediment and high temperatures – both conditions that hamper fish spawning and create unhealthy conditions for fish throughout their lifespan. The chief sources of sediment are roads, landslides, and legacy timber harvesting practices.

California agencies failed to develop plans to reduce sediment and temperature for 20 years. In 2021, FoGR petitioned the State Water Resources Control Board and North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board to incorporate the EPA’s Gualala River Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for sediment into the North Coast Basin Plan and to develop and implement an action plan specifying how sediment pollution will be reduced throughout the watershed. That petition was successful. FoGR achieved a major accomplishment that will help improve water quality and reduce sediment pollution in the Gualala River and its tributaries – a pivotal step in assisting salmonid recovery efforts.

Now that FoGR has successfully negotiated an agreement, work can begin in earnest to restore the impaired Gualala River and its tributaries. The Regional Water Board adopted the Action Plan for the Gualala River Sediment TMDL in February, 2026, and is developing a Gualala Roads Assessment Order, a watershed-specific order that will address sediment pollution by requiring the inventory, assessment, and prioritization of sediment-generating roads.

Sediment from the remains of a timber company’s summer crossing sheds into the North Fork during winter flows. (Photo courtesy of FoGR) Stormwater (6PPD)

In 2020 FoGR learned of a chemical found in tire grit that pollutes stormwater and kills a number of different aquatic species. It is especially toxic to coho salmon— 40 parts per trillion in a quart of stormwater kills juvenile coho. Information has been pouring out of the State of Washington where the effects of 6 PPD were first discovered as scientists race to learn more about how the compound kills and what can be done about it.

In 2022, CA Urban Streams Alliance-The Stream Team (The Stream Team) expanded its long-standing watershed monitoring program and began collaborating with Friends of Gualala River (FoGR) to investigate 6PPD-Quinone (6PPD-Q)—a tire-derived pollutant highly toxic to Coho Salmon and Steelhead—in the Gualala River estuary.

In May of 2024 the team of volunteers ran their first samples and discovered that stormwater runoff from the downtown area of Gualala contains high levels of 6PPD-Q, confirming their suspicions. “It makes sense,” says Baker. “Even though Gualala is a small town in a rural area, we have concentrated traffic, especially trucks, trailers, and other heavy vehicles all using Highway 1.”

Storm-event samples were collected at four sites upstream and downstream of major road surfaces and analyzed for 6PPD-Q, zinc, oil and grease, and standard field parameters. Results show elevated 6PPD-Q (up to 170 ng/L), zinc, conductivity, and turbidity, with highest concentrations at sites influenced by Highway 1, gas stations, and parking lots.

In early May, Greenbelt Alliance with its partners hosted two community workshops in support of the Port of Oakland’s Waterfront Resilience Plan. The workshops were hosted in partnership with the Port of Oakland, the City of Oakland, Hood Planning Group, Ninth Root, Civic Edge Consulting, the West Oakland Cultural Action Network (WOCAN), the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WOEIP) and Oakland Don’t Play. During the workshops, neighbors and residents gathered to explore and weigh in on the latest flood maps, and shared input on community values for the Port of Oakland’s Waterfront Resilience Plan. 

Nearly 100 attendees joined us over two workshops that were both deeply anchored in community. The first workshop on Saturday May 2 was located at The Townderosa in West Oakland, and the second workshop on Thursday, May 7 was hosted by Oakland Don’t Play, a local clothing business located in deep East Oakland. Both locations were backyard spaces curated for building community and exchanging ideas and information.

The workshops included a poster session where community members had the opportunity to ask questions and share input with project partners. Attendees were guided through three stations. The first station welcomed attendees and outlined the public’s role in the process. The second station featured maps showing future flooding projections, and the third station captured neighborhood values and priorities. Each station sparked conversations about what matters most to the community—including what future impacts from flooding will look like, and what the community wants to see protected.

From the poster session attendees learned how climate change is causing water levels to rise, and how this will result in increased flooding, including coastal flooding (when tides or storms push water over the shoreline), groundwater flooding (when water under the soil rises toward the surface), and stormwater flooding, (when heavy rains fill streets faster than drains can move the water away). 

Community input is integral to the Port’s Waterfront Resilience Plan. As Dave Peters of WOCAN shared: 

“Even though we don’t see where I’m at in West Oakland as a flooding risk. The risk of having toxics being pushed up to the surface exists. So we want to make sure that that community knowledge gets back to the Port and gets included in the Plan. We need y’all in your neighborhood to come and talk about your experience to add to the data. We need the science, but community input makes it real.” Dave PetersWOCAN Founder

Now that these first workshops are wrapped up, the engagement doesn’t stop here. The project team will be hosting a series of smaller stakeholder meetings over the summer, and additional community workshops are slated this fall. Oakland residents also have the opportunity to share their ideas through an online survey. If you live, work, or play in Oakland, please share your ideas with us here!

Want to stay connected? Sign up here to receive email updates about the project and stay up to date on what the Oakland Alameda Adaptation Committee is working on!

The post Waterfront Voices Workshops Shape the Port of Oakland’s Resilience Plan appeared first on Greenbelt Alliance.

In this special episode of The Landscape, the entire Center for Western Priorities team joins us for an interview with Jennifer Rokala, CWP’s outgoing executive director, to celebrate her 11 years leading the organization. Jen reflects on key victories throughout her tenure at CWP, the organization’s evolution as a communications-driven conservation hub, and her advice for Aaron as he steps into the role of executive director.

Plus, the team talks about the best food in the West. Here are the restaurants mentioned during this episode:

• Hot Tomato Pizza – Fruita, Colorado
• Bin 707 – Grand Junction, Colorado
• Eegee’s – Tucson, Arizona
• Taco Party – Grand Junction, Colorado
• Rome Station – Rome, Oregon
• BirdHouse – Page, Arizona

News

• Emails Show How Interior Dept Delivered New Drilling Permits for Burgum’s Billionaire Ally — Public Domain
• Shared ground: Coalition forms to promote affordable housing on public lands — Deseret News
• Solar ranch aims to prove grazing cattle under the panels is a farmland win-win — Los Angeles Times

Resources

• Housing and conservation experts agree: Public lands can’t solve the housing crisis. Here’s what can — Center for Western Priorities via Substack
• Watch this episode on YouTube 

Produced by Aaron Weiss, Lauren Bogard, Kate Groetzinger, and Lilly Bock-Brownstein
Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
Music: Purple Planet
Featured image: Center for Western Priorities team

The post Jennifer Rokala on 11 years fighting for public lands at CWP appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Last week we asked you to take action to protect the Labyrinth Canyon area from a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposal to authorize the Keg Knoll backcountry airstrip for private aircraft takeoffs and landings. Now, the BLM’s Canyon Country District is proposing to designate ten additional backcountry airstrips in the Moab and Monticello areas and authorize periodic machine maintenance in remote locations. Once again, we need your help to keep these quiet, wild places free of aircraft noise and mechanical intrusions.

These airstrips, most of which show no signs of recent use, are scattered across some of the most remote and ecologically sensitive landscapes in southern Utah—including the Gemini Bridges/Labyrinth Canyon area and the remote backcountry immediately adjacent to Bears Ears National Monument.

Please tell the BLM to protect wilderness-quality lands, wildlife habitat, and Bears Ears National Monument by rejecting six of the ten proposed airstrips: Spring Canyon, Big Flat, Castle Creek, Nokai Dome, Piute, and Red Canyon.

 
Click image to enlarge

None of these airstrips have ever been officially designated, and despite past use, many of these locations are essentially reclaimed and no longer functional for takeoff or landing. Reopening them would require removal of mature native plants like blackbrush, rabbitbrush, and junipers, fragmenting habitat and degrading wilderness characteristics that took years to recover. Several locations sit within BLM-identified wilderness-quality lands or directly adjacent to Bears Ears National Monument, where aircraft noise and visual intrusions would diminish the solitude, natural soundscapes, and cultural landscapes these areas were meant to protect.

The Spring Canyon and Big Flat airstrips lie within bighorn habitat along the Green River corridor and near Canyonlands National Park—the same landscape where the BLM already restricts other recreation activities to protect these important species during lambing season. Similarly, raptors nesting near Big Flat, Nokai Dome, and other sites are highly sensitive to aviation noise, which discourages use of otherwise suitable nesting habitat.

Click here to urge the BLM to reject designation of the most sensitive airstrip locations.

These remote canyon country landscapes deserve protection, not rubber-stamping of aircraft use that degrades recovering ecosystems and introduces chronic noise into some of Utah’s last remaining quiet, wild places. The BLM has decided not to open a formal public comment period on this action, so please submit your comments as soon as possible to ensure they’re taken into account.

Thank you for your support!

P.S. If you haven’t taken action yet on the Keg Knoll backcountry airstrip, please click here to submit a separate comment to the BLM’s Price field office.

The post Tell BLM: No More Airstrips in Utah’s Wild Places! appeared first on Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.

May 7, 2026 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SUWA Statement on BLM’s Intent to Expand Destructive Motorized Use in the San Rafael Swell and San Rafael Desert – 5.7.26  Proposal would damage cultural sites, wildlife habitat, and non-motorized visitors at the behest of Utah politicians and extreme off-road vehicle groups

Contacts:
Grant Stevens, Communications Director, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA); (319) 427-0260; grant@suwa.org

Washington, DC – Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that it would be reconsidering the San Rafael Desert and San Rafael Swell Travel Management Plans. Those two plans were finalized in 2022 and 2025, respectively, and guide where motorized vehicle use is allowed across more than 1.5 million acres of BLM-managed lands in central Utah’s redrock country.  Those plans designated hundreds of miles of new motorized vehicle routes and authorized public motorized use on them. Now the Trump Administration’s BLM plans to go even further, increasing motorized recreation at the expense of all other public lands users. Below is a statement from SUWA Staff Attorney Laura Peterson and additional information.  

“This is yet another naked political decision to appease radical off-road vehicle groups and Utah politicians. Their vision for public lands in Utah is one where landscapes are blanketed by off-road vehicle routes, transforming quiet, wild places into motorized playgrounds and ignoring significant damage to cultural sites, desert waterways, and wildlife habitat,” said Laura Peterson, Staff Attorney with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). “The San Rafael Swell and Desert are beloved southern Utah redrock landscapes with endless opportunities for hiking, camping and spending time with family and friends. These areas should be known for their stunning vistas, cultural sites and opportunities for solitude, not off-road vehicle damage.” 

The San Rafael Swell: 

The San Rafael Swell Travel Management Area (TMA) encompasses roughly 1,150,000 acres of BLM-managed lands within the Price and Richfield field offices. A much-loved backcountry area, the Swell is home to irreplaceable cultural and historic resources, important wildlife habitat, and outstanding recreation opportunities. The Swell’s sinuous slot canyons, soaring red rock cliffs, and prominent buttes provide countless opportunities for hikers, canyoneers, campers, river runners, climbers, bikers, photographers, and other visitors. This TMA also encompasses designated wilderness areas and the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area.  

In December 2024, the BLM released the final San Rafael Swell Travel Management Plan. Rather than selecting an alternative that would have balanced motorized recreation and non-motorized recreation while also minimizing damage to natural and cultural resources, the agency chose an alternative that prioritized motorized vehicle use. The plan designated nearly 1,500 miles of routes and opened a substantial number of new routes to motorized vehicle use. While the BLM’s plan got many things wrong, one thing it did right was not opening roughly 650 miles of trails in places like stream corridors and wash bottoms, cultural sites and where use would lead to serious documented environmental damage. It also included “routes” that are simply lines on a map that do not exist on the ground.  

Despite a plan that expanded ORV use in the Swell, the Idaho-based BlueRibbon Coalition and others sued the BLM in March 2025 alleging the agency did not go far enough. The group sought a preliminary injunction to stop the BLM from implementing the San Rafael Swell plan. The court has not granted the preliminary injunction. The case has been stayed at the request of the Trump Administration.  

The San Rafael Desert: 

The San Rafael Desert Travel Management Area (TMA) encompasses more than 375,000 acres of sublime Utah backcountry, including the designated Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness and wilderness-quality lands such as Sweetwater Reef and the San Rafael River. It features stunning redrock canyons, important cultural sites, and an outstanding diversity of native bee species, many found nowhere else but this corner of Utah.  

In the last few months of the first Trump Administration, the BLM approved a destructive travel management plan that—by the agency’s own account—emphasized maximum mileage available for off-road vehicle recreation and more than doubled the miles of dirt two-tracks and trails for motorized use from 300 miles to more than 765 miles. SUWA challenged that unbalanced plan in federal court. SUWA and the BLM ultimately settled that lawsuit in February of 2022 and the BLM agreed to reconsider the designation of certain routes. The BLM eventually took corrective action and revised the San Rafael Desert TMP to close 120 miles of erroneously designated routes – routes the BLM acknowledged were reclaimed, redundant or non-existent on the ground and with no public purpose or need.  

In 2024, the state of Utah and others challenged BLM’s San Rafael reconsideration decision in federal court. That case has been stayed for over a year. 

Travel Management Plans:  

The San Rafael Swell and San Rafael Desert Travel Management Plans are two of 11 travel plans the BLM is completing as part of a court-supervised settlement agreement between the agency, conservation, and ORV groups. Covering more than 6 million acres of BLM-managed lands in eastern and southern Utah, these plans will determine where motorized vehicles will be allowed on some of Utah’s wildest public lands. Including this plan, the BLM has completed five of the 11 plans. Read more about SUWA’s litigation to ensure these travel plans follow federal laws to protect public lands and resources. 

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The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) is a nonprofit organization with members and supporters from around the country dedicated to protecting America’s redrock wilderness. From offices in Moab, Salt Lake City, and Washington, DC, our team of professionals defends the redrock, organizes support for America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, and stewards a world-renowned landscape. Learn more at www.suwa.org. 

 

The post SUWA Statement on BLM’s Intent to Expand Destructive Motorized Use in the San Rafael Swell and San Rafael Desert – 5.7.26  appeared first on Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.

Coal Plant Orders Cost Consumers Millions & Drive Utility Bills Higher

• Each time a coal plant is ordered to stay open – utility bill rates increase.
• Forcing coal plants to stay open after closure drives up electricity costs because coal power is more expensive to produce.
• In September 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) also announced that $625 million in taxpayer dollars would be given to corporate coal plant owners.
• Private energy markets have already decided that coal power is too expensive. According to a 2025 analysis by the financial advisory firm Lazard, electricity from coal-fired power plants costs an average of $122 per megawatt-hour. That same power can be produced for $78 from natural gas plants, $61 from onshore wind & $58 from utility-scale solar. See Lazard LLC’s Levelized Cost of Energy at page 10.
• Forcing coal plants to operate requires consumers to pay higher costs (see below).

Chart from E360 Digest, Yale Univ. Jan. 5, 2026 – A Year of Clean Energy Milestones. Today, wind & solar are cheaper than coal & natural gas. Increasingly, they are boosted by ever more affordable batteries, which have gotten 90% cheaper over the last decade.

 

Independent National Report on Coal Plant Orders & Consumer Costs

In an unprecedented use of federal authority, President Donald Trump’s administration has invoked emergency powers to force a series of retiring coal plants to stay open. Utilities, states and grid operators have said the aging plants are expensive, in bad repair, and no longer needed to meet regional energy needs. But Trump’s coal plant orders have forced plant operators to continue investing in the facilities – a move that consumer advocates fear could mean billions of dollars in added costs for customers in dozens of states. Trump is forcing coal plants to stay open. It could cost customers billions by Alex Brown – Stateline – March 19, 2026

 

Coal Plant Orders May Cost Ratepayers $3 Billion to $6 Billion Nationwide

• Energy analysts say Trump’s efforts to keep fossil fuel-powered plants open could become very costly to ratepayers. A recent Report published by Grid Strategies LLC found that as many as 90 aging plants could be subject to similar emergency orders during the remainder of Trump’s term. The Report found that keeping those plants open could cost ratepayers anywhere from $3 billion to $6 billion a year.
• “What the DOE is doing is picking losers, the uneconomical plants that the utilities, the regulators, everybody agreed need to retire & be replaced with something cheaper and more efficient,” said Michael Goggin, who authored the report.

The Report estimated that Pennsylvania consumers alone could pay $138 million in higher utility bills. See, The Cost of Federal Mandates at page 8.

 

Trump’s Eddystone Power Plant Order Will Cost PA Consumers Millions

A recent Sierra Club Report estimated that the gross cost to operate two Eddystone Power Plant units in Chester County, Pennsylvania to be approximately $34,336 per day. This Report was completed in March 2026 before the Iran War increased the costs of fossil fuels – so this estimate is almost certainly low. The Trump administration invoked section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act (FPA) to force the Eddystone plant to stay open. See Aging Pennsylvania power plant to keep running after Trump order on eve of shutdown by: Jon Hurdle, Inside Climate News – June 9, 2025 – DOE says the plant will help avert an energy “emergency.” Environmentalists say there’s no such crisis.

 

Eddystone Power Plant’s Owners Will Be Allowed to Charge the Costs of Keeping the Power Plant Operating to PA Consumers.

According to a presentation by Pennsylvania’s Electricity Grid operator, PJM – Constellation Energy will be permitted to charge PA consumers with the additional costs of keeping the Eddystone Power Plant open and is also allowed to charge a 110% profit on those costs. See Education on Federal Power Authority Section 202(c) and DACC Cost Allocation by Thomas DeVita, PJM Legal & Lisa Morelli, PJM Settlements – Meeting of June 10, 2025.

This is because DOE’s May 30, 2025 Order found that an emergency existed in portions of the PJM footprint “due to a shortage of facilities for the generation of electric energy, resource adequacy concerns, and other causes,” & directed  that PJM and Constellation Energy take “all measures necessary” to ensure that the Eddystone Units are available for continued operation. See Report Here. PJM explained:

• DOE’s Order directed PJM & Constellation to “file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission any tariff revisions or waivers necessary to effectuate this Order,” and further specified that “[r]ate recovery is available pursuant to [FPA section 202(c)].”
• Constellation has communicated its agreement to utilize the Deactivation Avoidable Cost Credit (“DACC”), as described in Part V of the PJM Tariff. PJM is willing to agree on the DACC Credit for the Eddystone Units. See Report at page 9.
• The applicable multiplier for the 1st year is 110% & escalates by 10% each year up to a 150% cap. 110% is the multiplier for Eddystone in 2026. See Report at page 9.

 According to Grid Strategies, “Forcing utilities to continue to operate unneeded and costly coal-fired power plants past their planned retirement increases the electric bills paid by homeowners and businesses. It also undermines the competitiveness of U.S. businesses such as manufacturing by raising electric rates.” See Grid Strategies Report.

The same is true for Constellation Energy, the owner of the Eddystone Plant. Constellation made the economic/business decision to shut Eddystone down. DOE’s Order forced it open again. PA consumers will foot the bill for the extra costs created by DOE’s Order. Sierra Club is keeping a running tab of consumer costs for six of DOE’s power plant Orders (including Eddystone).

 

Case Study on Forced Coal Plant Orders: J.H. Campbell Power Plant

The costs to consumers of forced coal plant reopenings are processed through time consuming and complicated state utility reviews and processes. These cost increases move slowly, but the DOE Orders will allow utilities to charge consumers and ratepayers for the costs of reopening old coal plants. Many of these cost increases are still in process.

However, a May 23, 2026 DOE Order forcing Michigan’s J.H. Campbell coal plant in West Olive, Michigan to continue operating offers a good case study on the actual costs to consumers. See Keeping Michigan coal plant open under Trump orders cost $615K a day by Lucas Smolcic Larson, MLive.com, Oct. 31, 2025. This is because Consumers Energy, the plant owner, has claimed in legal filings that in just over four months, the utility ran up $80 million in net costs to keep the J.H. Campbell power plant on life support. See Trump’s Order to Keep Michigan Coal Plant Running Has Cost $80 Million So Far by Marianne Lavelle – Inside Climate News – October 31, 2025.

Consumers Energy said in its 3rd Quarter earnings report that it would pursue the process laid out in the DOE Order for collecting the J.H. Campbell plant costs. It will seek payment from ratepayers across the Midwest. Even though the peak summer electricity demand season had passed, Consumers Energy said they expect the coal plant Orders “to continue for the long-term.” CEO Garrick Rochow said in a conference call for investors. “And we’re prepared to continue to operate the plant and comply with those Orders.”

Consumers Energy said the costs – $615,385 per day – should be shared among ratepayers (an estimated 42 million to 45 million electricity customers) in the nine states served by the regional electric grid operator, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). Consumers Energy had projected that the retirement of the Campbell plant would save its customers $600 million over the next 20 years, or $30 million per year. Instead, running the plant for the past five months has cost close to three times that annual amount.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Sierra Club, NRDC, EDF and Earthjustice have filed lawsuits to stop the DOE Order to keep the JH Campbell coal plant from reopening and incurring these forced costs on consumers. See AG Dana Nessel challenges Trump Administration’s order to keep Michigan coal plant open by Steven Bohner – ABC News – December 19, 2025. See Public Advocacy Groups Take Trump Administration to Court for Illegal Coal Plant Extension– Earthjustice – July 24, 2025.

A recent filing suggests the JH Campbell coal plant’s costs may balloon far higher than these original estimates. See Midwestern families on the hook for $180 million to keep Michigan coal plant open under Trump administration’s mandates. 

 

More Background on Trump/DOE Coal Plant Orders and Consumer Costs

13 DOE emergency orders have cost Americans $235M, Sierra Club says – by Robert Walton Senior Editor – Utility Dive – March 18, 2026. DOE’s Orders to keep six retiring fossil-fueled power plants online and are adding millions to customer utility bills, according to the Sierra Club.

Trump Administration Orders to Keep Fossil-Fired Power Plant Running Will Increase Michigan Electricity Costs – NRDC – August 21, 2025. DOE’s August 20, 2026 Order required the J.H. Campbell coal plant to remain operational, despite plans to close the facility by May 31, 2025. An independent report found that keeping fossil-fired power plants, like J. H. Campbell, running could cost consumers $3 to $6 billion a year.

 

Who Will Pay for the Keystone Generating Station in Armstrong and Indiana counties, and Conemaugh Generating Station in Indiana County?

The April 21, 2026 announcement on the Keystone & Conemaugh Coal Plants Consent Decree does not address details on financing and plans for potential future electricity sales. Because it is not an Order to keep the plants running, the analysis on passing costs onto consumers described above does not apply. Press Releases and news coverage about the Consent Decree appear below. The answer to the question is not yet known.

 

Shapiro Administration Files Motion to Enter Consent Decree to Maintain Reliable, Affordable Power by Allowing Keystone and Conemaugh Plants to Continue Operating with Improved Environmental Controls and Upgrades – April 21, 2026 Press Release

See Consent Decree. & See DEP Press Release.

• Keeping the Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations in operation will allow the facilities to continue generating more than 3,400 megawatts of electricity for the regional grid. This approach allows PA to serve increased demand for energy generation and concerns about reliability, affordability, and economic impact.
• Allowing the plants to continue operating under enforceable environmental requirements will help avoid supply shortfalls that can drive up electricity prices for consumers across the region.
• Shapiro has made lowering costs for PA a central focus of his efforts around economic development and energy, consistently calling for a balanced approach that strengthens the grid, supports economic growth, and protects consumers from unnecessary rate increases.

 

Gov. Shapiro moves to keep 2 coal-fired power plants open in Western Pa., as energy demand from data centers grows – by Reid Frazier, Allegheny Front · Apr. 22, 2026. Gov. Josh Shapiro announced he was extending the lives of two W PA coal-fired power plants.

Pa.’s largest coal-fired power plants would stay open until 2032 in proposed DEP deal By Peter Hall – Pennsylvania Capital Star – April 22, 2026

DEP Files Final Consent Decree for the Keystone and Conemaugh Coal-Fired Power Plants to Allow for Continued Operation – by David Hess – PA Environment Digest Blog – April 22, 2026. – Provides background information & analysis on the Consent Decree.

 

Statements on the Consent Decree

Alex Bomstein, Executive Director of Clean Air Council – Here

Ted Kelly, Environmental Defense Fund Lead Counsel for U.S. Clean Energy – Here

Patrick McDonnell, president and CEO of PennFuture – Here

Molly Parzen, Executive Director of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania – Here

Katie Blume of Conservation Voters of PA (Chair, Clean Power PA Coalition) issued the following statement:

Clean Power PA Statement on Decision by Trump and Shapiro Administrations to Extend Life of the Two Biggest Polluting Power Plants in Pennsylvania 

Statewide, PA – The Clean Power PA Coalition issued the following statement from its chair, Katie Blume of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, regarding an agreement announced by both President Trump and Governor Josh Shapiro to extend the life of two coal plants that had been scheduled to close in 2028:

We’re extremely disappointed in Governor Shapiro’s decision to allow the state’s two largest polluting power plants, the Keystone and Conemaugh coal-fired plants, to remain operating past their scheduled closing data of 2028.

This decision will not make electricity more affordable. Independent analysis shows that electricity from coal-fired power plants costs twice that of wind and solar. The cost of forcing aging coal plants to stay open is paid by electricity consumers: the cost of keeping open a major Maryland coal plant is estimated at $1.5 billion. That’s being passed on to consumers across the region, including Pennsylvanians (see Note below).

The deal to extend the plants’ operations was announced as part of the governor’s “all of the above” energy policy. Thus far, that “all of the above” strategy has meant blocking Pennsylvania’s participation in the successful Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a benefit to the coal and gas industries, and the extension of two expensive and dirty coal plants. But a true “all of the above” strategy must include “all” sources of energy, including renewable sources like solar and wind, and battery storage, all of which are cheaper and quicker to deploy than fossil fuels, as well as energy efficiency measures to reduce demand.

As energy prices continue to rise, in large part because of the state’s overreliance on costly gas and coal, Pennsylvanians still await action by the governor and the legislature to increase our energy supply by expanding cheaper clean energy, which currently provides only 3% of the state’s power. Until then, “all of the above” will be nothing more than an empty political slogan.

Note on Brandon Shores as ordered by PJM to stay open.

“In January 2025, PJM reported that Exelon had updated its cost estimates for the Brandon Shores deactivation projects, doubling the costs from $740 million to more than $1.5 billion.” The Brandon Shores deactivation projects include expanded transmission lines and additional facilities (such as static synchronous compensators or STATCOMs) for reactive services and other improvements to address the potential for voltage collapse.

The post Clean Power Digest: Coal Plant Orders appeared first on Ohio River Valley Institute.

Invest In People Not War & Impeach Convict Remove.

War Is Not The Answer.

Healthcare Not Warfare

UPDATE

The following people conducted peaceful civil disobedience by blocking the main entry to the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh today for 4 hours. State Capitol Police chose not to arrest them. See the original news release followed by their statements below.

Dr. Susan Crate
Dale Evarts
Keval Kaur Khalsa
Gary Phillips
Amanda Robertson
Jim Warren

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Today’s Climate Protest at NC Governor’s Mansion Begins Campaign of Civil Disobedience

Scientists, elected officials, storm survivors escalate demand that Gov. Josh Stein halt Duke Energy’s “crimes against humanity” as hurricane-heatwave season looms

Durham, NC – Despite global heating and human suffering both accelerating toward a point of no return, one of the world’s worst climate polluters is massively expanding the use of fossil fuels while suppressing a transition to clean power. Today, prominent climate experts, storm survivors and elected officials demand that Gov. Stein stop what they call Duke Energy’s “crimes against humanity” instead of acting as the corporation’s accomplice.

The community leaders say they feel morally compelled to peacefully risk being arrested in order to challenge the greater crimes committed by decision-makers at the Charlotte-based polluter. They say the state’s top elected official must finally begin telling North Carolinians the truth about Duke Energy’s role in driving the global climate crisis – and use his powerful voice and authority to change the polluter’s climate- and rate-wrecking expansion.

Jim Warren, executive director of NC WARN, said today, “Duke Energy executives are committing crimes against humanity, and Gov. Stein needs to finally stop them. He is complicit in their crimes by echoing Duke’s 50-year pattern of corporate deception by claiming this state is a clean energy leader and supporting Duke’s totally meaningless goal of being “carbon neutral” by 2050 while ignoring its planned 12,000 megawatt fossil fuel expansion.”

Despite the science showing worldwide temperatures surging past limits deemed crucial by climate scientists, Duke Energy plans the largest US buildout of power generation from both fracked gas and experimental nuclear plants while blunting the growth of clean, affordable solar and wind power. 

The protesters cite their moral duty to act in support of communities, workers, farmers and others being hurt first and worst by weather extremes and soaring power bills. Those people are now facing another potentially horrific storm and heatwave season – on top of record-breaking drought and an ongoing increase in wildfires. 

Over 60 scientists have openly pressed Stein to help stop Duke’s climate-wrecking trajectory. But the Governor has so far ignored their warning that, “It’s really an emergency … to use all the levers we can to push Duke Energy away from this fossil fuel path,” as emphasized by globally prominent Duke University climatologist Drew Shindell in recent video ads. Dozens of state and local elected officials have joined the call, as have over 300 businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Bobby Jones, a statewide environmental justice leader from Goldsboro, said “The stressors of living in what has become Hurricane Alley haunt us. There is no way for us to escape its climate disasters and harm. As a key cause of the global climate crisis, Duke Energy keeps raising our rates to build dirty and dangerous power plants, thus forcing us to pay for our own demise. We need Governor Stein to stand in the gap on our behalf; stop Duke Energy’s crimes against humanity and against the good people of North Carolina.” 

Since the 1990s, eastern North Carolina has been devastated by multiple hurricanes, other torrential rains and, increasingly, heat waves and droughts that harm farmers, residents, outdoor workers, forests and wildlife. Recent storms have similarly devastated western and central parts of the state. 

Despite the recurring disasters, North Carolina seems dominated by a “business as usual” mindset based on unfettered growth.

As NC WARN told the Governor recently, “The climate science community continues releasing extremely troubling news about the global failure to avoid accelerated warming as humanity approaches a point of no return – even as a soaring number of people and wildlife are already being devastated.”

Warren added today, “For decades Duke Energy has owned our state’s governors, legislators and regulators. As global heating grows increasingly desperate, Governor Stein must break free and act on behalf of North Carolinians – particularly those already suffering – as scientists demand sweeping changes by 2030.”

As the 61 scientists told Stein last year: “We implore you to lead in the transition away from fossil fuels and to the renewable, resilient, equitable, affordable, and sustainable energy future that humanity desperately needs.”

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Photo Credit: Ethan Hyman / The News & Observer

STATEMENTS

Dr. Susan Crate, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Dept of Environmental Science & Policy, George Mason University 

“I am here today because of the urgency of us doing everything we can to reverse climate change. … We are calling on Governor Stein to stop being Duke Energy’s accomplice and to call them out and demand what all North Carolinians deserve! Rapid development of renewables and the phasing out of dirty fuels!”

Gary Phillips, businessman, pastor and the former Chair of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners

“I’m taking the extraordinary step today of facing arrest if necessary because my faith demands that I not allow a wrong to go unanswered. Duke Energy’s actions in North Carolina, its continual assault against nature and the people of North Carolina, its perfidious pursuit after power and profit, have called us here as witnesses to form a stumbling block against their continual actions against our lands, our people and our natural progress.”

Dale Evarts, former head of the Climate and International Group at the US Environmental Protection Agency

“Our climate is no longer stable. … It is beyond anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes. Each year new records are set for temperatures and the costs of climate-related damage. Other countries I’ve worked with don’t doubt climate science. They know that fossil fuels are causing enormous damage and are turning to renewable energy to save money, avoid costly wars, and stabilize our planet’s climate at the same time. But here in the U.S. and in North Carolina, Duke Energy is blocking the changes needed to ensure a future climate that will keep our families and kids safe for generations to come. This is immoral and it is a crime. So I am calling on Governor Stein to stop Duke’s massive fossil fuel expansion and to lead our state towards clean, safe, reliable, affordable, renewable energy.”

Keval Kaur Khalsa, retired Duke University professor and longtime yoga instructor

“Duke Energy and Governor Stein claim that North Carolina is a “clean energy leader.” In fact, Duke Energy has been running their greenwashing and climate deception campaign for 50 years. This is madness, and I’m here calling on Gov. Stein to stop the madness now. … We are in a climate emergency, and when faced with an emergency, we need action now. Gov. Stein – we need you to stand up to Duke Energy, to stand up for us – to take action now.”

Amanda Robertson, business owner and Chair of Chatham County Commission, but speaking as a private citizen

“Free sun energy solutions have been available to Duke Energy for decades and they outright refuse to invest in them. They instead produce snazzy commercials and marketing campaigns to gaslight all of us, trying to convince everyone they are pursuing clean, green, energy, while they instead continue to ramp up gas and coal. Our government still does nothing to hold Duke Energy accountable. … I call on Governor Stein to act. To move against the corrupt, dirty agenda that Duke Energy has us all saddled with and use your executive authority as Governor of North Carolina to force Duke Energy to change course today!”

Jim Warren, Executive Director of NC WARN

“It’s like science fiction: Instead of the actual ‘clean energy transition’ it has touted for years, Duke Energy leads the US in expanding fossil fuels. … We must stop this runaway train before the world’s corporate psychopaths wipe out life on Earth, and our Governor must take the lead.”

An additional statement was made by Sara Heilman, Energy Policy Coordinator at NC WARN

“We have a unique opportunity here in our state, where Duke Energy is headquartered, to change the course of one the largest and most insidious polluting entities in the world. Changing Duke Energy could mean a major difference in the future that young people are facing. Will our Governor continue to protect this massive corporate polluter, or will he be brave, and stand up for that future?”

Now in its 38th year, NC WARN is building people power in the climate and energy justice movement to persuade or require Charlotte-based Duke Energy – one of the world’s largest climate polluters – to make a quick transition to renewable, affordable power generation and energy efficiency in order to avert climate tipping points and ongoing rate hikes. 

The post Climate Protest at NC Governor’s Mansion Begins Campaign of Civil Disobedience — NC WARN News Release appeared first on NC WARN.

Book Event at SOMOS, 108 Civic Plaza Drive, Taos, on Saturday, May 9, 4:00 pm

 

We’ll be talking about Ike DeVargas’s remarkable political life and reading passages in his own words of his many battles for justice: La Raza Unida Party’s conquest of a corrupt political machine; the struggles that ended corporate logging;  the removal of the Juan de Oñate statue; and challenging the prison industrial complex. Those who knew Ike can share their stories and others can learn about a complex history of northern New Mexico.

By: Anne Hedges During the last several months, NorthWestern Energy has vehemently denied that data centers are behind its desire to “merge” with another South Dakota utility, Black Hills Energy. However, when company executives announced the deal to investors, they repeatedly pointed to data centers as a top reason for the two utilities’ efforts. NorthWestern …

The post NorthWestern’s mega-monopoly merger is all about data centers appeared first on Montana Environmental Information Center - MEIC.

Ask most Americans what they know about the Arctic, and you’ll likely hear something like, “It’s far away.” Or “I’ll probably never get to go there.” Or even “I have no idea where that is.” And they’re mostly right. The Arctic is vast, wild, and remote. Most people will never stand on the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge, never watch the Porcupine Caribou herd migrate across the tundra, never hear the silence of a landscape untouched by roads or cities or noise. 

And yet, what happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic. 

Whether you live in upstate New York or the Deep South, the Midwest or the mountains of Colorado, the coast of California or somewhere in between, the Arctic is connected to you. And right now, the policies being made in the stuffy halls of Congress in D.C. about that distant, breathtaking place are policies that affect every American who cares about public lands, clean water, wildlife, and the wild places that belong to all of us. 

Learn More Why the Arctic? 

It’s a fair question. The Arctic Refuge alone spans more than 19 million acres of wilderness in northeastern Alaska. There are no roads, no trails, and no campgrounds. It’s one of the last truly wild places left on Earth. The coastal plain, a 1.6-million-acre stretch along the Beaufort Sea, is the calving ground of the Porcupine Caribou herd and home to polar bears, musk oxen, wolves, and hundreds of species of migratory birds that travel to all 50 states and six continents. For the Gwich’in people, it’s sacred, they literally call it “the sacred place where life begins.” 

But the Arctic isn’t just a place for those who can reach it. It’s a place that belongs to every American, and what happens there matters to every American. The birds that nest on the coastal plain in summer return to backyards, wetlands, and flyways across the country. The caribou that have sustained the Gwich’in for millennia are part of an ecosystem that influences climate and biodiversity far beyond Alaska’s borders. And the decisions being made about the Arctic, about whether to drill it, protect it, lease it, or preserve it, are being made through policies that touch public lands from Minnesota to Montana to Wyoming and beyond. 

The policies that shape what happens to the Arctic aren’t Alaska policies. They’re American policies, written by Congress, signed by presidents, implemented by federal agencies that manage hundreds of millions of acres of public land from coast to coast. 

A Wave of Policy Changes 

Across the country, there’s been a rapid restructuring of how public lands are managed, who has a say, what gets prioritized, and who benefits. 

On day one of the current Trump administration, an executive order titled “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” directed federal agencies to reverse protections across Alaska, including the Arctic Refuge, the Western Arctic, and the Tongass National Forest. Interior leadership followed with orders rolling back climate priorities and removing limits on energy development. 

Source: X / Sen. Dan Sullivan

Then came massive budget cuts. A proposed 35% reduction to key land management agencies, including the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management. Thousands of staff positions have been eliminated or left unfilled, including rangers, scientists, and land managers. 

The result is visible on the ground, from closed ranger stations, unmaintained trails, reduced scientific monitoring, to fewer people responsible for overseeing hundreds of millions of acres of public land. 

Public lands without the people to steward them aren’t really protected, they’re just waiting. 

The “One Big Beautiful Bill”  

A sweeping budget package passed in July 2025 reshaped federal land policy across the country, not just in Alaska. 

While proposed land sales in the West were removed after public pushback, the final law still dramatically expanded fossil fuel leasing and reduced environmental protections. 

It mandates quarterly oil and gas lease sales across more than 200 million acres of public land, removing agency discretion to protect sensitive areas. It requires millions of acres in the Western Arctic to be opened for leasing and mandates drilling in the Arctic Refuge coastal plain while limiting public input and judicial review. 

Source: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee budget reconciliation bill text (as of June 16, 2025); BLM, USFS. Map by The Wilderness Society

It expands coal leasing, increases fees on renewable energy development on public lands, and reduces funding for national parks. 

These decisions don’t just stop in Alaska. They affect Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, and beyond, shaping wildlife habitat, water systems, recreation economies, and public access nationwide. 

The CRA: One Tool in a Much Bigger Toolbox 

Outside the halls of Congress, few people are familiar with something called the Congressional Review Act (CRA), but they should because it’s one of the most powerful and consequential tools in American politics, and it’s increasingly being used to dismantle protections for the public lands and waters that belong to all of us. 

The CRA was originally designed to allow Congress to review major federal regulations. Historically, it was used sparingly, only once in its first 20 years. But in recent years, it’s been expanded, weaponized, and stretched far beyond its original intent.  

In 2017, the Trump administration used it to invalidate 17 Obama-era rules. In 2025 alone, 22 CRA repeals were signed into law. And each repeal carries a particularly alarming consequence because once a rule is overturned by the CRA, a future administration is barred from issuing anything “substantially similar” without an act of Congress. A single vote can permanently foreclose future protection, shutting the door not just for today, but for generations. 

Now, since 2025, it’s been used to overturn land management plans across Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota.  

It took years of public input, environmental review, and collaboration to build these protections. It takes one vote to erase them, and another act of Congress to restore them. 

From the Arctic to Your Backyard 

If you thought some of these policies, like the CRA, were just an Alaska problem, think again. 

In January 2026, the House passed a CRA resolution to overturn a 20-year mining ban protecting the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota. In April 2026, the Senate followed, voting to open more than 225,000 acres of the Superior National Forest to sulfide-ore copper mining, even though the U.S. Forest Service had concluded such mining would cause irreversible harm to the ecosystem. 

Canoeing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota. (Brad Zweerink / Earthjustice)

The Boundary Waters is a 1.1-million-acre designated Wilderness Area, one of the most visited wilderness destinations in the country, with roughly 250,000 visitors each year. The 20-year mining ban at its headwaters was put in place in 2023 after years of extensive public input. That process, that democratic, science-based process, was undone in a matter of months by a simple majority vote using a tool that was never intended for this purpose. 

The same playbook. The same tool. The same consequences. Whether it’s the Arctic Refuge’s coastal plain in Alaska or the birch forests of northern Minnesota, policies are being used to dismantle public land protections across the country, one resolution at a time. 

The Stakes for Every American 

Public lands belong to every American. Every acre of the Arctic Refuge, every mile of the Boundary Waters, every stretch of BLM land in Wyoming or Montana or central Alaska, these places are held in trust for all of us. And the decisions being made about them right now are decisions about who gets to use those places, and for what, and whether future generations will have them at all. 

When policies are used to overturn a resource management plan in Buffalo, Wyoming, it affects the ranchers and hunting outfitters and outdoor recreation businesses who depend on balanced, responsible management. When it’s used to repeal a leasing plan in the Arctic Refuge, it cuts the Gwich’in people out of their own future and opens sacred calving grounds to industrial drilling. When it’s used to erase a mining ban at the Boundary Waters, it threatens the clean water that communities across northern Minnesota rely on and sets a precedent that every protected landscape in America is vulnerable. 

What’s happening is a coordinated shift in how public lands are defined, managed, and valued. Executive orders. Budget cuts. Large-scale leasing mandates. Legislative overrides of long-standing protections. Together, they form a pattern, faster approvals for extraction, fewer protections, reduced public participation, and diminished agency capacity.  

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Photo Credit: BLM / Tarpley

And the Arctic is often the front line because it’s remote, symbolic, and easy to overlook.

But it reflects a larger question: Who are public lands for? 

Everything is Connected 

So, sure, you may never set foot in the Arctic. You may never paddle the Boundary Waters or drive through the open range of the Powder River Basin. But the birds that nest in these places pass through your sky, in your backyard. The water that flows through these watersheds feeds rivers and ecosystems that stretch across the continent. The policies that strip them of protection are the same policies, written by the same hands, using the same tools, that could one day come for the public lands near you. 

From upstate New York to the Deep South. From the Midwest to the Rockies to the Pacific Coast. The Arctic isn’t a faraway problem. It’s the frontline of a much larger fight, a fight about who gets to make decisions about public lands, how fast and with how little accountability, and whether the voice of Americans who say “protect these places” still means anything in D.C. 

We believe the Arctic belongs to all of us, and so does the responsibility to defend it. Because everything is connected. And the decisions being made today will determine what kind of country, and what kind of wild places we leave behind. 

Will you go beyond your backyard?

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