Trump’s EPA Seeks Looser Construction Rules for Gas Plants, Data Centers and Factories
On May 12, 2026 the EPA announced a proposal to redefine “begin actual construction” so that developers of gas‑fired power plants, data centers and large factories can start work on non‑polluting elements such as piping, wiring and cement pads before receiving air‑emission permits. The change, championed by Administrator Lee Zeldin, is framed as a way to remove “unnecessary impediments” and accelerate infrastructure critical to the U.S. AI race. A 45‑day public comment period will follow, but environmental groups warn the rule could lock in costly projects before air‑quality safeguards are evaluated. The proposal aligns with broader Trump‑era efforts to roll back environmental protections and speed energy‑intensive construction.
Two Years After Completion, Plant Vogtle Still Looms Over the Nuclear Debate
Plant Vogtle's two new AP1000 reactors finally entered service in 2024 after a seven‑year delay and a final price tag of $36.8 billion, more than double the original $14 billion estimate. The cost overruns have been passed to Georgia Power customers through...
$370 Million Payout
Cheniere Energy, the largest U.S. LNG exporter, secured a $370 million alternative‑fuel tax credit from the IRS by classifying boil‑off gas from its cargo vessels as an eligible fuel. The credit, intended for low‑carbon power generation, was applied to electricity used...
Smog, Lies and Pineapples: How LA Cleaned up Its Air and What’s Left to Do
Ann Carlson’s new book “Smog and Sunshine” chronicles how Los Angeles transformed its air quality from hazardous smog in the 1940s‑60s to today’s near‑compliance levels. Key milestones include the 1970s rollout of catalytic converters, aggressive legal action against oil and auto...
How Climate Change Makes Your Allergies Worse
Climate change is extending North America’s pollen season, making allergies more severe for millions of Americans. A 2021 analysis shows the freeze‑free growing season has lengthened by an average of 21 days across 198 U.S. cities, while a 2022 study...
Faster Slaughterhouse Line Speeds Are Increasingly a Climate Problem
The USDA has proposed raising line speeds in U.S. slaughterhouses, increasing poultry throughput from 140 to 175 birds per minute and removing speed caps for hog facilities. Critics argue the faster lines will exacerbate worker injuries—already averaging 27 serious cases...
California’s Battery Array Is as Powerful as 12 Nuclear Power Plants. Here’s What’s on the Horizon.
In late March, California’s grid discharged just over 12,000 MW from battery arrays—equivalent to the output of 12 large nuclear plants. The batteries covered more than 40% of the state’s peak‑hour demand, marking a rapid shift toward storage‑based capacity. Experts warn...
As PJM Reopens Interconnection Queue, Experts Warn Damage to Maryland’s Clean Energy Plans Is Already Done
PJM Interconnection reopened its generation queue after a four‑year shutdown, attracting 811 new projects that represent 220 GW of capacity. Natural‑gas proposals dominate with 105.8 GW, while storage leads in project count and solar and wind together account for less than 20 GW....
What the US Could Learn About Mining on Indigenous Peoples’ Ancestral Lands
The United States still relies on a 19th‑century mining law that does not require federal consultation with Native American tribes before projects advance on ancestral lands, leaving many communities with little influence over the lithium boom. In contrast, New Zealand, Norway...
How We Tracked the Lithium Rush
Journalists from Columbia Journalism Investigations and Inside Climate News compiled a global database of roughly 1,200 lithium mining projects, drawing on S&P Global, government filings and proprietary sources. They linked each U.S. project to the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index and...
Mining the Metal of the Future
The United States currently operates only one lithium mine, yet six new projects are slated for completion by 2030 with another 13 in the pipeline, mainly across the dry Southwest. A new database from Columbia Journalism Investigations and Inside Climate...
California Drivers Are Paying a More Than $6-a-Gallon Price for the War in Iran
California drivers are facing gasoline prices above $6 a gallon as the U.S. war in Iran pushes crude costs higher. A Chevron station in Los Angeles posted $6.49 cash and $6.59 credit prices, while another location reached $8.71 per gallon....
How Oil Fuels Conflict and War—And Who Profits
An interview with peace scholar Michael Klare underscores how oil remains a central driver of wars, citing the U.S.-Israel conflict over Iran and the strategic choke point of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly 20% of world oil and...
With Fertilizer Pollution on the Rise, Iowa Will Invest $100 Million in Water Treatment
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds unveiled a $100 million, ten‑year water‑treatment plan aimed at curbing nitrate pollution that has pushed several public supplies above the EPA’s 10 mg/L limit. The package includes a one‑time $25 million boost for the Central Iowa nitrate‑removal facility serving...
Trump Pushes ‘Peace Pipelines’ to Boost Exports of Climate-Busting LNG to Europe
The Trump administration announced a series of “Peace Pipelines” agreements at the Three Seas Initiative summit, aiming to accelerate U.S. LNG exports to Central and Eastern Europe as a substitute for Russian gas. The Department of Energy says U.S. natural‑gas...
Wyoming’s Largest Utility Joins a New Western Day Ahead Market for Electricity
Wyoming’s largest utility, Rocky Mountain Power— a PacifiCorp subsidiary—began trading in the new Extended Day Ahead Market on the Western grid, which runs on CAISO’s platform. The market expands access to a broader pool of buyers and sellers, allowing the...
Florida Opens Criminal Probe Into Sloth World After Dozens of Animal Deaths
The Florida Attorney General’s office has launched a criminal investigation into Sloth World, an Orlando attraction that saw more than 31 sloths die while the facility was under construction. Inside Climate News reports that the animals, imported from Peru and...
Western Lawmakers Move To Weaken Clean Air Act and Shield Fossil Fuel Companies From Climate Lawsuits
Republican lawmakers from Texas and Wyoming introduced two bills that would shield fossil‑fuel companies from liability for climate‑related damages and ease state enforcement of the Clean Air Act. The Senate proposal, dubbed the “Stop Climate Shakedowns Act,” seeks sweeping legal...
Tribe and Environmentalists to Sue Feds Over Arizona Mine’s Impacts to Threatened Owls
The San Carlos Apache Tribe, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Lower San Pedro Watershed Alliance have filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, alleging that the approved Copper Creek exploration project violates...
California Will Soon Have More Than 300 Data Centers. Where Will They Get Their Water?
A $10 billion, 330‑megawatt data center is slated for Imperial County, California, with construction targeted for 2028. The 950,000‑square‑foot facility would consume roughly 750,000 gallons of water each day, sparking local opposition over potential rate hikes and water scarcity. While the...
NOAA Defends Cuts to Research and Climate Monitoring at Budget Hearing
During a House Science subcommittee hearing, a Republican lawmaker joined Democrats in opposing the Trump administration’s FY2027 budget request that would cut NOAA’s research and climate monitoring by 26%, eliminating 35 projects and over $1 billion in funding. The proposal would...
Nearly One-Fifth of Americans Are Consuming Water With High Levels of Nitrates
A new Environmental Working Group review reveals that roughly 18% of Americans—about 62 million people—are drinking water with nitrate concentrations above the EPA’s safety limit. The analysis identified 6,114 public water systems, from rural farms to major cities like Los Angeles and...
Sewage Is Threatening Coral Reefs Around the World, Even in Marine Protected Areas
A joint Wildlife Conservation Society‑University of Queensland study found that over 70% of the world’s marine protected areas (MPAs) are polluted by untreated or poorly treated sewage, with the Coral Triangle’s protected sites exceeding 90% contamination—up to ten times higher...
The Next El Niño Could Lock Earth Into a Hotter Climate
Scientists warn that a strong El Niño within the next 12‑18 months could push global average temperatures to about 1.7 °C above pre‑industrial levels, surpassing the 1.5 °C threshold set by the Paris Agreement. The phenomenon, termed a “super El Niño,” is defined by sea‑surface‑temperature...
How to Think About the Extractive Problem of Lithium Mining
Electric vehicle sales are surging, with more than one‑in‑five new cars projected to be electric by 2025, driving a massive demand for lithium. Thea Riofrancos’s field research in Chile’s Atacama Desert—home to roughly 20% of the world’s lithium—reveals severe ecological...
Fossil-Fuel Funded GOP Leaders Claim a Renowned Scientific Institution Has ‘Potential Conflicts of Interest’
Republican leaders of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, who have collectively received about $550,000 in oil‑and‑gas donations, have sent letters to the National Academy of Sciences demanding donor records and alleging conflicts of interest in a fast‑tracked climate‑harm...
An Oilfield Leak Springs Under a Permian Basin Baptist Church
A gurgling plume of salty produced water erupted in the parking lot of the First Baptist Church in Grandfalls, Texas, after pressure from underground oilfield wastewater forced its way through an old, plugged well. State inspectors from the Railroad Commission...
Ohio Is Where Wind and Solar Projects Go to Die, and Other Findings From New Research on State Permitting
A new study of state‑level permitting across 19 states finds Ohio to be the toughest market for wind and solar developers, with seven project rejections and five withdrawals—the highest counts in the sample. The shift began after Ohio’s 2021 Senate...
Cuts to Renewable Energy Research in Energy Department’s Budget Irk Senate Democrats
The Energy Department’s FY 2027 budget proposal slashes renewable‑energy research by 16.5% to $12.5 billion while earmarking $3.5 billion for a new Baseload Power program that upgrades retiring coal plants. It also creates a $1.2 billion AI and Quantum initiative and eliminates more than...
As Climate Disasters Create an Insurance Crisis, a California Bill Seeks to Make Fossil Fuel Companies Pay
California Senate Bill 982, the Affordable Insurance and Recovery Act, would empower the state attorney general to sue fossil‑fuel companies for climate‑related damages and channel any settlements into a new fund. The fund is intended to shore up the state’s...
Major Livestock and Animal Agriculture Companies Are Making Climate Promises They Aren’t Keeping
A new PLOS Climate study reviewed over 1,200 climate claims from the world’s largest meat and dairy firms and found 98% to be greenwashing. The research highlighted that livestock accounts for at least 16.5% of global greenhouse‑gas emissions, yet most...
Florida Electricity Shutoffs Rank Among Nation’s Highest
A new U.S. Energy Information Administration report reveals that Florida households experienced 2.1 million electricity shutoffs in 2024, placing the state among the nation’s highest rates. Nationwide, utilities disconnected customers more than 15.1 million times, with electricity accounts accounting for 13.4 million of...
This Growing Climate Threat Could Be Increasing Your Blood Pressure
New research shows that salt contamination of freshwater supplies is raising blood pressure among coastal populations. A meta‑analysis of 27 studies found an average 3.22 mmHg increase in systolic pressure and a 26 % higher risk of hypertension for those drinking saltier...
Transco Pipeline Project Faces Legal Challenge
Five environmental groups have filed a petition with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' water‑quality permit for Transco's $1.5 billion Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP). The project would add capacity to existing pipelines...
Independent Testing Where Tesla’s Lithium Refinery Discharges Wastewater Found Toxic Metals
Independent testing by Eurofins found hexavalent chromium and arsenic in wastewater from Tesla's $1 billion lithium‑refinery near Corpus Christi, contaminants not covered by the plant’s state permit. Texas regulators previously reported compliance but did not test for heavy metals, creating a...
Maryland Passes Energy Bill That Delivers Short-Term Relief, Locks Ratepayers Into Long-Term Nuclear Subsidy
Maryland lawmakers passed the Utility RELIEF Act in the session’s final minutes, offering short‑term bill relief by cutting the EmPOWER energy‑efficiency surcharge and funding $100 million in rebates from the state’s clean‑energy fund. The bill also imposes a one‑year moratorium on...
As a Plastic Waste Plant Violates Pollution Rules, Its Owner Makes the Case for a Second Location
Freepoint Eco‑Systems’ new plastic‑waste plant in Hebron, Ohio, has drawn multiple citizen complaints and four Ohio EPA violation notices for uncontrolled smoke and flare emissions since its 2024 startup. The company is simultaneously seeking permits for a much larger chemical‑recycling...
Illinois Weighs Early Warning System For Pesticide Spraying Near Parks, Schools
Illinois lawmakers are advancing House Bill 1596, which would require certified pesticide applicators to notify schools, child‑care centers and parks within 1,500 feet of a spray at least 24 hours in advance. The notice must detail the location, timing, product names and...
Pollution Persists in the Florida Everglades Despite 40-Year Restoration Effort, Report Says
A new Friends of the Everglades report finds none of the five engineered stormwater treatment areas will meet the Water Quality Based‑Effluent Limitation (WQBEL) for phosphorus when it takes effect on May 1, 2027. The $27 billion, 40‑year restoration effort has reduced...
To Battle Climate Change, a Baltimore Church Turns to Nature
Faith Presbyterian Church in Northeast Baltimore transformed a 200‑square‑foot rain garden and part of its parking lot into a mini‑forest, using native plants to slow and filter stormwater. The project, begun in 2010 with help from the Herring Run Watershed...
Great White Sharks Are Overheating
A new Science report warns that great white sharks and other mesothermic fish risk fatal overheating as ocean temperatures rise. These warm‑bodied predators expend roughly four times more energy than cold‑blooded species, and warming waters force them to seek cooler...
Rising Gas Prices Make the Market Ripe for Electric Vehicles, but US Automakers Can’t Seize the Moment
U.S. gasoline prices surged past $4 per gallon, reviving short‑term concerns about fuel costs. Despite the spike, electric‑vehicle sales fell 27% in Q1 2026, with market share slipping to 5.8%. The decline follows the elimination of federal EV tax credits...
Climate Activists Stage Mock Funeral for Landmark Climate Rule
Climate activists staged a mock funeral outside EPA Region 9 in San Francisco to mourn the February 12 rescission of the agency’s 2009 endangerment finding, which had enabled greenhouse‑gas regulation under the Clean Air Act. The repeal, set to take effect...
Iowa Moves to Shield Farmers, Ethanol Plants, From Lawsuits Over Emissions
Iowa lawmakers have passed a bill that shields farmers, ranchers and ethanol plants from most climate‑related lawsuits, pending Governor Kim Reynolds’ signature. The legislation broadly defines “agricultural sources,” encompassing everything from cropland to ethanol facilities, and limits liability to cases...
Dam Useless: Barriers Prevent a Migratory Fish From Reproducing
The Bronx River’s historic spawning route for alewife and blueback herring is now fragmented by three obsolete dams and a low‑lying weir. A state grant enables the NYC Parks Department to design removal of the Starlight Park weir, while the Army...
California’s Climate Leaders Talk Clean Energy Growing Pains and the War on Iran
California’s Climate Policy Summit highlighted Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent veto of AB 740, a flagship virtual power plant bill, sparking boos from climate advocates. Lawmakers also passed SB 237, which streamlines permits for new oil and gas drilling in Kern County, raising...
Global Finance and Energy Leaders Warn of Potentially Dire Impacts From Iran War
The International Monetary Fund and International Energy Agency warned Tuesday that the ongoing Iran war could push the global economy into recession and spur higher inflation. The conflict has cut oil output by roughly 10 million barrels per day, triggering the...
‘Heat Batteries’ Leave Some City Blocks Scorched
Cities across the United States are feeling the sting of urban heat islands, where concrete and steel act like “heat batteries” that trap and radiate warmth. Recent citizen‑led sensor studies in Houston confirmed hotter micro‑climates in densely built, tree‑poor neighborhoods,...
Norway Reopens Annual Whale Hunt Despite Pressure to End Commercial Whaling
Norway reopened its annual minke whale hunting season, authorizing a quota of 1,641 whales—235 more than the previous year. Despite the quota, domestic demand remains low, with only about 1% of Norwegians regularly consuming whale meat, and roughly a third...
Trump’s Tax Refunds Do Little to Stem the Affordability Crisis, Michigan Democrats Say
Michigan Democrats highlighted a resident's solar savings to illustrate the limits of President Trump’s promised tax refunds. Ann Siegel’s $26,000 solar system, reduced to about $16,000 after an $8,000 Inflation Reduction Act credit and utility earnings, cut her monthly bill...