Policy & regulation

Emissions reduction

California makes controversial change to cap-and-invest program

Air regulators say the new plan balances industry needs and environmental goals — but critics worry that the state has just undermined its own emissions targets.

By Jeff St. John . 1 June 2026
Solar

Thanks to two new laws, more Virginians can save with community solar

The legislation expands subscription-based solar farms from 250 to 875 megawatts and is the product of the state’s “new affordability politics."

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 1 June 2026
Utilities

Voters in 9 states will pick the people overseeing their power bills

Public utility commissions have a ton of influence over utility rate hikes and power plant construction, but only a handful of states let voters decide who’s on them.

By Kathryn Krawczyk . 29 May 2026
Electric vehicles

The tax credit cliff has hit EV sales hard

President Donald Trump and the GOP phased out tax credits for all forms of consumer cleantech last year — but EVs took the biggest blow.

By Dan McCarthy . 29 May 2026
Geothermal

As geothermal networks grow, so does the call for a new utility model

A bill in Massachusetts would create a framework for a geothermal utility, with the aim of heating and cooling buildings cleanly and affordably.

By Sarah Shemkus . 28 May 2026
Emissions reduction

New York state gives up on its most ambitious climate targets

Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat up for reelection in November, pushed hard to water down the state’s 2019 climate law. With a new budget vote, she’s succeeded.

By Ysabelle Kempe . 27 May 2026
Solar

This Vermont town embraced a wind farm. Solar is a different story.

Vermont aims to wean off fossil fuels faster than most of America — but large-scale solar projects are facing resistance from locals across the rural state.

By Austyn Gaffney . 21 May 2026
Emissions reduction

California cap-and-invest proposal would threaten state climate goals

Changes suggested by state regulators could put 2030 emissions goals out of reach and shift billions of dollars from state programs to polluters, critics say.

By Jeff St. John . 20 May 2026
Electrification

Bay Area looks to exempt some households from gas water-heater phaseout

The region is finalizing its first-in-the-nation rule to limit the sale of polluting gas water heaters, which will take effect next year.

By Alison F. Takemura . 20 May 2026
Fossil fuels

Trump admin defends its coal must-run orders in court

The administration told judges that it alone has the power to decide whether an energy emergency exists, a claim that a Michigan official called “unprecedented.”

By Marianne Lavelle . 19 May 2026