Press Releases

Today, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada approved NV Energy’s 2019-2038 Triennial Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), and the decision was recognized as a significant step for the state’s future by four clean energy groups—the Sierra Club, the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, Western Resource Advocates, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The IRP approved by the Commission, also referred to as NV Energy’s Low Carbon Case, will add 1,001 MW of new solar photovoltaic projects and 100 MW of battery storage, allowing the utility to more than double its total renewable generation from 14 percent in 2017 to 32 percent by 2023. The approved plan also provides NV Energy with the authority to retire the aging North Valmy Unit 1 coal unit at the end of 2021 – four years ahead of schedule.

Trenton, New Jersey -- Governor Murphy announced his plan to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative today, a multi-state program establishing limits on carbon pollution from the region’s power plants. The announcement comes after his January 2018 Executive Order directing the administration to re-enter the program. New Jersey is proposing to enter the regional program starting at 18 million tons/CO2 per year. Current states included in RGGI are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Virginia and New Jersey both now plan to participate.

Today the Sierra Club and environmental allies argued in U.S. District Court that the Trump Administration violated the National Environmental Policy Act when it unilaterally halted a comprehensive review of federal coal leasing on public lands.

Former coal lobbyist and acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced plans today to roll back carbon pollution standards for new coal-fired power plants, a move many onlookers view as another bid to help his former employers in the coal industry.

The U.S. Senate confirmed coal bailout architect and fossil fuel proponent Bernard McNamee to the technology-neutral Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today, despite strong opposition from public health groups, environmental organizations, and elected leaders.

This afternoon, Xcel Energy announced its commitment to reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050. This is the first major interstate utility in the U.S. to commit to eliminating carbon emissions.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced today that American coal consumption in 2018 is expected to be at its lowest level in the past 39 years.

Today, the Iowa Utilities Board announced its approval of MidAmerican’s Wind XII project. While applauding the significant advancement of clean energy, Sierra Club will continue to push MidAmerican to provide a true "100% clean energy" plan, one that phases out the Company's continued heavy reliance on coal generation.

A new report written by Environmental Integrity Project, Earthjustice, Prairie Rivers Network and Sierra Club, revealed widespread pollution of the groundwater surrounding 90 percent of reporting Illinois coal ash dumpsites.

Pittsburgh, PA -- The Pennsylvania Department of the Environmental Protection (DEP) hosted a public hearing yesterday on its drafted update to the water pollution permit for the Bruce Mansfield coal-fired power plant. The plant owned by FirstEnergy, is a 2,700 megawatt plant located on the Ohio River in Beaver County. It is currently the largest coal plant in the state, and one of the largest remaining plants in the country.