LATEST INSIGHTS

Palm trees blowing in the wind and rain as a hurricane approaches a tropical island
Climate Change
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Study Shows How Climate Change Fueled Hurricane Melissa

When Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica last week it was one of the strongest recorded hurricanes in the Atlantic at 185 miles per hour. For perspective, Hurricane Gilbert in 1980 tops the record at 190 miles per hour.

A recent study conducted by the Imperial College in London England, using an Imperial College Storm Model called IRIS, found that climate warming increased Hurricane Melissa’s speed by 7 percent and that “it is unlikely that Melissa would have happened without climate change.”

IRIS is a model that …

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Container ships at dock
Emissions
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Shipping’s Climate Future on Hold: IMO Vote Delayed to 2026

Member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) voted on Oct. 17 to delay the adoption of a comprehensive plan to decarbonize the global shipping industry. The decision came in response to threats of sanctions from the United States, which warned of tariffs, visa restrictions, and port levies against countries supporting the measure.

The IMO has been laying the foundation for climate action in shipping for years. In 2023, it adopted a revised Greenhouse Gas Strategy, setting a goal to reduce net emissions from international …

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US state flag of New York
Climate Change / New York
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New York to Invest $26 Million to Address Climate Change and Protect Water Quality

Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced two grant opportunities totaling $26 million for projects aimed at addressing the impact of climate change and protecting water quality across New York State.

Twenty-four million of these funds will be made available through the Climate Resilient Farming Grant Program (CRF), and the remaining $2 million will be provided through the state’s Ecosystem Based Management Program’s Stream Corridor Management Pilot Program.

Climate Resilient Farming Grant Program

The CRF Program is funded through New York’s Environmental Protection Fund and is also …

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wildfire
EPA / Wildfires
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Fighting Fire with Fire: EPA Issues Guidance Promoting Prescribed Fires to Help Prevent Catastrophic Wildfires

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency issued its “Policy on Provisions to Allow Wildland Prescribed Fire in Clean Air Act State Implementation Plans” in accordance with  Section 4 (Strengthening Wildfire Mitigation) of Executive Order 14308, ‘Empowering Commonsense Wildfire and Response.’

This policy guidance comes in the wake of the EPA completing its largest-ever wildfire hazardous material removal effort in response to the January 2025 Los Angeles County fires.  In particular, EPA’s policy guidance directs its 10 regional offices to work with local, state, …

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Electricity pylon against pastel sky
Crypto / Emerging Issues
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As Temperatures Drop, Can States Stop Soaring Electricity Costs by Regulating Crypto Mining?

While the Trump administration has spent 2025 slamming the brakes on U.S. expansion of  renewable energy by defunding solar and wind projects, Americans have seen their electricity costs skyrocket by more than an average of 30 percent, a trend not expected to abate any time soon.

The rapid expansion of cryptocurrency mining facilities and artificial intelligence data centers throughout the United States – requiring extraordinarily high levels of energy use, taxing electrical grids and resulting in higher electrical bills for surrounding communities throughout the …

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sunset over Solar Farm
Clean Power / EPA
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EPA Facing Lawsuits Over Cuts to Solar Energy Funding after Termination of ‘Solar for All’

The Environmental Protection Agency faces a second lawsuit over the cancellation of solar energy grants promised under the now-terminated Biden-era “Solar for All” program with an Oct. 13 suit filed by Harris County, Texas. Both lawsuits filed against the agency accuse the EPA of illegally revoking money promised under the Solar for All program without congressional approval.

Solar for All was established in 2022 with the Inflation Reduction Act, which granted $7 billion in federal funding to help lower-income families access solar panels and battery …

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EPA Offices, Washington DC
EPA
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Federal Shutdown and Environmental Slowdown: Assessing the EPA’s Shutdown Strategy

In advance of the government shutdown, the EPA released its contingency plan on September 29, outlining its procedures during the funding lapse.

Key provisions include:

  • Approximately 89 percent of EPA’s employees will be furloughed.
  • Research and publication activities will be put on pause unless necessary for exempted or excepted activities.
  • Certain Superfund activities will cease where there is no imminent threat to health and property.
  • There will be no issuance of permits, guidance, regulations, and policies unless necessary for exempted or excepted activities.
  • Approvals of
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Flag of California
California / Emissions
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California’s Corporate Climate Disclosure Laws Survive Renewed Preliminary Injunction Attempt

On August 13, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California denied the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to halt enforcement of SB 253 and SB 261, requiring disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks, respectively.

SB 253 requires business entities — formed under the laws of California, the laws of any other state of the United States or the District of Columbia, or under an act of Congress — with total annual revenues in excess …

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Nuclear plants
Nuclear Power Plants / Regulations
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License to Store: Supreme Court Addresses Judicial Review and Nuclear Policy

On June 18, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6–3 decision in Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, 605 U.S. ___ (2025), authored by Justice Kavanaugh with Justices Gorsuch, Thomas, and Alito dissenting.

The case concerned the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) approval of a 40-year license for Interim Storage Partners (ISP) to store spent nuclear fuel at a private facility in Andrews County, Texas. Texas and Fasken Land and Minerals Ltd. challenged the license, arguing it violated the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) and the …

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Server room at data center
EPA
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EPA Prioritizes Review of New Chemicals Used in Data Center Projects

The Environmental Protection Agency announced last week a new initiative in which the agency will prioritize the review of new chemicals under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) intended for use in data center projects pursuant to Executive Order 14318, ‘Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure.’

Under TSCA, manufacturers and processors are required to submit pre-manufacture notices for new chemicals. They are also required to submit a significant new use notice if they plan to use existing chemicals for new uses.

In particular, Section …

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