Electric Utilities and Regulation
Who Decides What Data Centers Pay for Electricity?
At an investor-owned utility, the company proposes what a large customer such as a data center should pay for electricity, and the state utility commission decides…
Climate Energy and Environment
Climate, energy, and environment covers the natural world and the public choices that affect it: the air and water people rely on, the land and wildlife around them, the weather and climate that shape daily life, and the power that runs the economy. Congress, federal agencies, states, tribes, courts, and local governments all share responsibility, and scientists supply much of the evidence they act on.
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October 9last updated
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The Webby-recognized AI behind our articles »
Latest in Climate Energy and Environment
Fossil Fuels
Diesel Export Bans: How They Affect U.S. Fuel Prices
A government ban on diesel exports would stop fuel from being sold overseas, with the aim of making it cheaper at home. Diesel that would have…
Public Lands
The Fight Over America’s Public Lands
Explains who controls America's public lands, how four federal agencies split the job, and why grazing rules and monument fights keep shifting.
Environmental Impact Review (NEPA)
The Environmental Reviews Required Before Building a Massive Data Center
Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are preparing to spend nearly $700 billion on artificial intelligence data centers in 2026. Most of that money won't build anything for…
Topics in Climate Energy and Environment
Climate and hazards
Climate Change covers the science and causes, Climate Adaptation and Resilience covers preparing for its effects, Climate Justice covers who bears the burdens, and Climate Policy covers government responses. Natural Disasters and Hazards covers the extreme events that follow.
Climate Change
7 articles
- How Government Data Shows Climate Change Is Accelerating
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Energy
Energy Policy covers the laws and decisions that shape energy supply and use, and Energy Production covers how power and fuel are made.
Pollution and health
Air Quality and Water Resources and Quality cover the air and water people depend on. Environmental Health and Justice covers how pollution affects people, Environmental Protection covers the laws that guard against it, and Hazardous Materials and Waste covers dangerous substances.
Water Resources and Quality
2 articles
- U.S. Water Quality and Safety
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Land and nature
Biodiversity and Wildlife covers plants and animals, Land and Soil covers the ground itself, and Public Lands covers land held for the public. Sustainability covers meeting present needs without harming future ones.
All Articles on Climate Energy and Environment
How EPA Decides a Chemical Is Safe—And Why Courts Sometimes Disagree
In 2018, a jury awarded Dewayne Johnson, a former groundskeeper with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (a type of blood cancer), $289 million—later reduced to $20.4 million.…
How NOAA and NASA Coordinate Climate Monitoring—And What They Tell Policymakers
Several climate records broke at once in 2025: warmest ocean heat content on record, record high sea levels, and lowest winter Arctic ice extent…
The EPA Process for Updating Emissions Rules When Warming Accelerates
The year 2025 ranked among the warmest on record for surface temperatures—NASA reported it tied for second-warmest with 2023, while NOAA and most other…
The Process for Withdrawing from International Treaties, Step by Step
On January 7, 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to cease participation in and funding of 66 international organizations…
U.S. Withdrawal From Climate Treaties and Its Effect on Global Funding
The United States has withdrawn from the 1992 climate treaty that started international climate cooperation. American negotiators have also exited the scientific bodies that…
Why the Paris Agreement Was Designed to Let Countries Exit Easily
The U.S. had already pulled out of the Paris Agreement once, then rejoined. Now it's withdrawing from the larger treaty that created the entire…
Why Gas Prices Could Hit Their Lowest Point Since the Pandemic in 2026
Gas prices are projected to average below three dollars per gallon in 2026—the first time in six years. Multiple forecasts released this month project…
What’s Driving Higher Utility Bills Across the US
American households are paying more for electricity, natural gas, and water than ever before. As of November 2025, utility bills have become a major…
Wind Energy Claims: What the Science Actually Says
The U.S. is in the middle of a major energy transition. Wind turbines now dot the landscape from the Great Plains to the Atlantic…
How Offshore Oil Drilling Rights Are Decided in the United States
Decisions about offshore oil and gas drilling—whether to sell new leases, hold sales, or ban development—are not made by a single person or agency.…