CREATION CARE CORNER May 2026

There are positive advancements in climate action.  This is a report on a legal organization that is working to reverse harmful government actions affecting climate change.

Earthjustice’s Clean Energy Program based in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and the Boston area, is using the law to accelerate the transition to 100% clean, pollution-free energy.

Ending Reliance on Coal and Other Fossil Fuels                                                                              

They are litigating before public utility commissions and the federal Energy Regulatory Commission to stop utilities from forcing consumers to bail out aging, unprofitable coal, and demonstrating the true economic, health, and environmental costs of the power sector’s continued reliance on fossil fuels. They are also trying to stop the replacement of retiring coal plants with fossil gas plants rather than clean energy.  They have helped retire more than 100 coal plants to date.

Cleaning Up Coal’s Toxic Legacy and Securing a Just Transition                                           

They are working to regulate the cleanup of the more than 1400 coal ash ponds and dumps that poison communities and their groundwater.

Strengthening Federal Standards                                                                                                            

They are working to strengthen and enforce federal air, water, and waste standards that rein in pollution from coal and other fossil fuels used in electricity generation.

Advancing Vital Reforms                                                                                                                               

They are breaking down regulatory hurdles to time-of-use programs and other clean energy program development, and securing utility investment in renewable generation, efficiency, and other clean energy resources with the goal of powering our grid with 100% clean electricity. They stopped Kansas utilities from charging more to customers who generate their own solar power, and helped 37 states, DC, and the Virgin Islands plan to curb haze-causing pollution from old coal-fired power plants. They stopped El Paso Electric from establishing a separate rate class with higher rates for rooftop solar customers. They advocated for creation of the Illinois Coal Ash Rule to create stronger cleanup regulations for coal’s dirty legacy in IL. They defended the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s order which makes energy storage easier.

Ensuring Equal Access to Clean Energy                                                                                               

They work with other groups to expand access to clean energy for low-income families, communities of color, and Tribal communities. In Puerto Rico they are pushing for a plan for a clean, affordable, and hurricane-resistant electric grid.

-Sandy McKitrick