The data center boom is slowing down the shift away from dirty fossil energy. Next week we’re releasing new analysis that documents the slowdown in retirement of some of America’s dirtiest power plants and the possible implications for our air.

Solar permitting scorecard A majority of states have done little to adopt common-sense practices that reduce the costs and delays that permitting and inspection requirements impose on families wishing to install solar panels an...

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Our new scorecard with @EnvAm finds that CA, TX and NJ have done more than other states to cut red tape in solar permitting by allowing solar installers to use software that checks permit applications for compliance with building codes and safety standards

"Machine environmentalism" is failing. What comes next? Machine environmentalism is showing itself to be self-limiting, creating the very headwinds it attempts to push through with more top-down technorationalism.

Modern environmentalism, author Paul Kingsnorth writes, has come to exclude “the things that cannot be measured … Love. God. Place. Culture,” in favor of a technocratic worldview. Is he right? And what does it matter? @FrontierTony explores. frontiergroup.org/articles/mac...

"Machine environmentalism" is failing. What comes next? Machine environmentalism is showing itself to be self-limiting, creating the very headwinds it attempts to push through with more top-down technorationalism.

The Inflation Reduction Act was America’s most ambitious climate policy. Four years after passage, however, most of the IRA is gone and the coalition that won it is in tatters. What comes next? @FrontierTony looks for a way forward. frontiergroup.org/articles/mac...

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New Jersey and Colorado are ranked 3rd and 4th in the nation for their efforts to streamline permitting and inspection for rooftop solar panels and home batteries. See our full scorecard with Environment America. Link in replies

Battery innovation alone isn’t solving our critical minerals challenges It is more important than ever to find ways to moderate the growth of critical minerals demand while keeping the energy transition on track.

Under net zero, EV and grid batteries alone could use over five million metric tons of battery-grade manganese by 2050, more than 50 times the amount used across all sectors in 2024. Read more about rising critical minerals demand and the energy transition frontiergroup.org/articles/bat...

Solar permitting scorecard A majority of states have done little to adopt common-sense practices that reduce the costs and delays that permitting and inspection requirements impose on families wishing to install solar panels an...

frontiergroup.org/resources/so...

California and Texas have done more than other states to reduce costs and delays for families who want to add solar and batteries to their homes. Both states earned a “B” in our new scorecard with Environment America. Link in replies

Solar permitting scorecard A majority of states have done little to adopt common-sense practices that reduce the costs and delays that permitting and inspection requirements impose on families wishing to install solar panels an...

Ooh, good stuff here from @permitpower.bsky.social: a scorecard that ranks all 50 states on how easy it is to install solar, how smooth they've made permitting & interconnection, etc.

Solar permitting scorecard A majority of states have done little to adopt common-sense practices that reduce the costs and delays that permitting and inspection requirements impose on families wishing to install solar panels an...

frontiergroup.org/resources/so...

Solar permitting scorecard A majority of states have done little to adopt common-sense practices that reduce the costs and delays that permitting and inspection requirements impose on families wishing to install solar panels an...

Energy supplies are increasingly strained. Many Americans want to help by adding solar panels to their roofs, but red tape for permitting often makes that difficult. Our new scorecard with Environment America grades states on their efforts to cut red tape. Link in replies

Solar permitting scorecard A majority of states have done little to adopt common-sense practices that reduce the costs and delays that permitting and inspection requirements impose on families wishing to install solar panels an...

Our new scorecard with @EnvAm grades all 50 states on how easy or hard their policies make the permitting and inspection process for families who want to install solar panels and batteries on their homes. frontiergroup.org/resources/so...

Data centers could consume a quarter of the water in the D.C. metro area within ten years, not including the water consumed off-site by power plants generating electricity for data centers. @quentingood.bsky.social’s new article has more. frontiergroup.org/articles/doe...

Data centers tend to use the most water for cooling during hot summer months when drought is more likely. In the Washington D.C. area, data centers’ peak water consumption is projected to skyrocket – potentially straining water resources. frontiergroup.org/articles/doe...

Does Virginia have enough water to quench thirsty data centers? Data center water use in Northern Virginia isn’t a crisis yet, but it is a growing concern – and potentially a big problem during times of water stress.

The Potomac River Basin currently supplies enough water to meet rising demand from data centers in northern VA. But, with data centers potentially consuming as much as 25% of the water in the D.C. metro area within a decade, that may not always be true. frontiergroup.org/articles/doe...

Does Virginia have enough water to quench thirsty data centers? Data center water use in Northern Virginia isn’t a crisis yet, but it is a growing concern – and potentially a big problem during times of water stress.

Data center water use in “Data Center Alley” in Virginia isn’t a catastrophe. But it could create challenges managing water resources in the future, especially in the summer, when water flows are lowest and data center water use peaks. frontiergroup.org/articles/doe...

Does Virginia have enough water to quench thirsty data centers? Data center water use in Northern Virginia isn’t a crisis yet, but it is a growing concern – and potentially a big problem during times of water stress.

In data center hotspots around the country, concerns around water use are on the rise. A recent report finds that the data center capital of the world – northern Virginia – is not immune. frontiergroup.org/articles/doe...

How to avoid ultra-processed foods New dietary guidelines target the highly processed foods that make up more than half of the American diet. Here's what they mean for you.

In her new article, Nilou Yaar looks at an important shift in the government’s dietary advice to Americans. For the first time, the guidelines recommend limiting highly processed foods. What counts as ultra-processed and why does it matter? frontiergroup.org/resources/ho...

Massachusetts is taking steps to reduce food waste, but there’s more to be done Massachusetts is strengthening its food waste policies - but eliminating food waste completely will require more than an expanded ban alone.

A decade after Massachusetts restricted businesses from disposing of organic waste in landfills, the state now diverts roughly 350,000 tons annually. Now, the state is preparing to take the next step. frontiergroup.org/articles/mas...

Why residents in one small town are fighting data centers I witnessed Appling, Georgia’s fight against three data center developments – one of many similar battles taking place in communities across the country.

What do residents do when a data center development threatens the forests and fields they’ve lived near for decades? One small town in Georgia provides an answer to that question. Our news article shares more. frontiergroup.org/articles/why...

Highway Boondoggles Year after year, state and local governments propose billions of dollars’ worth of new and expanded highways that often do little to reduce congestion or address real transportation challenges, while ...

Since 2014, we've identified 73 wasteful highway expansion projects costing $173 billion. For more, see our "Highway Boondoggles" dashboard: frontiergroup.org/resources/hi...

Our 2022 Highway Boondoggles report named NJ Turnpike widening in northern NJ as one of the nation's most wasteful highway projects. Yesterday, state officials scaled back the project, saving billions. www.nj.com/news/2026/03...

Saving energy, money and lives: How energy efficiency has improved America’s homes America’s homes have changed a great deal over the last few decades. But one change we don’t think about often is actually one of the most important: the efficiency with which our appliances, furnaces...

U.S. homes are using a lot less energy than they were a few decades ago. It’s no accident, it’s because of smart public policy. Our new visualization explores how energy efficiency measures have generated cleaner air, better health and financial savings. frontiergroup.org/resources/ho...

Saving energy, money and lives: How energy efficiency has changed America's homes Discover how energy efficiency saves energy, money and lives today.

U.S. homes are using less energy than they were a few decades ago. That’s no accident. Smart public policy has helped Americans save energy for decades. Join a webinar celebrating the benefits of energy efficiency.
📅 February 27
🕚 3:00-4:00 PM ET
💻 Zoom
environmentamerica.org/center/event...

Apples Not Twinkies Federal farm subsidies help to shape what food is produced and, ultimately, what Americans eat. Current subsidy structures tilt toward crops used in ultra-processed food ingredients, while fruits and ...

Farm subsidies for fruits and vegetables from 2022-2024 could’ve bought 1.8 billion apples. Subsidies for fats and sugars could’ve bought 4.5 billion Twinkies. Our report, Apples Not Twinkies, looks at how farm subsidies shape what winds up on our plates. frontiergroup.org/resources/ap...

Overbudget by design: Supersizing highways puts public dollars at risk State DOTs regularly choose “supersized” highway expansion projects when smaller, simpler projects could achieve the lion’s share of the benefits. Why?

Since 2014, we’ve tracked wasteful highway expansion projects around the country. But why do these projects keep getting proposed - and how do we change course? @frontiertony.bsky.social recently shared some ideas with a committee of the Oregon Legislature. frontiergroup.org/articles/ove...

Why residents in one small town are fighting data centers I witnessed Appling, Georgia’s fight against three data center developments – one of many similar battles taking place in communities across the country.

Data centers are cropping up across the country – posing challenges to communities in the bullseye of development. @KylieHanson11 found herself in the center of the debate in one small Georgia town. Read about it in our new short piece. frontiergroup.org/articles/why...

Apples Not Twinkies Federal farm subsidies help to shape what food is produced and, ultimately, what Americans eat. Current subsidy structures tilt toward crops used in ultra-processed food ingredients, while fruits and ...

Health experts warn of the dangers of ultra-processed foods. So, why do the bulk of federal crop insurance subsidies flow to crops that provide their ingredients?
Our new report with U.S. PIRG Education Fund, Apples Not Twinkies shows the imbalance. frontiergroup.org/resources/ap...