Quarterly Impact Report - March 2024

The following report highlights NCEL’s impact between December – March 2024. The report is broken down into five sections – events, policy movement, resources, joint actions, and NCEL in the news.

The start of 2024 was focused on preparing and assisting legislators during the short legislative sessions. This included NCEL’s Annual Legislator Briefing, resource creation, and state visits to assist legislators on the ground. NCEL also released its 2023 Annual Report highlighting the growth and successes from last year.

Events

• NCEL Annual Legislator Briefing: On December 5, NCEL hosted its 2024 Annual Legislator Briefing with over 80 state legislators from 32 states. During the briefing, attendees heard from NCEL Presiden Senator Chris Lee and NCEL staff about program offerings throughout the year. NCEL also released its 2024 Legislator Briefing Book containing information about policy areas and legislation examples. 
• Summit on Ocean Biodiversity: In late January, NCEL Executive Director Dylan McDowell attended the Summit on Ocean Biodiversity, organized by NOAA and the Smithsonian, where he was featured on a panel to discuss state policy solutions for building sustainable relationships with nature.
• State Visits: NCEL staff traveled to nine state capitols and met with more than 90 state legislators during the first three months of the year. 

Policy Movement

• Bill Tracking: NCEL is tracking over 1,800 bills in 45 states. 
• Session Preview: NCEL released a Session Preview in early January with some of the primary environmental issues we expected to see trending during legislative sessions.
• Policy Updates: Since January, NCEL has published policy updates covering chlorpyrifos, grid-enhancing technologies, utility accountability, New Mexico’s Land and Water Funding bill, pollinator protections, endangered species, offshore wind, and geothermal energy. 
• Spotlight on Grid-Enhancing Technologies: This topic emerged at NCEL’s 2023 National Forum. So far this year, nine states have introduced legislation with bills progressing in Utah and Virginia. NCEL published an issue digest and policy update on the topic and gained media coverage on the issue in E&E and Stateline.

Resources

• Outdoor Opportunity Legislative Toolkit: This resource provides state legislators, agency staff, and partners with a framework and resources for establishing state-level outdoor opportunity funds and grant programs.
• Pesticides Briefing Book: This briefing book provides an overview of pesticides and pesticide policy, including key points, frequently asked questions, and components of effective pesticide reform. 
• New Fact Sheets: Agrivoltaics, Hydrogen Hubs, and Geothermal
• New Policy Options: Outdoor Wellness and Mental Health

Joint Actions

• PJM Accountability Legislation: Legislators from five states are joining together to introduce legislation to increase the transparency of electric utilities’ involvement in PJM, the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) that manages the grid. PJM spans 13 states and DC from the Midwest to the East Coast. States proposing legislation include Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. 
• State Legislators Praise Administration’s Decision Around Clean Hydrogen Tax Credit: In December, legislators praised the Administration’s new 45V clean hydrogen tax credit guidance. This came after more than 130 state legislators from 36 states and territories submitted a letter in June urging the Treasury Department, the Department of Energy, and the White House to require all eligible projects to comply with three criteria for clean electrolytic hydrogen: additionality, deliverability, and hourly matching.

NCEL in the News

• Canary Media: ‘Green’ hydrogen debate heats up ahead of tax-credit decision
• Stateline: The future of ‘cap-and-trade’ carbon markets could hinge on Washington state
• News from the States: Hydrogen tax rules draw fire from industry
• WasteDive: EPR, bottle bills and right-to-repair legislation make a return in 2024 with nuanced new details
• E&E: Lawmakers in 5 states seek to force utilities to reveal their PJM votes
• News from the States: State lawmakers want to peel back the curtain at the nation’s biggest electrical grid operator
• RTO Insider: 5 PJM States Considering Bills to Require Utilities to File Stakeholder Votes
• Stateline: Allowing more juice to flow through power lines could hasten clean energy projects