ConservAmerica congratulates longtime board member Jimmy Glotfelty on his nomination and confirmation to the Public Utility Commission of Texas. As a commissioner, Glotfelty will oversee management of Texas’ electricity grid, the most competitive power market in the country. Because of his new role, Glotfelty has resigned from the ConservAmerica board.

“Jimmy has been an invaluable asset to ConservAmerica,” said Jeff Kupfer, ConservAmerica President. “I’ve known and worked with Jimmy for more than a decade, and he is one of those few people who are able to combine policy expertise with real world business experience. While we will miss his insights and thoughtful guidance, we know he will be a valuable asset to Texas’ PUC as it considers regulatory reforms to improve the system’s resiliency.”

Watch! A national Clean Energy Standard (CES) is one option policymakers are considering to accelerate the decarbonization of the power sector to meet U.S. climate goals. A CES would increase the proportion of clean energy used to generate electricity by rewarding utilities that meet federal targets and penalizing those that fall short. Who would be the winners and losers under a national standard? How would fossil fuel producing states fare compared to states that have already moved to renewable sources like wind and solar? How would a federal standard work with the dozens of states that have already adopted renewable energy requirements? And how might a CES affect the electrification of other economic sectors, like transportation? ConservAmerica explored these questions and more in a webinar on August 17th.

ConservAmerica applauds the U.S. Senate’s passage of the infrastructure bill, a bipartisan package that will help grow the economy and enhance competitiveness by making the most substantial investments in the country’s roads, bridges, waterways, power infrastructure, and drinking water systems in decades.

“The health of our economy and our natural environment go hand-in-hand. This legislation will help modernize our nation’s infrastructure – making investments that will pay dividends for decades to come,” said Jeff Kupfer, the president of ConservAmerica. “Importantly, the legislation includes provisions that will help modernize our nation’s power grid, enhance our ability to withstand extreme weather events, and clean up legacy pollution sites.”

Earlier this year ConservAmerica penned a letter to the U.S. Forest Service regarding the issuance of the Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad executive order. We expressed the importance of respecting private property rights and collaborative engagement with ranchers, farmers, foresters, industry, and other private landowners, which we believe is critical for the overall success of the administration's ambitious climate efforts. We appreciate the Forest Service's response and look forward to collaborating as we move forward on conservation efforts to make sure they are done in coordination with private landowners.

From hiking in Montana’s Glacier National Park to strolling in DC’s Rock Creek Park to sharing a weekend of fishing or bird watching with friends or hunting with family, all of these outings highlight Americans' fondness for being outdoors.  

Many of us consider outdoor recreating to be time-honored traditions, presuming that we will always be able to explore the natural beauty of our lands and parks and enjoy the best of nature. Sadly, that may not always be the case. Researchers have warned that one in three plant and animal species could be gone by 2070 without additional conservation efforts. Habitat loss, invasive species, disease and severe weather events have taken their toll on many birds, fish, amphibians, butterflies and bees. In many locations wildlife are declining.