By Arianna Skibell, Politico Power Switch

The Trump administration’s plan for unwinding U.S. climate policy may hinge on the idea that climate change is bad — just not bad enough to justify the cost of curbing it.

This approach, analysts say, might allow President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency to neuter climate regulations for cars and power plants without undertaking the arduous task of discrediting the overwhelming evidence that greenhouse gases are driving up global temperatures, writes Jean Chemnick.

EPA’s decision on how exactly to unravel the federal government’s fight against global warming could be one of the most crucial pivot points of Trump’s second term — helping determine how much of the anti-climate crusade survives in court. And as Jean writes, “Hints about its strategy may have been hiding in plain sight.”

Administrator Lee Zeldin offered one clue in a recent press release describing his plan to challenge a 2009 action known as the endangerment finding, which states that carbon pollution endangers public health. The finding serves as the justification for most U.S. climate rules.

By emphasizing how much money it costs industry to curb atmospheric pollution, EPA could essentially use a little math magic to argue that the environmental benefits of climate rules are minimal. The agency may also seek to incorporate potential benefits from warmer temperatures.

Read the full story here

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By Danielle Bochove, Bloomberg

Mark Carney’s victory in Canada’s federal election on Monday means two big North American countries have elected leaders with deep green credentials: Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, an energy engineering Ph.D. and past contributor to United Nations climate science reports. 

Before he took over from former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as head of Canada’s Liberal Party, Carney spent five years as the United Nations’ Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance. He helped found GFANZ, a global initiative to mobilize capital to decarbonize the economy, which he co-chaired with Bloomberg LP founder Michael Bloomberg. (He also served as chair of Bloomberg Inc.)

Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister and leader of Canada’s Liberal Party, during an election night event at TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, early on Tuesday, April 29.  Photographer: David Kawai/Bloomberg

During a breakneck five-week campaign, neither Carney nor his closest competitor, Conservative Pierre Poilievre, spent much time on climate policy as both instead dedicated speeches to vociferously rejecting any notion that Canada would ever be the 51st state (in defiance of Trump). The candidates also condemned Trump’s tariff war.

Read the full story here

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2025 Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey

The New York Horseshoe Crab Monitoring Network will be kicking off the 2025 Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey on May 10, 2025. This survey takes place around the nighttime high tides during the full and new moons in May and June. Thirty sites are monitored throughout the marine district. During each survey night, participants help count and tag horseshoe crabs and can observe horseshoe crabs spawning on our beaches. If you are interested in participating, visit the Horseshoe Crab Monitoring Network website to find out how to get involved!

Recreational Scup (Porgy) Season Begins

Scup (Porgy)
Shore Based Anglers Minimum Size: 9.5″
Vessel Based Anglers Minimum Size: 11″
Possession Limit: 30 Fish
Open Season: May 1 – Dec. 31

Scup (Porgy) Party/Charter Boat AnglersMinimum Size Limit: 11″
Possession Limit: 30/40/30
Open Season: May 1 –  Aug 31/ Sept. 1 – Oct. 31/ Nov. 1 – Dec. 31

Scup Image Courtesy of ASMFC

Recreational Summer Flounder Season Begins

Summer Flounder
Minimum Size: 19″ / 19.5″
Possession Limit: 3 Fish
Season: May 4 – Aug. 1 / Aug. 2 – Oct. 15

Summer Flounder Image Courtesy of ASMFC

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By Frank Brill, EnviroPolitics Editor

New Jersey lawmakers from both parties are sounding the alarm over escalating energy costs, but their views on the root causes—and the best solutions—couldn’t be more different. Two recent hearings on energy affordability underscored the growing urgency of the issue, while highlighting stark partisan divides over how to address it.

In a joint legislative hearing this week, Democratic members of the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee and the Senate Select Committee grilled executives from the state’s four major utility providers—PSE&G, JCP&L, Atlantic City Electric, and Rockland Electric—over rising rates set to hit customers in June. Lawmakers demanded greater accountability, questioning whether utilities could do more to shield residents from rate hikes.

“Our constituents are having to choose between paying for electricity and paying for food or medicine,” said Assemblywoman Andrea Katz (D-Atlantic, Burlington). “We need real ideas, not vague answers.”

Assemblyman Dave Bailey (D-Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem) pressed utility leaders on whether modest reductions in their return on investment could ease financial burdens on consumers. Others questioned the influence of PJM Interconnection—the organization responsible for managing the region’s electric grid—arguing that delays in integrating clean energy projects have constrained supply and driven prices up.

Meanwhile, Republican Senators Michael Testa (R-01) and Carmen Amato, Jr. (R-09) criticized what they called the Democrats’ “Energy Disaster Plan,” accusing the majority party of pushing aggressive energy mandates without considering grid reliability or economic impact.

“Democrats gambled on an energy plan that was utopian in ideas but dystopian in results,” said Sen. Testa. “Now, with public outrage escalating and energy bills surging, they’re scrambling to shift blame.”

Sen. Amato echoed the sentiment: “They bet on alternative energy sources and lost. Instead of accountability, we get political theater and broken promises.”

Senate Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at correcting course. The “Energy Security and Affordability Act” would require the state’s Energy Master Plan to account for energy diversity, security, and affordability, and mandate detailed impact analyses before greenlighting major projects. Sen. Testa also recently introduced S4285, calling for the abolition of the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), citing its failure to protect ratepayers. Sen. Amato has called for energy sales tax windfalls to be returned to consumers.

Despite their differences, lawmakers from both sides agree that affordability must be prioritized. Assembly Democrats have advanced several bills to help, including the recently signed A4817, which creates an “Energy Bill Watch” program that lets smart meter customers track usage and set alerts to manage their energy bills more effectively.

With June rate increases looming, the pressure is mounting on Trenton to find common ground—or risk leaving New Jersey residents and businesses stuck with the bill.

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If you like this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full month