Just when you think we've hit a brick wall when it comes to climate, hope for a cleaner world springs up. Photo: Shutterstock
These days, it’s easy to lose heart if you care about the environment. There’s no denying that powerful actors (or countries) have stepped away from their responsibility to the planet. For example, the Trump administration has fought tooth and nail to undermine renewable energy, such as solar and wind, which are crucial to slowing the pollution overheating our planet. He’s also rolled back protections for our air and water, encouraged corporations to keep on polluting, and allowed commercial fisheries to plunder protected marine areas. Who can blame us for feeling discouraged?
But it’s not all bad news. There are some surprisingly positive developments when it comes to the environment. Here are a just a few examples of good climate news:
Renewable Energy is Eclipsing Fossil Fuels
Last year, the Trump administration may have temporarily slowed the spinning of wind turbines in the U.S., but in the rest of the world, wind and solar are booming.
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Global solar generation grew by a record 31% in the first half of 2025, while wind grew by 7.7%, according to the energy think tank Ember. Combined solar and wind generation grew by more than 400 terawatt-hours, which is like the total amount of electricity consumed in Italy. This was more than the increase in overall global demand in the same period. The implications are clear: Renewable energy can meet growing energy demand, unlike the story you’ll hear from the fossil fuel giants looking to keep us addicted to oil and gas.
Even more positive climate news is that the numbers grew stronger as the year progressed. For the entirety of 2025, solar generation increased by a record 30%, making it the fastest-growing electricity source of all time. Across the world, a record number of new solar and wind power equipment was installed, capable of producing up to 814 gigawatts of electricity at peak output.
And there are additional encouraging updates: Fossil fuel generation dropped. It was just a tiny bit – less than 1% – but it could signal a turning point. The decrease in fossil fuel generation and the increase in renewables indicate that both solar and wind are growing quickly enough to meet demand. In fact, spending on clean energy across the globe has now exceeded investment in fossil fuels. It’s worth noting that renewables hit a historic milestone in the first half of 2025, surpassing coal in the global electricity mix for the first time. During this period, renewable energy rose to 34.3%, while coal’s share fell to 33.1%. Finally, the AP reports that in 2025, renewable energies combined generated more power than coal. That’s because investors (but not fossil fuel companies) can see where the future lies.
In 2024, more than 90% of new electricity capacity worldwide came from renewable sources, including solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal.
Why It Matters for New England
In our own backyard, the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line project is delivering renewable hydropower from Quebec, Canada, to Massachusetts residents. The line will provide the state and its residents with almost 20% of its overall electricity, reducing electric bills by around $50 million a year, and reducing carbon emissions by up to 3.6 million metric tons annually. That’s equivalent to taking 700,00 cars off the road.
During the summer of 2025, multiple heat waves hit New England, registering 18 days with temperatures at or about 90℉, which is 12 days more than the historical average. New Englanders had little choice but to crank up air conditioning, power up fans, or find local cooling centers to survive the heat. The demand for all that electricity could have strained the power grid beyond its operational capacity … but it did not. What saved the summer? Solar power.
On June 24, the hottest day of that summer, electricity consumption surged to its highest point in over a decade between 6 pm and 7 pm. ISO New England, the entity managing the power grid, emphasized the critical role solar energy played in meeting this intense demand. They noted that without small-scale, customer-owned solar power, the peak demand would have hit three hours earlier and been significantly higher.
By flattening the surge and delaying the peak, solar power kept our electricity grid stable and reliable on a day when demand reached historic levels.
In Massachusetts and Connecticut, communities are beginning to explore the potential of geothermal networks. Even local start-ups are developing ways to make drilling for geothermal much more affordable in just a few years.
The Sun Continues to Shine on Solar
Sometimes it has felt as if there were only cloudy days on the horizon for solar. That’s because the Trump administration has actively dismantled many of the solar programs established under the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. Trump canceled the $7 billion “Solar for All” program intended to help low-income households adopt solar, terminated federal solar tax credits, and raised costs for solar developers hoping to build solar developments on federal land.
We’re not just going to stand by and let this happen. CLF has stepped in to actively challenge the administration on its termination of Solar for All in court. But let’s be honest about where this is all really headed in the long term: Solar is much less expensive and much faster to install compared to drilling for oil. It’s virtually unstoppable, no matter what kind of self-defeating orders come out of the White House.
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According to one report, the cost of solar panels decreased, and as a result, solar energy became, on average, 41% cheaper than the lowest-cost fossil-fuel alternatives. What’s more, solar energy continues to get less expensive. Since 2010, costs for installation of solar panels have dropped 87%, onshore wind projects by 55%, and battery storage by as much as 93%.
Despite the obstructive measures coming from the Trump administration, solar continues to grow across the country. In fact, for the fifth year in a row, solar power led the way in new U.S. grid capacity, with 43 gigawatts added in 2025 alone.
It may not feel like it right now, but the Trump administration is nothing more than a passing cloud momentarily obstructing the sun. If for no other reason than cold, hard market realities, the sun will rise on solar again.
Why It Matters for New England
Even as Washington continues to try to block solar power, New England is working to keep the power of the sun on the rise. Massachusetts leads the way with almost 16% of its electricity coming from small-scale solar. That’s more than any other state. In fact, on the hottest day of 2025, solar energy supplied 22% of the state’s electricity needs. This resulted in customers saving $8.2 million in energy costs in just twenty-four hours. This progress is not a one-off, but an important part of a growing trend. By 2025, Massachusetts was producing four times the solar power it generated in 2016. Furthermore, the state established a new regional benchmark that spring when solar power briefly accounted for over 55% of the entire New England electricity supply, marking a record high for the grid.
An Electric Vehicle Charging Boom Takes the Nation by Storm
If you were in the market for an electric vehicle last year, you are very much aware that the Trump administration ended tax credits for those looking to buy one. After a brief surge last fall, electric vehicle sales around the country stalled. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill enacted in September of 2025, the federal EV tax credit was eliminated, which had been a primary incentive for consumers to purchase one.
But something weird happened: Even after Trump stomped away the embers stoking an electric car revolution, electric charging stations continued to boom.
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According to Paren, a data firm that tracks electric vehicle networks, last year was a record-breaking one for U.S. fast-charging infrastructure. Infrastructure was up by 30% with more than 18,000 new fast-charging ports installed. Plug-in plazas grew larger, more numerous, and more capable of delivering higher power. Plus, more drivers used them. It’s counterintuitive considering the fate of the tax credit, but is it also perhaps the writing on the wall?
In response to the tax credit elimination, some automakers are cutting prices. GM introduced a $29,000 Chevy Bolt, while Hyundai dropped the Ioniq 5 price by nearly $10,000. These aggressive price cuts have meant that average prices for new EVs are now just $1,300 more on average than a comparable gas car, a price gap that is closing fast.
And while prices for new EVs trend down, the market for used EVs is going up and setting record sales numbers. According to Cox Automotive, 128,000 used EVs were sold in the second quarter of 2026. That’s a 29% increase in sales from the year prior.
Meanwhile, as the federal government tries to push the U.S. off track, the rest of the world has embraced electric vehicles. From Asia to Europe to Canada to Africa, more car owners are ditching gas for electric. For the first time, electric vehicles represented over 25% of new car sales globally as international EV sales reached 20.7 million units in 2025, marking a 20% surge compared to the previous year. And there is one straightforward reason why – electric vehicles are getting more affordable to buy, cost less to maintain, and are much cheaper to keep powered up. That explains why low-cost Chinese models are now zipping across Europe and Asia.
Why It Matters for New England
Despite the elimination of federal support for purchases of energy-efficient EVs, New England states are moving ahead to fill the gap. Connecticut runs CHEAPR (Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate), a program offering rebates on new and used EVs and hybrids. Maine offers rebates of $4000 to $8000 on new and used EV purchases, while Rhode Island offers a post-sale rebate of up to $3000. Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts all offer programs as well, stepping up to incentivize EV ownership at a time when the federal government is stepping away.
Cities and Towns are Cleaning Up After Their Meals
Across the country, a growing number of towns and cities are running composting programs. In 2023, 400 municipal composting programs serviced 710 communities. That was a 49% increase over 2021. And each year, the number of households with access to municipal food scrap collection grows.
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There are compelling reasons why this is so important. Wasted food is the source of 58% of all methane emissions from U.S. landfills and municipal landfills represent the third-largest contributor to human-generated methane. In 2024 alone, 23 million tons of excess food wound up in landfills, resulting in the release of over 600,000 metric tons of methane. By choosing to compost this food instead, we can reduce carbon pollution by 38% to 84% compared to traditional landfilling methods.
That means that all New England states now have food waste laws.
Why It Matters for New England
Progress in New England is visible and growing. As a region, New England has emerged as a national leader on food waste policy. All six states now have food waste diversion laws on the books. CLF has worked doggedly to get them passed. This includes Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont, with commercial bans already in effect.
New Hampshire’s law took effect February 2025 and Maine’s will kick in by 2030. Maine’s law, which goes into effect in 2030, requires institutions to donate surplus food that can be eaten and compost food that can’t, building a better system for managing excess and cutting unnecessary waste. Vermont has gone furthest, extending its ban all the way to residential households,
We’re Still Winning Against Polluters
The Trump administration has tried so hard to knock the teeth out of clean air laws. Under Trump, the EPA has proposed cutting its budget by as much as 65%, canceled more than $1.7 billion in grants designed to protect clean air and water, and moved to roll back 31 environmental rules. When the federal government walks away from environmental protections as they have, it’s critical that organizations like CLF step up. And that’s exactly what we’ve done.
Good Climate News
This year, CLF negotiated one of its largest settlement payouts against Academy Express, a school bus company whose idling buses posed a noxious threat to residents’ health in Greater Boston. In a historic May 2026 victory, CLF secured a $5.6 million settlement against Academy Express. This agreement marks the largest Clean Air Act citizen enforcement settlement in the history of Massachusetts and ranks as the second largest in the nation. As part of the settlement, the company must contribute $3 million to local nonprofit organizations for projects dedicated to improving air quality, while also upgrading its fleet with new emission-reduction technology.
But that was not our only victory. Thanks to our work, Quincy residents can enjoy clean air and water after CLF settled a lawsuit against Twin Rivers Technologies, a Massachusetts chemical company that had polluted the Neponset River Estuary. A $600,000 settlement will be sent back to the community to help restore salt marshes and fund youth-led tree-planting programs.
We also reached a settlement with Big Beverage company Patriot Beverages, which had been discharging wastewater into Reedy Meadow Brook and Mill Pond in Littleton, Massachusetts. The company, maker of Propel Water, Gatorade, and Pure Leaf Tea, must now give $2 million to fund water-quality restoration projects, river monitoring, shoreline restoration, and public education.
Why It Matters for New England
Since 2019, CLF has filed nine anti-idling cases across New England. Of those, seven were resolved, generating $5.7 million for community environmental projects and $5 million toward electric vehicle transition. Since 2013, CLF’s broader enforcement work has forced polluters to pay more than $17 million back into the communities they harmed. When the federal government retreats, New England fights back.
Taken together, these wins demonstrate that the courts can still uphold the environmental laws we depend on.
So yes, the news can sometimes get discouraging. But don’t be fooled. When it comes to the environment, there’s positive climate news out there, too. It’s important to stay aware, stay engaged, and stay active to keep the good news coming.
