Weekly Briefing: Two bright spots to close out Earth Month 🌎
Apr. 29, 2026
This month, CCLers have been out in full force tabling, giving presentations, holding climate conversations, and celebrating our planet. As Earth Month comes to a close, we officially have the cherry on top: some encouraging news from the global energy landscape. Â
First: despite concerns that geopolitical tensions in Iran could drive up fossil fuel use, global coal consumption didn’t spike in March as expected. Instead, solar and wind stepped up to fill the gap.
As our Research Manager Dana Nuccitelli reported in the CCL Nerd Corner, “This is really fascinating. We expected a short-term boost for coal generation as a result of the Strait of Hormuz closure and associated oil and gas export restrictions. But a new analysis finds that this didn't happen. China's coal consumption did increase by 2% relative to March 2025, but in the rest of the world it decreased by 3.4%. Solar and wind were way up at 15% and 7.6%, respectively.”
This is a real-world example of clean energy delivering reliability when it’s needed most. We’re seeing countries across the globe transition to clean power sources that remove the need to turn to coal in unstable situations.
Second: the International Energy Agency has declared the world has officially entered the “Age of Electricity.” For the first time, most new electricity demand is being met by clean sources like solar and wind and renewables are now growing fast enough to meet (and even exceed) rising global electricity demand. In fact, in 2025, available electricity grew at well over twice the rate of overall energy demand.
“Last year was also the first year that a modern renewable source contributed the largest share of global energy demand growth,” said Dana. “With solar power accounting for 27% of increased demand, followed by natural gas at 17%.”
And bonus! Ember recently published a similar report, finding that clean energy (predominantly solar) met all new electricity demand last year.
Taken together, these trends point to a powerful shift: clean power isn’t just scaling, it’s stabilizing the world’s energy system. And that’s exactly the kind of progress CCLers are working to accelerate through our work on carbon pricing and permitting reform, which will further incentivize clean energy and make it easier and faster to build.Â
Keep up with the latest climate news and check out Dana’s posts on the CCL Nerd Corner.
Take Me to the Nerds 🤓
In other news this week:
- CCL’s Ricky Bradley LIVE in NYC: If you’re in the New York City area, don’t forget to stop by the Brooklyn Public Library tomorrow night! CCL Executive Director Ricky Bradley is in town to participate in a climate change discussion at the Center for Brooklyn History. Ricky will appear alongside environmental writer and activist Bill McKibben and correspondent on NPR’s Climate Desk, Rebecca Hersher, who recently posted about the panel on her Bluesky account. This in-person event is open to the public, and a recording will be available on YouTube afterward.
 - What the latest YPCCC climate opinion data means for CCL: CCL’s March Monthly Meeting featured guest speaker Dr. Marija Verner from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC). The good news she shared? You are likely talking to someone who already agrees with you on climate change. Read a recap of Dr. Verner’s presentation and important stats from YPCCC that impact CCL’s work in our latest blog.Â
Take action this week
If you have a little time: Write Congress to strike a deal on transmission. Senators are moving and shaking on permitting reform! Since our round of outreach last month, a group of Democratic Senate Energy Committee members have released a draft bill focused on transmission, which is a critical piece of permitting reform. This is an important, tangible step toward the type of comprehensive permitting reform package we’ve been pushing for. We’re more than halfway to our goal of 8,000 contacts to Congress about this latest development. Help us get across the finish line by sending a message of your own.ÂIf you have more time: Take your next BRIDGE deep dive. We’re off and running with BRIDGE Unit 2! After you’ve gone through Unit 2, Section 1, watch the recording of Thursday’s BRIDGE deep dive training from CCL VP of Field Operations Brett Cease. You’ll learn how climate progress becomes possible when your Member of Congress experiences the conditions necessary for change—and how your chapter’s actions intentionally build those conditions. Start now and by the end of this unit, you will be equipped to build trusted, long-term relationships with congressional offices.
Featured: National Youth Action Team
In an interview for the latest episode of the Equal Earth podcast, Fresno chapter leader and National Youth Action Team (NYAT) leader Anna Villavicencio chatted with fellow youth leader Bruce Ru about her belief in storytelling as a powerful tool for change.ÂAnna’s passion for climate advocacy was shaped by personal experience. In 2021, at just 13, she faced a wildfire near her hometown by Sequoia National Park. “It was scary to pile into our car and leave everything behind,” she recalled at the time. “Our house survived, but I worry about the next fire.”Â
That experience set Anna on an impressive path to leading the NYAT where she is instrumental in helping connect policymakers with youth voices and encouraging schools to reduce emissions.
During the interview, Anna also emphasized the importance of youth advocacy within CCL. Both Anna and Bruce serve as liaisons to their respective members of Congress, bringing youth perspectives directly into policy discussions.
Anna spoke about her experiences leading the NYAT and the impact young people can have when they work together, saying, “We hold a space where young people can communicate and collaborate with other young people."
We know the CCL CA Fresno chapter is grateful to have you Anna—and so are we!
Listen to the full Equal Earth podcast episode featuring Anna and Bruce on Spotify.
Upcoming trainings and events
5/7: Community Engagement and Key Messages (CCL Permitting Reform Series) - It's important for energy project developers to engage local communities in order to address any local concerns and adverse impacts that may arise from new infrastructure projects. Join CCL's VP of Government Affairs Jenn Tyler and Research Manager Dana Nuccitelli to learn about how community engagement may be addressed in the permitting reform process, and key messages for congressional offices. This training is part of CCL’s ongoing permitting reform series. Join us!
5/8: Phone Banking Training with Environmental Voter Project - Join Shannon Seigal, Organizing & Field Director at the Environmental Voter Project (EVP), for an in-depth overview of EVP's phone banking program. You'll have the opportunity to learn why and how they use phone calls and other methods to transform millions of environmental and climate supporters into super voters who vote in every single election. With primaries beginning in May, this is a timely opportunity to plug into meaningful outreach right away. Join us!
5/16: CCL Ohio State Conference - CCL Ohio’s 2026 conference will be held in Columbus on Saturday, May 16. Gather together with your fellow Buckeyes to share ideas, feel inspired, and learn from one another’s work across Ohio. We’ll also hear from keynote speaker Sam Roberts of Farm-to-Power Ohio, an organization that empowers farmers and rural communities to adopt renewable energy.  Both new and veteran volunteers are invited to learn from experts, then break out into groups for discussions and sharing ideas. Let's put our heads together to find ways to break through to our members of Congress. Register now!
5/16: CCL Georgia Multi-State Conference - Join dozens of dynamic and friendly fellow climate advocates from around the southeast in Atlanta, Georgia, to develop skills and strategies for building climate solutions. We'll build lobbying skills, learn effective climate tools, and discuss climate justice and health impacts. The day will also include sessions on BRIDGE, CCL’s current advocacy policies, and Drawdown Georgia. All are welcome, especially those from GA, NC, SC, AL, and TN. If you’re ready to become a more informed, connected, and effective climate advocate, our conference will give you the tools to take meaningful action. Register now!
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