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Top Environment and Energy Topics To Watch in 2026 [1]

Explore our 10th annual Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy, as we scour the beat to identify 15 top stories to put on your radar for 2026. Our updated format for the special report provides a quick read and a broad scope — with insights on climate change and environmental justice, bird and insect declines, data centers and deep sea mining, deregulation and PFAS and much more. Get started here [1].

SEJ Publication Types: 
SEJ News [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Activism [3]
Agriculture [4]
Air [5]
Biodiversity [6]
Chemicals [7]
Climate Change [8]
Disasters [9]
Economy & Business [10]
Energy & Fuel [11]
Environmental Health [12]
Environmental Justice [13]
Environmental Politics [14]
Environmental Studies [15]
Fish & Fisheries [16]
Forests [17]
Government [18]
Health [19]
Infrastructure [20]
Journalism & Media [21]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Military [23]
Natural Resources [24]
Policy [25]
Pollution [26]
Science [27]
Technology [28]
Waste [29]
Water & Oceans [30]
Wildlife [31]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [32]
Alaska and Hawaii [33]
California [34]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [35]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [36]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [37]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [38]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [39]
Northwest (OR WA) [40]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [41]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [42]
International [43]
Visibility: 
Public [44]
  • Read more about Top Environment and Energy Topics To Watch in 2026 [1]

‘Feeding Frenzy’ Is Encouraging Sign For Struggling Calif. Brown Pelicans [45]

"On a jagged coastline in Central California, brown pelicans gather on rock promontories, packed in like edgy commuters as they take flight to feed on a vast school of fish just offshore. The water churns in whitecaps as the big-billed birds plunge beneath the surface in search of northern anchovies, Pacific sardines and mackerel."

Biodiversity [6]
Fish & Fisheries [16]
Water & Oceans [30]
Wildlife [31]
Public [44]
National (U.S.) [32]
California [34]
Source: AP [46], 12/05/2025
  • Read more about ‘Feeding Frenzy’ Is Encouraging Sign For Struggling Calif. Brown Pelicans [45]

Startup Says It Has Found a Hidden Source of Geothermal Energy in Nev. [47]

"A geothermal startup said Thursday that it has hit gold in Nevada — metaphorically speaking. Zanskar, which uses AI to find hidden geothermal resources deep underground, says that it has identified a new commercially viable site for a potential power plant. The discovery, the company claims, is the first of its kind made by the industry in decades."

Energy & Fuel [11]
Infrastructure [20]
Natural Resources [24]
Technology [28]
Water & Oceans [30]
Public [44]
National (U.S.) [32]
Source: WIRED [48], 12/05/2025
  • Read more about Startup Says It Has Found a Hidden Source of Geothermal Energy in Nev. [47]

Interior Dept Finally Releases High Official’s Financial Disclosure [49]

"After a long delay, the Interior Department’s Office of Government Ethics last week provided Public Domain the financial disclosure of Karen Budd-Falen, a high-ranking Trump appointee at DOI." "Karen Budd-Falen, a self-described “cowboy lawyer," owns ranch operations and real estate rentals. Her family has also had sizable investments in oil companies."

Climate Change [8]
Energy & Fuel [11]
Environmental Politics [14]
Journalism & Media [21]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Natural Resources [24]
Water & Oceans [30]
Public [44]
National (U.S.) [32]
Source: Public Domain [50], 12/05/2025
  • Read more about Interior Dept Finally Releases High Official’s Financial Disclosure [49]

"The Grid Storage Industry Set A Wild Goal For 2025 — And Then Crushed It" [51]

"In 2017, U.S. grid storage developers promised they could deliver 35 gigawatts by 2025. They beat their target and made batteries a key power-sector player."

Economy & Business [10]
Energy & Fuel [11]
Infrastructure [20]
Technology [28]
Public [44]
National (U.S.) [32]
Source: Canary Media [52], 12/05/2025
  • Read more about "The Grid Storage Industry Set A Wild Goal For 2025 — And Then Crushed It" [51]

"US Congress Repeals Biden-Era Limits On Oil And Gas In Alaska Refuge" [53]

"Congressional lawmakers on Thursday voted to repeal a Biden-era policy that limited the amount of land in an Alaska wildlife refuge that could be leased for oil and gas development. The U.S. Senate voted 49-45 to approve a resolution that revokes the Interior Department's 2024 rule governing energy development on the 1.56-million-acre Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge."

Biodiversity [6]
Climate Change [8]
Economy & Business [10]
Energy & Fuel [11]
Environmental Politics [14]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Natural Resources [24]
Wildlife [31]
Public [44]
National (U.S.) [32]
Alaska and Hawaii [33]
Source: Reuters [54], 12/05/2025
  • Read more about "US Congress Repeals Biden-Era Limits On Oil And Gas In Alaska Refuge" [53]

"New York Times Sues Pentagon Over First Amendment Rights" [55]

"The New York Times accused the Pentagon in a lawsuit on Thursday of infringing on the constitutional rights of journalists by imposing a set of new restrictions on reporting about the military."

Environmental Politics [14]
Journalism & Media [21]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Military [23]
Public [44]
National (U.S.) [32]
Source: NYTimes [56], 12/05/2025
  • Read more about "New York Times Sues Pentagon Over First Amendment Rights" [55]
December 9, 2025

SEJ Webinar: Silenced Sources — When Fear of Retaliation Muzzles Facts [57]

Join Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Association of Healthcare Journalists and the Society of Environmental Journalists for this webinar at 2 p.m. EST, on what happens when whistleblowers, researchers, students and federal employees are intimidated into staying quiet.

Other Events [58]
Visibility: 
Public [44]
Topics on the Beat: 
Government [18]
Journalism & Media [21]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [32]

"EPA Staffers Challenge Their Terminations Over ‘Dissent’ Letter" [59]

"Six staffers who the Trump administration fired after they signed a “Declaration of Dissent” letter have filed claims with the Merit Systems Protection Board, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), which is helping to represent the ex-employees."

Laws & Regulations [22]
People & Population [60]
Public [44]
National (U.S.) [32]
Source: The Hill [61], 12/04/2025
  • Read more about "EPA Staffers Challenge Their Terminations Over ‘Dissent’ Letter" [59]

Rare Win for Renewable Energy: Trump DOE Funds Geothermal Network Expansion [62]

"The U.S. Department of Energy has approved an $8.6 million grant that will allow the nation’s first utility-led geothermal heating and cooling network to double in size."

Climate Change [8]
Economy & Business [10]
Energy & Fuel [11]
Environmental Politics [14]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Technology [28]
Public [44]
National (U.S.) [32]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [39]
Source: Inside Climate News [63], 12/04/2025
  • Read more about Rare Win for Renewable Energy: Trump DOE Funds Geothermal Network Expansion [62]

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Source URL:https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=75

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[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/sej-news/top-environment-and-energy-topics-watch-2026 [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/sej-news [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/activism [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/biodiversity-1 [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice [14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists [16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/fisheries [17] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/forests [18] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [19] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [20] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure [21] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [22] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/military [24] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy [26] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [27] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science [28] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/technology [29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste [30] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [31] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/wildlife [32] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [33] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/alaska-and-hawaii [34] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/california [35] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes [36] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-plains [37] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic [38] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mountain-west [39] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northeast [40] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest [41] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [42] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest [43] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international [44] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [45] https://www.sej.org/headlines/feeding-frenzy-encouraging-sign-struggling-calif-brown-pelicans [46] https://apnews.com/article/california-brown-pelicans-feeding-frenzy-coast-c7292ef7377c5c123eda38e4afe62110 [47] https://www.sej.org/headlines/startup-says-it-has-found-hidden-source-geothermal-energy-nev [48] https://www.wired.com/story/startup-found-hidden-source-geothermal-energy/ [49] https://www.sej.org/headlines/interior-dept-finally-releases-high-official-s-financial-disclosure [50] https://www.publicdomain.media/p/budd-falen-financial-disclosure-interior [51] https://www.sej.org/headlines/grid-storage-industry-set-wild-goal-2025-and-then-crushed-it [52] https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/energy-storage/grid-storage-industry-crushes-2025-goal [53] https://www.sej.org/headlines/us-congress-repeals-biden-era-limits-oil-and-gas-alaska-refuge [54] https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/us-congress-repeals-biden-era-limits-oil-gas-alaska-refuge-2025-12-04/ [55] https://www.sej.org/headlines/new-york-times-sues-pentagon-over-first-amendment-rights [56] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/04/business/media/new-york-times-pentagon-lawsuit.html?unlocked_article_code=1.6U8.hSfS.oKelXelBFPX_&smid=url-share [57] https://www.sej.org/calendar/sej-webinar-silenced-sources-when-fear-retaliation-muzzles-facts [58] https://www.sej.org/category/event-type/other-events [59] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-staffers-challenge-their-terminations-over-dissent-letter [60] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [61] https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5632300-epa-dissent-letter-terminations/ [62] https://www.sej.org/headlines/rare-win-renewable-energy-trump-doe-funds-geothermal-network-expansion [63] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03122025/rare-win-for-renewable-energy-trump-administration-funds-geothermal-network-expansion/ [64] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=74 [65] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=71 [66] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=72 [67] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=73 [68] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=76 [69] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=77 [70] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=78 [71] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=79 [72] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=2657