The Pew Charitable Trusts

Our national parks have been called, "America’s Best Idea." To celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, Congress has the opportunity to reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund which provided billions of dollars to fix critical maintenance needs in our national parks, national forests, and other public lands. In Shenandoah National Park, close to where I live, it helped repair much of Skyline Drive, 19 overlooks that enable visitors to gaze over the Shenandoah Valley at the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains, restore trails, and remove, replace, and rehabilitate outdated infrastructure to improve safety and visitor experience. The Legacy Restoration Fund has improved the experience for hundreds of millions of visitors to public lands in all 50 states, DC, and multiple US territories. Keeping it funded can ensure we continue to take care of these special places for many years to come. The Pew Charitable Trusts

Last week, The Pew Charitable Trusts partnered with National Conference of State Legislatures to host a timely conversation on the future of distributed energy resources (DERs) and the policies needed to accelerate adoption nationwide. “The Grid Reimagined: Strategies for Accelerating the Adoption of DERs” explored how states can leverage distributed energy solutions to improve reliability, expand customer choice, and help meet rapidly growing electricity demand. The webinar also highlighted Pew’s new DER policy playbook ( pew.org/derplaybook ), which outlines legislative and regulatory strategies to enable broader access to cost-effective, reliable distributed energy resources across the country. It was wonderful to hear insights from Delegate Phil Hernandez of the Virginia House of Delegates, Carter Copeland of Base Power, and Pew’s own Maureen Quinlan , who moderated the discussion. As demand continues to outpace generation, conversations like these are critical for lawmakers, regulators, and energy stakeholders looking for practical, scalable solutions. If you're working in energy policy and grid modernization, take a moment to watch and share the webinar: https://lnkd.in/esjJP8Ra #GridModernization #DistributedEnergy #DERs #EnergyInnovation #EnergyPolicy

This #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth , remember that: • Almost 49,000 Americans died by suicide • An additional 14.3 million adults seriously thought about suicide • 4.6 million adults made a suicide plan • 2.2 million adults attempted suicide • An estimated 2.8 million adolescents had serious thoughts of suicide, made suicide plans, or attempted suicide in 2024, the most recent year data is available. Mental health conditions are a serious risk factor for suicide, and interventions like universal risk screening in health care settings can save lives. Read more from my colleague Farzana Akkas for The Pew Charitable Trusts .

At The Pew Charitable Trusts , we’re excited for the opportunities around distributed energy resources (DERs). And today, at the Society of Environmental Journalists 2026 conference in Chicago, I had the chance to see DERs in action on our bus tour including a visit to Reactivate 's 27-acre, community solar project in Torrence—equipped with sheep! This project shows the versatility of these ready-to-deploy technologies and in this case, how local farmers can be supported. Our tour also learned about the innovative microgrid at the Illinois Institute of Technology —able to generate enough power to match its peak load—and the great work of the Bronzeville Community Development Partnership focused on supporting its community through clean energy and economic growth. I’m excited for what’s next as more communities take initiative and adopt DERs. #DER #CommunitySolar #Microgrids #SEJ2026 #EnergyTech #DistributedEnergy