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Ella Nilsen - Climate Reporter

Ella Nilsen

Climate Reporter

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Ella Nilsen is a CNN reporter covering climate.

CNN Expansion DC - November 2021, Shoot ID: 1089822 , 11/16/2021, Ella Nilsen

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TOPSHOT - An aerial view of the Colorado River side of the Glen Canyon Dam, which separates the Colorado River from Lake Powell, in Page, Arizona on June 18, 2024. Lake Powell is the second largest reservoir in the US and can hold more than 23 million acre feet (2,837,024,700,000 hectare meter) of water. It's currently just under 39% full and still taking in water from what's left of Spring runoff. The drought conditions and population growth has been a continual stress on water throughout the southwest. (Photo by Bryan R. SMITH / AFP) (Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images)

Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images/File

The Biden administration is trying to throw a Hail Mary to save the Colorado River before Trump takes over

The long-shot plan is the latest move in a water showdown that has simmered for years between states as the West becomes more arid and its water-guzzling population explodes.

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Photo Illustration by Leah Abucayan / CNN / Getty

Trump might nix America as a climate tech leader. 5 charts show China winning that race

China is installing wind and solar power projects faster than any other country on the planet. As President-elect Donald Trump is likely to roll back on the US’ role as a global climate leader, experts say China will have to lead the charge.

This 2018 photo shows Chris Wright ringing a ceremonial bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shortly after the opening bell in New York.

Lucas Jackson/Reuters/File

Trump picks fracking company CEO Chris Wright as next Department of Energy secretary

President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday named Chris Wright, the CEO of Denver-based fracking company Liberty Energy, as his pick to be the next secretary of the Department of Energy.

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It’s not just Democrats — Republicans are working to Trump-proof their climate money

President Joe Biden’s climate law is on the chopping block as Republicans prepare to have full control in Washington.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 14: An aerial view of smoke from the LyondellBasell Houston refinery on June 14, 2024 in Houston, Texas. The International Energy Agency is predicting a major surplus of oil by the end of the decade as production continues rising and demand declines. The decline is in part due to the switch from gasoline to electric vehicles and renewable energy. The agency has reported that the world's oil production is expected to increase to approximately 114 million barrels per day by 2030. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Biden just finalized a major climate rule. This one could be tricky for Trump to dismantle

The Environmental Protection Agency just finalized one of the Biden administration’s only outstanding climate rules, aimed at cracking down on leaks of methane — a potent planet-warming gas with an outsized impact on the climate.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump is pictured at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Alex Brandon/AP

As Trump’s win tests the world order, diplomats are fretting over what it means for the planet

America’s allies and foes alike have spent the past five days speculating about what Donald Trump’s re-election will mean for their economies, security and the world’s grinding wars. Climate diplomats gathering for talks Monday are just as anxious.

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin speaks on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Leon Neal/Getty Images

Trump picks GOP former congressman Lee Zeldin to lead the EPA

President-elect Donald Trump has selected former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Zeldin announced that he has accepted the role.

Former President Donald Trump emerges to speak at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

Will Lanzoni/CNN

‘Feeling of dread’ spreads across federal workforce as second Trump term looms

Much of the federal workforce is on edge and bracing itself for the likelihood its ranks will be purged when President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

Caribou gather in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska in June.

Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Biden administration will limit drilling in Arctic refuge as it secures president’s legacy

It’s one of the many ways the Biden administration is working to protect Biden’s biggest accomplishments, including his vast portfolio of actions on climate change and the environment.

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 28: Heavy rains from hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend on Thursday night with winds up to 140 mph and storm surges that killed at least 42 people in several states. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images

2024 will be the first year on record to smash a warming limit scientists warned about

It’s devastating news for the planet, coming America chooses a president that has promised to undo its climate progress both at home and abroad.

Photo Illustration by Alberto Mier/CNN/Getty Images

White House works to Trump-proof Biden’s legacy ahead of tight election

On the day President Joe Biden announced he would not seek reelection, he convened his senior team at the White House, asking for a plan to “run through the tape” in his final six months in office, implementing key laws and cementing foreign policy, chief of staff Jeff Zients told political appointees on a call this summer.

FILE PHOTO: A resident enters a FEMA's improvised station to attend claims by local residents affected by floods following the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Marion, North Carolina, U.S., October 5, 2024. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo

Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

Suspect arrested after reports of threats toward FEMA operations in North Carolina

Aid to several communities impacted by Hurricane Helene was temporarily paused in parts of North Carolina over the weekend due to reports of threats against Federal Emergency Management Agency responders, amid a backdrop of misinformation about responses to recent storms.

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 07: Traffic is heavy as thousands evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton as it churns in the Gulf of Mexico on October 07, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Milton, which comes on heels of the destructive Hurricane Helene, has strengthened to a Category 5 storm as it approaches Florida’s Gulf Coast near St. Petersburg and Tampa, where it is projected to make landfall Wednesday. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Live Updates October 8, 2024 news on Hurricane Milton

The storm wobbled farther south than expected Tuesday, leading to a southern shift in the forecast from the National Hurricane Center.

Power line poles lean after Tropical Storm Helene caused widespread damage to infrastructure, in Lake Lure, North Carolina, U.S. October 1, 2024. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake

Jonathan Drake/Reuters

Millions lose power every year because of extreme weather. Here’s how we could prevent it

The ability to get electricity from one part of the country to another is ever more important as America’s grid is lashed by increasingly extreme weather.

The US Supreme Court on July 1, in Washington, DC.

Drew Angerer/AFP/Getty Images

Supreme Court allows Biden EPA to enforce climate rules for power plants

The Supreme Court on Wednesday handed President Joe Biden a surprise victory as it allowed the Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily enforce its rules regulating planet-warming pollution from power plants.

A sign for a Small Business Administration business recover center following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Julia Nikhinson/AP/File

Small Business Administration disaster loan program is out of money after back-to-back hurricanes

The Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program has run out of funding due to high demand from constant extreme weather disasters, the administration announced Tuesday.

Ella covers climate-related policy from the White House, Congress, and agencies.

She joined CNN from Vox where she covered the White House and the Biden administration’s climate and infrastructure plan.

She also covered Congress and the 2018 and 2020 elections. Prior to Vox, she reported on Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump in the 2016 primary at the Concord Monitor.