U.S.
President Biden has done more than any president to tackle climate change, but strategists are grappling with an uncomfortable fact: As he faces a bruising re-election campaign against the Republican front-runner, former President Donald J. Trump many Democrats said the president is failing to communicate his most significant policy achievements. The New York Times
Pennsylvania
The debate over a pollution permit in Clairton, Pa., home to the nation's largest coke plant, pits environmental groups and residents concerned about public health against U.S. Steel and its supporters. Inside Climate News
U.S.
Renewable energy markets may have experienced some turbulence in recent years, but those challenges have only served to make NextEra Energy an even stronger company, executives told investors during a Jan. 25 earnings call. The Inflation Reduction Act is a key growth driver for the company, but the upcoming federal elections are creating uncertainty around utility clean energy plans. However, NextEra Energy CEO John Ketchum downplayed the possibility that Republican lawmakers would repeal the Inflation Reduction Act if former President Donald Trump is re-elected in November. Utility Dive
U.S.
Given all of the pushback the agency has received over its proposed rule, particularly scope 3 reporting requirements, experts are uncertain if scope 3 will make the final cut. ESG Dive
U.S.
Failing to provide a bathroom and drinking water could soon become illegal. This year, a new rule from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration could for the first time provide federal protection to heat exposure and require companies to invest in employees' well-being during the hottest parts of the year. Grist
U.S.
Vulnerable Democrats in swing states are increasingly sounding the alarm about Biden environmental policies that risk turning off cost-conscious moderate voters they need to win at the ballot box. The warnings pose an election year challenge for President Joe Biden, whose plans to slash power plant pollution, boost electric vehicle sales and pause natural gas exports are popular with climate activists -- but politically poisonous for some congressional Democrats. Bloomberg
U.S.
The Propane Education & Research Council, a U.S. propane industry lobbying group, strategized to downplay the full climate impacts of propane and market it as "renewable" or "clean energy," recordings reviewed by climate newsletter Heated and the Guardian reveal. The group has spent nearly $30 million over the last two years on advertisements for fossil fuel, often promoting propane, the vast majority of which is a by-product of natural gas or crude oil refining, as a form of clean and renewable energy. The Guardian
U.S.
Congress has spent more than six years avoiding its responsibility to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program, using a series of stopgap bills to extend the life of the program that has issued nearly 5 million policies. The lackadaisical approach to brokering a five-year reauthorization of the program was one of several topics the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee discussed Jan. 25 during a hearing on challenges local communities have with flooding and the federally run insurance program. Oregon Capital Chronicle
U.S.
The freeze won't stop the U.S. export surge thanks to new projects authorized and under construction. The DOE points out that export capacity is already slated to double over the next few years. Axios
U.S.
Today, there are more reasons than ever before for states to proactively drive clean energy policy to reap economic, health, and environmental benefits for their citizens. Clean Technica
U.S.
The Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) is a global group of financial institutions dedicated toward "financing ambitious climate action," with a goal of pushing the economy toward net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050, according to its website. News Channel 20
U.S.
As the administration lays the framework for net zero buildings, there's one major pitfall it must avoid: neglecting "Scope 3" emissions. The Messenger
U.S.
The senators argue that the United States cannot price-compete with China for solar panels, which Wood Mackenzie reported fetch an average price of $0.15 per W, about 60% cheaper than the average U.S.-made panel. pv Magazine
Texas
ERCOT's board of directors, in October, unanimously approved NPRR 1186, which would have required batteries to maintain a certain state of charge depending on the ancillary services they are providing. Utility Dive
New Mexico
That amount almost certainly will grow in coming months due to a quirk in New Mexico's disclosure laws. Elected officials don't have to report contributions they received in the last quarter of last year until this spring. The amount of money the industry showers on elected officials offers a glimpse into the influence it has at the state capitol during legislative sessions. New Mexico In Depth
Alaska
RPS, to put it simply, is a mandate pushed by environmentalists to make sure electricity is generated only from the sources they want, no matter the impact to family budgets, writes Rick Whitbeck of Power The Future. Must Read Alaska
New Mexico
Ten years of meetings and plans abruptly dumped; future plans uncertain. SourceNM
Nebraska
Under the bill, any regulations prohibiting solar installations would be deemed void and would have a civil cause of action of violation occurs. pv Magazine
Montana
The Montana Public Service Commission voted unanimously Jan. 30 to investigate how NorthWestern Energy and another utility planned and handled power generation and costs during the record cold snap that hit Montana in January. Daily Montanan
Montana
Public Service Commission President (and state auditor hopeful) James Brown argued before a legislative committee that high turnover at the state's utility board in 2021 was warranted, and said policing his commission colleagues is constrained by their elected status. Montana Free Press
Michigan
Citing delays and concerns about good governance and resource use, members of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy continued calls to repeal environmental review panels established during GOP Gov. Rick Snyder's administration. Environmental groups joined EGLE Deputy Director James Clift and Legislative Liaison Sydney Hart in asking members of the House Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee to move forward on two bills introduced by state Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield). Michigan Advance
Michigan
The bipartisan board's 4-0 vote clears the way for the group Citizens for Local Choice to begin gathering signatures in hopes of reversing Public Act 233, a law passed in November that established statewide permitting standards for large-scale renewable energy projects that had previously been permitted at the local level. Bridge Michigan
Massachusetts
Our climate goals are within reach, but the longer we wait to start running toward them, the harder it will be to get there. Bold, targeted action this legislative session offers a unique and critical opportunity to make our climate vision for Massachusetts a reality, writes Amy Boyd Rabin, vice president of policy at the Environmental League of Massachusetts. Commonwealth Beacon
Iowa
A bill that received early support in the Iowa Senate on Jan. 25 would require someone who reports a potential violation to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to provide their name, which the department would reveal to the potential violator if it investigates. Sen. Tom Shipley, R-Nodaway, said Senate Study Bill 3103 is meant to stop frivolous, anonymous complaints to the DNR, along with those that target certain facilities such as livestock feedlots and confinements. The bill was advanced by a three-person subcommittee Shipley led Jan. 25 for further consideration in the Senate. Iowa Capital Dispatch
International
Climate science has been under attack for decades. But some climate deniers are no longer refuting the fact that Earth is warming because of human activity. Now, their message focuses on doom: They admit our planet is running a fever, but shrug and say there's not much we can do about it. Inside Climate News
International
The Biden administration's decision to review new liquefied natural gas projects for their impact on climate change could be a headache for overseas buyers. New York Times
Arizona
Solar assets that export electricity out of the state would be taxed 12.5% per every dollar of revenue made from the sale of electricity. pv Magazine
Arizona
This change would impose a massive cost on businesses, which inevitably would be passed onto customers and slow the switch to renewable sources, writes Alexander Smith, Director of Sustainability at Grand Canyon University. Arizona Capitol Times
Carbon Pricing
New Hampshire
If the New Hampshire Legislature passes House Bill 1486, the state would be required to consider proxy carbon prices in its spending decisions relative to transportation and buildings. New Hampshire Bulletin Return to Top |