Equity & Economics

Environmental Justice

U.S.

A Year Before Biden's First Term Ends, Environmental Regulators Rush to Aid Disinvested Communities

The EPA wants to get the funds to environmental justice communities before the election in keeping with President Biden's promise to address historic injustices. Inside Climate News

Finance & Investing

International

TotalEnergies explores U.S., Europe renewable portfolio stake sale -- sources

The French energy group is sounding out advisers for a sale of a stake in wind and solar power assets across the U.S., Spain, Portugal, France and Greece, the sources said. Yahoo

International

Why the world needs "torrents" of finance to fight climate change

The UN's next climate summit will be an "enabling COP," focused on drastically scaling up climate finance and making bold emissions reduction commitments. Axios

Louisiana

Recurrent Energy Closes $160 Million in Project Financing, Secures Microsoft as Customer for 127-MW Solar Project in Louisiana

Recurrent Energy has secured $160 million in project financing for its 127-MWdc Bayou Galion Solar project, located in Morehouse Parish in Northeast Louisiana. The project is under construction and is expected to be operational by fall 2024. Microsoft will purchase the energy and renewable energy credits to support its goal to be carbon negative by 2030. The project will significantly expand the amount of renewable energy capacity installed in Louisiana: At the end of September 2023, Louisiana had 145 MW of operating wind, solar, and energy storage capacity. PR Newswire

Oregon

Plan to make state retirement fund carbon neutral relies on industry, Wall Street doing the same

Investments in the state's $94 billion public employee retirement system could be effectively carbon neutral by 2050. Oregon Capital Chronicle

U.S.

Bank of America Reverses Its Pledge Not to Finance Fossil Fuels

The changes come as Republican lawmakers step up efforts to punish businesses that consider climate change and the environment in their operations. New York Times

U.S.

A Year Before Biden's First Term Ends, Environmental Regulators Rush to Aid Disinvested Communities

The EPA wants to get the funds to environmental justice communities before the election in keeping with President Biden's promise to address historic injustices. Inside Climate News

U.S.

Bank of America Reverses Its Pledge Not to Finance Fossil Fuels

Two years ago, Bank of America won kudos from climate activists for saying it would no longer finance new coal mines, coal-burning power plants or Arctic drilling projects because of the toll they take on the environment. The bank's latest environment and social-risk policy reneged on those commitments. The policy, updated in December, says that such projects will instead be subject to "enhanced due diligence." Bank of America's change follows intensifying backlash from Republican lawmakers against corporations that consider environmental and social factors in their operations. The New York Times

U.S.

Ignoring Indigenous rights is making the green transition more expensive

Gone are the days when developers could ignore Indigenous rights with impunity. Now, even if projects that threaten Native land and cultural resources ultimately proceed, they may come with years-long delays that tack on millions of dollars. Grist

Vermont

A Superfund for climate change? States consider a new way to make Big Oil pay.

Vermont is now joining Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York in a multi-state effort to hold Big Oil accountable for the expensive damage wrought by climate change. Bills on the docket in all four states demand that oil companies pay states millions for such impacts by funding, as Vermont's proposal outlines, energy efficiency retrofits, water utility improvements, solar microgrids, and stormwater drainage, just to name a few resiliency programs. Grist

Wisconsin

Wisconsin pension holders organize to push investment agency out of fossil fuels

A few years ago, a group of Wisconsin State Retirement System members began a project to learn more about the State of Wisconsin Investment Board's fossil fuel holdings. Over the last year they've been trying to persuade the board's investment managers to divest them. So far they've received a polite response and held some conversations with top SWIB officials, but no indication that the agency plans to change its investment policies. So this month their organization, Climate Safe Pensions Wisconsin, began airing radio ads to garner broader attention for the campaign. Wisconsin Examiner

Wyoming

Atlas Carbon defaults on $15M publicly funded state loan

Atlas Carbon, the first company to commercialize a non-combustive use for Powder River Basin coal, has defaulted on a $15 million state loan and must open its doors and books to state auditors who will assess the company's assets. WyoFile

Impact & Adaptation

Hawaii

Hawaiian Electric Gets The Green Light On Its $190 Million Resiliency Plan To Harden The Grid

State energy regulators have given their conditional approval to a five-year, $190 million plan by Hawaiian Electric to retool some of the most vulnerable parts of its grid as the company looks to address wildfire dangers and other threats related to climate change. Grist

International

Climate change will kill 14.5 million people globally by 2050 -- but mostly not directly

Climate change is triggering a global health crisis that may approach the death toll of some of history's deadliest plagues. Unlike the 1918 flu epidemic or the COVID-19 pandemic, which were caused by the widespread outbreak of one type of bacteria or virus, climate change-fueled illness is a Hydra-headed challenge that erodes human health on multiple distinct fronts. Grist

International

Could a Giant Parasol in Outer Space Help Solve the Climate Crisis?

It's come to this. With Earth at its hottest point in recorded history, and humans doing far from enough to stop its overheating, a small but growing number of astronomers and physicists are proposing a potential fix that could have leaped from the pages of science fiction: The equivalent of a giant beach umbrella, floating in outer space. The New York Times

International

New study says climate change behind drop in Northern Hemisphere snowpack

New scientific research published in the journal Nature on Jan. 10 shows that human-caused climate change is putting the most densely populated areas of the Northern Hemisphere, including the American West, at risk of losing vast portions of their water supply because of decreasing snowpack. The report, led by two Dartmouth College researchers, found climate change-driven snowpack trends in half of the 169 river basins in the Northern Hemisphere, 31 of which they said they could "confidently attribute to human influence." Daily Montanan

International

New study says the world blew past 1.5 degrees of warming four years ago

Limiting average global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels has been the gold standard for climate action since at least the 2015 Paris Agreement. A new scientific study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Climate Change, however, suggests that the world unknowingly passed this benchmark back in 2020. Even more surprising than the findings, perhaps, is the fact that they were derived from the study of sea sponges. Grist

U.S.

Category 6-level hurricanes are already here, a new study says

The world's first Category 6 hurricane is brewing in the Atlantic Ocean in the opening pages of The Displacements, a novel by Bruce Holsinger published in 2022, and some U.S. scientists are making the case that Category 5 -- synonymous with the biggest and baddest storms -- no longer captures the intensity of recent hurricanes. A paper published Feb. 5 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences lays out a framework for extending the current hurricane-rating system, the Saffir-Simpson scale, with a new category for storms that have winds topping 192 miles per hour: Category 6s. Grist

Flooding & Drought

International

The Fingerprints on Chile's Fires and California Floods: El Nino and Warming

Two far-flung corners of the world, known for their temperate climates, are being buffeted by deadly disasters. Wildfires have killed more than 120 people as they swept the forested hillsides of Chile, and record-breaking rains have swelled rivers and triggered mudslides in Southern California. Behind these risks are two powerful forces: climate change, which can intensify both rain and drought, and the natural weather phenomenon known as El Nino, which can also supersize extreme weather. The New York Times

U.S.

Coastal Cities Brace for Climate Change

Over the past few weeks, flooding from storms has battered cities in the South and the East Coast, from Louisiana to New Jersey. Overlapping atmospheric rivers over the West Coast have brought heavy rains that are likely to come back in the next few days. So Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank that promotes environmental policies for coastal cities, has designed a framework that lays out dozens of solutions that governments and communities can implement. The New York Times

Migration

U.S.

Pollution Is Driving Black Americans to the South. It May Not Be Any Better.

As climate change takes its toll across the South, migrants may face similar pollution issues as well as environmental threats they might not have faced if they hadn't moved. New York Times

Policy & Politics

Hawaii

Hawaii's Governor Wants To Finally Get A Climate Fee Passed, But Will It Be Enough?

The state is falling short by hundreds of millions of dollars each year to protect its environment, conservationists say. The new proposal would raise about $70 million annually. Civil Beat

U.S.

The unlikely coalition behind Biden's liquefied natural gas pivot

A broader coalition, representing thousands of manufacturers, chemical companies, and consumer advocates, has also been quietly pushing for the pause -- and stands to benefit if Biden curbs LNG exports. Grist

U.S.

'Reversed And Scrubbed': How A 2nd Trump Term Could Gut Climate Policy

Dozens of conservative organizations have banded together to provide Trump a road map -- known as Project 2025 -- if he prevails in November. It outlines a series of steps that the former president could take to reverse the climate actions taken by the Biden administration. E&E News

U.S.

A Superfund for climate change? States consider a new way to make Big Oil pay.

Vermont joins three others in trying to make the fossil fuel industry finance climate action. Grist

U.S.

Biden paused LNG export approvals, but activists say fight is far from over

The pause on new LNG export approvals marks the start of what is certain to be a highly politicized and drawn-out process that's playing out during a presidential election year. Canary Media

U.S.

Cryptocurrency Companies Must Now Report Their Energy Use to the Government

The Biden administration is now requiring some cryptocurrency producers to report their energy use following rising concerns that the growing industry could pose a threat to the nation's electricity grids and exacerbate climate change. The Energy Information Administration announced last week that it would start collecting energy use data from more than 130 "identified commercial cryptocurrency miners" operating in the U.S. The survey, which started this week, aims to get a sense of how the industry's energy demand is evolving and where in the country cryptocurrency operations are growing fastest. Inside Climate News

U.S.

EPA finalizes new standards for deadly particulate matter

EPA released the final version of a much-anticipated rule Feb. 7 that tightens restrictions on fine particulate matter -- one of the most pervasive and dangerous forms of air pollution. This is the EPA's first update to its particulate matter standard in more than a decade, and the agency said it expects the new rule to save thousands of American lives every year. Grist

U.S.

Ignoring Indigenous rights is making the green transition more expensive

Gone are the days when developers could ignore Indigenous rights with impunity. Now, even if projects that threaten Native land and cultural resources ultimately proceed, they may come with years-long delays that tack on millions of dollars. Salon

U.S.

The U.S. Has Big Plans for Wind Energy -- but an Obscure 1920s Law Is Getting in the Way

Also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, the Jones Act requires anyone transporting goods from one point in the United States to another to use an American ship. Wired

U.S.

These Are the Climate Grannies. They'll Do Whatever It Takes to Protect Their Grandchildren

They have the generational wisdom, environmental activism experience, free time--and they're not afraid of getting arrested. Inside Climate News

Pennsylvania

In His First Year as Governor, Josh Shapiro Forged Alliances With the Natural Gas Industry, Angering Environmentalists Who Once Supported Him

Pennsylvania's Democratic governor has sought to regulate natural gas development and embrace it at the same time, a sharp contrast to his approach to fracking as attorney general. Inside Climate News

U.S.

These US policies incentivize sustainable beef production

The Farm Bill, a massive piece of legislation passed every five years or so, is the main driver of a wide range of agricultural tax credits, subsidy, and loan programs. It has two main conservation and emissions reduction funding programs: the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. The New York Times

U.S.

Tribal lawsuits threaten Biden's clean energy push

Tribal litigation targeting the Osage Wind and Line 5 projects could carry important lessons for the Biden administration, which has poured billions of dollars into renewable energy development following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. E&E News

U.S.

Trump 2.0 -- 'In A Word, Horrific': Trump's Extreme Anti-Environment Blueprint

Allies and advisers have hinted at a more methodical second term: driving forward fossil fuel production, sidelining scientists and overturning rules The Guardian

U.S.

Trump 2.0 -- 'Somewhat terrified': A key Biden official gets candid on Trump's agenda

Eric Beightel, one of the Biden administration's top infrastructure officials, worries that the ex-president's return would be "catastrophic" for clean energy projects -- especially offshore wind. Politico

U.S.

U.S. strengthens national soot standards, industry objects

It affects several sectors from electricity and petrochemical production to oil and gas refining. Reuters

U.S.

Why Joseph Goffman's Senate Confirmation Could Be a Win for Climate Action and Equity

As EPA assistant administrator, Goffman will oversee the crafting and implementation of rules that are critical to the agency's efforts to tackle climate change and environmental injustice. Inside Climate News

Vermont

A bill that would reform the renewable energy standard in Vermont clears key panel

Right now, utilities are required to purchase 75% of their power from renewable sources by 2032. The bill would increase that amount to 100% by 2030. VTDigger

Vermont

OPINION: Stephen Gorman: Don't make it harder for the public to object to new industrial-scale renewable energy projects

Rather than replace wild living trees with industrial dead solar panels, rather than surrender the Biosphere and the Ethnosphere to the Technosphere, we need to start saving every wild acre left, and begin rewilding wherever we can, writes Stephen Gorman of Norwich, an internationally recognized photographer and bestselling author of books about the outside. Vermont Digger

Pennsylvania

Increasing alternative energy standards would bring billions in investment to Pennsylvania

Three business groups crunched the numbers and found that, if a 30% by 2030 plan was enacted, more than $13.1 billion could be invested in Pennsylvania in that time period and 129,000 jobs could be created. pv Magazine

North Carolina

Polls show most conservatives like clean energy. So why isn't the North Carolina GOP doing more to support it?

Special interest groups, far-right misinformation, and entrenched individual lawmakers are among the barriers facing clean energy policy in this purple state. Energy News Network

Hawaii

HECO-Backed Bill Would Help Protect Utilities From Litigation Over Wildfire Damage

Two state House committees advanced a bill Feb. 2 to create a fund that would help shield large property owners, utilities such as Hawaiian Electric and the state from lawsuits over property damage caused by future wildfires. Civil Beat

International

U.N. Climate Chief Warns Countries Against 'Hiding Behind Loopholes'

In a speech Feb. 2, the United Nations climate chief painted an optimistic picture of the fight against global warming while taking a jab at countries that avoid meeting their obligations by "hiding behind loopholes" in global agreements. The comments delivered by Simon Stiell amounted to an early attempt to set expectations for the next round of United Nations climate talks, scheduled for November in Azerbaijan. It will be the second year running that a major exporter of fossil fuels hosts the talks (the last round was in the United Arab Emirates), a fact that has drawn sharp criticism given the central role of fossil fuels in producing the greenhouse gases that drive global warming. The New York Times

International

Biden Picks John Podesta to Replace His Departing Climate Envoy

President Biden has tapped John Podesta, his adviser on clean energy and a seasoned political strategist, to succeed John Kerry as his global representative on climate, the White House confirmed Jan. 31. Podesta, 75, will take on that international role in addition to his current White House job overseeing $370 billion in spending on clean energy projects under the landmark 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The New York Times

International

Europe finalizes answer to U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, aims to become net zero continent by 2050

The Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) aims to make the continent a leader in the cleantech space and help local industry compete with rivals China and the U.S. Emerging Technology News

International

European Commission's new target: cutting EU greenhouse emissions by 90% by 2040 from 1990 levels

This intermediary step bridges the gap between the EU's existing goals to cut net emissions 55% by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. World Resources Institute

International

John Podesta is a DC veteran. Can he make climate deals on the world stage?

John Podesta already has a lot on his plate. Now, in the wake of another landmark climate agreement at COP28, he's also going to take over the job of representing the U.S. on the world stage. However, Podesta has less experience in foreign policy than his predecessor. Grist

International

Making Farming More Climate Friendly Is Hard. Just Ask Europe's Politicians.

The farmers' protests in Europe are a harbinger of the next big political challenge in global climate action: how to grow food without further damaging Earth's climate and biodiversity. On Feb. 6, after weeks of intense protests in several cities across the continent, came the most explicit sign of that difficulty. The European Union's top official, Ursula von der Leyen, abandoned an ambitious bill to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and softened the European Commission's next raft of recommendations on cutting agricultural pollution. The New York Times

International

OPINION: The United Nations wants the U.S. to eat less meat -- try telling that to Congress

The FAO called for countries like the United States to reduce meat consumption to combat global warming, while the U.S. Farm Bill spends billions to make high-emissions meat cheap for consumers and profitable for factory farms, writes Alexandra Bookis, senior manager of U.S. Government Affairs at Farm Sanctuary. The Hill

International

Policy Experts Say the UN Climate Talks Need Reform, but Change Would be Difficult in the Current Political Landscape

Limiting the size of the annual conference, eliminating conflicts of interest and adopting enforceable agreements with a voting system could help speed up global climate action, research shows. Inside Climate News

International

Two Thirds of Energy Consumers Unwilling to Spend More Time and Money to be Sustainable

EY research has found that 65% of energy consumers know how to start making sustainable energy choices but 70% say they will not spend more time or money doing so. Further, consumers struggle to recognize the benefits of their efforts as the energy system falls short on affordability, access and appeal. Energy companies can seize the opportunity to close the gap between consumer interest and action by engaging and activating every participant. EY

Iowa

New eminent domain bill gains momentum in the House

A bill that would allow state legislators to pause carbon dioxide pipeline permit proceedings and give landowners the opportunity to challenge eminent domain requests earlier in those proceedings was advanced by an Iowa House subcommittee Jan. 31. Iowa Capital Dispatch

New Jersey

New Jersey explores sunset of fossil fuel power plants

Proposed constitutional amendment would bar new plants, phasing out existing ones New Jersey Monitor

Maine

Maine DEP Proposes Compensatory Program for Renewable Projects Subject to Site Law

The proposed rule is broad, applying to renewable energy projects that will cause adverse effects requiring off-site habitat improvements or preservation because the impacts cannot be avoided through alternative siting or project design. JD Supra

Maryland

House leaders prepping legislation to boost Maryland offshore wind

A bill would buttress USWind, the one company fully committed to building wind installations in federal waters near Maryland, and encourage more players to enter the marketplace. Maryland Matters

Maryland

Poll shows wide support in Md. for making polluters pay for climate change

As environmental advocates begin to push an audacious plan to make polluters compensate the state for the ravages of climate change, they are now armed with a poll showing voters want policymakers to be tough with fossil fuel companies. The Chesapeake Climate Action Network released the poll as lawmakers start to consider legislation that would make the 40 largest emitters of greenhouse gases in Maryland pay vast sums of money to the state for environmental degradation. Maryland Matters

Mississippi

Mississippi to soon have its first state 'climate action plan'

Mississippi, as much of the South, including Alabama, Tennessee, Texas and Georgia, does not have what's called a "climate action plan." But soon, almost every state will have one thanks to recent financial incentives from the Environmental Protection Agency. As part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the EPA is giving states $3 million each to develop an initial climate action plan by March. Mississippi Today

Missouri

Gov. Parson announces leadership designations to Public Service, Human Rights Commissions

Gov. Mike Parson has announced that he has designated Missouri Public Service Commission member Kayla Hahn as chair, Missouri Commission on Human Rights member Al Li as chair and Missouri Commission on Human Rights member Brittney Southworth as vice chair. Office of Governor Michael L. Parson

Montana

Trial date set for charges against Randy Pinocci, Montana Public Service Commissioner

A lawyer defending Randy Pinocci said he hopes three charges against the Public Service Commissioner will be dropped -- but the Cascade County prosecutor said that doesn't appear likely. Pinocci, a Republican who represents a wide swath of central and eastern Montana, was arrested in September after failing to appear in court for a disorderly conduct misdemeanor charge. Daily Montanan

New Hampshire

Five years later, New Hampshire's community power law is reshaping the electricity market

Another 29 communities are planning to enjoy the lower rate after they launch their own programs this spring, effectively making the statewide coalition the second-largest electrical supplier in the state. New Hampshire Bulletin

New Hampshire

Five years later, New Hampshire's community power law is reshaping the electricity market

Member towns in New Hampshire's year-old Community Power Coalition are reaping the benefits of banding together to buy electricity on their own. As of Feb. 1, residential and small commercial customers in the coalition's 16 active member communities will pay a base electricity rate of 8.1 cents per kilowatt-hour, a 26% reduction from their already-competitive rate of 10.9 cents per kWh. Energy News Network

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Public Service Commission Chair Volcq leaves job

Rebecca Cameron Valcq's last day at the Wisconsin Public Service Commission was Feb. 2. Valcq was appointed in 2019 and brought the commission to Wisconsin communities for listening sessions and conducted outreach initiatives to bring more people to the table on commission business. Simultaneously, during Valcq's tenure, the regulators oversaw a massive expansion of renewable energy in Wisconsin and over $1 billion poured into the state to upgrade internet service for hundreds of thousands of residents. The Capital Times