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FERC picks caught in EPA confirmation fight
Two nominees for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are stuck in an ongoing fight over several of President Trump’s picks for top-level spots at U.S. EPA. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) last week blocked an effort from Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to advance the two FERC nominees over his objection to one of them, Democratic Senate aide Richard Glick [ read more … ]
Perry’s warning aside, FERC staff sees no winter grid threat
After hearing a staff report downplaying potential winter grid problems, FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee declined to say whether he thinks there is a “crisis at hand” in energy markets, as the Department of Energy has warned. “We need to constantly be vigilant and monitor the grid,” he told reporters. [ read more … ]
Bipartisan group of former FERC commissioners rejects energy secretary’s bid to help coal plants
Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s bid to change regulations to help coal and nuclear power plants has run into unusually blunt opposition from a group of former regulators from both parties. Eight former members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — including five former chairmen — have filed a letter with the commission opposing Perry’s proposal that would give coal and nuclear plants credit for resilience so that they would have a better chance of beating solar, wind and natural gas competitors. [ read more … ]
Former commissioners oppose DOE proposal
Eight former members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said yesterday that the agency should not follow through with a Department of Energy proposal to compensate coal and nuclear plants. The bipartisan group, which includes five former chairmen from both parties, wrote in comments on the official docket for the proposed rule. [ read more … ]
Facebook will buy renewable energy from northeast Nebraska wind development, breathing new life into dormant project
Facebook’s sprawling Papillion data center project has breathed new life into a dormant wind development project in northeast Nebraska. The social media company on Thursday said it would procure renewable energy from the Rattlesnake Creek wind project in Dixon County, just west of South Sioux City and situated between the towns of Allen, Emerson and Wakefield. [ read more … ]
We asked 4 agency bosses about Trump. They’re worried
Take it from four former U.S. EPA chiefs — this is all going to get much worse before it gets better. President Trump once remarked that he “could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.” In these political times, when in Congress not one Republican is to the left of a Democrat and not one Democrat is to the right of a Republican, the regulatory mission of EPA is being taxed by the growing gulf between parties. [ read more … ]
War over Ohio clean energy standards heats up — again
Industrial groups, fossil fuel interests and conservative groups are leading a push for the Legislature to relax Ohio’s renewable and energy efficiency standards. They maintain the current requirements are costly, market-distorting mandates. But renewable companies, environmentalists and a collection of big-name corporations — including Whirlpool Corp. and Dow Chemical Co. — are defending the standards as cost-cutting, pollution-slashing, job-creating incentives. [ read more … ]
Gore says sustainable energy will win — the question is whether it will win in time
This might seem a tough time for environmentalists to be optimistic, what with President Donald Trump rolling back environmental regulations even amid mounting evidence of global climate change. But former Vice President Al Gore is trying. [ read more … ]
South Dakota County Approves Wind Ordinance Changes
This week the Hughes County, South Dakota Commission approved a change in their wind ordinance. It adds some restrictions, including an increase in setbacks and keeps the wind projects away from smaller communities in the county. [ read more … ]
Dong hooks Aqualis off NJ
Dong Energy has awarded Aqualis Offshore a contract to provide geotechnical site investigation supervision services at the 1GW Ocean Wind offshore project off the coast of New Jersey. The work covers supervision services for the geotechnical campaign to support the further development of the 64,944 hectare site, approximately 10 nautical miles off Atlantic City. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.