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Pruitt talks tough over Calif. tailpipe standards
“Despite his oil-soaked proclamations, the ultimate authority on fuel economy emissions standards is not Scott Pruitt, it is the Clean Air Act,” said Senator Markey. “The law is clear that California and other states such as Massachusetts are able to take action to issue these standards. … Since the passage of the Clean Air Act, over 100 waivers have been issued to California for vehicle emissions. None has ever been rescinded.” [ read more … ]
Walmart signs on with Oklahoma’s Wind Catcher energy project
The $4.5 billion Wind Catcher project includes acquisition of a 2,000-megawatt wind farm being built in Guymon in the Oklahoma Panhandle. It will tie into a line to the Tulsa area, where the energy will be delivered to customers there. In its deal to provide Walmart with wind energy, PSO made additional guarantees including new reporting requirements, a lower cost cap on project construction costs, and other assurances. [ read more … ]
Policy & Politics
Iowa wind blade maker laying off 200 workers
“Business volume at this location through the 2018 fiscal year does not support the existing workforce level,” a statement from Siemens said. “While we remain strongly committed to the long-term viability of the U.S. wind market, a difficult decision has been made to adjust the Fort Madison workforce by about 200 employees. As a reflection of the importance of Fort Madison to our business strategy moving forward, we are making a significant capital investment at the plant to install additional blade molds for new wind turbine models.” [ read more … ]
Ocean City’s effort to keep windmills far offshore fails as Maryland delegates reject proposal
Ocean City officials have said that the sight of windmills on the horizon could dampen tourism spending and send visitors to the Jersey Shore or Virginia Beach. Two offshore wind developers are planning to build turbines off Maryland’s coast, after state regulators last year approved ratepayer subsidies for the projects that could cost typical utility customers $1 a month. [ read more … ]
VW Just Gave Tesla a $25 Billion Battery Shock
With the powerpack deliveries secured for its two biggest markets, a deal for North America will follow shortly, Volkswagen said. In total, the Wolfsburg-based automaker has said it plans to purchase about 50 billion euros in batteries as part of its electric-car push, which includes three new models in 2018 with dozens more following. Volkswagen’s battery plans compare to Tesla’s $17.5 billion worth of purchase obligations as of last year, including $15.4 billion in deals through 2022, primarily related to buying lithium-ion cells from Panasonic, according to a recent filing. Volkswagen called its battery tender one of the biggest purchasing initiatives in the auto industry [ read more … ]
Cleaner grid helps EVs cut their emissions
Electric cars are getting a boost from a cleaner grid in their race to a lower carbon footprint. The EV market is getting cleaner every year because electricity is increasingly derived from renewable energy and natural gas. Gasoline-powered cars, meanwhile, are only minimally improving their fuel efficiency, if at all. [ read more … ]
Zinke trades barbs with Democrats in heated hearing
Ryan Zinke today angrily defended his travel as Interior secretary before a Senate committee, telling the panel’s top Democrat that he resented her “insults.” Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) asked Zinke during an Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the fiscal 2019 budget whether he thought it was “a mistake” to take “a private jet home from Las Vegas.” [ read more … ]
Kudlow, a Trump favorite, has criticized climate ‘alarmists’
Larry Kudlow has been a cable news pundit, an anti-war organizer nicknamed “Kuddles,” a top economics adviser to President Reagan and a recovering drug addict. Now, the longtime public figure and Washington insider is the apparent front-runner for a key White House energy policy job. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.