View this email in a web browser.
We have to do something about warming — Barrasso
Conservatives and the energy industry are laying out their own path forward on climate change, as a growing coalition of progressives increasingly give the issue a refreshed public face. In an op-ed published this morning, Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) wrote that there are “three truths” for policymakers looking to reduce carbon emissions. [ read more … ]
Op-Ed: Cut Carbon Through Innovation, Not Regulation
Leaders from nearly 200 countries met in Katowice, Poland, last week and agreed to rules to carry out the Paris climate accord. Now that the 22,000 delegates have returned home, there are three truths they need to recognize to make actual progress in the hard work of lowering carbon dioxide emissions across the globe. The first is, the climate is changing and we, collectively, have a responsibility to do something about it. Second, the United States and the world will continue to rely on affordable and abundant fossil fuels, including coal, to power our economies for decades to come. And third, innovation, not new taxes or punishing global agreements, is the ultimate solution. [ read more … ]
Policy & Politics
New Jersey to rejoin climate program in 2020
New Jersey officials proposed two rules yesterday that would re-enter the state in a multistate cap-and-trade program that former Republican Gov. Chris Christie called “gimmicky” in 2011. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has promised since taking office in January to reverse Christie’s move to withdraw the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the United States’ first regional carbon market to address climate change. [ read more … ]
New York Gov. Cuomo pledges 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 Catherine Morehouse
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D, on Monday pledged to bring New York to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 in a speech laying out his agenda for the first 100 days of 2019. The pledge follows the New York Public Service Commission’s Friday order approving plans to implement the third stage of its Clean Energy Standard (CES), which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, with 50% of the state’s electricity coming from renewables by 2030. And on Thursday, the commission approved the most ambitious energy storage target in the country — 3 GW by 2030 and 1.5 GW by 2025 — as well as a target aimed at doubling utility energy efficiency progress by 2025. [ read more … ]
Twin Cities plan to power buses by electricity
The public transit agency serving the Twin Cities is advancing efforts to have all of its buses powered by electricity. Metro Transit plans to buy more electric buses in the next few years and eventually phase out diesel buses, the Star Tribune reports. The plan has drawn support from environmentalists, labor unions and transit advocacy groups. [ read more … ]
Siemens: Cities are prioritizing electrification, but grid modernization is required
A new Siemens report has found electrification is a big priority for cities in North America and will continue to be emphasized, although leaders will need to make tough decisions to modify their electric grids to support the change. The report, entitled “Technology Pathways for Creating Smarter, More Prosperous and Greener Cities,” used the company’s City Performance Tool to pull in data from 70 different areas of city life. It has assessed 40 cities globally, of which 11 are in North Ame [ read more … ]
Russian ‘information warfare’ antagonized greens
Russian attacks on the 2016 elections exploited energy issues to fire up voters on Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts. The Russian campaign promoted third-party candidates who ran for office to “save the planet” and blasted out memes that mocked oil companies as part of a misinformation effort to help Donald Trump in the presidential election, according to two reports released yesterday by the Senate Intelligence Committee. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.