View this email in a web browser.
How the Weather Gets Weaponized in Climate Change Messaging
“Weather, and especially extreme weather, is how most people will experience climate change,” said Susan Joy Hassol, director of the science outreach nonprofit group Climate Communication. “You don’t experience the slow change in average temperature. What you experience are the changes in extreme weather that are brought about. So how we talk about that is really important.” [ read more … ]
Policy & Politics
Bill would boost Illinois renewables, keep nuclear, squeeze coal
A sprawling energy and jobs bill introduced in Illinois yesterday envisions a steep ramp-up for wind and solar energy — one that supporters say would produce a variety of social, economic and environmental benefits. The 365-page “Clean Energy Jobs Act” would double the state’s renewable energy standard to 50 percent by 2030, enabling 8,000 megawatts of new wind energy over the next decade and 16,000 MW of solar. [ read more … ]
Duke to study how high volume of renewables affects grid
What happens to a large electric utility grid if half of the generation on it comes from renewable sources? That’s what Duke Energy Corp. aims to find out. Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke is partnering with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to learn how its grid would function if the amount of solar, wind, storage and other renewables was as high as 50 percent. [ read more … ]
IEA chief lines up with Trump on deregulation, fossil fuels
Deregulation of energy permitting and more support for carbon capture and nuclear power are needed to support U.S. energy and national security interests, the chief of the International Energy Agency told a Senate panel last week. The policy recommendations outlined by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol aligned with the Trump administration’s “energy dominance” platform, which argues for a continuing role for ascendant fossil energy and sweeping away barriers to production.
[ read more … ]
Jay Inslee says fighting climate change his ‘No. 1 priority’
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) entered the 2020 presidential race with a pledge to make fighting climate change his top priority. The outspoken climate advocate, who has unsuccessfully pushed for measures to charge companies that emit greenhouse gases both nationally and in the Evergreen State, is entering a historically crowded and competitive Democratic field hoping to face off against President Trump. [ read more … ]
U.S. oil imports hit 23-year low
The U.S. imported the least amount of crude oil on a weekly basis in 23 years, as OPEC members Saudi Arabia and Venezuela cut their shipments to unusually low levels. Weekly crude imports fell 1.61 million barrels a day to 5.92 million, the lowest level since 1996. Weekly imports from Saudi Arabia fell to 346,000 barrels a day for the week ending Feb. 22, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Wednesday. Domestic crude production skyrocketed to 12.1 million barrels a day. [ read more … ]
Tesla to close most stores as it launches Model 3
Tesla Inc. announced a price reduction yesterday for its Model 3, setting a $35,000 benchmark for the car billed as the company’s first mass-market model. And in an about-face, the automaker also said it would close most of its brick-and-mortar sales locations in coming months, preserving a few as showcases and information centers in high-traffic areas. The company had been pushing hard to expand storefronts for selling solar roofs and batteries. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.