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Trump Withholding $823 Million for Clean Energy, Democrats Say
The Trump administration is withholding nearly a billion dollars for a clean energy program it has unsuccessfully tried to cut, congressional Democrats said Wednesday, raising the specter of political interference. The unspent funds now amount to $823 million in the Energy Department’s office that provides grants and other financial assistance for alternative energy, electric vehicles and energy efficiency, according to Democrats on the House Science Committee, which is holding a joint subcommittee hearing on the topic. [ read more … ]
Wind Energy
Floating wind turbines poised to grow but hampered by costs
Most of the growth of offshore wind is expected to be in areas suitable for turbines fixed to the sea bed, according to the study. Only a small fraction of offshore wind capacity over the next eight years will be from floating wind turbines, a technology undergoing rapid changes as developers try new versions of the technology. Within about two years, about 350 megawatts of floating demonstrators are expected to be deployed, strengthening the case for floating turbines, according to the study. More than 75 floating wind concepts have already been introduced and experienced developers are starting to position themselves more aggressively in the floating industry by forging alliances and building up floating wind supply chain pipelines.
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First in the nation: Iowa’s wind energy success story
In central Iowa and all across our state, Iowans are working to cultivate an environment that will attract long-term business growth and retention. We need the workforce, the resources, and the job opportunities to remain competitive on the national scale. Fortunately, Iowa isn’t just a state that’s good at attracting presidential candidates. We’re a state that’s tapped into sustainable resources to form a 21st-century economy. Iowa is now leading the nation in the fastest-growing — and cheapest — renewable energy source: wind energy. [ read more … ]
The Big Dirty Secret Behind Wind Power
One of the major news stories of the week was the acquittal of U.S. President Donald Trump. As part of his effort to get Ukraine to probe a political rival, Trump withheld almost $400 million in aid appropriated by Congress for Ukraine’s defense. Now Democrats say Trump is doing something similar on clean energy, withholding $823 million Congress allocated for a program aimed at countering the global climate crisis. Despite Trump’s unwavering opposition to climate-friendly policies, the switch to renewable energy continues. Texas and Iowa, already leaders in the field, installed more wind turbines than ever last year. The country as a whole installed 9.1 gigawatts of wind power in 2019, the most since the expiration of federal tax credits triggered a building boom almost a decade ago. [ read more … ]
Grid
Illinois governor wants clean energy legislation, could push state out of PJM power grid
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker called on the state legislature to pass clean energy legislation in his State of the State address, providing a boost to advocates of the Clean Energy Jobs Act, which could push the state out of the PJM power grid. PJM Interconnection operates the power system in 13 states from Illinois to New Jersey. [ read more … ]
Car Rule
Justice Department Drops Antitrust Probe Against Automakers That Sided With California on Emissions
The Justice Department has dropped its antitrust inquiry into four automakers that had sided with California in its dispute with the Trump administration over reducing climate-warming vehicle pollution, deciding that the companies had violated no laws, according to people familiar with the matter. The investigation, launched last September, had escalated a dispute over one of President Trump’s most significant rollbacks of global warming regulations. The Justice Department’s move was one of a slew of seemingly retributive actions by the White House against California, as the state worked with the four automakers — Ford Motor Company, Volkswagen of America, Honda and BMW — to defy Mr. Trump’s planned rollback of national fuel economy standards. [ read more … ]
EVs
U.S. House Democrats propose electric vehicle charging network
Two U.S. lawmakers on Thursday unveiled legislation that would create a nationwide electric vehicle (EV) charging network to promote the shift from gasoline-powered vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Democratic Representatives Andy Levin and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez released legislation dubbed the “EV Freedom Act” to create a network of high-speed charging stations within five years along the public roads of the national highway system in the United States at a U.S. Capitol press conference. [ read more … ]
2020
Power to the people: Bernie calls for federal takeover of electricity production
The Sanders campaign has defended its plan as the only one that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions quickly enough to meaningfully combat climate change, and his allies have applauded his desire to take on the utility industry, which for decades resisted climate action. “This threat is beyond ideology — it’s a question of life and death,” said Sanders’ national policy director Josh Orton. “That’s why [Bernie’s] plan is not only the most comprehensive, but is truly the only plan that makes the investments necessary to prevent irreversible damage to the planet.” [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.