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Top Story
George W. Bush’s EPA chief thinks Biden will revert agency to pre-Trump era
“It’s not going to be hard for him to show the commitment that he has” to the environment and climate change, which will help “alleviate a lot of the tension” that’s been at the EPA during the Trump administration, Whitman told the Washington Examiner in a recent interview. “There was not much belief, with good reason, that this particular administration cared about anything in the environment,” she added of President Trump’s White House. “The environment was just seen as an impediment to the president doing what he wanted to do relative to various industries and the base, basically, because that’s all he really focused on.” [ read more … ]
The Transition
John Kerry brings gravitas, muscle to climate diplomacy
White House climate leads under President Obama — former Clinton EPA Administrator Carol Browner and counselor to the president John Podesta — had a hand in molding domestic and international policies. Kerry’s role would be focused internationally. Kerry’s stature and close relationship to Biden, with whom he served with for decades in the Senate, ensures he would represent the U.S. climate agenda in the highest diplomatic circles, including meetings with foreign leaders. [ read more … ]
Biden sends signal he is serious about climate change with John Kerry pick
The latest sign that Joe Biden plans to make tackling climate change a priority is his choice for chief climate diplomat. The president-elect is tapping John Kerry, the former secretary of state and the Democratic Party’s 2004 presidential nominee, to be his presidential climate envoy, the campaign announced Monday. Installing the senior statesman into the newly created position gives it gravitas at a time when U.S. credibility abroad on global warming and other issues has waned under President Trump. [ read more … ]
Biden’s Cabinet picks could transform energy world
President-elect Joe Biden’s choices for Cabinet posts and high-level appointments yesterday signal a dramatic shift in U.S. energy and climate policy — with former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen likely as Treasury secretary and former Secretary of State John Kerry named as Biden’s special presidential envoy for climate. Although Biden is expected next month to name a domestic “climate czar” — a position designed to coordinate climate issues throughout federal agencies — the picks point to an administration already facing pressure to deliver on its sweeping campaign pledges, such as reaching 100% clean electricity over the next 15 years. [ read more … ]
Wind Energy
Forget landfills; wind blades can be melted and recycled
Researchers have developed a wind turbine blade that costs less and appears to be recyclable, two attributes that could accelerate the rapid growth of both onshore and offshore wind around the world. The innovation may also reduce rising transportation costs because blades for taller turbines can now be as long as 262 feet, almost the length of a football field. [ read more … ]
Solar Energy
Company announces largest U.S. solar project in history
A Chicago-based company is developing the nation’s largest-ever solar power project in Texas, fueled by corporate interest in renewable energy. Invenergy LLC announced the Samson Solar Energy Center last week, saying its electricity will go to companies such as AT&T Inc. and McDonald’s Corp. The $1.6 billion project in northeastern Texas is designed to have a 1,310-megawatt capacity when fully operational in 2023. Invenergy said Samson, now under construction, will be built in five phases.
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Natural Gas
The fossil fuel industry wants you to believe it’s good for people of color
Writing in July, three U.S. governors and the chair of the Ute Indian Tribe praised the Energía Costa Azul project — which was seeking approval from the Mexican government — as “one of the most promising [liquefied natural gas] export facilities on the Pacific Coast.” The letter was arranged by Western States and Tribal Nations, an advocacy group that says it was created in part to “promote tribal self-determination” by creating easier access to overseas markets for gas extracted from Native American lands. But internal documents shared with The Times reveal that the group’s main financial backers are county governments and fossil fuel companies — including a subsidiary of San Diego-based Sempra Energy, which received approval this month to build the $1.9-billion facility in Baja. In fact, the group has just one tribal member, the Ute Indian Tribe. [ read more … ]
EVs
Musk Hints Again at Longer-Range Teslas and Hatchback for Europe
Elon Musk briefed a European battery conference on Tesla Inc.’s efforts to bring longer-range electric cars to market in the coming years, though he broke little new ground with regard to timing or other specifics. Tesla will debut improved versions of existing models that approach 700 kilometers (435 miles) of range and has cars under development for the long term that could reach 1,000 kilometers, the chief executive officer said Tuesday. Musk has tweeted before that the revived Roadster model will cross that threshold, but the car is years behind schedule. [ read more … ]
Calif. will make Uber and Lyft nearly all-EV by 2030
California regulators have strengthened their plans to limit climate pollution by companies like Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. to such an extent that they will be required to run nearly all-electric fleets by 2030. The plan doesn’t require every driver to be behind the wheel of an electric vehicle, but it makes up for their tailpipe waste by nudging the ride-hailing giants to take other measures like investing in bike lanes or meshing with bus networks. [ read more … ]
Plug-in hybrids in new emissions scandal as tests show higher pollution than claimed
The BMW X5, Volvo XC60 and Mitsubishi Outlander emitted 28-89% more CO2 than advertised when tested by Emissions Analytics on a fully charged battery in optimal conditions. On an empty battery, they emitted three to eight times more than official values. When driven in battery-charging mode, which could become more common as motorists charge up ahead of using electric mode in low-emissions zones, the PHEVs emitted three to 12 times more.
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Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.