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Rhode Island project may become nation’s first offshore wind farm
While problems have mounted for Cape Wind’s 130-turbine installation, a smaller developer may steal its thunder. Deepwater Wind, a Providence-based renewable energy developer, said Monday that its Block Island wind farm project was fully financed. The $250 million, five-turbine project is on track to put “steel in the water” in Rhode Island state waters later this summer, the company said, and begin generating 30 megawatts of power in 2016. [ read more … ]
Dems stop Colorado renewable-energy rollback
Colorado Democrats controlling a House of Representatives committee on Monday killed a Republican attempt to roll back rural renewable-energy standards. The measure made it through the Republican-controlled Senate last month but faced an uphill climb in the House, where Democrats on the State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee ended the effort by a 6-5 party-line vote. [ read more … ]
Scott Walker wants to end funding for renewable energy program
In an about-face from his first term, Gov. Scott Walker wants to eliminate funding for a University of Wisconsin-Madison renewable energy research center that has played a key role in helping land one of its biggest government grants ever. In his budget, Walker is proposing to eliminate $8.1 million over two years — a total of 35 positions — from a bioenergy program. The reductions are separate from his proposal to cut $300 million from the University of Wisconsin System over the next two years. [ read more … ]
Comment: Is renewable energy part of the ‘all of the above’ strategy?
In the Midwest, the support for renewable fuels is clearly bipartisan. Gov. Terry Brandstad (R) of Iowa is one of their most vocal champions. As far as solar power is concerned, the industry’s support is from coast to coast, including Govs. Pat McCrory (R-N.C.) and Brian Sandoval (R-Nev.) and former Gov. Jan Brewer (R-Ariz.). Plus, wind power farms can be found in 39 states and that only happens when political support exists amongst mayors, city councils, state legislatures and governors [ read more … ]
Most Americans see combating climate change as a moral duty
Two-thirds of respondents (66 percent) said that world leaders are morally obligated to take action to reduce CO2 emissions. And 72 percent said they were “personally morally obligated” to do what they can in their daily lives to reduce emissions. “When climate change is viewed through a moral lens it has broader appeal,” said Eric Sapp, executive director of the American Values Network, a grassroots organization that mobilizes faith-based communities on politics and policy issues. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.