Energy Policy / Public News Service

The Land of Enchantment has plenty of sunshine and some of the best solar incentives in the U.S. (Kristina Blokhin/Adobe Stock)

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Personal energy electrification plans offered at NM Earth Day event

Saving New Mexico residents money as they adapt to climate change is the goal behind an Earth Day event in Albuquerque Sunday. The Rio Grande …

The New York HEAT Act could cut utility bills nearly in half for 1 in 4 energy-burdened New Yorkers. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Advocates want NY HEAT Act in the final budget

The New York HEAT Act might not make the final budget. The bill reduces the state's reliance on natural gas and cuts ratepayer costs by eliminating …

Tax credits for home solar projects have been around for a while and local leaders in Wisconsin noted new federal policies have been more aggressive in helping governments, businesses and homeowners offset costs of installing panels. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, April 18, 2024

A snapshot of federal investments being put to use in WI

City and county governments are feeling the pinch of rising operating costs but in Wisconsin, federal incentives are driving a range of local …

Environmental advocates are asking California's next state budget to prioritize climate mitigation and cut tax breaks for fossil fuel companies. (The Climate Center)

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Climate groups seek to remove tax breaks for oil and gas companies

As state budget negotiations continue, groups fighting climate change are asking California lawmakers to cut subsidies for oil and gas companies …

According to research from Virginia Commonwealth University, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative created 2,115 local jobs in Virginia. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

VA General Assembly considers RGGI budget amendments

Virginia's General Assembly will consider budget amendments to reenter the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, known as RGGI. Gov. Glenn Youngkin …

Despite a looming 2030 deadline to dramatically reduce fossil fuel emissions in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, PacifiCorp has ditched plans to invest big in wind and solar. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, April 15, 2024

Pacificorp throws a lifeline to Wyoming coal and natural gas industry

PacifiCorp's updated energy roadmap throws a lifeline to Wyoming's coal industry but critics said the new Integrated Resource Plan is a major setback …

Gas flaring has persisted from the beginning of oil production more than 160 years ago. (supakitmod/Adobe Stock)

Monday, April 15, 2024

TX faith, environmental groups hopeful about new EPA methane rule

Oil and gas companies have until 2025 to reduce the emissions they release into the air through the practices known as venting and flaring. You may …

Enbridge owns and operates Line 5, a controversial oil pipeline that crosses tribal lands and runs under a portion of the Great Lakes. (Adobe Stock)

Midwest Tribes to take Line 5 concerns to United Nations forum

Next week, Native American leaders from the Midwest will go before a United Nations panel with their concerns over a controversial oil pipeline they …

Governor Ned Lamont's budget proposal advocates using $5.75 million in ARPA funds to support statewide resiliency and climate preparedness. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates: CT General Assembly must act on climate bills

Connecticut's General Assembly is weighing several climate change bills. It comes after what advocates describe as detrimental inaction on the …

Protesters rallied in San Diego in 2012 against trade agreements that allow corporations to sue for future profits when governments deny permits. (Arthur Stamoulis/Trade Justice Education Fund)<br />

Climate activists call on U.S. company to halt trade lawsuit over LNG

Environmental activists are rallying today in Sunnyvale, asking the American company Ruby River Capital to drop a lawsuit the protesters called "a …

A Charlotte Earth Day event will provide children with an Earth Passport, which will help guide them through four

A focus on environmental protection, advocacy for NC Earth Day

April is Earth Month, and North Carolina's climate justice groups are addressing the crucial roles of air, land, water and health in protecting the …

For renewable energy, Wisconsin has traditionally lagged behind other Midwestern states in such areas as solar development but federal policies are now giving the Badger State a boost to carry out more projects. (Adobe Stock)

WI utilities make union jobs a priority for green projects

With the help of federal aid, Wisconsin is catching up to neighboring states in accelerating clean energy construction projects and the Badger State …

Mayor Lenise Peterman spoke with a participant at the Coal Country at a Crossroads Listening Session. (United Today, Stronger Tomorrow)

Utah mayor calls for more federal dollars for rural communities

Federal and agency officials convened with stakeholders in Southeastern Utah to discuss how federal funds can help grow and strengthen local economies…

New York aims to create 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035. By contrast, New Jersey is looking to create 11,000 megawatts by 2040. (Adobe Stock)

Offshore wind does more than aid NY, NJ clean energy futures

Despite different outcomes - New York's first offshore wind farm came online and New Jersey had one canceled - both states are benefiting from offshor…

In 2020, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Eichenger revoked the 1953 easement allowing Enbridge's Line 5 to operate. (Earthjustice)

Indigenous leaders come to NY to speak about pipeline impacts

Indigenous community leaders will be in New York addressing the United Nations. They'll be speaking at the UN's Permanent Forum on Indigenous …

Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego celebrates a bilingual Mass for Earth Week at St. James Church in Solana Beach, California, April 17, 2021. (CNS/The Southern Cross/John Gastaldo)

San Diego Catholic Diocese divests from fossil fuels

By Brian Roewe for Earthbeat.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service …

Colorado is the fourth largest oil producing state in the country and eighth largest gas producing state. (Adobe Stock)

Study: Methane pollution from oil and gas production greatly underestimated

Data from new satellite-based technology show that the amount of methane pollution impacting communities living near oil and gas facilities is far gre…

Enbridge Energy's longstanding Line 5 oil pipeline has resulted in heavy opposition, including legal challenges, from environmental and tribal organizations in states such as Wisconsin and Michigan. (Photo courtesy Earthjustice)

Tribal interests remain at heart of opposition to Great Lakes oil pipeline

Later this month, Indigenous leaders will speak before a United Nations panel about their ongoing concerns with a controversial oil pipeline in the …

$A new fracking well pad visible from the property of Ohio resident Randi Pokladnik. (Randi Pokladnik) <br />$

Ohio considers opening 40,000 acres in Wayne National Forest to fracking

Ohio's Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments - and will answer questions in virtual sessions today and tomorrow, on a draft …

NEVI covers planning, acquisition, installation and operational costs of the EV unit. (Adobe Stock/serperm73)

IA joins nationwide network of EV charging stations

Iowa is accepting bids from people who want an EV charging station on their land. It's part of a nationwide network of infrastructure designed to …

Environmental justice communities are linked to health issues that include asthma, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The4 effects of climate change often exacerbate these issues. (Adobe Stock)

VA groups angry over Youngkin’s Environmental Justice Council picks

Environmental organizations in Virginia have united in opposition to Gov. Glenn Youngkin's picks for the state Environmental Justice Council…

More than 90% of available land in the Greater Chaco region, former home of Ancestral Puebloan civilizations, is dotted with oil and gas wells, according to WildEarth Guardians. (WildEarthGuardians.org)

Orphaned wells: Environmental, visual pollution for SW Indian Country

Tribal communities, including those in New Mexico, can now apply for grant funding and direct assistance to clean up orphaned oil and gas wells …

Expanding solar in VA can provide numerous benefits

Virginia energy experts feel a recent push for solar energy legislation could have benefited the state. Senate Bill 697 would have removed a ban on …

Farmers can combine renewable energy, such as solar panels, with crops on their property, a process known as agrivoltaics, to maximize the revenues from their farmland. (Adobe Stock)

Solar leases help NC farm owners up revenues, keep homestead

By Daniel Walton for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Pu…

A more diversified economy, including solar energy, is stopping the

putting people in West Virginia to work through paid on-the-job training. (Adobe Stock)">

Reimagining WV coal country by building on state’s legacy as an energy provider

By Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the WorkingNation-Public New…

Utah's Orphan Well Plugging Program has spent about $2.5 million to plug orphan wells since its inception in 1992. (Adobe Stock)

Greater accountability sought for abandoned well cleanup in West

According to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, there are at least 49 orphan wells in the state -- wells that are abandoned and not plugged -- …

InsideClimatenews.org ranked U.S. Steel's Gary Works, in Gary, Indiana in 2022, as the largest greenhouse gas emitting iron and steel plant in the U.S. (Adobe Stock)

IN legislators pause on federal environmental plan

States are working to find solutions to make their air and water cleaner and safer for their communities but the path is not always clear-cut…

Decades of policies like redlining, that forced people of color into neighborhoods surrounded by industrial polluters, have led to a host of negative health outcomes, including cancers and premature death. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado lawmakers eye ways to reduce pollution in vulnerable communities

In 2021, Colorado lawmakers took a first step toward addressing decades of toxic pollution disproportionately impacting low-income neighborhoods and …

In the last 40 years, New York has endured at least 85 'billion-dollar disasters'. The most costly was Superstorm Sandy, with around $43 billion in damage. (Adobe Stock)

Report: NY bill can help climate-burdened communities

A new report shows the costs different regions of New York face from climate change. It says taxpayers were on the hook for more than $2 billion - …

Supporters of Colorado's House Bill 1379 said it will help protect Coloradans from flooding, help ensure safe and sufficient drinking water and help preserve fishing, boating, and other recreational opportunities across the state. (Adobe Stock)

Restoring protections for Colorado endangered waters and wetlands

Colorado lawmakers are considering legislation to restore protections to key waters and wetlands struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last year in a …

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says

TX watchdog group targets pipeline leaks, Railroad Commission priorities

A Texas group is on a mission to reform how the state monitors and repairs oil and gas pipeline leaks. More than 480,000 miles of pipeline run …

The 460 megawatt Merrimack Station's particulate matter emissions allegedly exceeded EPA limits by 70% in February 2023. A successful smoke stack retest has not been completed since, according to the New Hampshire Department of Environment Services. (Adobe Stock)<br />

NH groups celebrate planned closure of New England’s last coal plant

Environmental activists in New Hampshire are celebrating the planned closure of New England's last coal-fired power plant. Granite Shore Power said …

A 2022 report finds failing to speed up transmission beyond the current pace will increase 2030 U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions by 800 million tons per year. (Adobe Stock)

NYS bill could speed up electric transmission installation

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

AARP AZ cites impacts of APS rate increase

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Montana land proposed for solar power

The Bureau of Land Management has proposed expanding the public land available for solar power production in 11 states, including Montana. The BLM's …

Methane emissions were measured from four dams on the Snake River in southeastern Washington. (davidrh/Adobe Stock)

Report: Lower Snake River dams source of methane emissions

A new report found four dams in the Columbia River Basin are big emitters of methane. Research from the organization Tell The Dam Truth showed the …

At least two thirds of plastics plants examined in a new Environmental Integrity Project report (32 of 50) that have been built or expanded over the last decade have received tax breaks or subsidies from state and local governments worth a total of nearly $9 billion. (Adobe Stock)

KY plastics plant ranks in nation's top ten emitters of chlorine

A western Kentucky plastics plant is among the top 10 emitters of chlorine air pollution, according to a new report by the Environmental Integrity …

Lewiston is at the Washington border where the Snake River enters Idaho. (Nadia/Adobe Stock)

Snake River dams' clean energy claims questioned

A new report found four dams in the Columbia River Basin are big emitters of methane. Research from the organization Tell The Dam Truth showed the …

The Snake River is the largest tributary to the Columbia River. (Sascha Burkard/Adobe Stock)

Carbon emissions found from Columbia River Basin dams

A new report found four dams in the Columbia River Basin are big emitters of methane. Research from the organization Tell The Dam Truth showed the …

As part of its Climate and Resilience Action Plan, the city of St. Paul plans to convert the Como Zoo Conservancy building to geothermal heating and cooling. (Flickr)

St. Paul Climate Action Plan aims for net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050

By Frank Jossi for Energy News Network.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Netwo…

NV leaders call for clean energy investments options for all

Nevada state leaders held a workshop on clean energy home upgrades and discussed how people can leverage available tax credits on solar power…

Researchers with North Star Policy Action say Minnesota has more ambitious clean energy goals than neighboring states, but lags behind some of them in output. Permitting issues in Minnesota are cited as a big factor. (Adobe Stock)

MN tinkers with policy to speed up wind and solar projects

Minnesota has about 15 years to achieve its mandate of 100% carbon-free electricity from utilities. To get there, clean energy voices say the …

Summit Carbon Solutions had initially hoped to begin construction this year on its carbon dioxide pipeline project for several Midwestern states. However, most of the actions so far have centered around public hearings, legal arguments and regulatory setbacks. (Adobe Stock)

Dakotas among states still weighing controversial pipeline plan

New public hearings and legal decisions are expected in the coming weeks and months about a controversial pipeline project in the upper Midwest…

Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline transports 22 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids across 645 miles of countryside every day, from Superior, Wis., through Michigan's Upper Peninsula, under the Straits of Mackinac to refineries in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. (Adobe Stock)

Michiganders in Cincinnati in pursuit of Line 5 shutdown

Dana Nessel, Michigan's Attorney General, joined Indigenous and conservation groups at a demonstration Thursday in Cincinnati, highlighting what they …

Controversial Midwest pipeline plan still in play

New public hearings and legal decisions are expected in the coming weeks and months about a controversial pipeline project in the upper Midwest…

Tennessee residents typically spend around $177 per month on electric bills, which amounts to an annual expenditure of $2,124. (ABCDstock/Adobe Stock)

TN bill would boost public's role in TVA decision-making process

Tennesseans want more say in how the Tennessee Valley Authority plans for their future electricity needs and a bill now in Congress could give the pub…

The development of worker cooperatives by ReImagine Appalachia is intended to revive the economy across Ohio and nearby states. (Adobe Stock)

ReImagine Appalachia plans co-ops to kick-start new energy economy

Leaders in Ohio and the other Appalachian states have a plan to turn the regional economy around. Natural resources from the Appalachian region once …

An estimated 3 million Californians live within 3,200 feet of an oil or gas well. (MSPhotographic/Adobestock)

CA referendum would lift ban on new oil wells near homes

A referendum on the ballot this fall gives California voters the chance to either uphold or reject a law which would require oil and gas wells to be s…

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Energy Policy

Personal energy electrification plans offered at NM Earth Day event

Advocates want NY HEAT Act in the final budget

A snapshot of federal investments being put to use in WI

Climate groups seek to remove tax breaks for oil and gas companies

VA General Assembly considers RGGI budget amendments

Pacificorp throws a lifeline to Wyoming coal and natural gas industry

TX faith, environmental groups hopeful about new EPA methane rule

Midwest Tribes to take Line 5 concerns to United Nations forum

Advocates: CT General Assembly must act on climate bills

Climate activists call on U.S. company to halt trade lawsuit over LNG

A focus on environmental protection, advocacy for NC Earth Day

WI utilities make union jobs a priority for green projects

Utah mayor calls for more federal dollars for rural communities

Offshore wind does more than aid NY, NJ clean energy futures

Indigenous leaders come to NY to speak about pipeline impacts

San Diego Catholic Diocese divests from fossil fuels

Study: Methane pollution from oil and gas production greatly underestimated

Tribal interests remain at heart of opposition to Great Lakes oil pipeline

Ohio considers opening 40,000 acres in Wayne National Forest to fracking

IA joins nationwide network of EV charging stations

VA groups angry over Youngkin’s Environmental Justice Council picks

Orphaned wells: Environmental, visual pollution for SW Indian Country

Expanding solar in VA can provide numerous benefits

Solar leases help NC farm owners up revenues, keep homestead

Reimagining WV coal country by building on state’s legacy as an energy provider

Greater accountability sought for abandoned well cleanup in West

IN legislators pause on federal environmental plan

Colorado lawmakers eye ways to reduce pollution in vulnerable communities

Report: NY bill can help climate-burdened communities

Restoring protections for Colorado endangered waters and wetlands

TX watchdog group targets pipeline leaks, Railroad Commission priorities

NH groups celebrate planned closure of New England’s last coal plant

NYS bill could speed up electric transmission installation

AARP AZ cites impacts of APS rate increase

Montana land proposed for solar power

Report: Lower Snake River dams source of methane emissions

KY plastics plant ranks in nation's top ten emitters of chlorine

Snake River dams' clean energy claims questioned

Carbon emissions found from Columbia River Basin dams

St. Paul Climate Action Plan aims for net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050

NV leaders call for clean energy investments options for all

MN tinkers with policy to speed up wind and solar projects

Dakotas among states still weighing controversial pipeline plan

Michiganders in Cincinnati in pursuit of Line 5 shutdown

Controversial Midwest pipeline plan still in play

TN bill would boost public's role in TVA decision-making process

ReImagine Appalachia plans co-ops to kick-start new energy economy

CA referendum would lift ban on new oil wells near homes