Energy Policy / Public News Service

Memphis Light, Gas and Water is the largest three-service public power utility in the nation, serving more than 440,000 customers in Memphis and Shelby County. (Vika art/AdobeStock)

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

'Share the Pennies' weatherization program tackles climate solutions, reduces cost

By Ashli Blow for Tennessee Lookout.Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Tennessee News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publ…

As climate change activists continue to sound the alarm, policymakers have been more outspoken about the issue, prompting action plans at various levels. But a new national poll suggested many Americans are not quite as in tune with advancing renewables compared with a few years ago. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Public less enthusiastic about renewables, but advocates still see path

New polling shows most Americans still favor non-fossil fuel energy sources, but support for certain renewables is not quite as strong these days and …

According to the U.S. Department of energy, e-bikes topped the 1 million mark in sales in 2022, almost four times the total from 2019. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, July 1, 2024

Can e-bikes become a carbon reduction force?

Tomorrow Minnesota will reopen online applications for electric bike rebates. Environmental advocates are closely watching consumer demand for …

More wind generation has been coming online in Idaho in recent years. (Oleg Kovtun/Adobe Stock)

Monday, July 1, 2024

ID poll: Clean energy production, preserving nature compatible goals

A new poll shows Idahoans support the development of more clean energy in the state. In February, 500 likely Idaho voters were surveyed. Jillian …

Reports show newly constructed electric buildings can have lower energy bills than those with fossil-fuel systems. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, July 1, 2024

‘All-Electric Buildings’ law part of NY building code update

New York's Building Code Council is set to include the All-Electric Buildings Act in its 2025 code update. The 2023 law bans natural gas and other …

Using a ceiling fan can reduce air conditioning costs by up to 30% when the fan is circulating counterclockwise. It pushes cooler air downward, creating a cooling effect. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, July 1, 2024

Rising AZ summer temps also mean higher energy bills

Summer is in full swing and as temperatures increase across the state of Arizona, so do energy bills. Diane Brown, executive director of the Arizona …

The Climate Protection Program was adopted in Oregon in 2021 but invalidated in late 2023. (Cascadia Aerial/Adobe Stock)

Coalition forms to support restoration of OR Climate Protection Program

A diverse coalition of groups in Oregon is advocating for the restoration of the Climate Protection Program as the state works to reestablish it…

Oil companies have publicly championed tech-based carbon-capture solutions in part because it would allow them to continue selling fossil fuels. (Adobe Stock)

Tech-based carbon-capture projects making headway in local governments

By Ysabelle Kempe for SmartCitiesDive.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Pu…

Efficiency and conservation measures can help to directly lower consumers' energy bills and potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Advocates: Kentucky Power needs a more robust energy-efficiency proposal

Kentucky Power, one of eastern Kentucky's largest utilities, has a new energy efficiency and conservation proposal for its customers. The state's …

Connecticut has seen an economywide 14% decline in greenhouse gas emissions since 1990. Although emissions hit an all-time low in 2020, the data show the dip did not last. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates: Climate change must be addressed at CT special session

Connecticut environmental advocates want the General Assembly to address climate action in this week's special session, since lawmakers failed to act …

The top eight oil and gas corporations alone are set to burn 30% of the world's remaining global carbon budget, the total amount of climate pollution scientists said can be released during a transition to clean energy. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Big oil continues to resist, block fast transition to clean energy

Big oil is dropping the ball when it comes to meeting the companies' public pledges to help avert catastrophic climate change, according to a new …

Danyelle Blackwell, Councilwoman, Upper Darby Township, District 4 PA goes for a test drive in an EV during EOPA's United for Health and Energy Security Tour, (Lauren Urbiztondo)

Electric vehicle tour touts clean energy, job creation, cost savings

Pittsburgh is one stop on a nationwide summer tour to raise awareness about electric vehicles and clean energy. The group Elected Officials to …

Solar farms are leasing land at prices ranging from $400 to $1,200 an acre. These rents are higher than the current cash rents Kentucky farmers are receiving for cropland and tobacco, according to one University of Kentucky study. (Adobe Stock)

East Kentucky Power Cooperative invests in two large solar farms

Two new solar farms will soon be under construction in the Lexington and Lebanon areas to bring affordable and clean energy to eastern Kentuckians…

A report by The Nature Conservancy says if clean energy continues to be sited the way it always has been, the U.S. will need an area the size of Texas to meet its climate targets. (Adobe Stock)

Conservationists tout IN old mines, brownfields to develop renewable energy

Today is the summer solstice, the day of the year with the most sunshine, and Indiana conservationists said they have a plan to make the best use of …

An oil spill from the pipeline in the Great Lakes would threaten the drinking water of 40 million people across the United States and Canada. (Jorge Moro/Adobe Stock)

MI environmental group hails Enbridge suit being ordered back to state court

A Michigan nonprofit dedicated to keeping oil out of the Great Lakes is celebrating a major victory. A federal Appellate Court has ruled that …

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reported power plant pollution exacerbates asthma, creates new asthma cases, causes heart attacks and is the largest airborne emission of mercury. (TomKonrad/Wikimedia Commons)

Danskammer Energy withdraws Newburgh power plant application

Danskammer Energy is no longer seeking an expansion of its Newburgh plant. The original plan called for expanding the company's "peaker plant" meant …

An aerial view of biogas production. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Report says biogas from mega-dairies is more of a problem, not solution

By Lena Beck for Modern Farmer.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Modern Farmer-Public News Service Collab…

A senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council's Climate and Clean Energy Program said burning wood biomass for renewable energy actually emits more carbon dioxide than coal for every unit of electricity produced. (Adobe Stock)

Could other exceptions come with MN's new carbon-free law?

Minnesota is sorting out details ahead of trying to meet its 100% carbon-free electricity goal by 2040. Some environmental advocates feel energy …

The Biden administration is awarding more than $600 million in grants to build the nation's electric-vehicle charging network. Maine is just the fifth state to benefit from what's known as the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula. (Adobe Stock)

Federal funds boost ME high-speed EV charging network

Clean-energy advocates in Maine are applauding an expansion of the state's electric vehicle charging network. State officials recently announced the …

Sage grouse have been petitioned for addition to the federal endangered species list nine times over the last 25 years, according to a U.S. Geological Survey report. (Western Watersheds Project)

Feds updating management plans for threatened sage grouse ecosystem

After nearly a decade of delays, a federal agency is working on a new resource management plan that will affect an iconic Western bird species…

New Mexico is among states with the most diverse species of animals, including the African oryx, or gemsbok. (NationalParkService)

Advocates: Communities, wildlife benefitting from clean energy investments

Wildlife advocates say the current transition to clean energy will not only protect people in New Mexico communities, but also will have a huge …

Last year, the Washington State Building Code Council approved codes to incentivize electric heat pumps. (V. J. Matthew/Adobe Stock)

Initiative to stop natural-gas phase out would 'turn back the clock' in WA

Signature gatherers in Washington state hope to get an initiative on the November ballot to roll back the state's attempt to phase out natural gas in …

Many of the rules governing oil and gas operations on Montana public lands had not been updated in a century. (Adobe Stock)

MT groups fight to preserve new BLM oil and gas rule

Montana groups are working to save a new Bureau of Land Management rule about oil and gas leasing on public lands. They have hand-delivered a …

A zombie mine is shown in Clintwood, Kentucky. (Erin Savage)

Zombie mines continue to pose environmental, health threats to Appalachia

West Virginia and other Appalachian states are littered with hundreds of "zombie mines," abandoned mines neither producing coal nor undergoing reclama…

States are already using an initial $1.4 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to protect homes and infrastructure from landslides and clean up streams polluted with acid mine drainage, all of which is creating new employment. (Oleksii Zelivianskyi)

PA secures $244 million for abandoned mine cleanup

Pennsylvania will receive $244 million to clean up the pollution left over from decades of coal mining. The money is part of $725 million in …

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated a total of $16 billion to address legacy pollution, including $11.3 billion in abandoned mine land funding over 15 years. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Kentucky receives $74 million for abandoned mine land cleanup

Kentucky will receive $74 million to clean up legacy pollution in regions decimated by decades of coal mining. The money is part of $725 million in …

A new Rural Climate Partnership report found rural communities have not been prioritized in efforts to help them harness the benefits of clean energy and energy efficiency. (Adobe stock)

Indiana's rural climate impact: Urgent call for action

A new report from the Rural Climate Partnership revealed a significant climate impact on rural Americans, including more than one in five Hoosiers…

Energy derived by coal in Montana overtook hydropower last year as the result of Western drought. Hydropower had been the recent leader. (Adobe Stock)

Rural MT emissions up in the air

While only 18% of Americans live in rural areas, they produce more than a third of the nation's emissions. Nearly half of Montana's population is …

Cobalt is essential for some of Washington's major sectors, including transportation and aerospace. (cornfield/Adobe Stock)

Mining conditions for minerals essential to clean energy tech under scrutiny

Critical minerals are crucial for the United States' clean energy future. But civil society and environmental groups are raising concerns about the …

A new Colorado law provides local and tribal governments with science-based resources for siting and permitting new renewable-energy projects, including maps identifying sensitive wildlife habitat. (Adobe Stock)

New resources available to site CO clean-energy projects, protect wildlife

To reach 100% clean energy by 2040 - a move seen as critical for averting the worst impacts of climate change - Colorado must generate five times more…

A 538 poll shows former President Donald is ahead of President Biden by almost 5.5 points in Nevada. (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)

NV progressive groups react to Trump Las Vegas campaign rally

Donald Trump held a rally on Sunday in Las Vegas - one of his first since being convicted by a New York jury late last month. The former president …

New York gained more than 170,000 clean-energy jobs in 2022 with work in grid modernization growing more than 8% that year and making New York's battery storage and grid modernization sector one of the largest in the country. (Adobe Stock)

NY Legislature passes climate, energy bills before session ends

New York State's legislative session has ended with climate bills a top priority. Legislation such as the Climate Change Superfund Act awaits Gov…

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law significantly impacts the cleanup of orphaned oil and gas wells. Since its passage, states have plugged more than 7,000 wells, eliminating an estimated 11,530 metric tons of potential methane emissions. (MarekPhotoDesign.com/AdobeStock)

Mississippi receives $6.8 million in federal funds to clean up orphaned wells

New federal funding will help bolster Mississippi's efforts to track down, clean up and tackle pollution from orphaned oil and gas wells. The …

The American Lung Association found the public health benefits of moving to zero-emission transportation are saving almost $30 billion in public health costs, and avoiding 2,700 deaths, 70,900 asthma attacks and 350,000 lost workdays. (Adobe Stock)

Youngkin rolls back VA’s clean-car standards

Gov. Glenn Youngkin is rolling back Virginia's clean-car standards. The General Assembly passed legislation adopting California's clean-car …

The Rural Climate Partnership report found that 47% of all emissions from US power plants are based in rural America. (Adobe Stock)

Nearly 100% of NV's combustion power plant emissions come from rural regions

Nevada's rural population accounts for about 6.5% of the total state population, and nearly 100% of combustion power plant emissions in the Silver …

The rural population of the United States is roughly one fifth of all its residents, according to the Rural Climate Partnership report. (Adobe Stock)

Rural UT produces significant amount of emissions, expert sounds alarm

At least 12% of Utah's population lives in rural areas, and a new report finds that a significant portion of the state's greenhouse-gas emissions …

About 60% of coal energy generation and 79% of all non-hydro clean energy were produced in rural America, according to a Rural Climate Partnership report. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Rural communities deal with emissions from industries that benefit cities

Nearly 70% of Wyomingites live in non metro areas, and a new report finds that a large portion of the state's greenhouse-gas emissions originate …

Rural households use 80% of the propane used across all U.S. households, according to a Rural Climate Partnership report. (Adobe Stock)

Report finds rural America's climate impact has been overlooked, calls for action

At least 10% of Arizona's population lives in rural areas, and a new report shows a significant portion of the state's greenhouse gas emissions …

An estimated 1.2 million people chose to buy electric cars in 2023, according to Kelley Blue Book. (Ramona du Houx)

NY elected officials kick off tour touting EV benefits

New York elected officials are kicking off a tour to tout the benefits of electric vehicles. The Elected Officials to Protect America tour is …

Dominion Energy's Integrated Resource Plan calls for up to 9 gigawatts of gas-fired capacity. Emissions from its proposed Chesterfield plant could equal up to 470,000 gas cars on Virginia roads. (Wikimedia Commons)

Dominion eyes alternate site for Chesterfield gas plant

Dominion Energy is eyeing a new site for a natural gas plant in Chesterfield. Documents show the company is considering the recently closed …

LNG is created when gas is cooled into a liquid that can be stored and shipped to destinations around the world. (Mike Mareen/Adobe Stock)

Decreased demand for liquefied natural gas could impact TX economy

Workers in the oil and gas industry are warily monitoring the supply and demand of liquefied natural gas, or LNG. Texas is one of the largest …

A new clinic on the Grand Ronde reservation includes solar panels so the building has power even during an outage. (Photo by Claire Carlson)

Clinic on OR reservation drives tribal self-reliance

By Claire Carlson for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Eric Tegethoff for Oregon News Service for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collaborat…

Scientists at Iowa State University are creating biochar to mix with Iowa's rich soil to sequester carbon, create prime growing conditions for crops and soak up climate-warming fossil fuel emissions. (Adobe Stock)

Scientists in IA target 'low-hanging fruit' to sequester carbon

By Lindsey Byman for Inside Climate News.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public N…

Methane emissions for oil and gas wellheads have accounted for roughly 30% of global warming since pre-industrial times, and are proliferating faster than at any other time, according to a United Nations study. (Adobe Stock)

CO methane verification protocol seen as 'major breakthrough'

Environmental groups are calling Colorado's new rules to measure methane pollution a "major breakthrough" in curbing it. The Greenhouse Gas …

Many Oregonians lack air conditioners even as extreme heat events increase in the state. (M-Production/Adobe Stock)

OR first in nation to use Medicaid dollars to protect against climate change

By Samantha Young for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Eric Tegethoff for Oregon News Service reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Servic…

Around 14 proposed Virginia data centers will require more than 1 gigawatt of power, which is enough electricity to power 750,000 average homes. (Adobe Stock)

VA groups host rally against 'unchecked' data center growth

Virginians are coming together for a rally this Sunday to voice concerns about data center expansion. Lawmakers, community leaders and environmental …

Of the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 8 states, Wyoming produces the most nitrogen oxides annually, at nearly 38,000 tons. (Adobe Stock)

WY awaits EPA decision on updated haze plan

Wyoming is one of several states currently updating its plan to address regional haze, but local environmental groups say its plan isn't enough…

The National Association of Broadcasters said more than 82 million individuals tune in to AM radio. (bennian_1/Adobe Stock)

Ohio senators back AM radio in new cars, critics warn of costs

The "AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act" now in Congress would mandate all new cars in the U.S. be equipped with AM radios, and it's stirring a debate in …

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Energy Policy

'Share the Pennies' weatherization program tackles climate solutions, reduces cost

Public less enthusiastic about renewables, but advocates still see path

Can e-bikes become a carbon reduction force?

ID poll: Clean energy production, preserving nature compatible goals

‘All-Electric Buildings’ law part of NY building code update

Rising AZ summer temps also mean higher energy bills

Coalition forms to support restoration of OR Climate Protection Program

Tech-based carbon-capture projects making headway in local governments

Advocates: Kentucky Power needs a more robust energy-efficiency proposal

Advocates: Climate change must be addressed at CT special session

Report: Big oil continues to resist, block fast transition to clean energy

Electric vehicle tour touts clean energy, job creation, cost savings

East Kentucky Power Cooperative invests in two large solar farms

Conservationists tout IN old mines, brownfields to develop renewable energy

MI environmental group hails Enbridge suit being ordered back to state court

Danskammer Energy withdraws Newburgh power plant application

Report says biogas from mega-dairies is more of a problem, not solution

Could other exceptions come with MN's new carbon-free law?

Federal funds boost ME high-speed EV charging network

Feds updating management plans for threatened sage grouse ecosystem

Advocates: Communities, wildlife benefitting from clean energy investments

Initiative to stop natural-gas phase out would 'turn back the clock' in WA

MT groups fight to preserve new BLM oil and gas rule

Zombie mines continue to pose environmental, health threats to Appalachia

PA secures $244 million for abandoned mine cleanup

Kentucky receives $74 million for abandoned mine land cleanup

Indiana's rural climate impact: Urgent call for action

Rural MT emissions up in the air

Mining conditions for minerals essential to clean energy tech under scrutiny

New resources available to site CO clean-energy projects, protect wildlife

NV progressive groups react to Trump Las Vegas campaign rally

NY Legislature passes climate, energy bills before session ends

Mississippi receives $6.8 million in federal funds to clean up orphaned wells

Youngkin rolls back VA’s clean-car standards

Nearly 100% of NV's combustion power plant emissions come from rural regions

Rural UT produces significant amount of emissions, expert sounds alarm

Report: Rural communities deal with emissions from industries that benefit cities

Report finds rural America's climate impact has been overlooked, calls for action

NY elected officials kick off tour touting EV benefits

Dominion eyes alternate site for Chesterfield gas plant

Decreased demand for liquefied natural gas could impact TX economy

Clinic on OR reservation drives tribal self-reliance

Scientists in IA target 'low-hanging fruit' to sequester carbon

CO methane verification protocol seen as 'major breakthrough'

OR first in nation to use Medicaid dollars to protect against climate change

VA groups host rally against 'unchecked' data center growth

WY awaits EPA decision on updated haze plan

Ohio senators back AM radio in new cars, critics warn of costs