Today, Sierra Club secured Cleco’s commitment to phase out coal use and reduce the operation of 1,200 MW of uneconomic coal-burning generation and to acquire 200 MW of renewable energy--with a goal of achieving 30% renewables, fleet-wide--as part of a multi-party settlement approving Cleco’s $1 billion purchase of NRG’s Louisiana wholesale generation business.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing to examine the nomination of Acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler to be EPA Administrator.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is holding a hearing to examine the nomination of Acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler to be EPA Administrator.
Putting a coal lobbyist like Andrew Wheeler in charge of the EPA is like giving a bank robber the keys to the vault, making Tony Soprano the head of the FBI, hiring Palpatine to run the Galactic Senate, or putting the Hamburglar in charge of McDonalds. The fox in the hen house analogies are endless here, but so is Wheeler’s ability to rollback vital safeguards to our air, water, and climate and put our environment and health at risk should he remain in the top spot at the EPA. Wheeler isn’t just friendly with corporate polluters; he’s been on their team for years.
At his State of the City address, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh highlighted the city’s accomplishments over the course of his five-year tenure -- including his commitments to taking action on climate change. The City will soon release its "Carbon Free Boston" report.
Albany, N.Y.—Governor Cuomo made several announcements today regarding various energy and environmental legacy initiatives in his annual State of the State and budget address. Some of those announcements included commitments to:
Annapolis, MD -- On Monday, Maryland took a step closer to its goal of getting 300,000 electrical vehicles on its roads by 2025 when utilities won state approval to support the addition of 5,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, engage in EV education and outreach to their customers, and promote management of new EV electric load.
Today, Bloomberg News reported that the Trump administration is ordering dozens of federal employees back to work in order to fast-track plans to sell off America’s public waters for offshore drilling.
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, a federal judge ruled that the Trump Administration’s attempt to add a xenophobic citizenship question to the 2020 Census is illegal. The Commerce Department announced the addition of the citizenship status question to the Census last March in an effort to intimidate and discourage noncitizens and their families from responding to the census, a move that would affect the total count of Americans. Without an accurate count of every living person in America, the incomplete data will skew the drawing of political districts, the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives, and the distribution of federal funding for local communities.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Starting today, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing for William Barr’s nomination as Attorney General. Barr’s troubling record on the environment includes serving on the board of directors for Dominion Energy since 2009 and an expansive view of the Presidential prerogatives, that could threaten both the transparency of the Executive Branch and the consistent enforcement of federal laws protecting the public. This is particularly concerning given the Trump Administration’s affinity for favoring corporate polluters and the extent to which former fossil fuel executives and lobbyists hold positions of authority within the Administration. Barr also has a problematic record on immigration, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and women’s rights. If confirmed, Barr will take over oversight of the Russia investigation, which he criticized in a 20-page memo to the justice department.