Page 13 - Environment Reporting News Today

The EPA Proposes a Ban on HFC-23, the Most Potent Greenhouse Gas Among Hydrofluorocarbons, by October 2022 The agency’s rulemaking would require the Chemours Louisville Works, the nation’s largest emitter of HFC-23, to speed up its voluntary abatement efforts. May 11, 2021 Chemical plants in the Rubbertown area of Louisville stand near the Ohio River in February 2018 during flood conditions on the river. The Chemours chemical plant, located within the wedge-shaped Chemours property in the l...

California Proposal Embraces All-Electric Buildings But Stops Short of Gas Ban Environmental advocates see progress but had hoped for a bolder stance against gas. May 8, 2021 Contractors work on single-family homes under construction in the Cadence Park development of The Great Park Neighborhoods in Irvine, California, on April 14, 2021. Credit: Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images Related Share this article California officials have decided not to propose a ban on natural gas in new constructi...

Inside Clean Energy: Indian Point Nuclear Plant Reaches a Contentious End Few topics divide clean energy advocates as much as the role of nuclear power. May 6, 2021 The Indian Point nuclear power plant is seen March 18, 2011 in Buchanan, New York. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images Related Share this article At 11 p.m. on April 30, employees shut down the nuclear reactor at Indian Point Energy Center Unit 3, marking the end of a power plant that has been an essential part of New York City’s ener...

The Chicago Headline Club, the nation’s largest chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, named ProPublica a finalist for 13 Peter Lisagor Awards. The Lisagor Awards honor the best journalism produced across the Chicago region. ProPublica received six nominations in the Best All Media categories, which span all news mediums and platform sizes; a nomination in the General Interest Daily Newspapers, News Service or Bureau categories for a collaboration with the Chicago Tribune; and si...

One of the Country’s 10 Largest Coal Plants Just Got a Retirement Date. What About the Rest? The largest coal-fired power plants keep on going, even as many smaller ones close. May 3, 2021 Emissions rise from stacks the Duke Energy Corp. Gibson Station power plant at dusk in Owensville, Indiana, on Thursday, July 23, 2015. Credit: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images Related To survive among the shrinking fleet of U.S. coal-fired power plants, it helps to be extremely big. On April 22, Am...

Inside Clean Energy: Denmark Makes the Most of its Brief Moment at the Climate Summit The Scandaniavian nation is building an “energy island,” the latest step after decades of being ahead of the curve. April 29, 2021 Denmarks Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen smiles as she stands on a boat with wind turbines of the Middelgrunden offshore wind farm in the background, in Oeresund between Denmark and Sweden, outside Copenhagen, on April 22, 2021. Credit: Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty ...

Vilsack confirms that USDA research arms will not return to Washington, D.C. USDA Now headquartered in Kansas City, former staff hope that remote work flexibilities—made possible by the pandemic—can help the agency rebuild expertise, following a controversial Trump-era relocation. One and a half years ago, the Trump administration controversially relocated two Department of Agriculture (USDA) research agencies out of the Beltway—a move that many suspected was an attempt to undercut their ...

“Everybody likes and needs and understands the importance of expanding broadband,” he said when asked about his pitch.  “Whether you’re a farmer who’s interested in precision agriculture with drones and sensors … or you’re a teacher that would love to have the ability to provide distance learning opportunities for your students, or you’re a doc who wants the ability to consult with an expert who is 200 miles away with telemedicine, or … you’re a farmer who wants to have rea...

Inside Clean Energy: Some Straight Talk about Renewables and Reliability A former watchdog for Texas’ grid operator speaks out on legislation that would penalize wind and solar. April 22, 2021 Blades from a wind turbine rotate in a field, April 16, 2021 near Eldorado, Texas. Credit: Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty Images Related Share this article Five hours into a Texas legislative hearing this month, it was Beth Garza’s turn to talk. Anybody who had dozed off was about to wake up. Garza appro...

Texas Politicians Aim to Penalize Wind and Solar in Response to Outages. Are Renewables Now Strong Enough to Defend Themselves? Proposed legislation would shift costs to wind and solar power plants, even though gas plants played a larger role in the February power crisis. April 17, 2021 People wait in line for Fiesta Mart to open after the store lost electricity in Austin, Texas on Feb. 17, 2021. Credit: Montinique Monroe/Getty Images Related Share this article Texas lawmakers are pushing legis...