The news drew a range of responses from environmental campaigners, including praise that the apparent choice means the rejection of California Air Resources Board chair Mary Nichols, who faced pushback from progressives over alleged failings to communities on the front lines of dirty industry. Other green campaigners reacted to the possible nomination with a critical eye, pointing to what they see as Regan’s “mixed record on environmental justice.”
Associated Press, Biden’s choice of Regan “was confirmed Thursday by a person familiar with the selection process who was not authorized [to] the discuss the matter publicly before the official announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity.”
Relief for
oil: As more people get coronavirus vaccines, demand for fuels like gasoline will tick back up. That should raise the price of oil - and provide relief to the companies that sell it. What else?
Producers will be much leaner next year, now that they ve cut spending, and that may inspire investors to load up on energy stocks.
Still, there will be pain ahead for oil firms until demand for fuel returns. Experts we spoke to offered up different dates for when that might happen, including never.
There s another reality: Should demand return, it will inevitably fall back down, following the rise of electric cars. The oil industry doesn t have a lot of growth potential in the long term.
Each week, staff at Carolina Journal looks back at the week in N.C. politics and chooses several interesting, relevant stories you may have missed.
Biden appointee: The Biden administration is tapping North Carolina’s top environmental official to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, according to multiple reports. Michael Regan, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, was nominated as the next EPA administrator, reported McClatchy and
The
New York Times. Regan created part of North Carolina’s Clean Energy Plan, which called for drastically cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the private sector by 2030. The plan hoped to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Regan also won a legal settlement from Duke Energy, which agreed to excavate almost 80 million tons of coal ash.
Michael Regan, Biden s pick to lead EPA, carries impressive record in North Carolina bizjournals.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bizjournals.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
NC Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael Regan is the President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for EPA administrator, according to multiple news sources.
Policy Watch reported yesterday that Regan was the leading contender for the job. A Goldsboro native, Regan has been DEQ secretary since 2017; he was appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper.
A DEQ spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
Regan worked at the EPA for nine years in the late ’90s and mid-’00s before joining the Environmental Defense Fund.
EDF issued this statement from Hawley Truax, Southeast Regional Director of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Regan previous served as EDF’s Southeast regional director.