Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey (D) this week announced a lawsuit against major oil companies and their top lobbying group, alleging they knowingly concealed the role of fossil fuels in climate change for decades. Frey said Tuesday that defendants in the lawsuit include Exxon, Shell, Chevron, BP, Sunoco, and the American Petroleum Institute (API). In a nearly 200-page complaint, the state alleges...
Why Businesses and the Government Are Turning to Nuclear Reactors for Our Increasing Energy Demands
The energy landscape in the U.S. is undergoing a seismic shift, owing in part to the exponential growth of generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications and data centers, according to McKinsey & Company. This rise in energy demand is further exacerbated by the country’s increasing seasonal cooling and heating needs due to extreme weather. To offset the rising...
Rivian awarded $6.6 billion DOE loan to build EV facility in Georgia
Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian will receive nearly $6.6 billion from the Biden administration to construct a factory in Georgia as part of the White House’s agenda to expand the EV industry. The Energy Department’s Loan Program Office announced Tuesday that Rivian will receive a direct loan of up to $6.57 billion to finance the development and construction of Project Horizon, an EV manufacturing...
Michigan lawmakers propose state-run carbon capture, sequestration permitting program
A coalition of Michigan companies, labor, business and environmental groups are rallying behind a trio of bills that would give Michigan the ability to permit carbon capture and sequestration projects in the state. That would pave the way for more aggressive adoption of the technology, the supporters said during a Tuesday virtual press conference about...
A Copper Shortage May Threaten Access to Clean, Reliable, and Affordable Energy
Copper has been called the mineral of electrification. We will need a massive amount of it to support the rapid growth in demand for electricity – for decarbonizing power generation and the grid, for electrifying buildings, transportation and industry, and for bringing electricity to the world’s population that doesn’t have it today. And there’s a...
FERC modifies rule to give states more participation in long-term regional transmission planning
State regulators now may participate more fully in the long-term regional transmission planning process under newly adopted modifications to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC’s) Order No. 1920 rule. “I applaud my colleagues for helping us achieve this bipartisan, unanimous compromise, which will benefit all Americans,” FERC Chairman Willie Phillips said Thursday. Approved on Nov....
Biden proposes to restrict pollution from new gas plants
The Biden administration has proposed a rule that it says will reduce pollution stemming from new gas-fired power plants and other industrial facilities. The proposal would require these plants to cut their emissions of pollutants known as nitrogen oxides, which can lead to smog formation and contribute to asthma in people with long-term exposure. The agency said the regulation...
Why Going Nuclear Is Vital to America
Production of clean, safe, and reliable nuclear energy is a vital part of America’s energy future. Once a reactor is built, it becomes a lasting part of America’s energy infrastructure. An insightful new book by Jack Spencer, “Nuclear Revolution: Powering the Next Generation” (Optimum Publishing International) describes what America has to do to ramp up...
LNG is stepping up to solve Europe gas woes, but at a price
Concerns that Europe is facing a natural gas supply crunch this winter are overblown, with the liquefied natural gas (LNG) market already stepping up to avoid any shortfall, albeit at higher prices. European natural gas prices climbed to the highest level in two years last week, with the benchmark front-month contract at the Dutch TTF...
Trump taps loyalist Rollins for USDA chief in surprise pick
If confirmed, Rollins will also oversee the country’s largest anti-hunger program, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It provides food aid benefits to more than 40 million low-income Americans and Republicans are eyeing ways to rein in future spending on the program as part of a major 2025 reconciliation package, as POLITICO has reported. She...