U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ordered a halt to construction of Equinor’s Empire Wind project off the coast of New York, saying information suggested the Biden administration approved it without enough environmental analysis. In a post on X on Wednesday, Burgum said the information would be reviewed further but did not elaborate on the faults identified....
Trump exempts dozens of coal plants from mercury, air toxics limits
The Trump administration has exempted 47 companies from regulations to curb mercury and air toxics for their coal-fired power plants for two years, according to a list of facilities published by the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday. The exemptions list is the latest move by the administration to use executive or emergency orders to immediately...
Trump administration ordered to unfreeze funds authorized under Biden-era climate laws
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze funds under Biden-era laws authorizing massive investments in climate-friendly projects. U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy, an appointee of President Trump during his first term, on Tuesday ordered five federal agencies to immediately resume disbursing already-awarded funds appropriated under the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment...
The Ukraine Mineral Deal Is a Win for America, Ukraine, and Peace
As the Trump administration angles for peace between Ukraine and Russia, the real driving force that will bring calm to the region — while benefiting the United States — is a critical mineral deal with America.
To understand why, we must first recognize why critical minerals are so essential.
Trump Looks to Boost Use of Technology to Speed Up Permitting
President Donald Trump signed a directive April 15 aimed at bolstering the use of technology in the permitting process for infrastructure developments, part of a broader administration effort to cut red tape and speed the approval of new projects. The memorandum directs executive departments and agencies to make “maximum use of technology in environmental review and permitting...
Pakistan Looks to Appease Trump With Cotton, Soy Purchase Offer
Pakistan will offer to buy more cotton and soybean from the US, according to people with knowledge of the matter, as it looks to halve its bilateral trade surplus and escape tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. The South Asian country wants to reduce this surplus to below $2 billion from about $4 billion in...
Newsom, California Democrats double down on cap-and-trade program
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and top state Democrats announced Tuesday they would seek an extension of the state’s cap-and-trade emissions reduction program — countering Trump administration efforts to thwart such initiatives. Newsom — along with state Sen. Mike McGuire, the Senate president pro tempore, and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas — made this decision following a recent federal executive...
Agriculture Department cancels $3B grant program for climate-friendly crops
The Trump administration canceled a $3.1 billion grant program for climate-friendly crops, the Agriculture Department announced Monday. In a press release, the department said that it was canceling Biden-era Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, which funded 141 projects that sought to advance climate-friendly farming practices. Projects funded under the program supported things like planting cover crops, which...
‘Global race for AI dominance’ could start at Eastern WA nuclear site
The Department of Energy wants to hear from developers interested in building data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure at 16 sites nationwide, one of them in Richland. DOE issued a “request for information” last week to assess industry interest and gather information on potential technology and economic considerations. It also wants information on locating new...
Maximizing Value and Minimizing Waste in a Circular Plastics Economy
Most Americans have concerns about the pollution and waste associated with plastic use, most notably single-use plastics like water bottles. However, calls to restrict plastic production and consumption would likely backfire, resulting in higher consumer costs and worse environmental outcomes.