America’s rural communities are the backbone of our nation’s economy, embodying the values of hard work and self-reliance that define our country. These areas are home to the significant natural resources needed to strengthen our nation’s interests — in terms of economics, national security and competitiveness — but investments in rural areas too often do...
At a recent climate conference in Brazil, the Governor of California Gavin Newsom insisted that “The United States of America is as dumb as we want to be on this topic [of climate change], but the state of California is not,” Newsom said. “We are going to assert ourselves, we’re going to lean in, and we are going to compete in this space.” Let’s review the facts and see who is really doubling down on dumb.
The Clean Air Act (CAA) is now 55 years old—and shows its age. That’s not a critique of its legacy. The law, in conjunction with innovation and private investment in environmental improvement, has contributed to significant improvements in air quality, public health, and environmental protection. But its regulatory framework still operates like it’s 1970, often resulting in costly, inefficient regulations that stifle economic growth for little environmental gain.
A federal judge on Monday struck down President Trump’s halt on approvals of all wind power projects on federal lands and waters, dealing a significant legal setback to the administration’s campaign against wind farms. Judge Patti B. Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts wrote that the president’s sweeping executive order, which...
The Trump administration’s stop-work orders on renewable energy projects add an under-discussed layer of friction in the United States’ bid for energy dominance. While the effects of halting near-finished offshore wind projects are immediately apparent, the downstream political consequences could hobble the administration’s hopes for progress on both bipartisan permitting reform and their “build baby build” energy posture.
Washington is finally putting real momentum behind permitting reform, and the House’s SPEED Act (H.R. 4776) reflects a welcome recognition that our current system is too slow and too unpredictable to support the kind of energy and economic growth the country is experiencing. The bill from House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., and Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine,...
President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a proposal to weaken vehicle mileage rules for the auto industry, loosening regulatory pressure on automakers to control pollution from gasoline-powered cars and trucks. The plan, if finalized next year, would significantly reduce fuel economy requirements, which set rules on how far new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of...
Nevertheless, a mild season doesn’t mean our forests are healthy or that the risk has disappeared. It simply means we were lucky. And luck is not a forest management plan.
The U.S. Department of Energy today renamed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) the National Laboratory of the Rockies. The renaming is effective immediately and will be reflected in all public communications and official correspondence. “The energy crisis we face today is unlike the crisis that gave rise to NREL,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy...
Most Americans only think about turkeys once a year, when Thanksgiving rolls around. We often take for granted that there will be a bird at the grocery store in exactly the size and weight we want. But what many don’t know is that wild turkeys, the domestic turkey’s ancestor, were once nearly wiped out across much of the United States due to overhunting and habitat loss.
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