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Disaster Declaration Denials Exasperate Governors
A flag sits at the base of a flagpole at the site near Yarnell, Ariz. where 19 firefighters died battling a wildfire on June 30. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, said President Obama’s rejection of a federal disaster declaration was “misguided.” (AP) Earlier this summer, a wildfire near Yarnell, Ariz., killed 19 firefighters and […]
In West’s Expanding Tinderbox, Questions About Development
Ritchie Lewis, Brandy Burton and their son Caiyleb Lewis, 2, help sift through the rubble of their family’s home that was completely destroyed in the Black Forest Fire, the most costly blaze in Colorado history. As development in the rural West grows, so too have wildfire threats.(AP) Will wildfires grow ever bigger, more frequent — and […]
States Pressure Feds to Cut Energy Efficiency Backlog
A man fills a freezer in Ohio. Energy efficiency standards for commercial appliances will be updated by next year. (AP) After blowing past legal deadlines, federal regulators have agreed to update energy efficiency standards for four common commercial appliances by next year. Supporters say the standards will shave hundreds of millions of dollars off U.S. […]
States Seek Federal Crackdown on Mussel Invaders
Invasive quagga mussels in 2009 cover this formerly sunken boat at Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada. State wildlife officials say Congress can help fight the mussels’ invasion by tweaking a 113-year-old conservation law. (AP) (Updated 8/5/2013: CORRECTS story to note mussels’ multi-billion dollar cost to U.S. taxpayers, not hundreds of billions.) State lawmakers […]
States Weigh Compact to Bolster Energy Grid
A power pole is worked on by Westar Energy employees Tuesday evening, July 23, 2013, in Hutchinson, Kan. Lawmakers have proposed an interstate compact to bolster the energy grid, helping to add renewable sources like wind and solar. (AP) Kansas is undoubtedly a windy state, but it is not yet the “Saudi Arabia of Wind” […]
Alaskan Voters Will Weigh in on Massive Tax Cut for Oil
Alaskans protest a massive tax cut for oil producers ahead of its passage in the legislative last April. (AP) (Updated 7/16/2013: CORRECTS story to note Metcalfe party switch) Alaska voters appear set to decide whether to repeal or stick with a multibillion-dollar tax cut for major oil producers. Supporters say the tax cut could make or break the fortunes […]
Flush With Oil and Gas Cash, North Dakota’s Growth Tops in Nation
An oil field worker walks away from an derrick outside of Williston, N.D. Thanks to a surge of production on Bakken shale, the state’s economic growth is tops in the nation — by far (AP). North Dakota’s economy wasn’t much to behold a decade ago. But that’s changed dramatically thanks to surging oil and gas […]
States Seek Flexibility in Obama Climate Plan
President Obama is proposing sweeping steps to limit heat-trapping pollution from coal-fired power plants and to boost renewable energy production on federal property. He outlined his plan at Georgetown University last month. (AP) Delaware is literally in a tough spot when it comes to air quality. Downwind of the carbon-spewing Ohio Valley and industrial neighbors […]
Legislation Aims to Address Nuclear Waste Woes
Spent fuel storage pools at Shearon Harris nuclear plant in New Hill, N.C. More than 65,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel is stored at operating or shuttered reactor sites in 34 states. (AP) Four U.S. senators are hoping to answer a question states have long been asking: where will the country permanently deposit the thousands […]
Renewable Energy Incentives Survive Lobby Attack
A row of wind turbines works against the evening sky at the Gray County Wind Farm in Kansas. The Sunflower state was one of several battlegrounds of a stymied national push to roll back renewable energy portfolio standards. (AP) For renewable energy supporters, this was supposed to be a year of statehouse setbacks. “States Cooling […]
‘Frenemies’ For a Cause: Governors Wager on Stanley Cup
The governors of Illinois and Massachusetts have made a friendly wager on the Stanley Cup Finals matchup between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins. The series begins on Wednesday in Chicago. (AP) The Stanley Cup Finals has turned two Democratic governor pals into rivals with a cause. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Illinois Gov. […]
Report: In Energy Giant Texas, Natural Gas Won’t Push Out Renewables
Wind turbines are shown in Lingleville, Texas. A new report says Texas’ renewable energy sector — particularly the wind industry — can survive a push from low-priced natural gas. (AP) Will America’s cheap, abundant natural gas dampen investment in renewable energy? Not in energy juggernaut Texas, economists say in a new analysis that should gladden […]