Energy

Timber Industry 'Bracing' for Soaring Demand
Building with wood is back in fashion, but lumber producers have to reckon with thorny politics and new timber-based materials that have yet to be truly defined.

Nebraska Commission Authorizes Keystone XL Pipeline, But With a Major Twist
TransCanada got its second wish. Last March, President Trump reversed President Obama's rejection of the 1,136-mile pipeline to carry Alberta oil sands crude. On Monday, the Nebraska Public Service Commission OK'd a route, but not the one it wanted.

Host Nation Reveals Embarrassment as Climate Talks End
It's not so easy weaning itself from dirty coal power, one reason why Germany likely won't meet its 2020 greenhouse gas reduction targets. But they will have plenty of company, though all targets are voluntary.

Tesla's 'Badass' Electric Semi Beats Diesel and Rail, Says Elon Musk
Tesla introduces a high-performance, totally electric, semi-autonomous truck that that can haul 80,000 of freight for 500 miles without recharging.

Keystone Pipeline Leaks Oil in Advance of Crucial Decision on Sister Pipeline
Thursday's massive oil spill in South Dakota is not a good omen for TransCanada for a favorable decision on Monday on an application before the Nebraska Public Service Commission on the routing of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.

Offshore Wind Lands on Lake Erie
By 2019, a multi-million dollar project developed by a former "big energy" guy might make Cleveland the new U.S. leader in renewable energy.

China's Climate Change Paradox
President Xi Jinping wants China to replace the U.S. as the world's leader in fighting climate change, yet emissions from China are projected to increase at a higher rate than any other major emitter, according to the Global Carbon Project.

The First Year-Round UPS Bike Delivery Route Arrives in Pittsburgh
The electric bicycles appeared in Portland last year, but Pittsburgh will get the company's first dedicated non-truck delivery route.

How Tulsa Beat Flooding Without Saying 'Climate Change'
An oil town in a red state proves we don't have to talk about climate change to adapt to it.

The Great Transportation Wormhole: Are We Ready for Autonomous Vehicles?
Transportation planners are on to something big and, for the most part, they are keeping it to themselves. The future is a relatively small fleet of shared, electric, self driving vehicles, and it's coming fast. Are we ready?

Electric Vehicle Sales Would Take a Hit With GOP's Tax Cut
The House GOP tax plan, which Trump wanted to name the "Cut, Cut, Cut" bill, was intended to cut taxes, but it's also cutting credits, like the federal $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit. How much would its elimination affect EV sales?

Sacramento Plans to Spur Clean Fuel Industry with 'Green City' Initiative
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg hopes that an infusion of EV funds can jumpstart a new, clean economy in the city.

Washington Gets Its Marine Spatial Plan
The Pacific Northwest's competing and sometimes conflicting stakeholders have created a master plan for the use—and also the preservation—of marine resources.

Electric Transit Becoming the New Norm in California
Electrification is at a tipping point in California, expanding into the heavy-duty sector with the buy-in of transit agencies across the state.

The High Cost of Burying Power Lines
With speculation that downed power lines and exploding transformers may have caused California's most deadly and destructive wildfires, many question why utility companies don't bury these lines through fire-prone areas.

The Future of the Nation's Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
People won't drive electric vehicles much differently than they drive gas powered vehicles. That means charging infrastructure will be needed in communities to supply electricity for many short drives.

Wine Country Wildfires Put Spotlight on Transmission Lines
No cause has yet been attributed to California's deadliest wildfires, but the connections to fallen power lines and exploding transformers, maintained by PG&E, have been exposed in a series of reports by the Bay Area News Group.

California to Implement Wood Smoke Reduction Program
The program is voluntary, providing incentives to replace older, uncertified wood stoves for cleaner replacements or alternatives. In addition to decreasing air pollution, it reduces emissions of a "super climate pollutant," black carbon.

Spokane Voters to Decide Whether to Regulate Oil and Coal Trains
Proposition 2, the Safer Spokane Initiative, would require railroads to reduce health and safety risks posed by certain types of oil and coal trains traveling through specified parts of the city or risk being fined.

Comparing the Environmental Impact of Building vs. Buying a Home
Which is better for the environment: buying an existing home, inefficiencies and all, or paying to build a new home with all the bells and whistles of green building technology?
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