Energy

Wyoming Law Would Penalize Utilities for Using Renewable Energy
Republican legislators in the state of Wyoming are choosing sides in the energy market—with dire consequences for consumers and the environment.

The Upside of the Looming Resource Crisis
The concept of the circular economy is starting to take hold on governments and business throughout the world. Peter Moskowitz discusses the various ways the concept is being translated into practical, real-world solutions.

Indian Point Nuclear Plant to Shut Down by 2021
Continuing a string of high-profile infrastructure announcements, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a deal to shut down the Indian Point Nuclear Plant, located less than 30 miles from Midtown Manhattan.
Shock at Mexican Fuel Price Hike Turns to Pandemonium
Reaction to the 20 percent hike in fuel prices on New Year's Day has been swift, causing riots and looting resulting in four deaths and arrests of over 700 people, but President Enrique Peña Nieto continues to justify the need to end fuel subsidies.

EPA: Fracking a Threat to Drinking Water
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finally spoken out about the risks posed by fracking to drinking water supplies. The Trump Administration seems very unlikely to head the warning.
Oil Companies Ordered to Cease Injection of Wastewater into California Aquifers
Seven oil companies, including Chevron, have been injecting wastewater into 10 aquifers for decades despite never receiving permission from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to do so. The aquifers are not currently used for drinking water.

New Year's Shock Greets Motorists at Mexican Gas Stations
Mexico began deregulation of gasoline prices to the dismay of motorists, as gas prices jumped about 20 percent on New Year's Day. People are so upset that pundits suggest the decision may imperil President Enrique Peña Nieto's re-election next year.

Coal Plants Are Closing—There's Not Much Trump's EPA Can Do About It
Natural gas and renewable sources of energy are quickly replacing coal-fired power plants in the nation's energy portfolio. Economics, not regulations is determining what gets built, and what gets burned.

The Political Map of 2016 Looks Like the Carbon Emissions Map of 2016
There's a trend here.

The Surprising Region with the Nation's Worst Particulate Air Pollution
It's not Southern California, with its ports and congested freeways, California's Central Valley, with its bowl-like topography, Houston, with its oil refineries, or the midwest, with its coal power plants. Hint: think Santa Claus.
France Opened the First Solar Roadway Built For Cars
A bike path in the Netherlands has been generating solar power since 2014, but the first example of a solar roadway built for cars opened this week in France.
President Obama Enacts Permanent Drilling Ban Along Arctic and Atlantic Coasts
In a precedent-setting action that supporters call creative and opponents view as abusive, President Obama has declared a permanent drilling ban off the Atlantic coast from Virginia to Maine and along much of the Alaska coast. But will it last?

The Most Popular Planetizen Posts of 2016
No Electoral College needed: these were the most popular Planetizen posts from the year 2016.

The Surprising Climate Change Believer Among Trump's Cabinet Picks
Compared to nominees for cabinet positions that deal with energy and the environment, Rex Tillerson, Trump's choice for Secretary of State, appears to be the only 'climate believer' even though he heads America's largest oil and gas corporation.

Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke Reportedly Tapped for Interior Secretary
Days earlier the presumed nominee was Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, a member of the GOP congressional leadership, but Zinke's interview with Don Trump Jr., the president's son, appears to have caused the change.

Trump Picks Energy Secretary Who Wanted to Eliminate Department
In an infamous 2011 Republican presidential primary debate, then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry stated he would abolish three federal agencies: Commerce, Education, and "Oops!" — he couldn't recall. That department, energy, he has now been selected to lead.
Another Fossil-Fuel-Friendly Climate Skeptic Selected for Trump Cabinet
President-elect Donald Trump is reported to have selected Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican from Washington, for Secretary of the Department of Interior. Also, "Climate McCarthyism" emerges as a concern for federal employees.

Trump Picks Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to Head EPA
The selection of Scott Pruitt, a climate change denier, who is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, signals the incoming Trump Administration's antipathy for the environmental legacy of its predecessor.

Victory for Native Americans and Supporters at Standing Rock—for Now
The Army Corps of Engineers denied Energy Transfer Partners an easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline under Lake Oahe, advising them to explore alternative routing and conduct an environmental review, granting indigenous peoples a rare victory.
The Architecture at Zero Competition Imagines the Future of Net Zero Energy
The winners of the 2016 Architecture at Zero competition took a case study located in the fog-locked city of San Francisco and delivered a net-zero site plan for a mixed-use academic facility.
Pagination
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