Renewable Energy: Powering U.S. Sports Stadiums One at a Time
Wind energy from the Salt River Project (SRP) will power the Super Bowl on February 1. The energy sponsorship from the non-profit municipal utility sparked much controversy when the deal was struck back in 2013. The deal includes a $1 million sponsorship of the Super Bowl. SRP will provide $500,000 cash, $450,000 of in-kind services, […]
Offshore Wind: Creating More Jobs than Offshore Drilling?
A recently published report from the international organization Oceana, titled Offshore Energy by the Numbers: An Economic Analysis of Offshore Drilling and Wind Energy in the Atlantic, has found that the oil and gas industry has greatly over exaggerated their claims that offshore drilling would stimulate job creation. As an alternative to offshore drilling, the report […]
Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment for 2014
According to a study performed by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (Bloomberg), total global investments in renewable energy rose for the first time in three years in 2014. Despite falling oil prices and falling investments in renewables over the past few years due to sharp declines in the price of solar systems and policy uncertainly in many […]
CEQ Acting Chairman to Step Down in March
Mike Boots, the acting chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), is leaving in March. Boots has served as the chairman since February 2014. While no specific details have been provided as to where he is going, a spokesperson at the CEQ did say that he is “considering a number of energy- […]
Governor Jerry Brown calls for Expanding California’s Renewable Energy Goals
Governor Jerry Brown has been busy these last couple of days preparing for the new year with ambitious goals for California. Before attending the ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony in Fresno for the High-Speed Rail Project (check out our last blog) Governor Brown called for an expansion of California’s renewable energy goals in his inaugural address presented on January 5th, […]
Limiting Land for Renewable Energy in California
Four federal agencies released the draft Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) on September 23, 2014. The DRECP aims to provide renewable energy project developers with a streamlined permitting process under the federal and California Endangered Species Acts while preserving, restoring, and enhancing 37 endangered species and their habitats.
High Speed Rail for California?
Officials from the California High-Speed Rail Authority joined supporters, including Governor Jerry Brown in downtown Fresno at the future site of Fresno’s high-speed rail station for a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony. This ceremony marks the beginning of construction for a project that has struggled with legal and financial issues.
New CEQ Guidance for Analyzing Greenhouse Gas Emission Impacts
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released revised draft guidance on December 18, 2014 that describes how federal agencies should consider the effects of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and impacts of climate change when performing environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Unlike the 2010 draft guidance, the new version applies to all […]