Archive for February 2024
Two major New York offshore wind projects are back on track
Two major offshore wind farms slated for New York’s waters are back on track after a brutal 2023 threatened to derail the projects — and the emerging industry’s prospects in the U.S. On Thursday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said the state had selected the 924-megawatt Sunrise Wind project and the 810-megawatt…
Read MoreThe brewing rift within the Biden admin’s clean hydrogen strategy
The Biden administration’s proposed rules for clean hydrogen tax credits are taking heat from the seven regional hubs the administration hand-picked to jump-start the clean hydrogen industry . The Internal Revenue Service is finalizing the potentially transformational 45V tax credit for clean hydrogen production,…
Read MoreIn Rush for Lithium, Miners Turn to the Oil Fields of Arkansas
The Smackover Formation in southern Arkansas was once a major oil producer. Now, companies hope to extract lithium — a key metal for electric vehicle batteries — from its underground brines using technologies they say could reduce mining’s carbon emissions and water use.
Read MoreLow-income communities will soon get $7 billion for local solar
One of the Inflation Reduction Act's most potentially transformative programs is close to being finalized — and now we have a window into how it could take shape. States are vying for a share of a historic $7 billion in federal funding to help low-income families access clean solar power. This program, Solar for All…
Read MoreCheap clean energy could unleash the power of thermal storage
Rocks and hotness have existed for billions of years, but it’s only now that the two can be used to help the world decarbonize — and it’s all because the insanely low cost of solar and wind power has made thermal storage economically possible. In essential industries such as steel, cement and chemicals production ,…
Read MoreBoiling, Filtering Water Can Get Rid of Microplastics, Study Finds
A new study finds that boiling and then filtering tap water can remove up to 90 percent of microplastics.
Read MoreScenes from the South Texas LNG export fight
This week, Canary Media reported from the frontlines of America’s ongoing battle over exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG. In South Texas, developers are seeking to build two hulking LNG export terminals and two accompanying gas pipelines near the Gulf of Mexico — along one of the last remaining stretches of…
Read MoreInside the fight to stop LNG export projects in South Texas
See more scenes from South Texas in this companion photo essay . CAMERON COUNTY, Texas — Juan Mancias and I are sitting in his Dodge Ram pickup truck when a sharp jolt shakes him in his seat. The truck is stuck in deep muck on an unpaved road in southeastern Texas, and a rugged Jeep is trying to pull us out. With…
Read MoreHow a Solar Revolution in Farming Is Depleting World’s Groundwater
Farmers in hot, arid regions are turning to low-cost solar pumps to irrigate their fields, eliminating the need for expensive fossil fuels and boosting crop production. But by allowing them to pump throughout the day, the new technology is drying up aquifers around the globe.
Read MoreThis report puts a price tag on the climate impacts of US LNG exports
In late January, the Biden administration announced that it was pausing new approvals for liquefied natural gas export terminals until it can reassess its review process. That decision hinges on a key question: Is continuing to expand the country’s already massive fossil-gas export capacity in the “public interest?”…
Read More