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Our New EPA Administrator: Scott Pruitt

March 6, 2017March 3, 2017 adminAve 0 Comments

On Friday February 17, 2017 the senate confirmed President Trump’s nomination, Scott Pruitt, as the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Born in Kentucky, Edward Scott Pruitt began his career in 1998 as a member of the Oklahoma Senate. During his time he held the position as majority whip from 2001-2003. He also served as Republican assistant floor leader until his departure in 2006 to run an unsuccessful lieutenant governor campaign. Then in 2010 he was elected attorney general of Oklahoma. But it was during his tenure as Oklahoma’s AG that has received the most scrutiny.

Policy

As the doomsday clock moves towards midnight, where does Rex Tillerson, the new Secretary of State, stand on climate change?

March 4, 2017March 3, 2017 adminAve 0 Comments Jeff Merkley, Paris Agreement, Rex Tillerson, State Department

Before his nomination for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson was the head of Exxon Mobil, “the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company,” according to its website. In the past, Exxon Mobil has been accused of covering up data that showed the risks of climate change, which has raised concerns among environmentalists who believe that Secretary Tillerson will not work towards mitigating the effects of climate change. Exxon Mobil has denied the allegations.

News

White House Proposes Deep Cuts to EPA Budget

March 3, 2017 adminAve 1 Comment

Gina McCarthy, who served as the agency’s leader under the Obama administration, said the proposal “Ignores the need to invest in science and to implement the law.” She went on to say, “It ignores the lessons of history that led to EPA’s creation 46 years ago. And it ignores the American people calling for its continued support.”

Energy & Tech Environment

An Energized Month for Distributed Energy Resources (DER)

February 27, 2017March 3, 2017 adminAve 0 Comments CAISO, distributed energy resources, energy, energy framework, grid, NYISO, photovoltaic, renewable resources

NYISO’s DER roadmap is spread out over the next three to five years, designed to develop market elements, functional requirements and tariff language necessary to integrate a DER system.1 CAISO believes that closer coordination with the distribution level utility will be needed to advance DER aggregations and a clean power system. While NYISO and CAISO have been making substantial ground, the development of DER still asks for a considerable amount of research and policy-making.

News

Pruitt Addresses Future of EPA, Contradicting Agency Mission

February 24, 2017February 26, 2017 adminAve 0 Comments

Pruitt’s statements and fossil fuel affiliations have caused widespread opposition among
environmental activists. The Obama administration entrusted the EPA to lead policy on global
warming. Without rules to drive down emissions, America’s progress against climate change will
be threatened and the country’s ability to meet emissions targets agreed to under the Paris
Climate Agreement jeopardized.

News

Reaction to “Smoke and Mirrors Behind Climate Modeling”

February 21, 2017 adminAve 0 Comments

More accurate SC-CO2 estimates may allow for the establishment of an effective carbon tax to promote economic growth, reduce budget deficits, reduce redundant and inefficient regulation, reduce unnecessary subsidies and reduce the costs associate with climate change.

Environment

No Bag is Free

February 11, 2017February 10, 2017 adminAve 0 Comments

No disposable bag is free, and the cost of a plastic bag yields high environmental impact. Restricting the use of plastic disposable bags will reduce litter, solid waste, greenhouse gas emissions, our dependence on fossil fuels, and manufacturing and cleanup costs while protecting the environment and waterways.

Energy & Tech

Avoiding the Utility Death Spiral and Revamping the Grid

February 10, 2017 adminAve 0 Comments

In the HVDC system AC is converted into DC via a converter station, transmitted at a high voltage through a long-distance cable and then converted back to AC at a terminal converter station for local dispersal. This allows for lower power losses and the ability to reduce intermittency from widespread renewable energy sources.

Policy

Reaction to D.C. Bar Finance Department: Environmental Priorities of Congress and the New Administration

February 8, 2017 adminAve 0 Comments

Despite a strong emphasis on future deregulation and rollbacks on environmental protection there remained a general consensus of extreme uncertainty amongst panelists. While touching upon Trump’s conundrum of simultaneous promotion of coal and fracking, Kurtz summarized by saying, “Trump has no fixed ideology besides self-regard.”

News

Rick Perry: Impending Secretary of Energy

February 7, 2017February 6, 2017 adminAve 0 Comments

In Fed Up!, Rick Perry wrote that climate change is “all one contrived phony mess that is falling apart under its own weight. Al Gore is a prophet all right, a false prophet of a secular carbon cult, and now even moderate Democrats aren’t buying it.”