A new, compact pumped hydro energy storage system uses lower elevations and sloping hills, avoiding the cost and environmental impacts of mountain-based storage systems.
The post New Pumped Hydro Energy Storage System Needs No Mountains appeared first on CleanTechnica.
This week Colorado utilities filed a request for reconsideration against the Trump administration’s illegal coal orders following similar requests from public interest groups and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. Tri-State Generation and Transmission and Platte River Power Authority’s (PRPA) argue the federal government’s intervention to keep the Craig 1 coal unit operating violates ... [continued]
The post Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Utilities Intervene Against Craig 202(c) Order appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Washington, D.C. — Today, the Trump administration released yet another coal industry handout by proposing to undo the Environmental Protection Agency’s previous disapproval of State Implementation Plans from states failing to meet their Clean Air Act obligations under the federal ozone air quality standard. Previously in 2023 the EPA had ... [continued]
The post Trump’s EPA Proposes to Reward States for Being Bad Neighbors appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Court Allows Vineyard Wind Project to Continue Construction BOSTON — A judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts has granted a preliminary injunction for yet another one of Donald Trump’s freezes on offshore wind. Judge Brian Murphy ruled Wednesday that Vineyard Wind, a 13 megawatt wind project off the ... [continued]
The post 4 of the 5 Wind Power Projects Stopped by Trump in December Have Resumed Work appeared first on CleanTechnica.
The US concentrating solar power startup GlassPoint has its sights set on ripe solar markets in the US Southwest as well as southern Europe, the Middle East, and South America.
The post Here Comes Concentrating Solar Power To Decarbonize Industrial Heat appeared first on CleanTechnica.
This would destroy deep-sea habitats and the ecosystems they support. By Rebecca Loomis, Staff Attorney, Nature, NRDC The Trump administration is supporting a new and highly destructive deep-sea mining (DSM) industry in our ocean, despite immense environmental risks and broad international opposition. Early in his second term, President Trump issued ... [continued]
The post The Trump Administration Is Racing to Launch the Deep-Sea Mining Industry, Despite Huge Risks and Broad Opposition appeared first on CleanTechnica.
California continues to celebrate strong ZEV sales despite the efforts of President Trump, and his Republican enablers in Congress, to throttle down the vehicle electrification movement.
The post California Takes A ZEV Sales Victory Lap Around Trump, And His Enablers appeared first on CleanTechnica.
A few years ago, it dawned on me that clean, electric-powered aviation isn’t part of some far off solarpunk future. While we’re not going to see electric passenger jets or medical helicopters this year, there are already electric aircraft replacing ICE aircraft almost everywhere. Aerial photography, surveying, search and rescue, ... [continued]
The post Trump’s FAA Makes It Practically Impossible To Legally Fly Drones appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Steve Hanley, Larry Evans, and I sat down to talk about the biggest EV story of the year so far. That’s Canada opening up to EV trade with China. This is part of a larger trend of more and more countries of the world looking to China for tech leadership ... [continued]
The post Opening Up EV Trade in Canada, Leaving USA Behind appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Following up on the counterproductive decision to pull the plug on the US EV tax credit, Republicans in Congress are now looking to kill the giant US EV charging program that was created by Democrats during the Biden administration. Yes, this is the program Donald Trump tried to halt in ... [continued]
The post Republicans Set to Kill Giant EV Charging Program appeared first on CleanTechnica.
California continues to celebrate strong ZEV sales despite the efforts of President Trump, and his Republican enablers in Congress, to throttle down the vehicle electrification movement.
The post California Takes A ZEV Sales Victory Lap Around Trump, And His Enablers appeared first on CleanTechnica.
The Michigan State Attorney General has filed an antitrust lawsuit against BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Shell, and oil industry organizations, citing a 50-year effort to illegally restrain competition from renewable energy.
The post US Oil Industry Busted For “One Of The Most Successful Antitrust Conspiracies” In US History appeared first on CleanTechnica.
PHILADELPHIA — This week, the National Park Service removed an exhibit from Independence National Historical Park examining the legacy of slavery at the site. The interpretive display, located at the President’s House Site at the park, depicted individuals who had been enslaved by George Washington, along with a timeline detailing the history ... [continued]
The post NPS Censoring of History at Independence National Historical Park appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Washington, DC — Today, the Sierra Club is highlighting the transparency generated by the organization’s Environmental Law Program in the first year of Donald Trump’s second term in office. Sierra Club lawyers launched a robust Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) accountability effort one year ago, at the start of the second ... [continued]
The post A Year of Oversight & Accountability: Sierra Club FOIAs Have Uncovered Oil & Gas Handouts, Canceled Grants, Opposition to Whitewashing of History, & More appeared first on CleanTechnica.
The budget airline Ryanair has turned the tables on Tesla CEO Elon Musk, leveraging an online feud over Musk's Skylink service for free publicity.
The post Budget Airline Exec Calls Out Trump Enabler Elon Musk appeared first on CleanTechnica.
A few years ago, it dawned on me that clean, electric-powered aviation isn’t part of some far off solarpunk future. While we’re not going to see electric passenger jets or medical helicopters this year, there are already electric aircraft replacing ICE aircraft almost everywhere. Aerial photography, surveying, search and rescue, ... [continued]
The post Trump’s FAA Makes It Practically Impossible To Legally Fly Drones appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Steve Hanley, Larry Evans, and I sat down to talk about the biggest EV story of the year so far. That’s Canada opening up to EV trade with China. This is part of a larger trend of more and more countries of the world looking to China for tech leadership ... [continued]
The post Opening Up EV Trade in Canada, Leaving USA Behind appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Washington, D.C. — Today, seven environmental and consumer advocacy groups filed rehearing requests after Donald Trump’s Department of Energy unlawfully invoked Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act and forced two coal power plants in Indiana to stay online after their planned retirements. The seven groups include Sierra Club, Environmental Law and ... [continued]
The post Environmental, Consumer Groups Challenge Trump’s Unlawful Coal Plant Extensions appeared first on CleanTechnica.
The U.S. Department of Energy moved to de-obligate or revise billions in financing for clean energy projects while prioritizing natural gas and nuclear power.
From pv magazine USA
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it will restructure or eliminate $83.6 billion in loans and conditional commitments, shifting focus away from renewable energy sources like solar and wind in favor of baseload power like gas and nuclear.
Along with this action the DOE has renamed the loaning organization, the Loans Programs Office to the Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF).
The action follows a review of the Biden administrations $104 billion principal loan obligations, “including approximately $85 billion rushed out the door in the final months after Election Day,” said a press statement from DOE.
The department stated that nearly $30 billion has been or is being de-obligated, while an additional $53.6 billion is undergoing revision.
According to the department, approximately $9.5 billion in subsidies for wind and solar projects were eliminated. These funds are being redirected toward baseload energy sources, including natural gas, nuclear power, and coal-fired facilities. The agency said that the changes are intended to prioritize grid reliability and lower electricity costs for consumers.
The department maintains $289 billion in available loan authority. It identified six sectors it will fund, notably excluding renewable energy and battery energy storage.
The EDF is set to oversee the allocation of funds across a diverse range of energy and industrial sectors. These include nuclear power, fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gas, and other hydrocarbons, as well as critical materials and minerals essential for technological development.
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said the office will now focus on supporting the private sector through energy projects that provide consistent power rather than intermittent generation.
Recent analysis finds that solar and battery energy storage costs have fallen enough where cost-competitive “anytime electricity” is available around-the-clock.
The department has already begun closing loans under the new priorities, including a deal to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear facility. A coal-powered fertilizer plant in Indiana also received support.
Meanwhile, many solar and storage developers that had received conditional commitments under the previous administration must now navigate a revised landscape where federal backing is no longer guaranteed for renewable technologies.
The department noted that $85 billion of the original portfolio was finalized in the final months of the Biden administration, a timeline the current leadership described as “rushed.”
The move signals a departure from federal support for the energy transition as previously defined, focusing instead on traditional energy production and nuclear expansion.
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