Tag Archives: senate
John Kerry Endorsed by U.S Senate for Secretary of State
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), a champion of action on climate change, was approved by the Senate to be Secretary of State. If his nomination is accepted by the House of Representatives, Kerry will replace outgoing Hilary Clinton. At his Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 24, Kerry pulled no punches and took a strong position on [...]
The Partisan Divide on Global Warming
A huge gulf exists between Americans who accept the reality of climate science and those who do not. According to an October 15, 2012, Pew Research Center poll, Democratic voters are more than twice as likely to embrace the facts on global warming than their Republican counterparts. A growing number Americans, including voters who identify [...]
The 2012 Election: It’s All About Energy
Recently, GTM asked how the results of the 2012 election will impact U.S. greentech, but a new poll suggests that question put the horse before the cart. The first question is how greentech will impact the 2012 election. Public Policy Polling (PPP) asked 22,412 likely voters in eight states considered to have the potential to [...]
RIP: California Community Solar Bill
Senate Bill 843, a piece of legislation that would have extended the benefits of renewable energy to millions of Californians, died last Friday in the state’s Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce. Currently, 75% of households cannot install residential solar (and other renewable energy) systems for one reason or another. One of the most significant [...]
Thanks Clean Energy! U.S Power Plant Emissions Down
An analysis of 2010 emissions data from the top 100 US power producers illustrates the positive impact of the industry’s ongoing transition to natural gas and renewable energy sources. Although carbon dioxide power plant emissions rose 24% are up over the benchmark year (1990), they were off 4% from 2008-2010, and preliminary data suggests they [...]
BREAKING: Solar and Renewable Energy Tax Breaks Fail in Senate
The Senate vote was 49 to 49 for Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s (D-Mich.) tax extender that would have kept the tax grant alive, according to The Hill. Voting was pretty much along party lines, as seen here at Roll Call. Unfortunately, 60 votes were needed for passage. Stabenow’s tax extender was attached to a transportation bill. [...]
Big Senate Vote on Big Oil Today
The Senate is scheduled to vote on Big Oil’s wish list today. Senator Roberts’s (R-KS) amendment #1826, which is attached to the Transportation bill (S. 1813), is even worse than the Vitter amendment that failed in the Senate last week. It would mandate – yes, require - oil drilling off of every coast in our nation and in the [...]
Senate Passes Extension of Tax Grant Program
The U.S. Senate passed of a one-year extension of the Department ofTreasury Section 1603 tax grant program in their tax bill compromise. Senators Cantwell, Feinstein, Ensign and LeMieux led the effort toextend the grant program which has to a large extent helped drive thegrowth of solar in the U.S. in the last year. The United States [...]
Environmental Issues in 6 Battleground State Senate Races
Although Republican gains are considered likely in the Senate, control of thatchamber probably will come down to the outcome of contests in suchstates like Nevada, Colorado, Illinois, West Virginia, California andWashington. NEVADA In Nevada, the race is too close tocall, the turnout may end up being the deciding factor. In this battleto the wire, Senate [...]
YAWN: U.S. Senate Bill Proposes 3% National Renewable Energy Standard
Calls for the U.S. to institute a Renewable Energy Standard (RES) have come from corporations, politicians, and trade associationsalike. However the RES proposed in legislation introduced in the Senate yesterday was not necessarily what these advocates had in mind. The Senate bill would require utility companies to generate 3% oftheir energy portfolios from non-hydro renewable [...]
‘Ten Million Solar Roofs’ Advances in Senate
A solar policy proposal put forward by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanderswas approved by the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural ResourcesWednesday. The measure would subsidize solar installationsthrough competitive grants. In 2012, $250 million in grants would beauthorized; between 2013 and 2021, $500 million would be providedannually. The Ten Million Solar Roofs bill – as its [...]
Survey: Latinos Like Clean Energy
A vast majority of registered Latino voters support clean energy innovation, protecting public lands and cleaning up toxic pollution, according to a new national survey. Even more of them believe they have a moral obligation to do something about it. 86% of the 1,131 Latinos surveyed would prefer the US government to invest in clean, [...]