Latest Green Economy News | 91��

Plastic bottles could power your devices one day

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 13:00:18 -0500

Each year, billions of single-use plastic bottles end up in landfills or oceans. That waste problem keeps growing. Now, a new scientific breakthrough suggests those same bottles could help power your daily life.

Researchers have developed a way to transform discarded plastic water bottles into high-performance energy storage devices called supercapacitors. The work focuses on PET plastic, short for polyethylene terephthalate, which is used in most beverage bottles.

The research was published in Energy & Fuels and highlighted by the American Chemical Society. Scientists say the discovery could reduce plastic pollution while helping drive cleaner energy technology.

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SCIENTISTS EXTRACT SILVER FROM E-WASTE USING COOKING OIL

Why PET plastic waste is such a growing problem

PET plastic is everywhere. According to the researchers, more than 500 billion single-use PET plastic bottles are produced every year. Most are used once and thrown away. Lead researcher Dr. Yun Hang Hu says that scale creates a major environmental challenge.

Instead of letting that plastic pile up, the team focused on upcycling it into something valuable. Their idea was simple but powerful. Turn waste into materials that support renewable energy systems and reduce production costs at the same time.

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How plastic bottles can store and release energy

Imagine a device that can charge fast and deliver power instantly. That is exactly what supercapacitors do. They store and release energy much faster than traditional batteries, which makes them useful for electric vehicles, solar power systems and everyday electronics.

Hu's team found a way to build these energy storage components using discarded PET plastic water bottles. By reshaping the plastic at extremely high temperatures, the researchers turned waste into materials that can generate electricity efficiently and repeatedly.

Here is how the process works:

For the electrodes, researchers cut PET bottles into tiny, grain-sized pieces. They mixed the plastic with calcium hydroxide and heated it to nearly 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit in a vacuum. That heat transformed the plastic into a porous, electrically conductive carbon powder.

The powder was then formed into thin electrode layers. For the separator, small pieces of PET were flattened and carefully perforated with hot needles. This pattern allowed electric current to pass efficiently while maintaining safety and durability. Once assembled, the device used two carbon electrodes separated by the PET film and submerged in a potassium hydroxide electrolyte.

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Why the results surprised scientists

When tested, the all-waste-plastic supercapacitor outperformed similar devices made with traditional glass fiber separators. After repeated charging and discharging, it retained 79 percent of its energy capacity. A comparable glass fiber device retained 78 percent. That difference matters. The PET-based design costs less to produce, remains fully recyclable, and supports circular energy storage technologies where waste materials are reused instead of discarded.

What this means for you

This breakthrough could affect everyday life sooner than you might expect. Cheaper supercapacitors can lower the cost of electric vehicles, solar systems and portable electronics. Faster charging and longer device lifespans could follow. It also shows that sustainability does not require giving something up. Waste plastics could become part of the solution instead of the problem. Although this technology is still in development, the research team believes PET-based supercapacitors could reach commercial markets within 5 to 10 years. In the meantime, choosing reusable bottles and plastic-free alternatives still helps reduce waste today.

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Kurt's key takeaways

Turning trash into energy storage is more than a clever idea. It shows how science can tackle two global challenges at once. Plastic pollution continues to grow. Energy demand does too. This research proves that those problems do not have to be solved separately. By rethinking waste as a resource, scientists are building a cleaner and more efficient future from materials we already throw away.

If your empty water bottle could one day help power your home or car, would you still see it as trash? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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How future food domes could change the way you eat

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 07:30:23 -0500

A futuristic food dome at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai offered a surprising look at how cities may grow fresh food close to home.

Inspired by a classic greenhouse, the Inochi no Izumi or Source of Life dome showed how a compact closed-loop ecosystem could sit on rooftops or in small urban spaces. It looked like a tiny house full of produce powered by nature.

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LIVING IN GIANT MOON GLASS SPHERES COULD BE OUR FUTURE

Inside the Source of Life dome

The 21-foot structure sits on a base with four water zones that support marine fish, brackish species and freshwater species. Their waste creates the nutrients that feed the plant layers above. Microbes convert ammonia into nitrates that plants love.

Above the tanks are four hydroponic tiers. Salt-tolerant greens grow over the seawater tank. Tomatoes and semi-salt-tolerant veggies thrive in the brackish zone. Herbs and lettuce sit above freshwater species like sturgeon. Edible flowers fill the top layer where sunlight hits strongest. The layout functions like an ecological slice from ocean to land instead of floors.

Transparent ETFE panels pull in light and help the dome keep a stable climate. Water pumps send nutrients upward and then return clean water to each tank. The loop creates almost no waste and keeps cycling with little input.

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How cities may use systems like this

If these domes scale, cities could spread food production across many rooftops instead of one large farm. That shift boosts resilience and reduces shipping. It also lets people see where their food comes from, because it grows within reach.

Why this dome matters

The dome shows how biodiversity can improve food production. With more plant and aquatic species working together, the system stays stable and feeds itself. It does not rely on soil, open land or predictable weather. Cities with tight spaces can use this kind of setup to grow food right where people live.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University and the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology designed the system to copy nature. It follows the same recycling found in healthy wetlands. By letting biology do the work, the system reduces strain on land and water.

What this means for you

This model hints at a future where fresh food sits closer to your kitchen. A dome like this could sit on an apartment building or a school and provide herbs, produce and edible flowers. It cuts travel time from farm to table and gives communities more control over their food supply.

If a storm or disaster blocks access to farms, a closed-loop dome can keep growing. For people with tiny yards or no soil, it offers a realistic way to produce clean food in small spaces.

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Kurt's key takeaways

The Source of Life dome may be a prototype, but it delivers a vivid preview of urban food production. It combines architecture, ecology and aquaculture in a compact package that uses every drop of water. If future cities adopt systems like this, access to fresh food could improve for millions.

Would you trust a rooftop food dome to supply part of your meals each week? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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West Virginia AG leads multistate probe into Big Tech 'greenwashing' claims

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 15:53:20 -0400

West Virginia Attorney General John "JB" McCuskey said Monday that his office is helping lead a new multi-state investigation into big tech firms, alleging they exaggerate their clean-energy commitments — a practice known as "greenwashing."

McCuskey is joining 15 other state attorneys general, led by Montana’s Austin Knudsen, in probing tech titans Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft over claims they are powered entirely by renewable energy. He said those assertions are misleading because the companies rely on renewable energy certificates — credits that let them claim green energy use even while their data centers consume electricity generated by coal and natural gas.

"What’s happening is the left has created this kind of scam system," McCuskey told 91�� Digital. "You can pipe electricity into your data center using coal or natural gas, then buy credits from someone producing green energy somewhere else and say you’re not using any carbon fuels," he explained.

"It’d be like Taylor Swift flying to the Super Bowl on her jet, then saying she didn’t burn jet fuel because she bought a carbon credit."

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McCuskey said the practice distorts the energy market and threatens grid reliability, particularly in states such as West Virginia and Montana that produce coal and natural gas. He warned that "voodoo accounting" in the credit system makes it difficult for utilities and planners to know how much electricity is truly being generated and consumed.

Amazon, Google, and Meta did not immediately respond to 91�� Digital's request for comment. Microsoft declined to comment.

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While the coalition’s letter is critical of the system, McCuskey stressed that the intent isn’t to attack the tech companies themselves.

"Our beef isn’t actually with the tech companies, it’s with the system they’re being forced to use," he said. "We want to build great relationships with them because we understand how important AI and data centers are for economic development."

He blamed what he described as "hyper-aggressive and irrational energy policies" for entrenching the current credit system, which he said began under the Obama administration and accelerated under former President Joe Biden.

McCuskey said he was the only state attorney general to attend the recent Pittsburgh Energy Conference, where President Donald Trump underscored his push to make U.S. dominance in energy and artificial intelligence a cornerstone of his economic and national security agenda.

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"What the president calls the ‘green scam’ is a very accurate assessment," McCuskey said. "This investigation aligns perfectly with the goal of developing our carbon fuels in a way that keeps America leading the world in energy production and keeps electricity affordable for families."

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He said West Virginia has not yet received a response from the companies involved, but he expects the process to take time.

"This is about empowering them to do what they need to do without having to jump through irrational hoops," McCuskey said. "These environmental gimmicks make it harder for states like ours to produce the energy the country needs and to plan for future power demand."

Macron to appoint fourth prime minister in a year as debt battle topples centrist leader

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:22:45 -0400

French President Emmanuel Macron is facing down another political crisis and will be forced to choose a new prime minister for the fourth time in less than 12 months following a vote of no-confidence on Monday.

Prime Minister François Bayrou is expected to resign after a sweeping majority voted to boot him from the minority government in a 364–194 vote over his controversial cuts to public spending in an attempt to reduce France’s national debt.

Macron appointed Bayrou in December following a slew of resignations over the year when three other prime ministers left the top job.

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The French president is expected to appoint another prime minister – the fifth in less than two years.

France is Europe’s second-largest economy, but according to Bayrou, it is facing an economic crisis.

But the centrist leader found himself facing growing opposition after he unveiled plans to reduce the fiscal deficit to 4.6% of GDP next year to secure a savings of $51 billion through a series of spending cuts, tax hikes and the dissolving of two public holidays.

Multiple reports on Monday noted that by the end of the first quarter of 2025, France’s public debt equated to 114% of its GDP.

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But the vote of no confidence could signal increased gridlock within France’s government at a time when Macron is not only taking on a leading role when it comes to opposing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and the existential threats that poses for European allies, but increasing global instability and tense ties with the U.S. – which is also one of its chief trading partners.

It’s unclear if Bayrou will resign Monday night or when Macron publicly addresses the vote.

California ignoring Congress’ EV rule rollbacks, committee claims, demanding documents

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:48:05 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: In a sharp rebuke, a Kentucky congressman is pressing California’s top environmental agency for answers after learning the state may be ignoring Congress’ reversal of three key electric vehicle standards.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce wrote to Sacramento that it is "concerned about reports that California, and other jurisdictions who have adopted California standards for which waivers of preemption have been granted, are enforcing preempted vehicle emission regulations in violation of the Clean Air Act."

Earlier this year, Congress used the Congressional Review Act to nullify Biden-era waivers granted by the Biden EPA to California, allowing them to implement stricter standards than the federal government.

Several states, including Pennsylvania and Delaware, along with the District of Columbia, have adopted California’s low-emissions standards as well.

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"The Committee has been made aware that CARB staff is denying auto manufacturers approval to bring vehicles to market unless the manufacturers agree to comply with the preempted regulations," the committee continued.

Rep. Brett Guthrie, chair of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, a Republican, told 91�� Digital that the law is clear that the Golden State must end its "de-facto EV mandate."

"Enforcing a ban on the sale of gas-powered vehicles would have dire consequences for American families and businesses," Guthrie said.

"Forcing Americans to buy these vehicles would strain our electric grid, raise costs, and increase our reliance on China. Our investigation will look into whether California is continuing to enforce an EV mandate in violation of federal law."

Joining Guthrie on the letter were Reps. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., and John Joyce, R-Pa., chairmen of the environment and oversight subcommittees, respectively.

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The committee acknowledged a lawsuit against the recissions from California Attorney General Robert Bonta remains ongoing, but that the intermission does not allow the state to continue enforcing mandates under the nixed waivers.

In a June statement announcing the lawsuit, Bonta called the situation "reckless, politically motivated and illegal."

The letter, addressed to Dr. Steven Cliff, executive officer of the California Air Resources Board, said the committee had been purportedly made aware of CARB staff denying auto manufacturers’ approval to bring vehicles to market in the state "unless the manufacturers agree to comply with the preempted regulations."

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"These efforts include CARB staff indicating that the agency would deny California Executive Orders (EO) for model year 2026 vehicles that meet all of CARB’s enforceable regulatory requirements and which California allowed for sale in model year 2025, on the basis that these vehicles do not meet the additional requirements in one set of the preempted regulations: ACC-II."

The committee further alleges that CARB’s online "repository" spreadsheet of model year 2026 vehicles showed the board has "exclusively approved" vehicles that would certify under the ACC-II green regulations.

They closed by demanding documents showing whether CARB is continuing to enforce the car, truck or omnibus regulations Congress undid, and all records from the first of the year onward germane to the regulations and Biden-era waivers.

91�� Digital reached out to CARB and Gov. Gavin Newsom for comment on accusations that the board is discriminating against certain vehicles.

Trump Interior Department moves to dismantle 'regulatory favoritism' for wind, solar projects

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 20:10:44 -0400

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) said Thursday it was adding "enhanced oversight" of agency decisions about new wind and solar projects in an effort to end "favoritism" of these "unreliable" and "subsidy-dependent" energy systems from the previous administration.

The new directive updates review procedures that will require senior leadership at the Interior Department, including the office of the secretary, to conduct a final review of any relevant decisions, including leases, rights-of-way, construction and operation plans, grants, consultations and biological opinions.

"Today’s actions further deliver on President Trump’s promise to tackle the Green New Scam and protect the American taxpayers’ dollars," said acting Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management Adam Suess.

"American energy dominance is driven by U.S.-based production of reliable baseload energy, not regulatory favoritism towards unreliable energy projects that are solely dependent on taxpayer subsidies and foreign-sourced equipment."

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A source familiar with the DOI's new enhanced oversight directive said the agency had serious concerns the Biden administration gave preferential treatment for permitting to new wind and solar projects, which a DOI press release Thursday described as "unreliable" forms of energy.

The press release argued that, with the removal of "artificial advantages," the Trump administration is "leveling the playing field" for "dispatchable, cost-effective and secure energy sources, such as clean coal and domestic natural gas."

"These actions mark a return to commonsense permitting standards that support national security, grid stability and American job creation," the press release says.

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The actions are in alignment with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month, "Ending Market Distorting Subsidies for Unreliable, Foreign-Controlled Energy Sources" and other presidential directives, while also serving to implement certain provisions of the newly passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The "big, beautiful bill" provisions that the directive supports ask the Interior Department to eliminate right-of-way and capacity fee discounts for existing and future wind and solar projects, which the DOI said Thursday will end "years of subsidies for economically unviable energy development."

"For too long, the federal government has forced American taxpayers to subsidize expensive and unreliable energy sources like wind and solar," Trump's executive order says. "The proliferation of these projects displaces affordable, reliable, dispatchable domestic energy sources, compromises our electric grid, and denigrates the beauty of our Nation’s natural landscape.

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"Moreover, reliance on so-called ‘green’ subsidies threatens national security by making the United States dependent on supply chains controlled by foreign adversaries. Ending the massive cost of taxpayer handouts to unreliable energy sources is vital to energy dominance, national security, economic growth, and the fiscal health of the Nation."

Climate lawfare in blue-state courts could hurt US energy consumers, expert says: 'Huge effect'

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 13:33:11 -0400

Climate change advocates are using "tiny jurisdictions" across the country to push their priorities through civil lawsuits, in an effort that could have significant national-level impacts on domestic oil production and even other industries, a conservative consumer advocate warns.

President Donald Trump has taken steps to unleash a sweeping domestic energy agenda, including through preemptive lawsuits in at least four states aimed at preventing them from suing fossil fuel companies over climate change damages. However, a wave of other mainly Democratic jurisdictions across the country, such as in Oregon, Colorado and Washington, are still attempting to go after fossil fuel companies, something consumer advocate O.H. Skinner warns could have "a huge effect" on not only the domestic oil industry, but also on other key economic sectors like car manufacturing.

"You really have to understand that these suits matter a ton," said Skinner, who is a fossil fuel industry advocate and executive director at nonprofit Alliance for Consumers. "If a court in Oregon declares climate change to be a public nuisance, and orders the nine biggest energy companies in America to stop the nuisance, they're going to unlock billions of dollars for their green initiatives, and going to be asking the court to prevent these energy companies from opening a new oil field, drilling, producing, refining, everywhere."

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Skinner is referring to an ongoing case in Oregon – Multonomah County to be precise, which is seeking $52 billion in their suit against oil companies. He also pointed out that several other "public nuisance lawsuits" across the country "are asking for national fixes from courtrooms in little, tiny jurisdictions."

"One county gets 50 billion. Another county gets 50 billion. What's their real goal? Bankrupting the energy industry across the whole country," Skinner said. "If they were to get such a win, it would start to have a huge effect."

Trump signed an executive order in April targeting state and local lawsuits against domestic energy producers, which, in part, instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify and take action against state laws and civil actions that burden domestic energy producers. So far, his administration has filed lawsuits against at least four states, New York, Vermont, Michigan and Hawaii, to block them from suing fossil fuel companies for damages.

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Skinner said that as a consumer advocate, he "gets really nervous" about these lawsuits because they don't just end with fossil fuels.

"They are trying to direct national policy through the courtroom, because they've lost in so many other important venues, like Congress or at the ballot box for president," Skinner said. "First they want to stop oil production, then they want it, then they're going to go and try to say that the car companies all have to switch to zero emission vehicles. And it goes on and on and on."

Our Children's Trust, an Oregon-based nonprofit that is currently litigating several state and federal-level lawsuits on behalf of youth plaintiffs over climate change-related matters, including one against the Trump administration over the implementation of his numerous executive directives on unleashing fossil fuels.

CLIMATE LAWFARE IS RUNNING INTO A POWERFUL FORCE LIBERALS DIDN’T EXPECT

"No president can act in ways that harm our kids or tell states they have to power their electricity grid with fossil fuels when wind and solar are the cleaner, cheaper, and healthier option," a spokesperson for the group said in a statement to 91�� Digital.

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"What’s important for Americans to know is that wind and solar energy are not only the most abundant source of energy we have, but because of American ingenuity, they are also the cheapest form of energy today. It’s why clean energy was the fastest-growing energy sector in Texas last year," the spokesperson continued. "For families who pay the electricity bill, they will spend less for every fossil fuel we substitute with wind and solar energy. Even more importantly, medical doctors say we can prevent asthma in children, and create healthier communities for our kids. We all share the value of protecting life, especially our children's."

CA drops ‘green’ big-rig mandates, ending legal fight with Bill Barr-linked group

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 12:35:41 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: California has agreed to drop many of its Advanced Clean Fleet (ACF) mandates dictating stringent emissions standards for big rigs, following a year-long court battle with an anti-regulations group whose legal arm is led by former Attorney General William Barr.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and California Air Resources Board (CARB) executive Steven Cliff agreed in court documents filed Friday to withdraw their ACF mandates, leading the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce (AmFree) to drop its legal challenge.

In a document signed by Obama-appointed federal Judge Troy Nunley and obtained by 91�� Digital, Cliff and Bonta agreed to present a repeal proposal for the ACF requirements in a public hearing no later than Oct. 31. They also agreed not to retroactively enforce any such regulations.

While a timeline in the court filing cited California had applied for an environmental waiver from the Biden administration in 2023, AmFree originally sued on ground that Sacramento’s regulations violated the Clean Air Act because a waiver was never obtained.

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The regulations had been in effect since 2024, directing trucking firms to rapidly transition fleets from diesel to zero-emission vehicles.

At the time, Barr called the move a "threat to our American free enterprise" and suggested the restrictions would lead to "negligible" environmental benefits at best while causing negative economic repercussions.

"This ruling is the final nail in the coffin of California’s crazy attempt to eliminate the traditional trucking sector, and yet another example of Gavin Newsom’s complete failure in California," said AmFree CEO Gentry Collins.

"Even after the American public resoundingly voted to steer the country in a new direction last November, liberal states like California are hellbent on implementing a green agenda that consumers don’t want and technology cannot support," said Collins, a former Iowa GOP official.

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"AmFree will remain vigilant, holding blue states to account for their misguided crusade that defies common sense and flies in the face of consumer choice and freedom, and ensuring that completely failed politicians like Gavin Newsom eager to run away from their liberal records are reminded of the disastrous policies that occurred on their watch."

The group positions itself as a more free-market alternative to the pro-business stalwart U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

An official for CARB noted that not all the elements of the ACF regulations are being dropped, and that the proposal will seek repeal of "certain elements" and move against enforcement of other requirements of the regulatory effort.

"CARB remains committed to protecting public health using existing authorities as well as new and alternative approaches," the official told 91�� Digital.

One major regional trucking outfit celebrated the news, telling 91�� Digital that firms across the country had a shared interest in seeing California’s mandates be reversed.

"Here in Alabama and also across America, we stand up every day for our members to defend free enterprise and stand against failed policies from states like California," said Alabama Trucking Association CEO Mark Colson.

"We’re proud to unite with AmFree and our allies on the ground in California to accomplish shared goals and get our economy roaring again."

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The nixing of the regs is only the latest in several sudden reversals of green mandates, as Congress has overturned at least three Biden-era EPA waivers that were officially granted to California to allow it to self-regulate its own emissions standards.

But a Newsom spokesman said California's "nation-leading transition to cleaner cars and trucks doesn’t end here."

"We’re years ahead of schedule in meeting our goals — with tens of thousands of zero-emission trucks on the road already," Daniel Villaseñor told 91�� Digital.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, praised the rollback of California’s clean-cars mandate as a win to "protect American workers and consumers from radical and drastic policy."

"The impact of California’s waiver would have been felt across the country, harming multiple sectors of our economy and costing hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process," Moore Capito said.

The big-rig regulations had required operators of several types of fleets to begin transitioning to zero-emissions tractor-trailers.

91�� Digital reached out to Bonta and CARB for comment.

Chinese solar tech poses 'chilling' threat to US electric grid, lawmakers warn

Mon, 19 May 2025 16:05:45 -0400

The reported discovery of "rogue communication devices" in Chinese-exported solar inverters spurred new scrutiny of Chinese imports and of the security of the domestic electric grid.

In a blue state known for backing solar and other green energy alternatives, a top state Republican warned that "the time to act is now" to stop incursions by a malign foreign actor.

"The recent discovery of rogue communication devices underscores a chilling reality: our critical infrastructure is vulnerable, and New Jersey’s leadership is asleep at the wheel," said state Sen. Doug Steinhardt, R-Belvidere.

Steinhardt, a former chair of the state GOP, said allowing "hostile foreign governments" to potentially penetrate U.S. energy networks is a national security writ large.

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In New Jersey’s case, three bills – all sponsored by Steinhardt – seek to blunt this new threat, including one banning the state from companies owned by or based out of certain foreign countries.

Another bill in the Garden State would somewhat mirror Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ policy against Chinese land ownership near protected facilities.

Such policies also grew out of CCP-linked purchases of land in the Sunshine State and across the country, including another controversial 380,000-acre purchase in North Dakota near the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

A Reuters report last week discovered solar power inverters were found to have "rogue communication devices not listed in product documents" within the modules after being "stripped-down" by technologists.

Inverters, of which a majority are imported, connect solar panels and wind installations to electric grids by converting DC power to AC power.

While solar tech does typically have firewalls against outside incursion, the findings raised concern, according to Reuters.

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"We cannot afford to let our energy systems, our food supply, or any strategic assets fall into the hands of those who wish us harm – the time to act is now," Steinhardt said in a statement.

Citing national security concerns, a bipartisan pair of senators introduced the Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act, which would prohibit the government from buying batteries from some foreign sources over similar concerns.

"Our national security should not require reliance on components made by adversaries like China," Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., said in drafting the bill with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.

"This bipartisan legislation will help safeguard both our supply chains and our national security by preventing the Department of Homeland Security from purchasing Chinese batteries for the devices and technology that keep Americans safe."

In comments to 91�� Digital on Monday, Scott called it "terrifying" the CCP could have any control over the U.S. grid.

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"Communist China is an adversary, led by a ruthless, authoritarian regime that wants to undermine our national security, spy on our citizens, steal our technology, and destroy our economy," Scott said.

"We cannot allow this regime to have access to the very systems and resources families and businesses depend on. That’s why I’ve introduced legislation to cut off our dependence on Chinese-made batteries that serve as Trojan horses for their surveillance state, and I’m bringing back the Protect American Power Infrastructure Act to slam the door shut on any Chinese influence over our electric grid."

91�� Digital reached out to Gov. Phil Murphy as well as the Energy Department for comment.

More than a dozen states sue Department of Transportation over EV charging station funds

Wed, 07 May 2025 20:56:03 -0400

A group of blue states joined forces Wednesday to sue the Trump administration after it halted a program that federally funded electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The District of Columbia joined 16 states — including California, Colorado and Washington — in a suit over the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)'s efforts to halt Congress’ $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program to expand electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 mandated that federal agencies pause disbursement of all funds appropriated under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, including NEVI program funding.

The Federal Highway Administration notified states in February that it was revoking previous state plan approvals and withholding or withdrawing NEVI program funds.

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The lawsuit claims the FHWA is acting unlawfully, devastating the ability of states to build the charging infrastructure needed to make EVs accessible to more consumers, combat climate change and pollution and support the states’ green economies.

It asks the court to declare Trump’s directives unlawful, vacate the actions and permanently stop the administration from withholding the funds.

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In addition to the $300 million and $71 million in funding California and Washington stand to lose, respectively, the blue states previously adopted zero-emission vehicle standards that require a percentage of vehicles sold in the states to release zero emissions.

Washington's laws further require all new passenger cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty vehicles sold in the state to be zero emissions by 2035.

California’s State Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan anticipated that California would need hundreds of thousands of additional EV charging ports to support passenger cars and trucks and "incrementally more" charging ports for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses to meet climate goals, according to a news release from the state.

SUSPECTED TESLA ARSONISTS HIT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES IN ACTS OF 'DOMESTIC TERRORISM': AG

"When America retreats, China wins," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in the release. "President Trump’s illegal action withholding funds for electric vehicle infrastructure is yet another Trump gift to China — ceding American innovation and killing thousands of jobs. Instead of hawking Teslas on the White House lawn, President Trump could actually help Elon — and the nation — by following the law and releasing this bipartisan funding."

The lawsuit comes as Democratic politicians, late-night hosts and political commentators have been touting Tesla's plummeting stock and acts of vandalism against its vehicles, dealerships and charging stations.

The criminal acts have been linked by the FBI to nationwide protests against Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

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California, Colorado and Washington are leading the suit, joined by attorneys general from Arizona, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Congress can stop California's radical environmental mandates that hurt the entire nation

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 05:00:40 -0400

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has launched an inspiring effort to regain sanity in our nation’s energy policies. One of his initiatives is particularly important — reversing the Biden administration’s attempt to supercharge California’s electric-vehicle mandates, which would allow that state to push a radical transformation of our nation’s fleet from gas-powered to electric. Congress has an opportunity for a policy and constitutional win here. The reversal of Biden and California’s undemocratic effort is now on the five-yard line. To score, Congress needs to punch through one more bureaucratic agency.

Over the last several years, California has tried to aggressively export its progressive energy ideology, leading to a wide number of short-sighted and unconstitutional policies. Near the top of the list are California’s bureaucratically crafted electric-vehicle mandates, some of which seek to transform the nation’s heavy-duty fleet from diesel-based to electric.

California’s attempt to drive national policy would normally run into both constitutional (interstate commerce clause) and statutory (Clean Air Act) roadblocks. Unfortunately, the Biden Environmental Protection Agency attempted to bless California’s overreach by granting so-called Clean Air Act "preemption waivers" to three electric-vehicle mandates passed by unelected California bureaucrats.

TRUMP ADMIN TOUTS ENERGY COMEBACK

These waivers give California a Sword of Damocles to hang over the industry. Nebraska has fought back, leading a three-part battle by filing lawsuits against California, the Biden-era mandates and the trucking companies that agreed to eliminate consumer choice in the trucking market.

The good news is that the Trump administration is pushing common-sense energy policies, and Zeldin has taken the first necessary step to repeal the waivers. Under the Congressional Review Act, Congress can repeal EPA’s waivers by passing a resolution of disapproval through simple majorities in the House and Senate plus the president’s signature.

President Donald Trump’s promise to unleash American energy by rescinding radical electric-vehicle mandates — combined with Republican majorities in both houses of Congress — make a legislative repeal a no-brainer. Nebraskans are grateful that our two United States Senators, Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts, are helping to lead the charge for energy policy sanity.

Now there’s a roadblock. A nonbinding opinion from the Government Accountability Office judged that the California waivers are not "rules" of "general applicability" subject to review under the Congressional Review Act. That opinion is wrong.

The California waivers are "rules" because they enact forward-looking policy decisions. And the waivers are "generally applicable" because they reach well beyond California’s borders. Even if one ignores the obvious nationwide (if not worldwide) implications of mandating electric vehicles in the fifth-largest economy in the world, the California waivers are generally applicable because they allow other states to enact electric-vehicle mandates they otherwise could not.

Under the Clean Air Act, only Congress can set emission standards for new motor vehicles. The sole exception is California, which can seek a waiver from EPA to enforce emission standards more stringent than the federal ones. But once California gets a waiver, any of the other 49 states can "adopt and enforce" emission standards "identical to the California standards for which a waiver has been granted" without asking EPA for permission.

So far, 18 states have adopted at least one of California’s electric-vehicle mandates. The Biden-era waiver paves the way for a widespread adoption of California’s bans on internal-combustion engines. This is precisely the kind of agency action that falls within the purview of the Congressional Review Act.

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Finding that the waivers are subject to the CRA is both a lawful and commonsense exercise of congressional authority. The GAO — headed by an Obama appointee — broke its own precedent in issuing nonbinding "observations" on whether the California waivers are subject to the CRA. Never before had the GAO opined on an agency action that an agency already submitted for CRA review.

The GAO itself has said that, once an agency action has been submitted to Congress for CRA review, there are "no impediments to Congress’s exercise of those powers that could be cured by an opinion from GAO." Procedural irregularities aside, the GAO’s opinion is substantively flawed. It fails to mention that once California gets a waiver, every other state can adopt emission standards identical to the California standards, giving the waivers nationwide effect.

Accepting the GAO’s novel observations here would effectively give unelected bureaucrats the final say on whether elected lawmakers get to review sweeping regulatory decisions — decisions that impact the national economy, consumer choice and federalism itself. If Congress defers here, it risks outsourcing democratic oversight of major national policy to technical advisors. That would weaken our constitutional protections.

The Republican Party has claimed unified control of the federal government only five times in the past 100 years. Using that control to repeal California’s waivers is both a policy and constitutional win. Elected representatives in Congress, not unelected bureaucrats in Sacramento or a so-called "independent" agency like GAO, have the power to regulate the means of interstate commerce.

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Deferring to the GAO would be an undemocratic trifecta — it would leave in place rules written by unelected state regulators, approved by unelected federal bureaucrats and shielded from democratic review through unelected, self-declared referees. That’s not how a representative government is supposed to work.

Repealing the waivers would do more than block a radical climate agenda — it would restore a basic principle of American self-government: that laws with national scope must be subject to national debate, national scrutiny, and national consent. Congress has the authority to act, and I urge it to use that authority and repeal these short-sighted waivers.

Time to pull the plug on corporate virtue-signaling

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Over the past decade, the leaders of corporate and international organizations became used to being lauded for making grand but ultimately empty, green promises on stages in Davos and climate summits. How quickly things have changed.

Fear of being called out by the Trump administration is forcing many leaders into changing course – at least in their rhetoric.

World Bank president Ajay Banga’s first move when he took over the institution in 2023 was to extend its mission from ending poverty to incorporate climate change and making the planet "livable."

Last November, as he headed to the COP summit in Azerbaijan, Banga graced the cover of Time magazine’s "climate issue" and warned that climate change was "intertwined" with every challenge. Yet today, he somewhat implausibly tells reporters, "I’m not a climate evangelist."

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The shift in self-identification is frankly meaningless without deeper change. For the development banks, there is much work yet to be done to end poverty. Astonishingly, the World Bank and the African Development Bank ring-fence a whopping 45% and 55% of annual financing, respectively, for climate projects. Both institutions divert half or more of these climate funds to projects that reduce the emissions of poor people – an absurdity when energy poverty remains a huge barrier to development.

It is hypocritical and ultimately immoral to insist that poorer countries rely on intermittent solar and wind when every single rich country has access to a vast amount of affordable, dependable energy, mostly from fossil fuels. Indeed, Africa has been forced to finally get its own energy bank to fund fossil fuel projects because the major development banks refuse to invest in them.

It remains to be seen whether the U.S. will use its significant shareholdings in the World Bank and African Development Bank to encourage a return to less glamorous development basics, or whether the Trump administration will be content with just a change in language.

The development banks could take a leaf out of corporate America’s book. Parts of the private sector have moved ruthlessly to abandon green virtue signaling and return to their core work.

AMERICA'S ENERGY FUTURE: BREAKING FREE FROM CHINA'S INFLUENCE

Climate change is undeniably a real problem which has tangible economic impacts. However, climate solutions also come with their own set of costs, often demanding that businesses and individuals rely on pricier, less dependable energy sources. The decision to balance the expenses of climate policies with the advantages of climate action falls rightly under the responsibility of governments, not profit-driven businesses.

Yet over the past decade, even major contributors to climate change – such as the fossil fuel industry itself – invested in extraordinary green policies. Five years ago, BP made an astonishing promise to slash its oil and gas production by 40% by 2030, while increasing green energy generation twentyfold and becoming net-zero. Now, along with other big, Western oil companies, it has abandoned those farcical green promises and recommitted to its primary activity: fossil fuels.

No doubt, this U-turn will be lamented by green activists. But the truth is that these promises were always an inefficient way of helping the planet, and very shortsighted for fossil fuel companies. Even after the world has spent $14 trillion on climate policy, more than four-fifths of global energy remains supplied by fossil fuels.

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Over the past half-century, fossil fuel energy has more than doubled, with 2023 again setting a new record. Consumers and businesses are crying out for more energy, while competitor state-owned oil companies from the Middle East have continued to provide more fossil fuels. It is a foolish energy company that declares it will supply less energy.

Banks also had a fling with green policies, and have now dumped them, with the six largest U.S. banks leaving the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, and Wells Fargo officially abandoning its goal of achieving net-zero emissions across its financial portfolio by 2050.

While some industries are moving faster than others, there are signs that many companies will just change their language, and not their inefficient climate policies.

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A recent global survey of 1,400 corporate executives found that 58% of companies "are deliberately planning to decrease their level of external communications" about climate policies, even though most intend to spend even more on these than before. Shareholders need to ask hard questions about what these policies really do for the planet, and what they add to the bottom line.

As leaders of international organizations and corporations scramble to adapt to an entirely new world, it’s important they go further than just shifts in rhetoric. The era of being cheered on for every green promise and vow – regardless of how silly or self-defeating – has come to an end. Now it’s time for those leaders to get back to business.

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Biden’s leftover regulations will decide your next light bulb unless Trump stops them

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 05:00:33 -0400

Americans have shown a real dislike for the wave of federal regulations targeting home appliances. Even more infuriating is the fact that our tax dollars bankroll this unwanted agenda. It is time to pull the plug on those inside and outside the government who make a living micromanaging our appliance choices.

A threatened regulatory crackdown on gas stoves in 2023 sparked a surprisingly strong public backlash, but it did not deter Biden administration regulators from going after nearly every other home appliance, including washing machines, refrigerators, furnaces, dishwashers, air conditioners, light bulbs and water heaters.

Most of these rules are from the Department of Energy (DOE), specifically its Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). That office has an annual budget north of $3 billion and a staff of hundreds, about a quarter of which is devoted to energy efficiency.

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Just about every cliché there is for a bureaucracy run amok – moving back the goalposts, mission creep etc. – is true in spades for EERE and its energy efficiency regulations. Many appliances have been subjected to three, four, or even five rounds of successively tighter energy efficiency regulations over the years, with no end in sight.

At this point, it is not unusual for regulations to substantially boost the up-front cost of an appliance, in some cases more than is likely to be earned back in the form of energy savings. Nor is it out of the ordinary for standards to compromise appliance choice, features, performance, or reliability in the single-minded obsession with forcing less energy use.

To take but one example, EERE regulated traditional incandescent light bulbs off the market by imposing a series of efficiency regulations they cannot meet. Taking their place over the last decade have been light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, which are more efficient and can meet the standards but cost more and are not to everyone’s liking.

To be fair, the initial assault on incandescent bulbs was required under a 2007 statute, but as usual the regulators have now gone beyond any legal requirements. The most recent light bulb regulation, published last April, is so strict that most currently available LEDs can’t comply either, and average prices will rise from $2.98 to an agency-estimated $5.68. Keep those candles handy.

Even worse are regulations that compromise appliance performance, such as the dishwasher regulations that have doubled the time it takes to do a load from about an hour in pre-standards models to more than two today. Rather than try to fix the problems with existing dishwasher regulations, the Biden DOE came out with yet another set of incrementally tighter energy and water use limits – its fifth overall.

Climate change became the Biden administration’s all-purpose rationale for further tightening the screws on appliances. This explains the efforts to use these regulations to discourage appliances that run on natural gas, a fossil fuel. Beyond stoves, other appliances that come in both electric and natural gas versions, such as furnaces and water heaters, now face costly regulations designed to tilt the market away from gas. In the case of furnaces, the additional cost of a compliant gas model could be as high as $867, the agency estimates.

Assisting the federal regulators inside the government is an army of activists outside of it who also make a nice living – partially at taxpayer expense – off the appliance game. This includes organizations that focus primarily on appliance regulations as well as big environmental groups that cover appliance efficiency along with many other green causes.

For example, the Rocky Mountain Institute, which remains at the forefront of the efforts to ban gas stoves, has no less than six federal agencies contributing part of its $139 million dollar annual budget.

Several of these groups have recently received extra cash pursuant to the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Even some manufacturers have been showered with IRA giveaways stretching into the tens of millions of dollars each to make appliances favored by this agenda.

Political favoritism appears to play a role in deciding who gets these handouts. For example, Democrat Stacey Abrams, after twice losing the Georgia governor’s race, moved on to a leadership position at an environmental organization called Rewiring America that is active in this space.

In particular, Rewiring America is pushing hard to eliminate natural gas appliances and make homes completely dependent on electricity. And now, the organization is part of a new coalition named Power Forward Communities that received a whopping $2 billion dollar IRA grant last April.

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These organizations can be counted on to fight for tougher appliance regulations. Several regularly submit comments to DOE in support of measures they want and against ones they don’t, and some also sit on agency advisory committees that help fashion new rules. Many also push for state and local building code changes that favor their preferred appliance choices, and they now have millions in IRA grants to help stack the deck in their favor. These activities may not necessarily be illegal, but it is doubtful taxpayers would approve.

In addition, many green groups are involved in a never-ending stream of lawsuits against DOE, always on the side of more appliance red tape and often with the government paying attorneys’ fees. Expect these litigants to pull out all the stops against any Trump administration reform efforts, as they did during the first Trump administration.

Bottom line – homeowners’ tax dollars are going to organizations that push for unwanted appliance meddling. Fortunately, President Donald Trump is reconsidering many of the regulations, and the Department of Government Efficiency is looking for ways to stem further harmful outlays under the IRA. Congress is also targeting some specific appliance rules for repeal under the Congressional Review Act.

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But ultimately, the underlying laws must be changed. First, Congress needs to sunset EERE’s appliance regulatory program and the government bureaucracy that lives off it. Just as important, Congress should defund all the organizations that have grown around this program, including blocking the IRA dollars not yet spent.

Neither the appliance bureaucrats nor their activist allies have the support of the American people. Both should stop getting our money.

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New research reveals how EV, emissions mandates are inflating costs for gas-powered cars, utilities

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 14:24:35 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: Government subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs), combined with a regulatory credit system for vehicle emissions, are leading to rising automobile and utility costs, a new report from the American Energy Institute (AEI) reveals.

Increasingly stringent Corporate Average Fuel Economy and greenhouse gas tailpipe emissions standards have forced gas-powered vehicle manufacturers to produce more EVs. As a result, this has siphoned auto manufacturers' resources away from gas-powered vehicle production and toward EV production, ultimately pushing the costs of gas-powered cars higher, according a report by the AEI.

If auto manufacturers do not produce enough EVs to meet state and federal standards, they are forced to buy into a credit system to offset their emissions production, inevitably creating another avenue where additional costs are transferred to consumers, according to the report.

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Utility costs also see an impact, AEI's report points out. State and federal subsidy and rebate programs for EV charging infrastructure, while beneficial for utility companies' profits, lead once more to increased costs that are subsequently passed on to rate payers. Forty states offer rebates for in-home level two chargers, while at the federal level, rebate and subsidy programs for EV charging infrastructure received an investment of roughly $7.5 billion under former President Joe Biden.

"By distorting the market with regulatory credits, subsidies, and behind-the-scenes rulemaking, federal agencies are shifting costs from affluent EV buyers to working-class Americans — while straining a grid that’s already under pressure," said Jason Isaac, co-author of the report and the founder and CEO of AEI. "This isn’t about consumer choice or energy innovation. It’s administrative overreach that leaves Americans paying more to drive and to keep the lights on."

Isaac, a former Texas state representative, admitted that during his time in the legislature, he worked to create an EV subsidy in the Lone Star State, which provided all EV buyers with a $2,500 tax credit. He said that over time, he realized the majority of fully electric vehicles were being purchased by wealthier individuals who, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, would have done so even without the subsidies.

"This policy is not a home run," said Hunt Allcott, a professor of environmental social sciences and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, with regard to the federal EV tax credit system. "While the [Inflation Reduction Act's] electric vehicle tax credits have slowed climate change and shifted production to U.S. manufacturing firms, they also impose high costs on U.S. taxpayers."

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Each EV that's purchased benefits from an estimated $94,000 to $153,000 in hidden subsidies over a 10-year period, according to research from the AEI. These figures account for the costs automakers bear to meet government mandates as well as losses from forced EV production, expenses that ultimately raise prices for consumers.

Rebates and subsidies for EV charging infrastructure are driving up base utility rates for consumers as well, the AEI report states. It is estimated that if each EV sold resulted in one in-home or commercial charging infrastructure, the more than 1.1 million EVs sold in 2023 would have received more than $827 million in residential charging tax credits.

Isaac said these rebates and subsidies are then used by utility companies to lobby public utility commissions to approve higher base rates because they are enhancing their infrastructure to improve EV infrastructure.

"When you go buy a gallon of gasoline, [taxpayers] are not helping you pay for that gallon of gasoline; all the costs are embedded within a gallon of gasoline," Isaac said. "So the typical EV charge, whatever they pay at the charging station, is only a small portion of the expenses. That charging station itself has received a significant subsidy, both from the state and the federal government, and the utility has come in and increased the infrastructure or improved, enhanced the infrastructure to handle that load, and the rate payers in that particular area are picking up that burden."

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One anecdote used in the report to illustrate the cost burden of EV charging subsidies and rebates posits that if one homeowner were to purchase an EV charger on a street of 10 people, and the local electric company provides that homeowner with a $500 rebate, the downhill impacts lead to each of the 10 households shouldering a roughly $50 cost to build the charger as a result of the subsidized rate increases.

The increased costs on gas-powered car buyers and utility rate payers, Isaac said, illustrates the need to get rid of these clean-air mandates.

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"Eliminating these costly EV mandates is exactly the kind of action needed under President Trump’s energy emergency," Isaac said. "It would jump-start a resurgence in the American auto industry, lower the price of new vehicles and ease pressure on our electric grid, bringing down energy costs for every household."

91�� Digital reached out to several EV advocacy groups, including Drive Change. Drive Electric, Plug In America, DriveElectric USA, EVHybridNoire, the Sierra Club and the Electric Vehicle Association, but did not receive a response in time for publication of this story.

In targeting Tesla, the left exposes their climate scam

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 05:00:32 -0400

It was not too long ago that as part of the left’s climate change push, owning an electric vehicle (EV) was the pinnacle of virtue. To save the planet, there were EV mandates, EV tax credits and even targets for companies switching their manufacturing to EVs.

Tesla was a darling of this "green" movement. As the U.S.’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles, owning a Tesla was a way to show you were on the right team.

But not anymore.

Tesla’s head honcho, Elon Musk, has gone from leftist darling to persona non grata in an instant.

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As Musk has become entrenched with the current administration, helping President Donald Trump with such "horrible" activities as identifying, waste, fraud and abuse, Musk’s social credit score has gone down. This has happened despite his work on fraud and abuse being the very same issues that many on the left have come out against for years.

So, the same virtue signaling scolds who screamed that you were killing the planet if you did not buy an electric vehicle are now targeting owners of those very same electric vehicles, going after the people they once praised for making a supposedly morally and societally "superior" choice.

Across the U.S., new stories keep popping up of Tesla drivers being harassed and even having their cars scratched or "keyed," just for owning a Tesla EV. This doesn’t directly impact Elon – his company doesn’t own the cars once they are purchased – it only damages the property of someone who was, as they left would say, doing the right thing to save the planet.

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But it does create the threat that if you aren’t on the right team, you will be harassed, too, which can make people think twice about buying a new Tesla or keeping their existing one.

I guess the planet comes second to whatever the new virtue signal is of the day, and today it’s that Elon is not on the "correct" team.

Worse, recent violent attacks against Tesla have included setting Tesla cars ablaze, releasing significant CO2 into the atmosphere, the exact behavior that we were told was quickly going to kill the planet.

THE FUTURE OF NATURE IS NONPARTISAN. LET'S COMBAT ENVIRONMENTAL EXTREMISM WITH COMMON SENSE

This exposes the climate scam for what it was. It was never about the planet; it was always about power and control.

Further pulling back that curtain is former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, who also is rooting against America’s largest EV producer, a company that is a clear leader in "saving the planet."

In a speaking engagement, after Tesla stock’s recent selloff, Walz noted that he added Tesla to his iPhone’s stock app to give him "a little boost during the day." He continued, "225 and dropping," to a round of applause, gleefully and actively signaling that he was rooting for Tesla’s failure. Screw the environment when there’s destruction to root for!

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But Tesla is more than just a green company. It’s also one of the largest stocks in the world market capitalization. It is a widely held and substantial component of major stock indices, including the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite, meaning that many Americans have exposure to Tesla in their portfolios, directly or indirectly.

Rooting against Tesla is rooting against American jobs, American 401(k)s and American pension plans. In fact, 91�� reported that Tim Walz’s home state of Minnesota’s state employees' pension owns over one million Tesla shares.

But Walz and the left don’t care about the environment and they don’t care if you fail, they just want you to fall in line.

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You can never win with the virtue signalers because they have no actual moral compass; they just bend to whatever they believe will preserve their perceived societal status. And now, hardworking Americans who have been aligned with the green agenda are being bullied as part of the new social statement du jour.

Many of us knew the climate directives were always about power and control, and now that act has been fully exposed.

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Massive floating solar power plant is making waves

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 06:00:41 -0400

By now, we've all heard of solar power farms on land, but on water? Well, India has just launched its largest floating solar park yet, the Omkareshwar Floating Solar Park, in Madhya Pradesh.

This ambitious project is making waves in the renewable energy sector, marking a significant milestone in India's goal toward a greener future. Located on a vast reservoir, the park demonstrates the country's innovative approach to harnessing solar power while conserving vital resources.

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A solar oasis in the heart of India

Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) has achieved a pretty incredible engineering feat that's as impressive as it is innovative. TPREL's 126 MW floating solar project features 213,460 bifacial glass-to-glass modules spread across 260 hectares (642 acres) of water surface between the Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar hydroelectric reservoirs. These advanced panels are expected to generate a whopping 204,580 MWh of clean energy annually, sufficient to power thousands of homes across the region.

Larsen & Toubro (L&T), a global leader in renewable energy solutions, has also played a crucial role in the Omkareshwar Floating Solar Park. L&T successfully commissioned a 90 MW floating solar power plant as part of the project. This significant contribution underscores L&T's expertise in harnessing renewable energy and its commitment to sustainable development.

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More than just solar panels

The Omkareshwar project goes far beyond simply placing solar panels on water. The installation incorporates robust mooring systems, wave breakers and ballast anchors to ensure stability in varying conditions. Flexible cableways allow the structure to adapt to fluctuating water levels and high winds. Additionally, the project hosts the world's largest floating inverter platform, setting a global benchmark in floating solar technology.

NEVER NEED AN EV CHARGING STATION AGAIN WITH THESE ROOFTOP SOLAR POWER PANELS

A win-win for energy and the environment

The benefits of this floating solar wonder extend far beyond clean electricity production. By shading the reservoir, the plant significantly reduces water evaporation, helping to conserve precious resources. The project conserves approximately 32.5 million cubic meters of water annually. The use of water bodies for energy production also frees up land for agriculture and other vital uses. Furthermore, TPREL's 126 MW project is set to offset a staggering 173,893 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year, making a substantial contribution to India's climate goals.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

By harnessing the potential of floating solar technology, India is not only reducing its carbon footprint but also showcasing innovative solutions to global energy challenges. As the country continues to expand its renewable energy capacity, projects like Omkareshwar underscore India's commitment to achieving its ambitious clean energy targets, including reaching 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. This progress positions India as a leader in the global transition to sustainable energy, highlighting the potential for floating solar to play a crucial role in meeting future energy demands.

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Trump's 'gold card' visa plan a boon for American economy, expert says: ‘Mutually beneficial'

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 14:55:40 -0500

President Donald Trump’s plan to offer a "gold card" visa to wealthy immigrants is similar to policies in use in more than three dozen countries, although the U.S. proposal would come with the highest price tag, an expert tells 91�� Digital.

"What you’re doing is you’re bringing in wealthier individuals, clearly job creators, consumers," Anthony Esposito, founder and CEO of Island Capital Investments, told 91�� Digital.

Esposito’s comments come after Trump said Tuesday that he planned to offer a "gold card" visa that gives recipients a path to U.S. citizenship for $5 million, telling reporters such a program would be "extremely successful."

"They’ll be wealthy and they’ll be successful, and they’ll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people, and we think it’s going to be extremely successful," Trump said Tuesday from the Oval Office, according to a report from The Associated Press.

TRUMP TO INTRODUCE 'GOLD CARD' VISA FOR WEALTHY INVESTORS WITH $5 MILLION PRICE TAG: 'ROUTE TO CITIZENSHIP'

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that the new gold card would replace the current EB-5 Immigrant Investor visa program within two weeks, a program that was created by Congress in 1990 and offers residency to people who spent about $1 million on a business while employing at least 10 people, the report notes.

Trump has also touted the program as a way of trimming the national debt.

"Companies can go and buy a gold card, and they can use it as a matter of recruitment," Trump told reporters Wednesday. "At the same time, the company is using that money to pay down debt. We’re going to pay down a lot of debt with that."

Esposito shares Trump’s view for how the money can be used, noting that 1 million gold card recipients would result in $5 trillion for the U.S. Treasury.

"A million individuals coming in would be $5 trillion in payment to the government, off the bat, that doesn’t include the derivative growth of those individuals being here," Esposito said.

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Nearly 40 other countries have similar so-called "citizenship by investment" programs, according to Henley & Partners, a law firm who represents clients looking to use such arrangements. However, the U.S. investment of $5 million proposed by Trump would make the U.S. the most expensive of the group.

Esposito believes allowing such investments would benefit the U.S. economy.

"The job growth, the job creation, the taxes paid, the consumer spending, 10 million cards would be $50 trillion. The numbers are real walking in, and the numbers are real as of derivative benefits of these individuals being here," Esposito said.

While some critics have expressed fears that the program could be abused or lead to threats to national security, Esposito argued that the Trump administration should be trusted to put the right vetting procedures in place.

"It’s the exact opposite of the Biden administration’s policy. On one side of the curve, we had the mass migrations of unvetted, undocumented immigrants coming in the southern border that were essentially living on the taxpayer dime," Esposito said, adding that Trump’s policy would call for "a program where we have fully vetted the individuals on a personal basis and on an economic basis."

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Ultimately, Esposito says, Trump’s program will cause a "mutually beneficial" partnership between the U.S. and gold card holders.

"It is the greatest nation in the world. It is the greatest economy in the world," Esposito said. "This is just simply a way of vetting people and having people come in that will create a mutually beneficial relationship between the United States, and the United States economy, and those gold card holders."

The White House did not immediately respond to a 91�� Digital request for comment.

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Wed, 18 Sep 2024 17:27:49 -0400

Twenty-four states signed onto a formal "comment letter" to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asking it to deny California a waiver that would allow Sacramento to compel visiting truckers to conform to its stringent emissions standards.

Any trucking company with 50 or more vehicles or $50 million in gross annual revenue would fall under the provisions that compel them to begin replacing their fleets with electric rigs in 2025.

The rules will apply to California trucks and those with out-of-state tags that operate in the Golden State for at least one day per year while meeting the above attributes.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said in a statement the move would unfairly give California "a slice of sovereign authority" over other states and highlighted how Mountaineers rely heavily on big rig commerce in their rugged, landlocked state.

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Nearly 85% of Mountaineer communities rely on trucks to deliver their goods, and the state has spent millions to expand its Robert C. Byrd Appalachian Highway System by creating wide, multi-lane trucking routes that carve through topography otherwise steep, windy and unsafe for tractor-trailers.

More than 65,000 tons of goods are trucked through West Virginia daily, according to Morrisey, the state’s GOP nominee for governor.

The petitioners alleged that California's stringent restrictions on access to its state and ports will place an undue burden on commerce.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who is leading the effort, said California lacks the legal authority to export its electric truck mandate nationwide.

"Our comment calls on the Biden-Harris administration to favor the rule of law over its radical climate agenda and block California’s ban on internal-combustion trucks. Electric trucks are inefficient and costly and will harm Nebraskans by increasing the costs of interstate transportation, raising prices for goods, reducing demand for biofuels and burdening the electric power grid," Hilgers said.

Hilgers and his signatories also took issue with some of California’s reasoning for the standards.

"California points to its air quality to show that it has ‘unique environmental problems’ that justify Advanced Clean Fleets (policy). But by relying on state and federal ambient air quality standards, California proves only that its ‘severe air pollution conditions' are shared by much of the country," the letter said.

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The letter also argued that nowhere in federal law is it permitted for the state or feds to ban internal-combustion vehicles altogether. It also noted California’s key position as a hub for international trade and echoed other state prosecutors’ concerns about access to such being restricted for diesel-powered trucks in the future.

"California is playing games with America’s livelihood. This mandate doesn’t just affect California — it weaponizes the state’s massive ports to force the entire nation to bow to an extreme environmental agenda," Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a separate statement.

Miyares, another signatory to the letter, called California’s pending policy an "export of [its] economic chaos."

"[That chaos has been] creating real harm across American industries and raising costs for families everywhere," Miyares said.

"The federal government should not preference California to the detriment of the other 49 states."

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In addition to state governments, private trucking entities have also lobbied against the proposed waiver.

Officials at the American Trucking Associations said Wednesday they are "adamantly opposed" to what they call "unattainable" regulations.

"This destructive rule sets wildly unrealistic targets and timelines that are already creating confusion on the West Coast and threaten to cause severe disruptions to our supply chain nationwide," ATA President Chris Spear said.

"To protect our supply chain and achieve the cleaner future that we all want, EPA should reject this waiver," Spear said.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond added in comments to Ponca City Now that the mandate "overreaches and would do significant harm to the fossil fuels industry and spur chaos to the supply line from coast to coast."

"The far-left climate agenda being pushed by California must not be allowed to upend the rest of the United States. In effect, it is the tail wagging the dog," Drummond, another signatory, said.

91�� Digital reached out to the California Air Resources Board, which has spearheaded the regulations and was originally founded in the 1960s in response to Los Angeles’ smog crisis, for comment.

91�� Digital also reached out to the EPA and CARB for comment.

Climate protesters interrupt Youngkin’s remarks remembering 9/11: ‘Disrespectful to our nation’

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 13:56:52 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: Climate change protesters interrupted Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin during a speech to the Federalist Society and Defense of Freedom Institute (DFI) – while he was recounting his visit to Arlington Cemetery’s 9/11 Memorial earlier in the morning.

Youngkin had been speaking for several minutes when he pivoted to remember those Virginians and Americans lost in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon 23 years ago Wednesday.

A female protester could be heard yelling that Youngkin was "unfit" and that "future generations will remember him as a climate criminal."

Without raising his voice, Youngkin admonished the protesters, saying there could not be a worse time to make their own voices heard:

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"Today is a day of solemn remembrance. I just came from Arlington National Cemetery. I just came from the honor and privilege of laying a wreath at both the Pentagon Group Memorial Burial marker, and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier," Youngkin said.

Hearing a plane overhead while in the cemetery made him recall that day in 2001, as he began to speak about a mother and a sister of a victim whom he encountered at the memorial.

Mid-sentence, several protesters moved to the front of the room and unfurled a banner with an offensive nickname for the governor written on it.

Speaking over the protesters and into his microphone, Youngkin said, "Folks, I’m talking about 9/11 right now."

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"There couldn’t be anything more disrespectful to… our nation than what you are doing right now – not a thing."

Undeterred, the climate protesters began chanting: "No more oil, keep the carbon in the soil," as Youngkin was approached by aides.

The governor continued with his address, ignoring the protesters’ chants, saying, "Today is a day to think about America."

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"Today is a day to remind ourselves that there were 3,000 men and women who lost their lives on 9/11. Today is a day to remind ourselves there's evil in the world. And today is finally a day to remember that there are incredibly brave men and women who put their hand up and say: ‘Send me’ that stand between evil and peace."

When asked for further comment, a representative for Youngkin pointed back to his response to the protesters at the time they interrupted him.

91�� Digital reached out to the Federalist Society and DFI for comment.

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