states posts, articles, and infographics

New Brookings Paper Praises State Clean Energy Funds Amidst Washington Paralysis

January 12, 2012 by Alex Trembath
with 127 views

State-level clean energy funds (CEFs) are a growing source of investment in nascent clean energy markets, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution Project on State and Metropolitan Innovation. The paper, co-authored by Post-Partisan Power collaborator Mark Muro and the Clean Energy Group's Lew Milford, highlights the... [read more]

Koch Brothers Fund Assault on Climate Legislation, Seek To Destroy RGGI

June 27, 2011 by A Siegel
with 674 views

This guest post comes from the eloquent and thoughtful Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse. After DC failed to enact comprehensive climate change legislation, it was good to see states take the lead on regional cap-and-trade programs. We now have 3 regional initiatives to address greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) involving more than 30... [read more]

State Appliance Standards Save Money, Create Jobs, and Protect the Environment

May 31, 2011 by Rachel Gold
with 170 views

Since the 1980s, energy efficiency appliance standards have been saving consumers money and creating jobs throughout the U.S. These standards translate into savings when new, energy-efficient equipment is purchased, reducing utility bills for consumers and businesses. This in turn creates a net increase in jobs and wages due to the fact... [read more]

Renewable Energy Standards: Savvy or Silly?

May 19, 2011 by David Gold
with 292 views

State renewable energy standards have gained momentum over the past decade with 29 states having put in place various types of standard mandates and five more having implemented voluntary standards (34 total). Now the federal government is looking to get into the game with a bi-partisan bill (S. 3813) aiming to set a minimum national standard. Renewable energy standards certainly feel good, but do they really provide the best path for achieving their goals? The existing renewable energy standards are savvy in finding a way to reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions while simultaneously being politically palatable to a broad array of people. But they are a bit silly in their formulation. [read more]

Supreme Court Case on Carbon Emissions: Polluters' Game of 3 Card Monte Continues

April 21, 2011 by Peter Lehner
with 258 views

Peter Lehner, Executive Director, New York City Tuesday the Supreme Court heard oral argument in American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut. In the case, six states and several other plaintiffs claimed that the nation’s five largest greenhouse gas polluters were contributing to a nuisance and that the court should order them to reduce... [read more]

Barriers to High Speed Rail in the US

March 15, 2011 by Hugh Bartling
with 108 views

The New York Times had an interesting article over the weekend on the state of Florida’s recent rejection of federal money to build a high speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa. This comes on the heels of gubernatorial elections in Wisconsin and Ohio where anti-rail governors who were elected last year similarly rejected federal... [read more]

Does Geology Change at the State Line? Oil and Gas Companies Want Us to Believe it Does.

March 7, 2011 by Rod Adams
with 411 views

I admit it. I have been a very good customer to the oil companies over the years. During the 35 years since obtaining that ticket to freedom called a "drivers license", I have averaged about 20,000 - 30,000 miles per year behind the wheel. (The low years were those in which I spent 6 months of the year under water, not buying much at all... [read more]

The climate zombie caucus of the 112th Congress

November 19, 2010 by Joseph Romm
with 481 views

One year ago, the right-wing media machine smeared climate scientists with the “Climategate” conspiracy theory, even as the climate itself continued to get hotter and more destructive. Although the National Academies of Science says “the U.S. should act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop a national strategy to adapt... [read more]

Mike Livermore - Federal gridlock leaves climate hawks looking to state capitols for progress, but what will they find there?

November 19, 2010 by Joseph Romm
with 526 views

Guest blogger Mike Livermore is executive director of NYU’s Institute for Policy Integrity. The scent of burning rubber is already in the air as Congress skids towards utter climate gridlock. And now, as EPA starts to unroll it’s next round of greenhouse gas controls, several legislators have promised to do everything in their power to... [read more]

States grapple with nuclear energy

February 28, 2010 by Dan Yurman
with 299 views

Experience varies widely What’s a state legislature to do? The President earlier this month went to Maryland, which already had two nuclear reactors and is planning a third, to announce he’s granting an $8.3 billion loan guarantee to two more new nuclear reactors in Georgia. That’s two states down, 48 to go. Don’t hold your breath... [read more]

State Attorney Generals to U.S. Senate: Toughen Climate Bill

September 4, 2009 by Tim Hurst
with 71 views

The following is the text of a letter sent to key U.S. senators, by the attorneys general of several states. The letter expresses generalized support for the House version of the climate bill (aka: Waxman-Markey) but also calls on the Senate to take several steps to strengthen it: August 31, 2009 The Honorable Harry Reid, Majority... [read more]

Document alert: Fighting Oil Addiction

August 26, 2009 by Lou Grinzo
with 76 views

From the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) comes a new report, Fighting Oil Addiction: America’s addiction to oil continues to threaten not only our national security and global environmental health, but also our economic viability. NRDC analyzed how heavily drivers in each state are affected by increases in oil prices and... [read more]

New "Cap and Dividend" study from PERI, the group that published "Green Recovery" and redefined green jobs

August 4, 2009 by John Whitehead
with 78 views

No comments on anything today (is something going on with something called "clunkers"?) for reasons best explained in this post. But, you might enjoy this from the inbox:IMPACTS OF CLIMATE AND ENERGY POLICY ACROSS THE STATESAugust 3, 2009 – Researchers at the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts... [read more]