Energy

Environmental Justice Rally Scheduled for Thursday

Erica Peterson — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:38:34 +0000

Organizers are hoping a march and rally this Thursday will be one of the biggest environmental justice events ever held in Kentucky.

The event is organized by Kentucky Interfaith Power and Light, in conjunction with the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly, which is also happening in Louisville this week. It’s meant to raise awareness of the environmental effects of burning fossil fuels—like coal—for energy, and the ways it affects nearby residents.

Analysis Shows CO2 Reductions if Current Energy Laws Stay in Place

Erica Peterson — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Tax credits for renewable energy are set to expire, but a new study shows that current energy policies, if they're kept in place, would reduce carbon dioxide emissions over the next thirty years.

The Energy Information Administration is an arm of the federal government, but is policy neutral. This means they don’t advocate for certain policies; they just crunch the numbers.

A Little More Gas, A Little Less Coal: Analyst Explains the U.S. Annual Energy Outlook

Erica Peterson — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:05:58 +0000

America’s energy mix in 2040 won’t be drastically different from what it is today: a little less coal and oil, a little more natural gas and renewable energy. That’s according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook.

Obama Nominates New Heads of EPA, Energy Department

Erica Peterson — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:55:34 +0000

President Obama has nominated Gina McCarthy to succeed Lisa Jackson as the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Ernest Moniz as his new energy secretary.

Local Chapter Aims to Make Energy Economics Accessible for Everyone

Erica Peterson — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:03:00 +0000

Louisville’s chapter of the U.S. Association for Energy Economics is planning for a full 2013.

The Louisville chapter of the USAEE has been around for about five years, but chapter activities and lectures have been sporadic. The group aims to provide education and networking opportunities for everyone interested in energy—from professionals to the community as a whole.

Kentucky Representative Plans to Re-Introduce Energy Portfolio Bill

Erica Peterson — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 13:30:00 +0000

A Louisville lawmaker says she plans to re-introduce a bill during the upcoming legislative session to institute a statewide energy portfolio standard.

This will be the third year Representative Mary Lou Marzian has introduced some version of the Clean Energy Opportunity Act. Last year, the bill would have offered incentives for in-state renewable energy production, and mandated that utilities get at least 12.5 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2023.

TVA Settlement Funds 13 Energy Efficiency Projects

Erica Peterson — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Thirteen Kentucky organizations will receive grant funding next year under a settlement between the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act.

The TVA settlement money is meant to go to environmental mitigation projects in the TVA service area.

Data Shows Gas is Catching Up to Coal, Even in the Southeast

Erica Peterson — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:00:00 +0000

A new analysis by the federal government shows that coal-fired electricity is losing ground in a former stronghold: the Southeast.

Coal's share of the nation's electricity generation has been slipping over the past few years; in July, preliminary data suggested for the first time, natural gas and coal both provided the same amount (32 percent) of the U.S.'s electricity. But coal usage has typically been higher in the Southeast.

NRDC Proposes Plan to Reduce Power Plant Carbon Emissions

Erica Peterson — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:43:43 +0000

A national environmental group is proposing a plan to reduce carbon pollution from power plants across the country.

The Natural Resources Defense Council’s proposal is one the group says the federal government could implement under the existing Clean Air Act—and thus, wouldn’t need Congressional action. It advocates for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants.

Using Trash to Create Energy

Erica Peterson — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:20:41 +0000

When it comes to trash, you can stick it in a landfill. But using it to create energy is an increasingly popular option.