Today the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act. The massive defense policy bill includes measures to increase military climate-preparedness, to begin addressing toxic PFAS contamination, and notably to redesignate military installations currently named after prominent Confederate military and political leaders. Trump has threatened to veto the legislation, the latest example of his public defense of the Confederacy and Confederate icons around the country.
South Carolina Public Service Commissioners have unanimously rejected Dominion Energy’s proposed plan for how it would provide electricity to customers over the next several years, and have ordered the utility to file a modified plan within 60 days.
Today the Washington Utility and Transportation Commission unanimously approved utilities' request that they be able to roll many COVID-related expenses into the rates charged to Washington families, despite opposition from the Attorney General's office and every stakeholder who gave public comment before the meeting.
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, President-elect Joe Biden announced he will nominate Katherine Tai, chief trade counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee, as U.S. Trade Representative.
The USTR plays a crucial role by coordinating U.S. international trade policy and overseeing trade negotiations with other countries. If confirmed, Tai would be the first Asian American and first woman of color in the cabinet-level position.
Updated at 5:10 PM Central on Thursday, December 10, 2020
Kansas City, MO -- It wouldn’t be 2020 without a few curve balls.
Earlier this afternoon, thirty minutes into a coalition press conference calling for--among other things--Evergy to reinstate its utility shutoff moratorium, Evergy tweeted that it was doing just that:
The Trump administration opened bidding today in the first auction of California federal public lands to oil companies in eight years. Despite community opposition and ongoing legal disputes, the Bureau of Land Management put over 4,000 acres in Kern County up for sale for oil drilling and fracking.
Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes released the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change Report that included 55 policy recommendations to address climate change in Wisconsin. This report comes after a year of input from the Task Force, five public hearings and thousands of comments.
Former coal lobbyist, and soon to be former EPA Administrator, Andrew Wheeler finalized new requirements today which change how EPA calculates the costs and benefits for its clean air protections.
Kansas City, MO -- The spread of COVID-19 is raging, but utility disconnect moratoria in Kansas and Missouri have expired. While the near-term distribution of vaccines means the end of the pandemic may be in sight, in the meantime elected and utility leaders need to do everything possible to ensure the very real suffering of people is eased until the pandemic is under control.