Senate Confirms Anthony Foxx as DOT Secretary

Anthony Foxx with President ObamaThe Senate on Thursday voted 100-0 to approve the nomination of Charlotte mayor Anthony Foxx as Transportation Secretary. Att 42, Foxx will be the youngest member of the Obama Cabinet. He replaces Ray LaHood at the helm of DOT....

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The Manchester 4-Walls Project

Center President Norris McDonald spoke at a forum in Manchester, Connecticut sponsored by MC2 Technology, Inc (MC2) with the theme: "Preparing Failing Students for Success In Education & Life."  The forum was coordinated by MC2 President Samuel O. Cephas.  The forum was held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church on Friday, June 14, 2013.  The Manchester 4-Walls Project is being coordinated by Sam Cephas.The Manchester 4-Walls...

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President Obama's 'Net Effect' Decision on Keystone XL Pipeline

President Obama will direct the State Department to approve the Keystone XL pipeline because he will conclude that the oil would be shipped by rail anyway, probably further increasing greenhouse gas emissions.In his climate change speech on Tuesday, President Obama said:“Allowing the Keystone pipeline to be built requires a finding that doing so would be in our nation’s interest,” Obama said. “And our national interest will be served only if this...

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Penny Pritzker Confirmed as Secretary of Commerce

Penny PritzkerPenny Pritzker was nominated as United States Secretary of Commerce by President Barack Obama on May 2, 2013. Her confirmation hearing was on May 23 2013 and she was confirmed by the full Senate on June 25, by a vote of 97 to 1 (Bernie Sanders-I-Vt opposing)Penny Sue Pritzker (born May 2, 1959) is an American business executive, entrepreneur, civic leader, and philanthropist who is the founder, chairman and CEO of PSP Capital...

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SCOTUS Reviewing Cross State Air Pollution Rule

U.S. Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court is reviewing a lower court decision that nullified Environmental Protection Agency rules aimed at cutting soot- and smog-forming power plant emissions that cross state lines.The EPA, when finalizing the rule in the summer of 2011, said substantially cutting sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions would bring public health benefits that far outstrip the projected costs. The agency estimated that the rule,...

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The President's Climate Action Plan

President Obama is putting forward a broad-based plan to cut the carbon pollution that causes climate change and affects public health. Cutting carbon pollution will help spark business innovation to modernize our power plants, resulting in cleaner forms of American-made energy that will create good jobs and cut our dependence on foreign oil. The plan, which consists of a wide variety of executive actions, has three key pillars: 1) Cut Carbon Pollution...

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Utilities Fight 3rd Party Solar Ownership Deals But Not Solar

Disputes over the use of small-scale solar power are flaring across the nation, with utilities squaring off against solar-energy marketers over rules for the growing technology.  Utilities have sought to cut what they claim are unfairly high payments they are required to make to owners of homes or larger buildings with solar systems.  At issue is whether solar-system marketers can sell electricity in territories where local utilities...

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Maryland Drinking Water Pipe Problems

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, serving Maryland close to Washington, DC, has 350 miles of concrete mains that have been prone to exploding without warning.  The particularly large mains are designed to carry high volumes of pressurized water. Utilities around the world have struggled with this type of pipe since the 1980s, when they began bursting decades before their 100-year life expectancy was up. Many of the WSSC's large concrete...

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Nuclear Debate Between Robert Kennedy & Robert Stone

After a Jacob Burns Film Center screening of "Pandora's Promise," a new documentary defending nuclear energy, the director, Robert Stone, engaged in a debate with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the environmental activist and lawyer and solar-energy investor.Film site: http://pandoraspromise....

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Plans for Decommissioning of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Units 2 and 3

On June 7, 2013, Southern California Edison (SCE) announced plans to permanently retire Units 2 and 3 at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).  One June 12, the licensee submitted a Certification of Permanent Cessation of Power Operations to the NRC, certifying that SCE has permanently ceased power operations of SONGS Units 2 and 3.  With this announcement, the NRC staff is refocusing efforts on establishing an...

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Congress Should Approve Yucca Mountain AGAIN

According to House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.), House Republicans will unveil legislation that affirms Yucca Mountain as the nation's sole repository for spent nuclear fuel.  The Center supports the legislation.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) staunchly opposes the Yucca project, and a bipartisan group in his chamber is crafting a bill that would allow the storage of nuclear waste at other sites. Reid...

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Killing Filibuster Is Worth Approving Yucca Mountain

PRESIDENT'S CORNERBy Norris McDonaldThe filisbuster has been abused for many years now.  Even routine legislation needs 60 votes to pass now instead of a simple majority of 51 votes.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has threatened to use the so-called 'nuclear option' to 'blow up' filibustering. Reid is under pressure to use the parliamentary maneuver known as the "nuclear option" to end filibusters on judicial and administration nominees,...

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Southwest Education Center - Tinley Park, Illinois

Careful calibration between the vertical spacing and the depth of the mullions  creates a perfect daylighting ratio and a self-shading aperture. The result is a significant construction cost savings and reduced energy use during daytime operation. (IMAGE COURTESY OF LEGAT ARCHITECTS)(Environmental Design + Construction, 5/13/20...

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Rushern Baker Proposes Stormwater Runoff Fee To Help Pay Bay Cleanup Costs

Prince George’s County homeowners could pay up to $62 annually for a new fee to help fund a program to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.  The fee, subject to approval by the County Council, would appear along with other utility fees on residents’ property tax bills. It was proposed Tuesday by County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) and would take effect later this year if approved by the council. Proposed fee would cost Prince George’s County...

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Administrative Law Judge Rules Against Undergrounding High-Voltage Lines In Chino Hills

AAEA Supports ALJ Decision & Opposes Underground Lines In Chino HillsAn administrative law judge has ruled against undergrounding high-voltage powerlines through a portion of Chino Hills citing the state's ratepayers should not have to pay the cost of the project. A proposed decision by Administrative Law Judge Jean Vieth has denied the city's request to place the lines below ground, saying while undergrounding is feasible and could be completed on a timely basis "the cost is prohibitive and should not be borne by ratepayers at...

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EPA Gives $3 Million in Workforce & Job Training Grants

Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the selection of 16 grantees for a total award of $3.2 million through the agency's Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) Program. The grants support local work to recruit, train, and place unemployed individuals in jobs that address environmental challenges in their communities. By providing Americans in economically disadvantaged communities with environmental...

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China Tests Cap and Trade

China is getting ready to test out cap-and-trade systems to constrain carbon-dioxide emissions in seven different cities. By the end of 2013, the pilot programs will cover about 7 percent of the country’s pollution. Jane Qiu provides more detail in Nature: On 18 June, the country will launch an emissions-trading scheme in the southern city of Shenzhen, marking its first attempt to cut emissions using market mechanisms.Under the scheme,...

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Support Tree Cuts To Prevent Wildfires Around Oakland

Center Wildfire Mitigation ProgramThe Center supports a proposal by the East Bay Regional Park District, the city of Oakland and the University of California, Berkeley to fell tens of thousands of eucalyptus and Monterey pine trees on more than 1,000 acres of parkland.  Officials at the park district, the city of Oakland and UC Berkeley say wildfire prevention is the main intent of the plan. The Claremont Canyon Conservancy is in favor of the...

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2,000 Megawatts of Solar Power In California

Solar power set a new all-time high output in California of 2,071 megawatts (MW) at 12:59 p.m. on June 07, 2013. This amount of energy is enough to power more than 2 million homes across California. This new record is remarkable considering the amount has more than doubled since last September when solar peaked at 1,000 megawatts. California is the largest producer of solar power in the nation. Today’s peak demand was about 36,000 megawatts and solar power supplied more than five percent of demand for electricity. (California Independent System...

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Southern California Electricity Supply and Demand Summer 2013

Southern California's electric power system is facing a number of challenges heading into the summer peak demand season, largely because of the prolonged outage of the two units at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), which have been offline since January 2012. A combination of recent capacity additions and electric system upgrades made since June 2012 will help meet peak electric demand this summer. The California Independent...

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Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rose 1.4 Percent in 2012

Global emissions of carbon dioxide from energy use rose 1.4 percent to 31.6 gigatons in 2012, setting a record and putting the planet on course for temperature increases well above international climate goals, the International Energy Agency said in a report scheduled to be issued Monday.  The agency said continuing that pace could mean a temperature increase over pre-industrial times of as much as 5.3 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit),...

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Southern California Edison's Bad Decision To Close SONGS

PRESIDENT'S CORNERBy Norris McDonaldI was extremely disappointed on Friday when I heard that Southern California Edison had made a dcision to permanently close the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).  My disappointment is now concern for electricity reliability in California.  At the very least, Southern Californians are going to have to pay through the nose for imported electricity to help meet demand (remember this is...

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Utilities Want Solar Panel Users To Pay More

Every time people install a solar system, it means the need for more power distribution is reduced and the need for more electricity generation by utility companies is reduced. But utilities contend that customers without solar panels are subsidizing those who have them — by paying more for the power generating stations, transmission lines and distribution wires that both groups use. They want regulators to change that pricing structure so people...

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San Onofre Nuclear Plant To Close Permanently

Norris McDonald at San Onofre in 2005Edison International said Friday that it would permanently close two reactors at its San Onofre plant in California.  A Jan. 31, 2012 steam leak revealed cracks in the steam generator system and the plant has been close since the incident.  The two reactors, built at a cost of about $2.1 billion, once provided 17 percent of the power delivered by the utility. This closure clearly represents a blow to...

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June Is National Oceans Month

The White HouseOffice of the Press SecretaryThe White HousePresidential Proclamation -- National Oceans Month, 2013For Immediate Release May 31, 2013 NATIONAL OCEANS MONTH, 2013BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAA PROCLAMATIONFrom providing food and energy to helping sustain our climate and our security, the oceans play a critical role in nearly every part of our national life. They connect us to countries around the world, and support...

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June is “Great Outdoors” Month

In 2010, President Obama issued a memorandum creating the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative as a strategy to help Americans conserve natural and wild places so that they may continue to be used for recreation. In accordance with the initiative and in celebration of the resources nature has to offer, June has been designated as Great Outdoors Month. The year before, Center President Norris McDonald attended The White House signing of the Public Lands Management Act of 2009. Here are some ideas and helpful tips: 1. Take a hike to explore...

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