Tag Archives: Biden-Harris Administration

Biden Administration Takes Another Step to Increase Jobs

Posted on 23 October 2024 by Ken Zino

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its Loan Programs Office (LPO), announced today the closing of a $162.4 million loan guarantee to LongPath Technologies, Inc. (LongPath). The loan guarantee, sustained by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, will help finance the construction and installation of more than 1000 remote monitoring towers as part of a real-time methane emissions monitoring network. The network will include sites in every major U.S. oil and gas production region, including those in California, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wyoming. LongPath’s Active Emissions Overwatch System project aims to deploy large-area remote methane monitors to provide emissions detection, location, and quantification services for tens of thousands of oil and gas sites. 

“Preventing harmful greenhouse emissions from entering our atmosphere is a key pillar of President Biden and Vice President Harris’ Investing in America agenda to improve public health while combatting climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Today’s announcement underscores the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued efforts to create environmentally resilient communities and ensure the United States leads the world in deploying next-generation clean energy solutions.” Continue reading →

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DOE Loan Programs Office – $1B to Evgo for Charging Points

Posted on 4 October 2024 by Ken Zino

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced Thursday a conditional commitment to EVgo Swift Borrower LLC (EVgo) for a loan guarantee of up to $1.05 billion to expand the public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. The loan guarantee, if finalized, will support EVgo’s deployment of ~7500 charging ports at ~1100 charging stations across the United States. The first deployments will include high-power 350kW fast chargers capable of charging two EVs simultaneously. EVgo plans to continue installing power sharing equipment over the 5-year deployment timeline.

“The Biden-Harris administration and DOE are building towards a future where EVs are affordable and accessible in every part of the country,” LPO said in a detailed release. Continue reading →

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EPA Publishes New Kids and Climate Health Zone

Posted on 18 September 2024 by Ken Zino

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released a new web contraption called the “Kids and Climate Health Zone.” The Zone is a collection of stories and information about how the hazards of climate stressors are impacting different childhood life stages and regions in the United States and what people can do to protect their children and families.

“Climate change is the challenge of our generation, and we owe it to the next generation – our nation’s children – to take action now in the fight to protect our health and our planet,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “Raising awareness of the impacts of climate and environmental stressors on children and highlighting actions that we can all implement to mitigate the effects are critical for the protection of children’s health and are central to our mission at EPA and to the efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration.” Continue reading →

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Hydrogen – Plug Power Energy Gets $1.6B Loan Guarantee

Posted on 24 May 2024 by Ken Zino

“Advancing clean hydrogen is a key component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to building a robust clean energy economy that creates healthier communities, strengthens energy security, and delivers new economic opportunities across the nation. Today’s announcement will help unlock the full potential of this versatile fuel and support the growth of strong, American-led industry that ensures the United States remains at the forefront of the global economy for generations to come,” said Jigar Shah, Director of the Loan Programs Office. Continue reading →

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EPA Finalizes Pollution Reduction Standards for Power Plants

Posted on 25 April 2024 by Ken Zino

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a series of final rules to reduce pollution from fossil-fuel-fired power plants, which have been and likely will continue to be the subject of litigation paid for by special interest money. The rules under separate authorities including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, will significantly reduce climate, air, water, and land pollution from the power sector as they go forward. During 2024 the United States is forecast to build more new electric generation capacity than it has for two decades. About  96% of that will be clean, according to the current Administration. Continue reading →

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Death of the Diesel – EPA Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grants

Posted on 24 April 2024 by Ken Zino

In the United States, the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. It is also a prominent source of health-harming pollution. Most of the vehicles eligible for replacement are powered by internal combustion engines that pre-date recent EPA emission standards. These vehicles emit harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxide, fine particulate matter, and greenhouse gases. Continue reading →

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Heavy-Duty Emissions Standards – Missed Opportunity?

Posted on 29 March 2024 by Ken Zino

“The final rule also leaves more work to be done, and state legislatures should spur use of electric and other zero-emission trucks by adopting the Advanced Clean Truck rule. By delaying the final standards for sleeper cabs until model year 2030 vehicles, EPA missed out on the additional climate and health benefits that would have started accruing much earlier from some of the highest-polluting vehicles on the roads. Continue reading →

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Greenhouse Gas Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles Set

Posted on 29 March 2024 by Ken Zino

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced final national greenhouse gas pollution standards for heavy-duty vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 – the “Greenhouse Gas* Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3.” Trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles are central to the economy by moving goods and freight as well as providing services for industry, transit, among other sectors. Heavy-duty vehicles account for 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, which is itself the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Under these new standards, the heavy-duty industry is expected to realize annualized savings of $3.5 billion compared to annualized costs of about $1.1 billion from 2027 through 2055 Continue reading →

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Department of Commerce Proposes $8.5B Intel Funding

Posted on 20 March 2024 by Ken Zino

The U.S. Department of Commerce and Intel Corporation have reached a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) to provide up to $8.5 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act to strengthen the U.S. supply chain and re-establish American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, the Biden-Harris Administration said today. This is the Department of Commerce’s fourth PMT announcement under the CHIPS and Science Act. So-called leading-edge chips power the most sophisticated technology extant, including developing AI and building critical military systems and weapons.

“There is no one who cares more about revitalizing American manufacturing than President Biden, and today’s announcement is a massive step towards ensuring America’s leadership in manufacturing for the 21st century. With this agreement, we are helping to incentivize over $100 billion in investments from Intel – marking one of the largest investments ever in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, which will create over 30,000 good-paying jobs and ignite the next generation of innovation,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. Continue reading →

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EPA Finalizes Vehicle Pollution Standards for 2027-32

Posted on 20 March 2024 by Ken Zino

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced final national pollution standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 and beyond. The standards will have significant effects on the types of vehicles available, how much they cost to buy, own and operate, as well as the economy and public health in a politically dysfunctional country. Let the lawsuits commence, particularly from anti-environmentalists, the Republican party, and fossil fuel funded groups.

“With transportation as the largest source of U.S. climate emissions, these strongest-ever pollution standards for cars solidify America’s leadership in building a clean transportation future and creating good-paying American jobs, all while advancing President Biden’s historic climate agenda,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The standards will slash over 7 billion tons of climate pollution, improve air quality in overburdened communities, and give drivers more clean vehicle choices while saving them money. Under President Biden’s leadership, this Administration is pairing strong standards with historic investments to revitalize domestic manufacturing, strengthen domestic supply chains and create good-paying jobs.” Continue reading →

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Biden-Harris Administration – 157 More Infrastructure Grants

Posted on 30 January 2024 by Ken Zino

The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said today it will award $245.9 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG). under the. The $245.9 million includes 153 grants in 37 states to modernize airport infrastructure, improve runway safety, and create jobs to build a better America. This trumps the trend during the last decade where political talk without funding delayed the ability to modernize technology and infrastructure that support the airspace. Continue reading →

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More Biden-Harris Infrastructure Projects Funded

Posted on 25 January 2024 by Ken Zino

“With this announcement, we are advancing projects so large, complex, and ambitious that they could not get funded under the infrastructure programs that existed prior to the Biden administration,” said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Our INFRA and Mega programs are helping build the cathedrals of American infrastructure: truly transformative projects that will change entire regions and our entire country for the better.” Continue reading →

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DOT – Brightline West High-Speed Rail Gets $2.5B

Posted on 23 January 2024 by Ken Zino

“Today, the Biden-Harris administration takes the next step to fulfill the promise of high-speed rail in the American West, with $2.5 billion in private activity bond authority to lay tracks, create jobs, and connect American cities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Continue reading →

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EPA Wants Stronger Standards for Solid Waste Burning

Posted on 11 January 2024 by Ken Zino

“President Biden believes every person deserves clean air to breathe and the opportunity to lead a healthy life, and EPA’s proposal is just the latest action to achieve this vision. By reducing harmful pollution and improving air quality, this rule will also advance environmental justice for nearby communities already overburdened with pollution,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “EPA is committed to working with communities and state, local, and Tribal governments to ensure that large facilities burning municipal waste utilize the most up-to-date and cost-effective control technologies to reduce pollution and protect public health.” Continue reading →

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CHIPS and Science Act Phase 2 – Growth and Defense

Posted on 11 December 2023 by Ken Zino

The project will replace aging tools and quadruple the production of chips necessary for critical defense programs, including the F-35 fighter jet program. This begins of the next phase of implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act, a critical part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda that supports a strong national defense and a growing American economy. Continue reading →

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