Angie Ziech-Malek, Zondits guest, 10/21/2022 With the recent enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Infrastructure Law that preceded it, the United States is about to embark on a large experiment with energy policy, funded by the federal government, and each state’s energy policy experiment will determine how these investments pay off. States are … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 9/23/2022 Much of the energy news surrounding the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has focused on tax credits for electric vehicles (EVs), EV charging networks, solar energy, and the opening of both offshore and onshore federal lands for both wind and fossil fuel development. But the promise of “clean” hydrogen has not … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 8/18/2022 After what has often seemed a roller coaster headed off the rails, President Biden has signed the Inflation Reduction Act. Like everything in modern politics, the interpretation of the content, intent, and impacts varies greatly. Zondits has scoured analyses from multiple news outlets, progressive and conservative, to accurately summarize the … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 5/31/2022 Many U.S. states offer tax credits and efficiency program rebates for the installation of electric heat pumps in homes and commercial buildings. Newly introduced federal legislation would provide tax credits directly to the manufacturers of such products. The Senate bill is sponsored jointly by Democratic Senators Klobuchar, Smith, Hickenlooper, Whitehouse, … Read more
Matt Montalbano, Zondits staff, 5/13/2022 The Biden administration in March announced plans to resume drilling for oil and gas on federal lands. The reversal in policy was made after a federal appeals court granted a White House request to allow the administration to use a revamped metric for calculating the potential cost to society of … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 4/27/2022 A recent report published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on the status of utility-scale energy storage illustrates that battery storage is a proven technology for the shifting of electrical loads and improving grid stability. It also makes it clear that storage systems must continue to grow along with … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 4/25/2022 According to a study published by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Europe has impactful choices to make regarding the importing of natural gas (NG). Most sources state that more than 40% of Europe’s NG is imported from Russia. Replacing that energy with renewable energy sources will take time. The interim … Read more
Mark D’Antonio, Zondits staff, 4/13/2022 The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has recently released a proposed rule amendment titled “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors.” The rule changes propose that all publicly traded companies report greenhouse-gas emissions from their own operations, including the energy they consume (known as Scope 1 and Scope … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 4/13/2022 The EPA is reinstating the right of the State of California to set automobile fuel efficiency and emissions at a stricter standard than current federal regulations. Sixteen other states: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington, … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 4/1/2022 The West Virginia Assembly is on course to debate an education bill that is being dubbed “Don’t Say Solar” by both opponents and endorsers of the landmark legislation. The bill, officially titled LD-F-001-ED, An Act to Protect our Children from Environmental Extremism (PCEE), was introduced in Mid-March by Representative Bernie … Read more