Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 22, 2022

California’s air pollution regulator, the Air Resources Board, is poised to adopt one of the most important steps that the state has ever taken to reduce exposure to air pollution and limit climate changing emissions. First is stricter smog-forming pollution rules for conventional cars.

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Air Pollution 2026 Nitrogen Oxides 2030 290

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 6, 2023

As early as 1966 , the state began to take regulatory action to reduce pollution from passenger cars and trucks. As a result of continuing progress on regulations, the air-polluting emissions of new passenger vehicles currently for sale are thankfully much lower than those of older vehicles. Combining the PM 2.5

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Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 12, 2022

Nearly all of the alliance members have a renewable electricity standard (RES), which requires utilities in their jurisdiction to increase their use of renewable energy to a particular percentage by a specific year. EN: What were your top findings? Our analysis also demonstrates renewables’ power.

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Electricity Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Nitrogen Oxides 279

PA Environment Daily

APRIL 10, 2023

The $10 million grant will be utilized by PRT to replace four 40-foot diesel transit buses with electric buses. The grant will also support the purchase and installation of two electric chargers along with necessary infrastructure in the garage to which the buses would be assigned. Based on data collected and analyzed by the ACHD, PM2.5

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Electricity Air Pollution 2026 Environmental Protection 96

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 24, 2023

Over the past several years, the USPS worked to plan the replacement of its aging delivery truck fleet with a mix of both electric and combustion vehicles. If electric delivery vehicle deployment is maximized, this transition could have significant positive impacts on both air quality and the larger adoption of commercial electric vehicles.

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Legal Planet

OCTOBER 10, 2022

SB 1020 signals the state’s continued prioritization of clean energy development, adding to the state’s existing goal for 100% clean electricity retail sale by 2045 by establishing interim clean energy targets of 90% of all retail electricity sales be renewable and zero-carbon by 2035 and 95% by 2040. Download as PDF.

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2021 2022 Sea Level Clean Energy 130

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Gas, which now generates 40 percent of US electricity, is considered by some to be critical to maintain grid reliability. Likewise, housing discrimination has forced poorer folks and racial and ethnic minorities to live in areas with polluting infrastructure. First, there’s air pollution.

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Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Fossil Fuels Electricity 359

A Greener Life

JUNE 27, 2022

In March, start-up BasiGo became the first company to launch an electric passenger bus in Kenya. We selected BYD because they are the largest manufacturer of electric buses globally and they are known for battery technology that is state-of-the-art,” BasiGo co-founder and CEO Jit Bhattacharya told China Dialogue. million in funding.

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Electricity Greenhouse 2030 2020 97

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) contains a tax credit that can be used for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. You might have missed it because its name is a bit wordy and doesn’t contain the words “electric” or “charging.” The most recent extension expired at the end of 2021. Why now and why in 2032?

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Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 10, 2024

And all this polluting infrastructure has serious health and environmental implications for the surrounding communities. Air pollution Gas-fueled power plants and compressor stations release emissions that pollute local air and have dangerous health impacts to nearby residents.

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Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Electricity Air Pollution 325

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 23, 2023

With the clean energy transition already under way, the US electricity mix is set to continue changing this year. Solar power is expected to make up about half of all additions of US electric generating capacity in 2023, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). GW record from 2021.

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Fossil Fuels 2023 Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides 263

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 26, 2022

California’s Central Valley consistently experiences the country’s worst air quality, and climate change is poised to make air quality even worse. In a region known for its exceptional agricultural productivity, climate change is quickly amplifying a dangerous type of climate risk in California’s Central Valley: air pollution.

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Climate Change Ozone Air Pollution Particle Pollution 348

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

The legislation committed nearly $400 billion to support, among other things, wind and solar power, battery storage, electric vehicles, and other clean energy technologies that will make a significant dent in US heat-trapping emissions. First, decarbonizing the electricity sector mainly with wind and solar to replace coal and fossil gas.

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Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

To reach the state’s goals of 100% clean electricity and economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2045, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has been tasked with planning the clean electricity transition via its Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) process. But the turn is not yet over.

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Clean Energy Regulations 2030 Electricity 321

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 22, 2022

Minnesotans are facing concurrent crises of climate change, high energy prices and inflation, and the inequitable public health impacts of fossil fuel air pollution. Most Minnesotans are familiar with their local electricity utility, since that’s who bills them for electricity they provide.

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Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Solar Power Electricity 363

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 31, 2022

On the last day of the 2022 Minnesota legislative session, state legislators had a real case of the Mondays: They failed to deliver on climate and energy policies that would have accelerated renewable energy enough to forge a clear path to carbon-free electricity and set the state on track to meet science-based emission reduction targets.

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Renewable Energy Clean Energy Electricity Fossil Fuels 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 19, 2022

A recent Union of Concerned Scientists analysis found that Minnesota could meet its electricity demands with 100-percent renewable energy by 2035, which would provide significant economic and health benefits. million to support electric vehicles , including charging infrastructure and bus electrification.

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Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Electricity 264

Real Climate

AUGUST 17, 2022

This is an historic effort though it falls short of the broader ‘ Green New Deal ‘ goals that were proposed in 2019, and doesn’t include all of the elements that were in the proposed 2021 reconcilliation package (the American Jobs Plan in “ Build Back Better “) that ultimately floundered.

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Paris Agreement Air Pollution Renewable Energy 2030 364

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 28, 2022

Although the nuclear bailout was repealed and refunded in 2021, some of the law’s other egregious provisions requiring ratepayers across the state to subsidize money-losing coal plants and gutting renewable energy and energy efficiency standards are still in place today. Even if you don’t live in Ohio, you may have heard about H.B.

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Renewable Energy Nitrogen Oxides Electricity Clean Energy 357

Legal Planet

JUNE 13, 2022

The national electricity plan projected that renewables will exceed coal in 2027. In November 2021, Prime Minster Modi announced in Glasgow that India would get half its energy from renewables by 2030 as well as significantly cutting its emissions. Natural gas, oil, and nuclear are minor players. As in the U.S.,

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PA Environment Daily

JUNE 1, 2022

On May 31, Duquesne Light Company announced a new lineup of electric vehicle (EV) charging and fleet electrification programs to help local organizations save time and money on installing EV charging and transitioning to an electric fleet. In 2020, DLC installed the DCFC stations for Port Authority’s first two electric buses. “As

Electricity 52

Electricity Greenhouse Air Pollution Carbon Emissions 52

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 27, 2023

Further, the going price of gas can be volatile and generally tracks very closely with US wholesale electricity prices, since the country grew so over-reliant on gas power plants throughout the 2010s. Last year, for the first time ever, US renewable electricity generation surpassed coal-fired electricity generation.

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PA Environment Daily

AUGUST 2, 2024

Air Quality Permits -- Iron Pennsylvania Land, LLC - Cumberland Mine Methane Flare Abatement System: DEP invites comments on an Air Quality Plan Approval to construct and operate a temporary coal mine methane flare system located in Jackson Twp., Greene County. ( Adams County. ( Susquehanna County. ( Butler County. ( Venango County. (

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Natural Gas Air Pollution 2024 Recycling 101

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 20, 2022

US ratepayers very likely will pay even more for electricity and heating this winter compared to the already-expensive winter of 2021-2022. Between 2015 and 2021, 274 North American oil and gas producers filed for bankruptcy with a debt load of $177 billion. The bankruptcies were set in motion even before 2020.

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Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Electricity Natural Gas 340

PA Environment Daily

MAY 11, 2023

On May 11, the PJM Interconnection released its annual summer assessment and predicts sufficient supply to meet summer electricity needs for the 65 million people it serves across 13 states and the District of Columbia-- including Pennsylvania-- under anticipated conditions. and particularly the East Coast and Gulf Coast. A record $1.8

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Electricity Natural Gas Carbon Dioxide 2006 90

A Greener Life

NOVEMBER 15, 2023

By Leigh Hartman When Son Nguyen lived in the US, he saw rapidly advancing electric vehicle technology and heard stories from back in Vietnam about air pollution. The US Agency for International Development works with Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturers, such as VinFast, to reduce emissions. © Dita Alangkara/AP.

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Clean Energy Renewable Energy Electricity Wind Power 105

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

Like many other public-serving institutions throughout society, electricity and gas utilities are facing calls to be more equitable in their operations, planning, and treatment of customers. That law created the state’s Community Air Protection Program focused on reducing exposure in communities most impacted by air pollution.

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Electricity Fossil Fuels Air Pollution Renewable Energy 306

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 1, 2022

DTE’s proposal, known as an integrated resource plan, describes how the utility intends to fulfill its customers’ electricity needs over the next 20 years. These types of long-term energy plans include forecasting the amount of electricity customers will need and examining different options for supporting that need.

Clean Energy 340

Clean Energy 2028 2025 Electricity 340

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 13, 2023

If enacted, Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council would not only surpass former Mayor De Blasio’s goal of an all-electric city fleet by 2040, but also make New York City the first major jurisdiction in the U.S. New York City lags behind other major cities in both electric vehicle (EV) uptake and charging infrastructure deployment.

Electricity 246

Electricity Fossil Fuels Regulations 2024 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 7, 2024

2023 was a milestone year for electric car sales in the US. That is A LOT of EVs and A LOT less oil use, air pollution and climate emissions. But it shouldn’t be surprising that the transition to electric vehicles might not be a straight line up, up and up. Automakers pushed back, concerned the rules were too stringent.

Electricity 363

Electricity Climate Change 2025 2023 363

Law Columbia

APRIL 18, 2023

Berkeley’s so-called “natural gas ban” was the first local ordinance in the country to effectively require all-electric construction of new buildings. Local governments have structured or are considering structuring all-electric construction policies in a variety of ways, some of which remain untouched by the Ninth Circuit ruling.

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Conservation Natural Gas Fossil Fuels Government 117

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

For example, Hurricane Laura (2020) resulted in a two-week disruption at the Sabine Pass LNG export facility but well over a month at Cameron LNG, the latter of which was sidelined by an accumulation of incidents, including to external supplies of electricity as well as required repairs and dredging to the associated shipping channel.

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Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Carbon Dioxide Natural Gas 264

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 6, 2021

On October 6, the Department of Environmental Protection announced the 13 schools, businesses and community organization winners of the 2021 Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence. million kilowatt hours of electricity from solar energy. million kilowatt hours of electricity from solar energy.

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2021 Air Pollution Recycling Conservation 55

PA Environment Daily

JUNE 4, 2021

On an Air Quality Action Day, young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities. Posted: June 4, 2021] PA Environment Digest

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Ozone Air Pollution Environmental Protection Electricity 58

Greenbuilding Law

AUGUST 20, 2023

As directed by a state law enacted in 2021, as HB 1286, the Colorado Health Department’s Air Pollution Control Division developed the newly finalized standards. It’s a major step forward in protecting both public health and clean air.” Buildings are one of Colorado’s top five sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

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Law 2026 Pollution Control 2030 52

PA Environment Daily

JUNE 5, 2021

On an Air Quality Action Day, young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities. For more information, visit DEP’s Air Quality Partners and EPA’s AirNow webpages.

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Ozone Air Pollution Environmental Protection Electricity 52

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 1, 2021

Community advocates, Clean Air Council , and Environmental Integrity Project reported the termination of the Beech Hollow permit for a proposed 1,000-megawatt power plant that would have been a large source of new air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in a region. This is a huge victory for the health of my community!”

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Natural Gas Fossil Fuels Air Pollution 2021 67