Beto O’Rourke’s $5 trillion climate change plan would ‘guarantee’ net zero emissions by 2050
Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke has introduced his plan to combat climate change — a $5 trillion plan with a requirement of net-zero emissions by 2050.
Riding a bicycle or e-bike to work could soon get you a tax break
A new bill being proposed in congress could soon benefit commuters who ride bikes or e-bikes. The bill would allow riders to take a tax deduction similar to the ones that drivers can already take.
Jay Inslee announces presidential bid, says defeating climate change ‘number one priority’
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) announced he’ll be running for president in 2020, and his announcement makes defeating climate change the primary goal of his campaign.
Major wind (and solar) power deals on hold while US politicians argue tax laws – $50 billion at risk
The US House of Representatives passed a tax-reform bill on Nov. 16 that would change the amount of tax credit each kWh of wind power created gets going forward. The US Senate, disagreeing, has returned a bill without this change.
While being argued, signed projects at various stages of development are on hold – and some estimate $50 billion worth of planned wind projects might not be developed.
How the electricity utilities “use a little bit of political jiu-jitsu” to steal the sun
US electrical utilities are feeling pressure from distributed solar power and are proving that they will go to all ends to protect their monopoly positions. In Florida, the utilities are spending tens of millions of dollars to manipulate the electorate into voting for an amendment that limits solar power’s growth. In the last five years alone, the largest 25 utilities have spent more than $400 million on lobbying federal and state elections. This effort to control the political machine is worth trillions annually.
And now that we know 92% of people breathe unsafe air and more than 6 million a year die of it – that these utilities are slowing the transition to cleaner forms of energy means they are knowingly killing people.
Alabama regulator votes against solar net metering – now seeking $250,000/year in solar lease payments
A member of the Alabama Public Service Commissions (PSC), the group that regulates the state’s power companies, who voted against net metering solar power recently sought an opinion from the same PSC as to whether or not a Community Solar Power plant, paying him approximately $250,000/year for 20 years on his family’s land, would be an ethics violation. After pretty much blocking solar for regular people – he pushes for $5M from solar for himself.
The PSC (sorta – see end of article) voted against commissioner Chip Beeker’s solar plans:
“The Commission has held that business relationships with entities that intend to do business with entities the public official regulates create conflicts of interest,” Ethics Commission Executive Director Tom Albritton wrote.
The commissioner, whose son earns money from the monopoly approved power company, has doubts about climate change: “I believe that no matter what you call it, a myth is still a myth, and the so-called ‘climate change crisis’ is about as real as unicorns and little green men from Mars.”