Connect with us

Published

on

It looks like the next EPA head will likely be Lee Zeldin, a former New York Congressman and failed gubernatorial candidate, and he’s already promising policy moves that would make the air dirtier and increase health and fuel costs for Americans.

The nominee doesn’t have a particularly extensive environmental background, without a lot of specific advocacy on environmental topics.

As a result, various environmental protection organizations have released statements pointing out his poor record on environmental legislation in the past and expressing concern at his likely destructive rollbacks to come. In 2020, while he was in Congress, he received the worst environmental score out of the entire New York congressional delegation.

Estimations of the likelihood of these destructive actions can be informed by the period between 2017-2021, which was marked by severe corruption by two EPA heads with deep ties to the oil & gas and coal industries.

The first of those EPA heads, Scott Pruitt, gained prominence by suing the EPA to stop clean air, and in his tenure ended up being so corrupt that he was forced to resign – quite a feat given that administration’s over 3,700 conflicts of interest.

The second, Andrew Wheeler, was a coal lobbyist who tried to orchestrate a $70 billion bailout for the coal industry and showed incredible ignorance and mendacity when discussing the state of his own agency’s regulations.

What we do know about Zeldin’s plans were announced this morning, when he noted to the media that he wants to pull back on the EPA regulations of the last four years.

While we don’t know what specific regulations he intends to target, it is likely that there would be sweeping and/or scattershot actions to reduce the progress of the last four years. Regulations implemented by the EPA under President Biden will save Americans $250B/year in health and energy costs and save 200k lives in total.

Rolling back those regulations, as Zeldin has said he wants to do, would cost Americans money in the form of higher health and fuel costs, and would cause more death.

The reason these rollbacks would cause more death and higher costs is because they would increase air pollution, which is a major driver of death and disease and a major drain on economic productivity. The rollbacks would also increase costs because the targeted regulations are focused on efficiency, and reducing efficiency means higher energy costs for the nation in total.

We also know that Zeldin has received a similar amount of money from the oil & gas industry as Trump’s first corrupt EPA pick. Zeldin has received $269,608 in lifetime political bribes from the Oil & Gas industry – not his largest chunk of donations when sorted by industry, but still significant. This is similar to the pricetag on corrupt oil & gas stooge Scott Pruitt, who earned around $300k in bribes from oil & gas for his work to advance dirty air prior to his appointment as chief saboteur of the EPA.

In exchange for these relatively low pricetags, the richest and most destructive industry in the history of the world – which receives over $700 billion in subsidies yearly in the US alone – received significant boosts from destructive actions at the agency that is tasked with keeping the air you breathe clean.

Alongside his statements today, Zeldin also said that will make these rollbacks “while protecting access to clean air and water,” but it remains to be seen how that is possible. Given that the specific policy actions he has already suggested are incredibly destructive to clean air, this particular quote rings as if it may be untrue. He also said something about artificial intelligence, which it’s unclear what the EPA has anything to do with (unless he was referring to doing something about the massive unnecessary energy use from the sector, but that seems unlikely).

Zeldin said that he wants to ensure US “energy dominance,” which is unlikely to happen with any strategy that focuses away from the technologies of the future. The EPA’s actions of the last four years, and President Biden’s actions as a whole, have all coalesced around a strategy of bringing EV and battery manufacturing to the US so that the US can be ready to provide the products of the future.

Mr. Trump, in contrast, is already seeking to roll back the policies that have successfully led to hundreds of billions in investment and hundreds of thousands of jobs in green industry, despite him being ignorant of what those policies are in the first place.

While in Congress, Zeldin voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, the bill that brought those jobs and billions in investment to the US. But in yet another piece of Orwellian doublespeak, Zeldin said today that he wants to “bring back American jobs to the auto industry,” despite it being clear that he and Mr. Trump both want to roll back policies that have brought back American jobs to the auto industry.

All that said, Zeldin also was a member of a bipartisan “climate solutions caucus” in 2016, and voted against a republican amendment to slash EPA funding in 2020. So it’s not all bad, it’s just 86% bad.

And there is one more silver lining here. Earlier this year, the “Supreme” Court stupidly opined that government agencies should be restrained in their ability to do their jobs when it eliminated something called the Chevron doctrine.

You can read more about that here, but in short, the opinion would make it harder for EPA to change regulations going forward. So Zeldin might have his work cut out for him, as he will likely have to fight against the scientists at his own agency and the courts to implement the dirty-air policies that he has already indicated he wants to implement.


Charge your electric vehicle at home using rooftop solar panels. Find a reliable and competitively priced solar installer near you on EnergySage, for free. They have pre-vetted installers competing for your business, ensuring high-quality solutions and 20-30% savings. It’s free, with no sales calls until you choose an installer. Compare personalized solar quotes online and receive guidance from unbiased Energy Advisers. Get started here. – ad*

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Crude prices jump as U.S. imposes sweeping sanctions against Russia oil industry

Published

on

By

Crude prices jump as U.S. imposes sweeping sanctions against Russia oil industry

A view of offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the Pacific Ocean on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. 

Mario Tama | Getty Images

Oil prices jumped on Friday as the U.S. Treasury Department announced sweeping sanctions against Russia’s oil industry.

Brent gained $1.92, or 2.5%, to $78.84 per barrel by 11:12 a.m. ET, while U.S. crude oil advanced $1.89, or 2.56%, to $75.81 per barrel. Brent broke $80 per barrel for the first time since October earlier in day, hitting a session high of $80.75.

The sanctions target Russian oil companies Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas and their subsidiaries, more than 180 tankers, and more than a dozen Russian energy officials and executives. The sanctioned executives include Gazprom Neft CEO Aleksandr Valeryevich Dyukov.

The sanctioned vessels are mostly oil tankers that are part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” that has dodged existing sanctions on the country’s energy exports, according to the Treasury Department.

“The United States is taking sweeping action against Russia’s key source of revenue for funding its brutal and illegal war against Ukraine,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

Stock Chart IconStock chart icon

hide content

Brent crude futures, 1 year

“With today’s actions, we are ratcheting up the sanctions risk associated with Russia’s oil trade, including shipping and financial facilitation in support of Russia’s oil exports,” Yellen said.

The perception in the oil market is Indian and Chinese refiners that have imported Russian oil will have to scramble for barrels from the Middle East, said Bob Yawger, executive director of energy futures at Mizuho Securities, in a note to clients Friday.

The Biden administration has sought to ratchet up pressure on Russia and dispense aid to Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

“The Biden administration opted for more robust energy sanctions, which caught the oil market especially complacent about sanctions risks,” said Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group.

“Therefore, we expect today’s material risk premium in Brent to stick pending signals from the Trump team as to whether they will continue these sanctions,” McNally said.

Don’t miss these energy insights from CNBC PRO:

Continue Reading

Environment

This long duration compressed air energy storage project just got a $1.76B DOE loan

Published

on

By

This long duration compressed air energy storage project just got a .76B DOE loan

Hydrostor’s GEM A-CAES has received a conditional loan guarantee of up to $1.76 billion from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to build the Willow Rock Energy Storage Center, a cutting-edge compressed air energy storage (CAES) system, in Eastern Kern County, California.

If everything goes as planned, Willow Rock will bring 500 megawatts (MW) and 4,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of long-duration energy storage (LDES) to the southern California power grid.

This system will lower energy costs, improve grid reliability during peak demand, and expand the rollout of renewable energy into the grid. Here’s how it works and why it’s unique.

How compressed air energy storage works

CAES technology is all about storing energy for later use, especially when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. Here’s how it works:

  1. Storing energy: The system takes surplus energy (often from renewable sources like solar or wind) and uses it to compress air, which is stored in underground caverns.
  2. Releasing energy: When the grid needs power, the compressed air is released, passing through a turbine to generate electricity. Willow Rock will be able to dispatch stored energy at full power for over eight-hour periods.

Unlike conventional batteries, CAES can scale up based on the size of the storage cavern and doesn’t rely on scarce critical materials. It’s durable, too –systems like Willow Rock are designed to last over 50 years.

Why advanced CAES is different

Traditional CAES systems face two big challenges: wasted heat and inconsistent power output. Willow Rock’s advanced compressed air energy storage system (A-CAES) technology solves these problems:

  • Thermal energy capture: Conventional CAES loses around 50% of energy during the air compression process. Willow Rock pairs a proprietary thermal storage system with this process, so it captures, stores, and reuses heat from the compression cycle.
  • Constant Pressure: Traditional systems lose efficiency as underground air pressure drops. Willow Rock maintains consistent pressure by using water from an above-ground reservoir. As a bonus, the facility will be a net producer of fresh water, as water condensed during the compression process will be captured and reused.

This innovative design means A-CAES systems can be installed in a greater variety of underground conditions – an estimated 80% of US geology could support similar systems, opening the door for wide deployment.

Willow Rock will create up to 700 construction jobs at its peak, and 40 full-time operations roles will follow. These positions require skills similar to those used in the oil and gas industry, making it a natural fit for Kern County, a region with roots in fossil fuel production.

GEM A-CAES is a subsidiary of Hydrostor USA Holdings, a subsidiary of Hydrostor of Canada.

Read more: The world’s highest solar + storage project is online in Tibet


Now is a great time to begin your solar journey so your system is installed in time for those sunny spring days. If you want to make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate partner

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

BYD launches its ultra-compact ATTO 2 SUV in UK and Europe with Blade Batteries

Published

on

By

BYD launches its ultra-compact ATTO 2 SUV in UK and Europe with Blade Batteries

Chinese EV automaker Build Your Dreams (BYD) has unveiled its ATTO 2 compact SUV to the European public. The launch, which took place at the Brussels Motor Show, kicks off BYD’s next EV entry into European and UK markets. The BYD ATTO 2 is smaller and more affordable than its SUV siblings, with a decent range to boot, perfect for European roads.

The ATTO 2 is a rebranded version of the Chinese EV automaker BYD’s Yuan Up – an ultra-affordable compact SUV that debuted in China in February 2024. BYD may not be bringing “Yuan” branded EVs over to new markets in Europe, but that lineup continues to grow each month.

BYD currently sells four all-electric models in the UK and seven in Europe, including the ATTO 3 SUV. Today, BYD debuted a rebranded version of the Yuan Up called the ATTO 2, which will go on sale to customers in the UK and Europe next month.

BYD unveils ATTO 2 in Brussels, sales begin in February

The Brussels Motor Show recently kicked off as the first major automotive expo in Europe in 2025, and BYD showed up with a new affordable BEV option to complement the ATTO 3. Per BYD executive vice president Stella Li:

We’re excited to start 2025 with another important model for our plans in Europe. The B-segment SUV class is incredibly popular here, and with the ATTO 2, we have an agile and versatile offering that will appeal to that large potential customer base. It takes all of BYD’s strengths in batteries, electric motors and Cell-to-Body construction and combines them in a compact package that brings new intelligent technologies to the urban SUV class.

The ATTO 2 is 4,310mm long, 1,830mm wide, and 1,675mm tall—145mm shorter and 45mm slimmer than its ATTO 3 sibling. Despite its compact size, the ATTO 2 offers up to 1,430 liters of cargo capacity with its rear seat down.

The ATTO 2 also sits atop BYD’s e-Platform 3.0, the first of the brand’s compact SUVs to utilize Cell-to-Body (CTB) construction, which integrates the battery completely into the vehicle chassis—this design results in optimized space and overall increased vehicle rigidity.

Speaking of batteries, the EU and UK customers who opt for an ATTO 2 can experience BYD’s proprietary Blade Batteries, which integrates LFP cells directly instead of fitting them into multiple modules. BYD says customers can choose between two battery sizes in their ATTO 2 order. At launch, a standard range edition will utilize a 45.1 kWh Blade Battery, delivering a (WLTP) 312 km (194 miles) range.

However, BYD said a larger-battery version of the ATTO 2 will arrive in the coming months and offer drivers greater range. The automaker is not yet sharing individual pricing for the ATTO 2 in the UK or Europe. Still, a representative for the company said the compact SUV is expected to land between the BYD Dolphin and ATTO 3 BEVs, which in the UK cost 26,140 GBP ($32,157) and 37,140 GBP ($45,689) respectively.

ATTO 2 sales are expected to begin in February.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Trending