Media Statements
Statement: Supreme Court hamstrings EPA’s ability to tackle climate change
ATLANTA– The Supreme Court of the United States announced its decision on the West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) case Thursday, severely limiting the EPA’s authority to regulate climate pollution from power plants. Despite the fact that the Biden administration has yet to propose rules regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, the Court issued a decision that severely limits the EPA’s authority to regulate carbon from power plants, holding that unless expressly delegated, that authority belongs to Congress.
Statement: EPA advises stronger limits on levels of toxic PFAS chemicals to protect Georgians’ health
Atlanta -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled on Wednesday new health advisories for four of the most common toxic PFAS chemicals that pollute drinking water nationwide. These official EPA actions “provide technical information to drinking water system operators, as well as federal, state, Tribal, and local officials, on the health effects, analytical methods, and treatment technologies associated with drinking water contaminants.” In addition, the EPA announced the first round of funding to help clean up these so-called “forever chemicals” in public water systems. However, the EPA does not have the authority to enforce any PFAS standard associated with the health advisory.
Statement: White House invokes Defense Production Act for clean energy
President Joe Biden authorized use of the Defense Production Act (DPA) on Monday to speed up the domestic production of key clean energy technologies for use in buildings.
Statement: Interior Department proposes first offshore California wind lease sales
The Department of the Interior has announced the first proposed lease sales for wind power off the shore of California and the United States’ West Coast.
Statement: Cost overruns at Georgia nuclear reactors offer cautionary tale
ATLANTA – The only nuclear reactors under construction in the United States are now projected to cost more than $30 billion -- and the price tag for Plant Vogtle near Augusta, Georgia, doesn’t even include $3.68 billion that the project’s original contractor paid to the owners after going bankrupt.
Statement: Cost overruns at Georgia nuclear reactors offer cautionary tale
The only nuclear reactors under construction in the United States are now projected to cost more than $30 billion, more than double the original cost estimate of $14 billion.
Statement: California Energy Commission releases big offshore wind target
As California seeks to secure a 100% renewable electricity grid to address the climate crisis, the California Energy Commission (CEC) has released their initial Offshore Wind report with goals of 3,000 MW of offshore wind energy by 2030 and 10,000 to 15,000 MW by 2045 with a potential of 20,000 MW by 2050, with sufficient technological improvements.
Statement: Biden-Harris administration advances offshore wind leasing on Atlantic, Pacific coasts
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published Wednesday two separate Calls for Information and Nominations for suitable areas for possible offshore wind leases off the coast of Oregon and in the Central Atlantic.
Statement: $6 billion in subsidies for distressed nuclear plants are misguided
Tapping into $6 billion in subsidies passed as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Department of Energy launched a program on Tuesday to bail out the owners and operators of money-losing nuclear power plants.