July, 24 2012, 04:28pm EDT
Interior Unveils First-ever National Solar Energy Plan for Public Lands
The Departments of the Interior and Energy released a final plan for solar energy development on public lands in the West, marking a historic milestone in our nation's effort to accelerate environmentally responsible renewable energy generation that will create jobs, reduce greenhouse gases, and contribute to national energy security.
WASHINGTON
The Departments of the Interior and Energy released a final plan for solar energy development on public lands in the West, marking a historic milestone in our nation's effort to accelerate environmentally responsible renewable energy generation that will create jobs, reduce greenhouse gases, and contribute to national energy security.
The plan known as the Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement is the first-ever roadmap for large-scale solar energy development on lands managed by the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.
Over the past two years, a diverse coalition of stakeholders - including solar energy companies, clean energy advocates, conservation groups and electric utilities, working together in an unprecedented fashion - provided joint comments and actively engaged in finding solutions that work for solar energy as well as for wildlife and wildlands. These groups advocated for balanced, guided development that avoids, minimizes, and effectively mitigates impacts on wildlife and sensitive lands and reduces the uncertainty and time for permitting of solar power projects and associated transmission - a process advocates call "smart from the start."
This diverse group of companies and organizations is unanimous in thanking Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, his staff and the Bureau of Land Management, as well as Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and his staff, for their collaborative efforts to provide a robust solar program and for presiding over an open and transparent process. We applaud both Departments' intentions to further the nation's clean energy goals in a balanced, environmentally-sensitive way that minimizes the controversies that can attend large new energy developments on public lands.
There are still important efforts remaining both at the programmatic and project levels to flesh out the central tenets laid out in the solar plan. Over the next several days, the groups will review the SPEIS in closer detail, and we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively to implement an environmentally responsible solar energy program.
This statement is jointly released by the following groups and individuals: Audubon, Brightsource Energy Inc., Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies, Center for New Energy Economy, Cleanline Partners, DBL Ventures, Defenders of Wildlife, enXco, First Solar, Inc., Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Large-scale Solar Association, Kris Mayes, former Arizona Corporation Commissioner, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Nature Conservancy, NRG Energy, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Sierra Club, Solar Energy Industries Association, Southern California Edison, Vote Solar, The Wilderness Society.
Following are statements of support:
"Interior's final solar program culminates two years of a lot of hard work and commitment by many diverse groups," said Helen O'Shea,director of NRDC's Western Renewable Energy Project. "I'm hopeful that the plan will establish a roadmap that provides a balanced approach to addressing the climate change challenge and protecting wildlife and critical lands while moving our nation closer to meeting our clean energy goals."
"The BLM Solar plan demonstrates that we as Americans don't have to choose between clean alternative energy and a healthy environment," said Mike Daulton, vice president for public affairs at Audubon. "We can have the future we want - one where we enjoy a healthy climate, and where birds and other wildlife thrive."
"Renewable energy development on federal lands is essential to reaching our national clean energy goals," said Arthur L. Haubenstock, vice president of regulatory affairs at Brightsource Energy Inc. "We appreciate the extensive efforts of Secretaries Chu and Salazar and the Departments of Energy and Interior on the Solar PEIS and we look forward to developing our next generation of utility-scale concentrating solar power projects to provide utilities with clean, sustainable and reliable solar energy."
"Renewable energy is vital to our economy and our planet's survival. We are pleased that Secretary Salazar has produced a roadmap for how to get to a renewable and environmentally sustainable future," said V. John White, executive director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies.
"Colorado's clean energy economy is one of the greatest success stories to date. Smart planning that identifies the best places for large solar projects will help provide the tools we need to keep building renewables here and across the west - putting Americans to work and protecting conservation values," said Bill Ritter, director of the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University and former Governor of Colorado.
"Clean Line Energy is pleased to see the Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement moving forward," said Jimmy Glotfelty, executive vice president of Clean Line Energy. "We believe that this collaboration is a step in the right direction that will lead to building solar energy transparently and responsibly in the West, ultimately resulting in a cleaner energy economy."
"The need for significant quantities of renewable energy has never been greater," said Nancy Pfund, founder and managing partner at DBL Investors. "The Solar Program that will be established through the Solar PEIS issued today holds the promise of using appropriate federal lands to serve the public good, by providing clean energy at scale to power our economy. The Solar PEIS represents the hard work and dedication of the BLM, the Departments of Energy and Interior, and many environmental and renewable energy stakeholders, all of whom recognize the great importance of renewable energy to our future and who promote the use of our federal lands for this great purpose. I applaud their efforts, and look forward to the realization of the promise of this new solar program for federal lands."
"It's smart business to guide energy development to places where conflicts with nature can be avoided or minimized. Being smart from the start will allow more projects to move ahead, providing good paying jobs while reducing the risk to wildlife and other natural resources," said Jim Lyons, senior director of renewable energy at Defenders of Wildlife. "Balancing our nation's energy production by increasing solar, wind and geothermal sources will strengthen our economy, improve energy security and reduce greenhouse gases. This solar energy plan is an important step in that direction."
"This is great news for business across Arizona, particularly here in Greater Phoenix where we host many leading solar companies and research institutions," said Barry Broome, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. "Large-scale solar energy development on public lands is key to Arizona making the most of its natural assets - our abundant land and sunshine - and to getting our state economy on a growing, sustainable track."
"The Department of the Interior has taken an enormous step forward in establishing a plan for rapid, utility-scale development of Arizona's solar resources on American lands. Arizona's first solar energy zones are a terrific start - directing development and driving investment in transmission so that planners and developers can work together to build this industry. It is my hope that the success of this program will build upon itself, and that these zones are the first of many low conflict sites we can work together to identify for renewable energy development," said Kris Mayes, former Arizona Corporation Commissioner and professor of law at Arizona State University.
"The release of the final Solar PEIS marks the beginning of a new era for how energy can be developed on our public lands for both people and nature," said Michael Powelson, director of Energy Programs at The Nature Conservancy. "The Bureau of Land Management should be applauded for taking a giant step forward on developing the structure and substance of a mitigation program, which avoids high priority conservation areas and ensures all impacts are addressed."
"Pacific Gas and Electric Company delivers some of the nation's cleanest electric power. More than half of the electricity we deliver to our customers comes from sources that are clean and/or emit no greenhouse gases. This includes a growing portfolio of solar energy, which we project will contribute about forty percent of our total Renewables Portfolio Standard-eligible power deliveries in 2020," said Fong Wan, senior vice president, Energy Procurement for Pacific Gas & Electric. "We commend the Department of the Interior for its thoughtful and collaborative approach to developing the nation's first solar energy plan that aims to increase the certainty around solar project development, while protecting sensitive habitat and wildlife - two goals which PG&E strongly supports. We look forward to reviewing the final full report."
"This Administration's design for solar development on public lands is based on sound principles, particularly by focusing projects in locations with the lowest impacts on wildlife habitat, lands and water," said Barbara Boyle, senior campaign representative at the Sierra Club. "Limiting projects to low impact zones will also reduce the financial and natural resource costs of electrical transmission. We look forward to reviewing this plan and providing input to the Department of Interior so it will be implemented on our public lands with the strongest possible stewardship principles."
"California's renewable energy goals are among the most ambitious in the nation. In support of these goals, Southern California Edison procures more energy from renewable resources than any other utility in the U.S." said Nino Mascolo, manager of government lands and forestry for Southern California Edison Company. "However, we continue to experience challenges related to the permitting and siting of transmission infrastructure interconnecting with renewable energy projects. The Solar PEIS seeks to address these issues. SCE looks forward to reviewing the final solar energy development PEIS, which we understand is intended to streamline the approval of solar energy projects and the necessary transmission system infrastructure to support such generation."
"The release of the Solar PEIS represents a significant step for renewable energy development on public lands, helping in the fight against climate change while building a stronger clean energy economy," said Jim Baak, director of policy for utility scale solar at Vote Solar. "Though work remains to refine the plan, we look forward to continued collaboration with DOI, DOE, conservation partners and private industry to chart the best path forward for harnessing homegrown clean energy on federally managed lands in an environmentally responsible way."
"As America moves towards a clean energy future it is paramount that we balance energy development with the dire need to protect our last remaining wildlands," said Chase Huntley, clean energy policy director at The Wilderness Society. "The Interior Department's strong leadership puts smart planning at the forefront. This is the quickest route to meeting the renewables targets set by Congress consistent with protecting our dwindling undeveloped wildlands."
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Defeating 'MAGA Dark Money,' Summer Lee Wins Primary in Landslide
"This is a huge testament to our collective strength and resilience as a progressive movement," said the executive director of Justice Democrats.
Apr 24, 2024
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, a member of the progressive "Squad," won the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District on Tuesday, fending off an opponent whose campaign was backed by a billionaire Republican megadonor and ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Lee, a vocal critic of the Netanyahu government and leading supporter of a cease-fire in Gaza, handily defeated Bhavini Patel, a borough councilmember in Edgewood, Pennsylvania whose effort to unseat the progressive incumbent was bankrolled by Jeffrey Yass, the state's richest man. Patel actively courted Republican and pro-Israel voters, characterizing Lee as "fringe."
With more than 95% of the vote counted, Lee is ahead of Patel by more than 20 percentage points.
"I am so humbled and proud to win my first primary reelection to be the congresswoman for this incredible district I've spent my life fighting for," Lee said after the race was called in her favor. "Our campaign was built on a record of delivering for our democracy, defending our most fundamental rights, and expanding our vision for what is politically possible for our region's most marginalized communities."
"Our victory is a rejection of right-wing interests and Republican billionaires using corporate super PACs to target Black and brown Democrats in our primaries—be it AIPAC or Moderate PAC or any other MAGA billionaire in Democratic clothing," Lee added. "Western PA is the blueprint for the future all of America deserves."
Opposing genocide is good politics and good policy. #CeasefireNOWÂ https://t.co/A7pnJNskWS
— Summer Lee (@SummerForPA) April 24, 2024
Through the misleadingly named Moderate PAC, Yass—a prolific tax dodger who has been floated as a possible treasury secretary pick if former President Donald Trump wins another term—spent hundreds of thousands of dollars boosting Patel and attacking Lee.
Rahna Epting, executive director of MoveOn Political Action, said that by ushering Lee to victory, residents of Pennsylvania's 12th District "soundly rejected MAGA dark money."
"MoveOn members are ready to defeat this dangerous flood of dark-money spending against progressive champions and ensure that we continue to elect working-class people to Congress," said Epting.
"Now that it's clear Summer won her primary, AIPAC's super PAC has already officially failed at their one goal for this cycle: taking out the entire Squad."
During her 2022 campaign, Lee faced and overcame huge spending by the powerful pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC via its super PAC, the United Democracy Project. But the organization opted to stay on the sidelines this time around, even as it plans to spend $100 million to defeat progressives in this year's cycle amid growing public opposition to Israel's war on Gaza.
"They had every intention of spending in this race—but they didn't, because they realized they would likely lose," Justice Democrats executive director Alexandra Rojas wrote in an email late Tuesday. "And that is because all of us had Summer's back and supported her campaign to out-organize AIPAC in every way."
"This is a huge testament to our collective strength and resilience as a progressive movement," said Rojas. "Now that it's clear Summer won her primary, AIPAC's super PAC has already officially failed at their one goal for this cycle: taking out the entire Squad."
While AIPAC ultimately sat out the Pennsylvania race, it is devoting considerable resources to ousting other progressive lawmakers, including Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.).
The pro-Israel lobbying group has endorsed Bush challenger Wesley Bell, calling him a "strong advocate for the U.S.-Israel relationship." As The Guardianreported last week, Bell has "raised more than $650,000 in earmarked contributions through the group Democracy Engine Inc. PAC—a donation platform that allows unpopular PACs to obscure their donations and lists AIPAC as a client on its LinkedIn page."
AIPAC is the largest donor to Bowman challenger George Latimer, who has supported Israel's war on Gaza and denied that Israel is committing genocide. The Democratic primary for New York's 16th Congressional District is on June 25.
We must be clear-eyed about what's next. @JamaalBowmanNY & @CoriBush are facing an existential threat from AIPAC, their GOP megadonors, and the politicians willing to compromise on core Democratic values to try to take a school principal & nurse out of Congress. #ProtectTheSquad
— Justice Democrats (@justicedems) April 24, 2024
Michele Weindling, political director of the youth-led Sunrise Movement, said Tuesday that following Lee's victory, "we're ramping up to take on AIPAC in Jamaal Bowman's race."
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Critics Blast 'Reckless and Impossible' Bid to Start Operating Mountain Valley Pipeline
"The time to build more dirty and dangerous pipelines is over," said one environmental campaigner.
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Environmental defenders on Tuesday ripped the company behind the Mountain Valley Pipeline for asking the federal government—on Earth Day—for permission to start sending methane gas through the 303-mile conduit despite a worsening climate emergency caused largely by burning fossil fuels.
Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC sent a letter Monday to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Acting Secretary Debbie-Anne Reese seeking final permission to begin operation on the MVP next month, even while acknowledging that much of the Virginia portion of the pipeline route remains unfinished and developers have yet to fully comply with safety requirements.
"In a manner typical of its ongoing disrespect for the environment, Mountain Valley Pipeline marked Earth Day by asking FERC for authorization to place its dangerous, unnecessary pipeline into service in late May," said Jessica Sims, the Virginia field coordinator for Appalachian Voices.
"MVP brazenly asks for this authorization while simultaneously notifying FERC that the company has completed less than two-thirds of the project to final restoration and with the mere promise that it will notify the commission when it fully complies with the requirements of a consent decree it entered into with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration last fall," she continued.
"Requesting an in-service decision by May 23 leaves the company very little time to implement the safety measures required by its agreement with PHMSA," Sims added. "There is no rush, other than to satisfy MVP's capacity customers' contracts—a situation of the company's own making. We remain deeply concerned about the construction methods and the safety of communities along the route of MVP."
Russell Chisholm, co-director of the Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights (POWHR) Coalition—which called MVP's request "reckless and impossible"—said in a statement that "we are watching our worst nightmare unfold in real-time: The reckless MVP is barreling towards completion."
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POWHR and activists representing frontline communities affected by the pipeline are set to take part in a May 8 demonstration outside project financier Bank of America's headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Appalachian Voices noted that MVP's request comes days before pipeline developer Equitrans Midstream is set to release its 2024 first-quarter earnings information on April 30.
MVP is set to traverse much of Virginia and West Virginia, with the Southgate extension running into North Carolina. Outgoing U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and other pipeline proponents fought to include expedited construction of the project in the debt ceiling deal negotiated between President Joe Biden and congressional Republicans last year.
On Monday, climate and environmental defenders also petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, challenging FERC's approval of the MVP's planned Southgate extension, contending that the project is so different from original plans that the government's previous assent is now irrelevant.
"Federal, state, and local elected officials have spoken out against this unneeded proposal to ship more methane gas into North Carolina," said Sierra Club senior field organizer Caroline Hansley. "The time to build more dirty and dangerous pipelines is over. After MVP Southgate requested a time extension for a project that it no longer plans to construct, it should be sent back to the drawing board for this newly proposed project."
David Sligh, conservation director at Wild Virginia, said: "Approving the Southgate project is irresponsible. This project will pose the same kinds of threats of damage to the environment and the people along its path as we have seen caused by the Mountain Valley Pipeline during the last six years."
"FERC has again failed to protect the public interest, instead favoring a profit-making corporation," Sligh added.
Others renewed warnings about the dangers MVP poses to wildlife.
"The endangered bats, fish, mussels, and plants in this boondoggle's path of destruction deserve to be protected from killing and habitat destruction by a project that never received proper approvals in the first place," Center for Biological Diversity attorney Perrin de Jong said. "Our organization will continue fighting this terrible idea to the bitter end."
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Advocates praised the FTC "for taking a strong stance against this egregious use of corporate power, thereby empowering workers to switch jobs and launch new ventures, and unlocking billions of dollars in worker earnings."
Apr 23, 2024
U.S. workers' rights advocates and groups celebrated on Tuesday after the Federal Trade Commission voted 3-2 along party lines to approve a ban on most noncompete clauses, which Democratic FTC Chair Lina Khansaid "keep wages low, suppress new ideas, and rob the American economy of dynamism."
"The FTC's final rule to ban noncompetes will ensure Americans have the freedom to pursue a new job, start a new business, or bring a new idea to market," Khan added, pointing to the commission's estimates that the policy could mean another $524 for the average worker, over 8,500 new startups, and 17,000 to 29,000 more patents each year.
As Economic Policy Institute (EPI) president Heidi Shierholz explained, "Noncompete agreements are employment provisions that ban workers at one company from working for, or starting, a competing business within a certain period of time after leaving a job."
"These agreements are ubiquitous," she noted, applauding the ban. "EPI research finds that more than 1 out of every 4 private-sector workers—including low-wage workers—are required to enter noncompete agreements as a condition of employment."
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has suggested it plans to file a lawsuit that, as The American Prospectdetailed, "could more broadly threaten the rulemaking authority the FTC cited when proposing to ban noncompetes."
Already, the tax services and software provider Ryan has filed a legal challenge in federal court in Texas, arguing that the FTC is unconstitutionally structured.
Still, the Democratic commissioners' vote was still heralded as a "seismic win for workers." Echoing Khan's critiques of such noncompetes, Public Citizen executive vice president Lisa Gilbert declared that such clauses "inflict devastating harms on tens of millions of workers across the economy."
"The pervasive use of noncompete clauses limits worker mobility, drives down wages, keeps Americans from pursuing entrepreneurial dreams and creating new businesses, causes more concentrated markets, and keeps workers stuck in unsafe or hostile workplaces," she said. "Noncompete clauses are both an unfair method of competition and aggressively harmful to regular people. The FTC was right to tackle this issue and to finalize this strong rule."
Morgan Harper, director of policy and advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project, praised the FTC for "listening to the comments of thousands of entrepreneurs and workers of all income levels across industries" and finalizing a rule that "is a clear-cut win."
Demand Progress' Emily Peterson-Cassin similarly commended the commission "for taking a strong stance against this egregious use of corporate power, thereby empowering workers to switch jobs and launch new ventures, and unlocking billions of dollars in worker earnings."
While such agreements are common across various industries, Teófilo Reyes, chief of staff at the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, said that "many restaurant workers have been stuck at their job, earning as low as $2.13 per hour, because of the noncompete clause that they agreed to have in their contract."
"They didn't know that it would affect their wages and livelihood," Reyes stressed. "Most workers cannot negotiate their way out of a noncompete clause because noncompetes are buried in the fine print of employment contracts. A full third of noncompete clauses are presented after a worker has accepted a job."
Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) executive director Mike Pierce pointed out that the FTC on Tuesday "recognized the harmful role debt plays in the workplace, including the growing use of training repayment agreement provisions, or TRAPs, and took action to outlaw TRAPs and all other employer-driven debt that serve the same functions as noncompete agreements."
Sandeep Vaheesan, legal director at Open Markets Institute, highlighted that the addition came after his group, SBPC, and others submitted comments on the "significant gap" in the commission's initial January 2023 proposal, and also welcomed that "the final rule prohibits both conventional noncompete clauses and newfangled versions like TRAPs."
Jonathan Harris, a Loyola Marymount University law professor and SBPC senior fellow, said that "by also banning functional noncompetes, the rule stays one step ahead of employers who use 'stay-or-pay' contracts as workarounds to existing restrictions on traditional noncompetes. The FTC has decided to try to avoid a game of whack-a-mole with employers and their creative attorneys, which worker advocates will applaud."
Among those applauding was Jean Ross, president of National Nurses United, who said that "the new FTC rule will limit the ability of employers to use debt to lock nurses into unsafe jobs and will protect their role as patient advocates."
Angela Huffman, president of Farm Action, also cheered the effort to stop corporations from holding employees "hostage," saying that "this rule is a critical step for protecting our nation's workers and making labor markets fairer and more competitive."
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