skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Will Clean Power Plan Chart West Virginia's Energy Course?

play audio
Play

Tuesday, August 4, 2015   

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – President Obama has finalized plans to reduce carbon emissions from existing power plants by 32 percent by 2030.

Conservationists say the EPA's Clean Power Plan, which targets older, coal-fired plants, will have immense health benefits and boost clean energy efforts in the Mountain State. Currently, West Virginia receives more than 95 percent of its electricity from coal.

Jim Kotcon, energy committee chair with the Sierra Club West Virginia Chapter, says the plan should reduce the amount of electricity produced by coal in the state to between 70 and 80 percent, which he sees as a start toward energy diversity.

"There are already plans for more wind energy, new natural gas-fired power plants and so on," he says. "I think that's good for West Virginia."

In a short statement, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin called the regulations "unreasonable, unrealistic and ultimately unattainable."

The coal industry has urged the governor to refuse to submit a compliance plan to the EPA, but Tomblin says he hasn't made a decision yet. Kotcon says utilities are "dragging their feet" on energy efficiency.

"Energy efficiency programs could meet a much larger proportion of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions that EPA's asking for, than even EPA anticipates," he says. "That would help save consumers money and create a lot of jobs."

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, renewable resources provided only 3.5 percent of West Virginia's power last year. Around the state, eleven coal-fired electric generating plants will be affected by the plan to reduce pollution.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …


Medicaid has covered more than $28.6 million in claims for dental services since expansion began, according to state data. (DC Studio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

A 2023 report by Oceana and Turtle Island Restoration Network found that more than half of the animals caught in gillnets are thrown overboard as waste. (Oceana and Blancpain)

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

Environment

play sound

Rising demands for clean energy efficiency are producing a wealth of work opportunities in Illinois. These in-demand jobs are also promoting a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021