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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

VA: Climate Change

Although U.S. government subsidies have helped keep the biomass industry afloat, the programs have a lengthy track record of being unsuccessful. (Adobe Stock)
Biomass company bankruptcy filing shows industry’s instability

Biomass producer Enviva's recent bankruptcy filing is being considered a sign of the industry's volatility. Recent financial challenges have …

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As of June 2023, the World Resources Institute estimates there are 2,277 electric school buses on order, delivered, and operating in the U.S. (Adobe Stock
VA school districts, parents working to get electric school buses

By Elizabeth McGowan for Energy News Network.Broadcast version by Edwin J. Viera for Virginia News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism …

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Federal legislation has been introduced to improve the efficiency of the U.S. electrical grid. The FASTER Act would amend the Federal Power Act to expedite the review and permitting of electric transmission facilities. (Adobe Stock)
Transmission upgrades needed to keep U.S. climate goals on track

Environmental groups in Virginia are among those looking at how to improve and modernize electrical grid transmission. Experts said the grid's age …

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A recent analysis found PJM Interconnection's processing time of 37 months is the fastest for grid operators in the United States. (Adobe Stock)
Report: VA grid manager needs better interconnection process

Virginia's electrical grid manager ranked poorly in a new energy scorecard. Advanced Energy United's Generator Interconnection Scorecard gave PJM …

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Gas power plants are vulnerable to adverse weather. A report showed during Winter Storm Elliott in late December, gas-fired power plants were responsible for around 70% of unplanned outages. (Adobe Stock)
VA residents oppose proposed Dominion Energy power plant

A proposed power plant in Chesterfield County is meeting with the ire of local residents. Dominion Energy's Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center …

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No commercial small modular nuclear reactors are in use in the United States. The only project to get federal approval was canceled in 2023 because of a series of challenges, including oversized cost increases. (Adobe Stock)
VA General Assembly OKs bills to develop small modular nuclear reactors

Virginia's General Assembly has approved legislation to develop small modular nuclear reactors. The bills passed both chambers despite concerns …

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Virginia has two liquefied natural gas facilities with a total storage capacity of 407,200 barrels. (Adobe Stock)
Environmental groups discourage U.S. use of liquified natural gas

The U.S. is reconsidering its use of liquefied natural gas. While it has long been touted as a "clean alternative" to fossil fuels like coal…

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Some environmental effects of pipeline projects are loss of water and air filtration capability from forests, risk of severe erosion in mountainous areas, and increased air pollution from leaking methane gas. (Adobe Stock)
Despite opposition, VA pipeline expansion moves ahead

Despite extensive opposition, the Virginia Reliability Project is moving forward. This month, the state's Marine Resources Commission issued a …

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Un estudio del Southern Environmental Law Center de 2022 encuentra que las plantas de pellets de madera de Enviva en Virginia y Carolina del Norte cosechan 60,300 acres de bosques por año. La tala de árboles de esta magnitud puede destruir ecosistemas necesarios y dañar la calidad del agua. (Adobe Stock)
Informe: Biomasa supera a las emisiones de otros combustibles fósiles

Un nuevo informe encuentra que la biomasa leñosa es peor para el medio ambiente que otros combustibles fósiles. El estudio encuentra que …

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The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's biennial State of the Bay report gave the bay's overall health a D+, the same grade it received in 2020. (Adobe Stock)
Farm Bill funding impacts Chesapeake Bay conservation efforts

Virginia environmentalists are seeking Farm Bill funding to help Chesapeake Bay conservation efforts. The proposed Chesapeake Bay Conservation …

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Based on current environmental impacts, residents of Petersburg have a life expectancy 10 years lower than the national average, according to U.S. News & World Report. (Adobe Stock)
VA environmentalists frustrated by FERC-approved pipeline extension

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved a plan extending a natural-gas pipeline in Virginia. The Virginia Reliability Plan and Transcot's …

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In the three decades between 1980 and 2010, Virginia's York River lost more than 20% of marsh area. By 2050, the region is projected to lose 40,000 acres to sea-level rise. (Adobe Stock)
New plan outlines ways to conserve VA’s coastal wetlands

A new plan takes an interconnected approach to saving Virginia's coastal wetlands. The aim of Virginia's York River and Small Coastal Basin …

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