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.

Clean Power Plan Could Bring Texas Billion-Dollar Benefits

play audio
Play

Friday, August 5, 2016   

HOUSTON - On the anniversary of finalizing the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan, a new report said implementing that plan could save businesses billions of dollars a year. Commercial customers are responsible for nearly a third of all electricity-related carbon pollution nationwide.

According to Doctor Marilyn Brown, a professor at Georgia Tech's School of Public Policy, implementing the Clean Power Plan could produce significant savings by 2030.

"Bills for electricity could be reduced by 6.7 percent if states were to include energy efficiency as a strong component of their compliance approach," she said.

The report said nationally, that's an estimated annual savings of $11.3 billion and more than $1 billion a year in Texas alone. It also said the Clean Power Plan emphasizes changing from high-pollution fuels such as coal to more efficient ways of generating power.

Ben Kalscheur, associate director of the Texas A&M University Office of Sustainability, said Texas has become a leader in developing renewable energy.

"Natural gas is something that is heavily utilized, but Texas is, I think, we have the most wind power in the country," he said. "We're the number one state for wind power, so there is a diversity of sources here."

The report shows that if Texas adopts the Clean Power Plan, by 2030 the owners and occupants of office and retail buildings would see the largest reduction in their power bills. The report adds that schools, restaurants and hotels would also see significant reductions.

Some states are planning to build new power plants to meet growing needs. But Brown pointed out that by switching buildings to new heating and cooling systems and LED lighting, energy efficiency can reduce or eliminate the need to generate more power.

"It can meet energy service requirements with these more efficient products, and not lock in a next generation of high-priced power plants," Dr. Brown added.

The U.S. Supreme Court has put enforcement of the Clean Power Plan on hold while it faces legal challenges from 24 states, including Texas.

The Obama administration finalized the Clean Power Plan one year ago, and as Mark Richardson reports, a new study finds that the plan could provide big benefits for businesses.


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 …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

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 …

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 …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

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 …

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…

Social Issues

play sound

Like polling from other battleground states, the race for the White House remains close in Wisconsin. But fresh numbers out this week show some …

 

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