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Trump stands behind Hegseth after attack plans shared in second Signal chat; Pollution exemptions granted to AR coal plants; Coping with OR's climate change-fueled pollen season; Federal funding cuts could hit MT harder than other states.

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Defense Secretary Hegseth faces calls to resign for discussing battle plans in a second Signal chat. Indiana denies students the use of college IDs to register to vote, and the White House signals the U.S. might stop trying to end the Russia-Ukraine War.

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Money meant for schools in timber country is uncertain as Congress fails to reauthorize a rural program, farmers and others will see federal dollars for energy projects unlocked, and DOGE cuts threaten plant species needed for U.S. food security.

Cuomo Pledges Big Gains for Renewable Energy

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Friday, January 5, 2018   

NEW YORK – Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling for big advances in renewable energy in New York. In his State of the State address on Wednesday, Cuomo laid the groundwork for major investments in energy efficiency, energy storage and community solar.

And, according to Joe Martens, director of the New York Offshore Wind Alliance, that also includes a commitment to solicit bids for 800 megawatts of offshore wind power in both 2018 and 2019 - enough to power 400,000 homes.

"That is big, because the offshore wind industry is in its infancy in the United States," he explains. "There's only one small wind farm off of Block Island, and this will really give a kick-start to the industry."

The governor also proposed strengthening the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to cover smaller electric-generating facilities and closing all coal-fired power plants in the state.

Martens says the governor's commitment to deploy 1,500 megawatts of energy storage capacity by 2025 is another big step forward. As everyone knows, there are times when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine.

"Having the ability to call on storage facilities to provide power when renewables are not generating energy is a critical component to this transformation to more and more renewables," he adds.

New York's Clean Energy Standard calls for getting 50 percent of the state's electricity from renewable sources by the year 2030.

The governor also said the state will work to make sure that everyone can benefit from the advantages of renewable energy. As Martens notes, the initial investment for localized infrastructure can be a barrier to participation.

"It's a very solid commitment to provide community solar for 10,000 low-income New Yorkers, and I think the environmental justice community has been extremely happy with this announcement," he says.

Cuomo has also issued a directive for the state to establish new energy-efficiency targets by this year's Earth Day, in April.


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