skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

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

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

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.

Biden Could Face Uphill Battle in Utah Over Clean-Energy Plan

play audio
Play

Wednesday, September 15, 2021   

SALT LAKE CITY - President Joe Biden's $150 billion clean-energy plan aims to rid almost half the power grid of carbon-based fuels by 2035, but conservation groups say his proposal will likely see resistance from Utah and other energy-producing states.

The plan, which goes before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee this week, would reduce the use of coal and natural gas to cut carbon emissions and develop a green-energy economy.

Scott Williams, executive director of environmental watchdog Healthy Environment Alliance (HEAL) of Utah, said losing Utah jobs in coal and gas production could be a major barrier to implementing the plan's changes.

"[In] states where coal mining and oil and gas exploration are a significant part of the economy, like Utah and Wyoming," he said, "there's much less of an appetite to impose regulatory requirements on the power companies."

Biden's program would provide financial incentives to energy suppliers for increasing the amount of clean electricity supplied to customers each year. Most Republicans oppose the plan so far, saying it costs too much.

Williams said he believes Utah regulators and policymakers need to rethink their own incentives for power producers.

"Their primary charge in doing that is to provide power to customers at the lowest possible rate," he said, "although they are also charged to consider other societal benefits."

Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon Chapter, said climate change is here now, and waiting around to deal with it is not an option.

"We should be getting more of our electricity from solar," she said. "We definitely need to move rapidly in that direction. What the president is proposing fits in well with the direction that is needed - not just for the West, but for all of us who live on this side."

Biden's Build Back Better plan also includes funding electric-grid improvements, decarbonizing federal buildings and vehicle fleets, providing rebates for energy-efficient homes and appliances, and subsidizing solar projects in low-income communities.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

 

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