LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - As a rule, business interests and environmental advocates rarely agree, but a new solar-power access plan in Arkansas may be the exception.

Backed by support from conservationists such as the Audubon Society and industry groups such as the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association, state lawmakers have approved a bill that makes it easier to access and deploy solar energy.

Gary Moody, interim executive director of Audubon Arkansas, said solar energy's low-carbon footprint, along with its ability to create jobs, brought everyone together.

"We stressed that this is a market-based solution, where we've got a product now, in clean energy - particularly with solar - that is cost effective, that can save people money and provide cleaner air and water," he said, "and so, we look at this as a big win-win."

The measure officially becomes law next week. Moody said it allows for third-party purchasing, which means a resident or business can lease a solar-energy system. It also will increase the solar size limit and adds grandfathering to protect customers from future rate increases.

Katie Niebaum, executive director of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association, said solar energy has been growing in Arkansas, but until now, the state's regulatory structure has slowed it down.

"Arkansas currently is one of only a handful of states that does not allow third-party financing options or leasing," she said, "and that has inhibited Arkansas from realizing its full solar potential and solar job growth."

Moody said the new law will give Arkansans easier access to cheap, clean and environmentally friendly solar energy.

"Arkansas has the 11th best solar resource in the country - days and hours of sunshine falling on each square foot here in Arkansas," he said. "There's a tremendous potential, but Arkansas has lagged near the back of the pack in actual solar installation."

While the new bill overcame two major regulatory hurdles to solar expansion, Moody said, further negotiations are needed on other issues, including rooftop solar and net metering.

The text of Senate Bill 145 is online at arkleg.state.ar.us.


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A critical decision now rests with Gov. Ron DeSantis, as Florida coastal communities and shellfish farmers urge him to sign a bill permanently banning oil drilling near the Apalachicola River. They see the river as a lifeline for the state's aquaculture industry - and a fragile ecosystem.

House Bill 1143, which passed the Legislature with a single "no" vote in the Senate, would block drilling within 10 miles of the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Adrianne Johnson, executive director of the Florida Shellfish Aquaculture Association, warned that the region's economy and environment hang in the balance.

"That area is really unique; 75% of our oyster farmers operate across Franklin, Wakulla and Gulf counties, so those three counties that are downriver from the proposed oil drilling site," she said. "So, protecting that water is absolutely critical to the livelihood of our farmers."

Despite a court win stopping one drilling project in Calhoun County, she said unprotected sites still threaten Apalachicola's fragile recovery. Aquaculture in the area sustains an oyster industry that once supplied 90% of Florida's wild harvest before its collapse.

The Apalachicola River watershed supports Florida's emerging shellfish industry, which filters water, creates habitats and sustains rural coastal economies. Johnson said even the threat of oil contamination, such as what happened during the 2010 BP spill, could devastate the region.

"We are confident that the governor is supportive of our rural coastal communities," she said. "Under his governorship, the state has invested millions of dollars into restoring Apalachicola Bay. So really, this bill aligns with those values."

Under Florida's "7-Day Rule," DeSantis must decide on the Apalachicola drilling ban by next Wednesday. The bill automatically becomes law if he chooses not to either sign or veto it.


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June is World Oceans Month, and advocates are warning that industrial shipping pollution hurts both oceans and port communities.

At least 31 million people live within three miles of a port, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That includes thousands of New Jerseyans. Industrial shipping frequently relies on heavy fuel oil, which releases carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides and black carbon into the atmosphere, causing harm to marine ecosystems and port communities.

Altorice Frazier, northeast port campaigner with Pacific Environment, said if the global shipping industry was its own country, it would be one of the largest polluters in the world.

"Global shipping burns some of the dirtiest fossil fuels, like heavy oil, producing toxic air pollutions and greenhouse gases," he explained.

Those toxic pollutants often affect the communities closest to ports, frequently working-class neighborhoods made up primarily of people of color. Shipping pollution causes $265,000 premature deaths and six million childhood asthma cases globally each year, according to the Ocean Conservancy.

One way to cut down on port pollution, Frazier said, is the electrification of cargo ships. Much like electric cars, cargo ships can be electrically powered and charged while at a port. He explained this would cut down on emissions, the acidification of marine ecosystems and the negative health effects on port communities.

"We really want to show where there's funding, there's possible job opportunities," Frazier continued. "There's a gain in this. It might not be in the short term, but in the long term, there is definitely opportunity. And we want to see industry and port authorities work alongside communities and government to really strategize how this is possible."

Frazier added shore power can create jobs and sustain economic growth for communities, while cutting down on pollution and noise.

Forest fires have broken out in parts of New Mexico that state forecasters had already warned would see an elevated wildfire risk this summer due to high temperatures, low snowpack and ongoing drought. At least 25 New Mexico jurisdictions imposed some level of fire restriction this spring.

State Forester Laura McCarthy said the peak of fire season is still a week away, beginning June 26.

"Right after the Solstice, so the days are at their longest, which means the burn periods are at their longest and typically the highest temperatures we experience all summer are in the last two to three weeks of June," she continued.

On Tuesday, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in response to the Trout Fire, which is burning in the Gila National Forest, forcing residents to evacuate. The Buck Fire also has burned more than 57,000 acres in the same area of Southwest New Mexico. The governor has urged localities to ban fireworks and restrict water usage.

McCarthy reminded people that dry conditions can cause a small fire to spread in a split second - whether it's from a backyard grill, a spark caused by welding, or a campfire that appears to be out but is reignited when hidden embers are stirred up by the wind, catching surrounding vegetation on fire. She said there's no "go back" - even if a fire is accidental.

"If you look at every single big fire we've had, there was either a lightning strike or a person behind it,"
she added. "Yes, there is arson, but the majority of human-caused fires are not arson. They are caused by unintentional response and then, it's just too late."

Just three years ago, New Mexico's Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon fire exploded into the state's most destructive wildfire ever. State lawmakers passed billss in this year's session to address the issue. One establishes a program for wildfire prevention and mitigation, while the other allows for ignition-resistant construction.


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