Polling this year suggests that
74% of Americans want their state to require a certain amount of renewables like wind and solar as part of their electricity grid. And yet many states are entertaining the idea of rolling back or repealing their renewable energy standards. What would possess state legislators to do something so unpopular?
DeSmog's Steve Horn covers a new report by the Energy and Policy Institute that pulls back the curtain on various efforts around the US to repeal or weaken renewable energy policies. (One of the report authors also has a piece at HuffPo.)
If you enjoy reading about how money corrupts the political process, this one's for you. Take a look and read about how flawed and debunked industry-funded "studies" get cited in flawed industry-written opeds to drum up support for industry-written legislation proposed by industry-backed politicians.
And of course, all the while the groups involved do everything possible to look independent and unbiased.
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Top Climate and Clean Energy Stories:
Bjørn Lomborg's $4m centre rejected by Flinders University academics. The Aussie government is attempting to find a university to run Lomborg’s centre, which would focus on international development
Wall Street heavy hitters warn about climate change. The Risky Business initiative is led by Mike Bloomberg; Tom Steyer, a hedge fund manager; and Hank Paulson, Treasury Secretary under President George W. Bush, from 2006 to 2009, and former CEO of Goldman Sachs.
SolarCity launches plan to bring solar power to small and midsize firms. Companies that lease the solar panels from SolarCity would be able to save 5% to 25% compared with their current electric bills, said Chief Executive Lyndon Rive
More and bigger drilling-linked earthquakes rattle Oklahoma. Several earthquakes shook Oklahoma on Monday as the state experiences a sharp increase in the frequency of tremors linked to wastewater disposal from gas and oil drilling, including from fracking, state and federal officials said.