Fiscal cliff vote rescues tax credits for wind industry


Good news today for Pennsylvania’s (and the nation’s) wind industry. 


The
federal Production Tax Credit, whose 2012 expiration has menaced the wind
industry for more than a year, has scored an extension in the tax deal to avoid
the fiscal cliff, according to Anya Litvak writing for Energy Inc.  

The one-year extension is a bit different — and better, supporters say — than the original. It provides a tax credit of 2.2 cents for each kilowatt hour of electricity produced by wind projects whose construction begins in 2013. The old tax credit required projects to go online by Dec. 31, 2012, in order to qualify.

 The American Wind Energy Association is thrilled. The organization estimates that there are 1,029 megawatts of wind capacity currently online in Pennsylvania, with another 310 MW under construction. It also calls the state a “manufacturing hub” for the industry with at last five production facilities in southwestern Pennsylvania.

See the full story here.   


Related environmental news stories: 
Wind tax credit survives in fiscal cliff deal  
‘Fiscal cliff’ deal includes extension to tax credit for wind industry 



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Should these enviro events be on YOUR calendar?
Will Lisa Jackson next run NJ? Or Princeton?
Lisa Jackson announces she is resigning top EPA post
‘Recyclers’ guilty in illegal e-waste exports to China

Fiscal cliff vote rescues tax credits for wind industry Read More »

Will a former NJ or PA DEP chief take over at the EPA?

Nature abhors a vacuum but the Washington rumor mill thrives on it.


In the nation’s capital, where EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has announced she’s stepping down, there’s a lot of speculation about who will be named by President Obama to replace her. Two former DEP chiefs from New Jersey and Pennsylvania are on the list. 


Bradley Campbell
Kathleen McGinty

The National Journal says that leading candidates for the job include Bradley Campbell, who served as commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection under governors Jim McGreevey and Jon Corzine, and Kathleen McGinty who was Pennsylvania’s top environmental official under Governor Ed Rendell.


Both Campbell and McGinty had Washington experience early in their careers.


However, the Journal’s environmental reporter Olga Belogolova writes that the top-runner to replace Jackson is Bob Perciasepe, EPA’s deputy administrator and chief operating officer. 


Others who may get a look from the White House include: 

  • Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board 
  • Gina McCarthy, the assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation at the EPA, and
  • Heather Zichal, the White House’s top aide on energy and climate issues.


Read the full story here.

Have an opinion about any of the candidates? Or maybe you’d like to suggest another? Use the comment box below. If one is not visible, activate it by clicking on the tiny ‘comments’ line.  

Related environmental news stories:
Will Lisa Jackson next run NJ? Or Princeton?
Lisa Jackson announces she is resigning top EPA post
EPA’s Future Without Administrator Lisa Jackson
EPA administrator Lisa Jackson has left the building

Our most recent posts: 

Should these enviro events be on YOUR calendar?
Will Lisa Jackson next run NJ? Or Princeton?
Lisa Jackson announces she is resigning top EPA post
‘Recyclers’ guilty in illegal e-waste exports to China
Finance, not technology, drove solar energy in 2012

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Will a former NJ or PA DEP chief take over at the EPA? Read More »

What will be the big legislative issues in 2013 in NJ?

Veteran State House reporter Michael Aron asks New Jersey legislative leaders what big issues they will be tackling in the first half of 2013.  See the video below for their responses.

What did they leave out?  Tell us what you think should be a priority in 2013. Use the comment box below. If one is not visible, activate it by clicking on the ‘comments’ line. Signed responses are appreciated.  We also welcome you shy, anonymous types.  

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 

What will be the big legislative issues in 2013 in NJ? Read More »

Should these enviro events be on YOUR calendar?



Interested in learning about What’s Next in Energy, Water & Hydrogen?  The New Jersey Technology Council will present an array of research and development efforts from the region’s companies and universities on January 16. The presentations will focus on CHP/Cogeneration, desalinization and hydrogen projects plus more. 

On January 17, the New Jersey Alliance for Action presents Offshore Wind Energy & Electrical Transmission’ Reinforcing NJ’s Electrical Infrastructure with experts from the offshore wind energy industry.

For details on both events–and many more in NJ, PA, NY & DE, visit our
Enviro-Events Calendar.

When you do, be sure to use the form in the upper-right corner of the site to get free email updates whenever the calendar is updated.

Should these enviro events be on YOUR calendar? Read More »

Will Lisa Jackson next run NJ? Or Princeton?

What’s next for Lisa P. Jackson?  Photo: Kevin Wolf/AP

Almost as soon as Lisa Jackson announced this morning that she will not stay for another term as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the rumors started to fly about her next move.

Will she take on New Jersey’s super-popular Republican Governor Chris Christie next year? Or is she clearing her schedule in hopes that Princeton University will call?

The New York Times and Washington Post are reporting that Jackson may be a candidate for president of Princeton. Shirley Tilghman, the university’s current president, plans to step down at the end of the current academic year.

No doubt there would be other top-notch candidates for such a prestigious academic position, but the prospect of challenging Christie looks more like a kamikaze mission than a wise career move.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who many Democrats believed/hoped/prayed would give Christie a run for his (and donors’) money, decided last week to go after the low-hanging fruit instead. He announced plans to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Democrat Frank Lautenberg, a fellow Democrat, should Mr. Lautenberg, who turns 89 next month, seek another term in Washington.

Reducing the odds of a Christie challenge even further is the fact that State Democratic Chairman John Wisniewski says Jackson so far has not dialed him up–the polite (and savvy) thing to do if she’s contemplating any campaign on the Democrat ticket.

We hope Mrs. Jackson keeps us guessing for a while. Something to look forward to in 2013.

Who do you think would make a good successor at the EPA? Will Congress cooperate? Tell us what you think in the opinion box below. If one is not visible, activate it by clicking on the tiny ‘comments’ line

Related environmental news stories:

Jackson, from EPA to Princeton? 
Lisa Jackson resigns, fueling talk about run for N.J. governor 
E.P.A. Chief to Step Down, With Climate Still Low Priority 

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 

Will Lisa Jackson next run NJ? Or Princeton? Read More »

Lisa Jackson announces she is resigning top EPA post

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson at Clean Air Act 40th anniversary event

Lisa P. Jackson, who was credited today by the Washington Post with pushing through
the most sweeping curbs on air pollution in two decades, announced this morning that
she will resign her post as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shortly after President Obama’s State of the Union address next month.
The former New Jersey DEP Commissioner “has not accepted another job at this time, according to several individuals who have spoken with her,” reported the Post today in
a story that said of her term in office:

“Outspoken on issues including climate change and the need to protect disadvantaged communities from experiencing a disproportionate amount of environmental harm, Jackson pressed for limits on emissions from coal-fired power plants as well as the dumping of mining waste into nearby streams and rivers.”

Jackson released the following statement:
I want to thank President Obama for the honor he bestowed
on me and the confidence he placed in me four years ago this month when he
announced my nomination as Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency. At the time I spoke about the need to address climate change, but also
said: “There is much more on the agenda: air pollution, toxic chemicals and
children’s health issues, redevelopment and waste-site cleanup issues, and
justice for the communities who bear disproportionate risk.”   As the
President said earlier this year when he addressed EPA’s employees, “You help
make sure the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat are safe. You
help protect the environment not just for our children but their children. And
you keep us moving toward energy independence…We have made historic progress on
all these fronts.” So, I will leave the EPA confident the ship is sailing in
the right direction, and ready in my own life for new challenges, time with my
family and new opportunities to make a difference.”
Check
back for additional coverage and reaction stories in the days ahead. If
you are not already receiving email updates, use the signup form in the
upper-right corner of the page.

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 
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Our most recent posts: 
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Lisa Jackson announces she is resigning top EPA post Read More »