NJ gov says drones pose ‘no threat.’ No comment on Jersey Devil

By Craig McCarthy, Caitlin Doornbos and Steve Janoski, New York Post

The spate of drone sightings across New Jersey has alarmed residents and confounded authorities — but the Garden State’s governor said Thursday the mysterious flying objects don’t seem to pose any immediate threat.

In a social media post, Gov. Phil Murphy said he spoke Wednesday with a handful of state and federal officials — including US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — about the drones, which began appearing over North Jersey skies several weeks ago.

And there seems to be nothing for residents fear.

Editor’s Note: Um, excuse me?

Still, the feds are looking into it — and the dozens of nighttime sightings over homes, neighborhoods and near military installations have left local police and federal law enforcement officers scratching their heads.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have many answers, and we don’t want to guess or hypothesize about what’s going on,” FBI spokeswoman Amy J. Thoreson told NJ.com on Wednesday.

“We are doing all we can to figure it out.”

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Consumer Reports finds EVs more reliable

By Tom Krisher, Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — The reliability of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids has dramatically improved, narrowing a wide gap with gas-powered automobiles, according to the latest survey by Consumer Reports.

But vehicles with internal combustion engines and gas-electric hybrids are still far more dependable, the survey found.

Consumer Reports subscribers, who filled out surveys during much of 2024, reported that electric vehicles had 42% more problems than gas autos on average. But that was down from 79% more in the 2023 survey. The survey released Thursday measured reliability of vehicles mainly from the 2022, 2023 and 2024 model years.

Read the full story here

If you like this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full month.

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Maryland wins final federal approval for 100-turbine wind project


By Christian Olaniran, Tara Lynch, WJZ News

The Maryland-based energy company U.S. Wind received approval for a major offshore wind project off the coast of Ocean City, the company said in a statement Wednesday. 

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) signed off on U.S. Wind’s Construction and Operations Plan (COP), which is the final step in getting a federal permit to begin construction. This is the last step for BOEM, the lead agency on the project.

Read the full story here

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In its largest offshore wind energy tender, Denmark receives 0 bids

By Sanne Wass (Bloomberg)

Denmark received no bids in its largest-ever wind power tender, aimed to more than triple its offshore capacity by the end of the decade.

The Danish Energy Agency hadn’t received a single bid in a tender for three offshore wind farms in the North Sea by Thursday’s deadline, it said in a statement. It now will initiate a dialog with the market to find out why.

Denmark’s Climate and Energy Minister Lars Aagaard called the results “very disappointing” and said they were “not at all what was expected” when a broad majority in parliament entered into the political agreement to expand the country’s offshore wind capacity.

It was the first round in an tender to establish at least 6 gigawatts of wind power at sea in six parks by 2030. Aagaard recognized that the results “do not give rise to great optimism” for the other three farms in the tender, but said there may be “other players and business models at play.” The deadline for these bids is in April.

Denmark, a country of about 6 million people, is home to some of the world’s largest wind-energy companies, including Vestas Wind Systems A/S and Orsted A/S. The new offshore parks, in which the Danish state would take stakes of 20%, were vital for Denmark to reach its target to become carbon neutral in 2045.

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Recycling association ReMA sues Minnesota over copper wire law

 2024 at 7:00AM

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is flanked by St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Police Chief Axel Henry, left to right, during a press conference at Como Lakeside Pavilion in St. Paul, Minn., on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Governor Tim Walz met with St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Police Chief Axel Henry and Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rodriguez to discuss legislation geared toward curbing copper theft.

By Kyeland Jackson, The Minnesota Star Tribune

A trade group representing scrap metal workers has sued the Minnesota Department of Commerce, alleging that a new law designed to curb copper theft will violate the state’s constitution and shutter the scrap metal industry.

The Recycled Materials Association on Monday sued Grace Arnold in her capacity as commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Commerce. ReMA officials say in the lawsuit that the copper wire theft law, which will become effective Jan. 1 and require a license for people who sell copper, is an unconstitutional separation of powers that gives Arnold sweeping authority and little guidance. And because the bill applies to small amounts of copper metal, industry leaders worry that all Minnesotans selling scrap metal will need a license.

“This is critical because almost all of the ‘scrap metal’ that is sold to ‘scrap metal dealers’ in Minnesota contain ‘copper metal,’ ” the lawsuit read, adding that jewelry, car parts, home decor and many garden tools contain copper.

“In sum, then, the Copper Metal Law will, if ‘enforced’ without the relief sought herein, effectively shutter the entire ‘scrap metal’ industry in Minnesota.”

Department of Commerce spokesperson Nancy Linden said they cannot comment on open litigation.

Monday’s lawsuit spells the latest chapter in an issue that has drained city budgets, vexed authorities and risked residents’ lives.

In St. Paul, where many of the state’s copper thefts have been, one ring of thieves caused more than $210,000 in damages. City officials spent $1.2 million on such repairs last year, marking a 380% increase from five years ago. Minneapolis officials are experimenting with silent alarms, aluminum wires, and even duct tape to stop thieves from stripping wire copper wire near the lakes and West River Parkway.

Read the full story here

If you like this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full month.

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Tom Johnson of NJ Spotlight and former NJBPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso (posthumous) to be honored at MSSIA holiday party

In 1954, three visionary scientists—Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson—forever changed the landscape of energy by inventing the modern photovoltaic cell at Bell Laboratories in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Their groundbreaking work was the culmination of several pivotal milestones in the development of solar power, all of which took place right here in New Jersey. To honor their legacy, the Chapin, Fuller, Pearson Medal was created, celebrating those who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of solar energy in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Over the past twelve years, the Medal has been awarded sparingly, only to those who have truly transformed our solar industry. Previous recipients include such esteemed figures as Assemblyman (later BPU Commissioner) Upendra Chivukula, Senator Bob Smith, and NJBPU President Jeanne Fox. This year, MSSIA is proud to recognize two more remarkable individuals: Tom Johnson of NJ Spotlight and former NJBPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso (posthumous), medal will be accepted by NJBPU President Christine Guhl- Sadovy and Joe Fiordaliso Jr. Tom and Joe Sr.’s tireless dedication and exceptional contributions have helped shape the solar industry in New Jersey and set a standard for the future.

We are deeply grateful for the support of our annual event sponsors, including Gold level: Advanced Solar Products IBEW local 400, & ConnectDER, Silver Level: Amergy Solar, Ecological Systems, & Greenskies Clean Focus, and Bronze level: Offit Kurman, NJPACE & Opal Energy Group. As this is a special occasion that we have combined with our holiday party, we are still welcoming additional sponsors who wish to elevate this event and be part of this momentous celebration. Sponsorship opportunities for this event start at just $250. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact our coordinator at coordinator@mssia.org for details on registering a sponsorship.

The Mid-Atlantic Solar and Storage Industries Association (MSSIA) is dedicated to advancing solar energy and energy storage as the primary energy sources in the Mid-Atlantic region, to create a sustainable energy future for all segments of the population while generating economic growth and high-quality jobs.

Register today!

Let EnviroPolitics promote your upcoming event. Send details to editor@enviropolitics.com Include a phone number in case we have questions.

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