The University of Florida barred three faculty members from testifying for plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging a voting-restrictions law enthusiastically embraced by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), which activists say makes it harder for racial minorities to vote. The school’s move raises sharp concerns about academic freedom and free speech in the state.
The public university said the three faculty members — political scientists Daniel A. Smith, Michael McDonald and Sharon Wright Austin — could present “a conflict of interest to the executive branch” and harm the school’s interests by testifying against the law signed by DeSantis in May.
“As UF is a state actor, litigation against the state is adverse to UF’s interests,” school officials said, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post.
Lawyers trying to reverse the Florida law, also known as Senate Bill 90, have sought to question DeSantis on whether he was involved in the decision to prevent the academics from testifying, according to the New York Times, which first reported on the university’s move.
In this Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, photo Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo speaks at The Economic Club of Washington. As President Joe Biden’s de facto tech minister, Raimondo is tasked with ensuring the United States will be the world leader in computer chips. But there is a global shortage, creating a drag on growth and fueling inflation on the cusp of the 2022 elections. Raimondo is working to increase production of chips as well as solar panels and batteries to help the United States thrive. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
ROME – The Biden administration has struck a deal with European Union officials to lift some tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, resolving at this year’s Group of 20 summit a bitter trade stand-off that began under president Donald Trump three years ago.
The deal announced Saturday allows “limited volumes” of steel and aluminum products from the EU to enter the United States tariff-free, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said.
In return, the European Union will drop their retaliatory tariffs on American goods. The EU had been poised on Dec. 1 to boost tariffs to 50 percent on various U.S. products, including Harley-Davidson motorcycles and bourbon from Kentucky.
“This agreement is significant in that it will reduce costs for American manufacturers and consumers,” Raimondo said.
Biden officials have faced a difficult task in deciding how or whether to unwind Trump’s duties on foreign imports, which were panned by many economists as raising prices for American consumers but in many cases were cheered by labor groups powerful among Democrats for shielding industry groups from foreign competition.
Kingsborough Community College. Photo: Kingsborough Community College.
By Brooklyn Eagle Staff
Kingsborough Community College’s Maritime Technology program is on its way to becoming a certified offshore wind (OSW) basic safety training facility, with $1.5 million in capital funding awarded by the New York City Council.
And, because New York State allocates matching funds for capital appropriations provided by the city to CUNY community colleges, Kingsborough is expected to receive another $1.5 million in the state’s next fiscal budget, bringing the total to $3 million.
The Office of NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson awarded Kingsborough’s Division of Workforce Development, Continuing Education & Strategic Partnerships the funding for purchase of necessary equipment to become a Global Wind Organization (GWO)-certified Basic Safety Training facility that can respond to the workforce demands and the long-term needs of the projected OSW industry.
A former federal Superfund site will now be the source of clean solar energy and generate revenue for a town it had polluted, officials said.
A groundbreaking Wednesday at the GEMS landfill in Gloucester Township kicked off the transformation of the former dump into a 25-acre solar panel field. The panels will sit on top of hulking hills of dirt and other sources of pollution remediation.
When completed, the site will produce up to 4.5 megawatts of electricity and offset 4,313 metric tons of carbon dioxide, officials said.
None of it will be used to power homes and businesses in Gloucester Township, a sprawling municipality in Camden County, eight miles from Philadelphia. The juice will be sold into a grid run by Atlantic City Electric, which supplies power to towns largely to the south and east.
“It’s a great story, it really is,” said township Mayor David Mayer. “What this once was was unusable. We’re taking a polluted site and turning it into a positive project.”
No public funds are being used for the project. Syncarpha Capital, a New York City private equity firm, will pay for the installation and operation of the site. It operates 100 megawatts of ground and rooftop solar arrays in New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Nevada, Vermont, and Arizona, a statement from the company said.
Infiniti Energy announced it has completed construction on 905 kW of new solar projects for the Teaneck New Jersey Board of Education. Infiniti Energy was hired by Concord Management Services, the EPC for the project. The project was completed under a PPA, which enables the district to achieve the financial benefits of renewable energy immediately while eliminating up-front expenditures and outsourcing operation and maintenance costs over a specified period. Financing for these projects was provided by Empower Energies.
“We were excited to help support the Teaneck school system with the installation of renewable energy sources that will provide stable energy costs for years to come,” said Michael Aladich, Jr., Infiniti senior project manager. “Public-private partnerships are an ideal option for educational facilities and municipal governments looking to reduce their energy costs and their carbon footprint, and we are proud to be an industry leader in the transition away from fossil fuel sources.
The design includes rooftop solar arrays at six K-12 buildings. Locations and individual system sizes include:
Teaneck High School, a 119-kWDC array.
Theodora Smiley Lacey School, a 110-kWDC array.
Thomas Jefferson Middle School, a 265-kWDC array.
Whittier Elementary School, a 125-kWDC array.
New Administration Building, a 103-kWDC array.
Lowell Elementary School, a 114-kWDC array.
“The Board of Education takes the stewardship of taxpayer money and our natural resources very seriously,” said Anthony D’Angelo, Teaneck School District Director of Facilities. “This project is a win-win for both residents and students. Not only will the new solar arrays save our school district money, but they will also provide direct educational opportunities for our students concerning the benefits to the environment of the growing clean energy industry.”
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On Friday September 17, 2021 Delaware Governor John Carney signed three unique bills all seeking to tackle different environmental issues, Senate Bills 2, 21, and Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 24.
This update will focus on Senate Bill 2 which facilitates development of community owned energy generating facilities and renewable energy in particular, solar power projects in the First State.
Senate Bill 2 has since prompted solar developers to explore new opportunities for these projects. The date on which Delmarva Power will start accepting applications is just around the corner. In this article, we will give some background and practical pointers for solar developers and landowners seeking to take advantage of this new legislation.
Expanding Solar Power in the State
Over the last decade, there has been significant growth in the use of solar power in the United States and around the world. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the average annual growth rate in solar energy has been 42 percent over the past ten years. However, Delaware has arguably lagged behind this trend. Senate Bill 2 was passed in an effort to change that.
The bill, originally introduced in the Senate’s Environment & Energy Committee this past June, amends Titles 6, 26, and 29 of the Delaware Code relating to community-owned energy generating facilities and renewable energy. The legislation will involve a rulemaking by the Public Services Commission to culminate on March 11, 2022.
What the Law Will Do
Senate Bill 2 was enacted to eliminate current barriers to community-based solar photovoltaic systems in Delaware. The legislation sets up a regulatory process to be implemented by the Delaware Public Service Commission (PSC) with consumer protection provided by Delaware’s Department of Justice. Among other things, Senate Bill 2 will:
Authorize multiple types of system ownership models, defined as “community-owned energy generating facilities”
Allow a maximum system size of 4 megawatts (MW)
Eliminate a previous requirement that all customers of a system be located on the same distribution feeder
Eliminate a previous requirement that all customers of a system be identified before the system can be built
Provide for the regulation of community-owned energy generating facilities by the PSC and specify the fees and other requirements for the system to be granted a Certificate to Operate
Provide compensation to the system owner for 10% or less of unsubscribed energy
Require system owners to certify that the system serves at least 15% low income customers; and
Require the PSC to engage in rule-making in consultation with Delaware consumer protection authorities, and promulgate rules and regulations by March 11, 2022.
This process has begun unfolding at a fast pace, with solar developers rushing to secure rights to suitable land, as well as prepare their applications.
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