EnviroPolitics Blog

Ciattarelli, New Jersey’s Republican candidate for governor. would ratchet back pace of climate response

Climate change is real, but Murphy moving too fast, Ciattarelli says

By Tom Johnson NJ Spotlight

Jack Ciattarelli is no climate denier. The Republican candidate for governor believes climate change and global warming are real, humans are accelerating the problem and carbon emissions must be reduced.

But he says Gov. Phil Murphy’s ambitious plan to transition to 100% clean energy by mid-century is “too much, too soon and too fast.’’ Ciattarelli, a former assemblyman, said the plan is not realistic and it does not tell the people in New Jersey what they will have to spend to achieve it.

Ciattarelli also has faulted Murphy’s Board of Public Utilities for failing to produce a comprehensive analysis of what his energy plan will cost each and every household in New Jersey, particularly to phase out the use of natural gas to heat homes.

Candidate’s vision for clean energy

“As governor, I will implement a balanced, rational energy policy that includes natural gas and renewable energy to create jobs, keep energy prices down and provide safe, reliable and cleaner power sources,’’ Ciattarelli vowed on his gubernatorial website.

Ciattarelli’s plan would aim to minimize carbon emissions through incentives until emerging energy sources are found safe, reliable and cost-effective. These sources include micro nuclear, geothermal, hydropower, carbon capture and hydrogen batteries.

“Within the next two or three years, we will see an entirely different energy marketplace,’’ Ciattarelli told NJ Spotlight News, referring to those emerging technologies. He does not view natural gas as a long-term solution, but says it is needed now as the state waits for those alternative energy sources to become commercially viable.

Ciattarelli wants to see a national energy policy develop — one that puts New Jersey on an equal footing with other states. “He (Murphy) is trying to solve global warming one state at a time,’’ he said.

Read the full story here

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University of Florida bars faculty members from testifying in voting rights lawsuit against Governor DeSantis’ administration

By Andrew Jeong Washington Post

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.

Read the full story here

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European Union would ease Trump steel and aluminum tariffs under a deal announced with European Union

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)

By Seung Min Kim and Jeff Stein Today at 2:49 p.m. EDT

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.

Even as supply lines strain, Biden is in no rush to scrap Trump’s steel tariffs

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.

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Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn receives $1.5M in funding for offshore wind training program

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.

Read the full story here

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GEMS landfill, once a notorious NJ Superfund site, to be transformed into a productive solar energy field without public funding

By Bill Duhart NJ.com

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.

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Nearly 1 MW of solar installed for Teaneck, NJ school district

By Kelsey Misbrener Solar Power World

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-kW_DC array.
Theodora Smiley Lacey School, a 110-kW_DC array.
Thomas Jefferson Middle School, a 265-kW_DC array.
Whittier Elementary School, a 125-kW_DC array.
New Administration Building, a 103-kW_DC array.
Lowell Elementary School, a 114-kW_DC 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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