Trump’s out to cripple states’ climate interests

trump-signs-energy-order

By Kathryn Krawczyk, Canary Media Weekly

This week, Trump signed several more executive orders meant to advance his pro–fossil fuel, “energy dominance” agenda. Among them was a directive to Attorney General Pam Bondi to “identify and take action against state laws and policies that burden the use of domestic energy resources.”

That could be a big problem for climate progress in the U.S., because under Trump, states and cities have become the country’s most promising venues for clean energy action.

Trump named some of those state policies as prime targets in the executive order. That includes  New York and Vermont’s climate “Superfund” laws, which require oil and gas companies to pay for damages caused by fossil fuel burning. New York taxpayers paid about $2.2 billion for climate-related repairs and projects in 2023, an analysis by the New York Public Interest Research Group found — costs the state’s Superfund could help cover. Trump referred to these policies as “extortion laws.” 

California’s expansive cap-and-trade program was also called out in Trump’s order. Under the policy, entities like power plants and large manufacturers that are responsible for most of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions have to either reduce their climate impacts or pay for emissions “allowances.” Available allowances drop every year — and so have the state’s emissions. Other states and multistate coalitions have adopted or are considering similar cap-and-invest programs.

Trump’s order goes on to demand action against policies that mention “climate change,” “environmental justice,” and “greenhouse gas” emissions, effectively putting hundreds of state climate laws and clean-electricity targets in the Justice Department’s crosshairs.

Legal experts are skeptical that Trump can cast such a wide net. Michael Gerrard, faculty director of Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, told E&E News that the order is “toothless” and that state judges likely wouldn’t support its implementation. TD Cowen Washington Research Group meanwhile said it sees “no real constitutional or preemption risk” to state clean-electricity standards, carbon trading programs, or low-carbon fuel standards.

But climate-minded state leaders and environmental advocates are still taking the threat seriously. A bipartisan coalition of 24 governors pledged in a statement to defend their state policies against federal overreach. And as Evergreen Action advocate Justin Balik told E&E News, it’s hard not to be worried when the country’s best hope at climate action is at stake.


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Under intense budget squeeze, SEPTA may end 5 Regional Rail Lines

Major SEPTA cuts are proposed in the budget, including a 9 p.m. curfew on rail service, the elimination of 5 regional rail lines, and more.

Public hearings on SEPTA's budget that features the cost-saving measures will be held on May 19 and May 20.
Public hearings on SEPTA’s budget that features the cost-saving measures will be held on May 19 and May 20. (SEPTA)


By Max Bennett, Patch Staff


PHILADELPHIA — Major SEPTA cuts are planned, including the reduction of bus service and the elimination of five Regional Rail lines, as well as a 9 p.m. curfew on rail service as the regional transit authority faces a $213 million budget gap, officials said this week.

SEPTA officials said the deficit will require 45 percent in service cuts, as well as a fare increase averaging 21.5 percent for all riders.

Some of the key the changes SEPTA says will be necessary to address the budget shortfall are:

  • The elimination of dozens of bus routes and significant reductions in trips on all rail services, beginning with the launch of fall schedules on Aug. 24. Fifty bus routes would be shut down between Aug. 24 and Jan. 1, 2026
  • A fare hike, effective Sept. 1
  • A 9 p.m. curfew for all rail services. This curfew would begin Jan. 1, 2026
  • The elimination of five Regional Rail lines — Cynwyd Line, Chestnut Hill West Line, Paoli/ThorndaleLine, Trenton Line, Wilmington/Newark Line

The full details of the proposed cuts can be found here.

The release of the budget comes amid critical negotiations in Harrisburg on a statewide transit funding plan introduced in February by Gov. Josh Shapiro that would prevent these dire measures from taking effect.

The impact of the proposed service cuts would be felt throughout the city and region, as reliable options for everyday travel to school and work are greatly diminished, SEPTA officials said.

Beyond regular riders, people traveling to games at the Sports Complex and other special events would have to navigate the 9 p.m. curfew for rail services, along with other restrictions. SEPTA said it would also be forced to cease providing additional service to special events, including plans to support the World Cup, the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, and other 2026 events.

The effects on businesses, including the region’s healthcare systems that rely on SEPTA to transport employees and patients, would be immediate and far-reaching, SEPTA said Thursday. Authorities also said roadway congestion will get worse, as people who typically use SEPTA would switch to driving.

Local business leaders expressed concern over the plans.

“These plans would lead to massive drops in ridership and the dismantlement of our transit system after generations of investment,” the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia said in a statement. “The result? Workers, students, residents and visitors would lose a critical transportation option. Employers would experience increased hiring challenges. And worst of all, talent and businesses could leave the region altogether.”

The chamber is urging state lawmakers to enact a dedicated funding solution that will avert the planned fare increases and service cuts.

Read the full story here


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Going Nuclear–Industry Outlook and Issues

US Energy, Infrastructure, and Resources Alert


By Thomas G. AllenTim L. PeckinpaughMartha G. Pugh
Jasper G. Noble, K&L Gates

The nuclear energy industry continues to gain momentum and has a strong outlook for 2025 and beyond. This positive forecast is buoyed by support from both major political parties, increased demand, technical advancements, and some out-of-the-box thinking for deploying existing assets. There have also been a few notable judicial and legislative developments that are contributing to what some hope will be the realization of a long-promised nuclear renaissance. 

Outlook for 2025 and Beyond

The new year is already off to a good start for nuclear power generation. 

Expansion of the Price-Anderson Act 

First, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently advanced a broad interpretation of the Price-Anderson Act that will expand the definition of private parties covered for certain nuclear accidents. This positive development broadens who can take advantage of government indemnification under the Price-Anderson Act, encouraging new parties to participate in the nuclear market. We wrote about this development and its impact on limiting private liability for nuclear accidents here.

Nuclear Market Growth 

Second, a dynamic nuclear market appears to be taking root. As Nuclear Business Platform reports: (1) small modular reactors (SMRs) should lead the way in 2025, with several designs under development and NuScale Power Corporation achieving US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) certification; (2) increased demand from data centers and artificial intelligence should continue to drive new generation; (3) a positive financing environment for nuclear projects also appears to be in place; (4) new technology developments in both reactors and fuels from a variety of private market players should support further growth; and (5) new market participants in India, Turkey, and Africa will also support continued advancements and efficiencies.

Nuclear-Powered Hydrogen 

Third, the US nuclear industry continues to evaluate opportunities for using nuclear fuel as an electricity source to produce hydrogen following the US Department of the Treasury’s final changes to the 45V clean hydrogen production tax credit, which exempt (with some restrictions) existing and future nuclear power plants from the additionality requirements imposed on other renewable energy sources. US nuclear leaders, along with EDF Energy’s initiatives in France and Japan’s High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor, could carve out a new generation space. 

Read the full post here


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Trump tariffs prove final nail for proposed Pa recycling plant

President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick listens. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The developer of a proposed $300 million recycling plant in Pennsylvania says Trump-imposed tariffs helped kill the project.

Eric Heyl, Patch Staff

ERIE, PA — Plans for a new $300 million plastics recycling plant here have been canceled, with the financial uncertainties caused by President Donald Trump’s recent imposition of global tariffs cited as a significant reason for the project’s death.

Erie-based International Recycling Group was to build the plant on a 25-acre site that formerly housed a paper mill. The Erie Times-News reported the facility would have created 300 jobs and produced about 100,000 tons of recycled plastic materials annually.

But IRG had yet to receive a $182 million Department of Energy loan approved last summer by the Biden administration that the company needed to finalize fundraising for the plant. The Trump administration had put an indefinite hold on the funding commitment.

In a statement provided Thursday to the Times-News, IRG officials said “Additional challenged include recently announced tariffs on materials and on equipment from Europe not made in the U.S., resulting in expectations of substantially high project development costs than anticipated, as well as difficulties in securing long-term purchase agreements for recycled materials from plastics manufacturers and consumer product groups, many of whom are cutting back on sustainability pledges.”

Read the full story here


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As a candidate he wanted stock trades by congressmen banned. Now that he is one, well…

By The New York Times News Service Syndicate

WASHINGTON — Last March, when Rob Bresnahan, Jr., a wealthy business executive, was running to represent a competitive House district in northeastern Pennsylvania, he published a letter to the editor in a local newspaper demanding an end to stock trading by members of Congress.

“The trust our political leaders and institutions have from Americans is at a historic low and it’s easy to understand why,” Bresnahan wrote in the Wilkes-Barre Citizens’ Voice. “Too often we hear about how politicians are making millions of dollars during their time in office, and it is sickening. If we want to restore trust in government and our political leaders, then Congress needs to lead with these policies.”

If elected, Bresnahan told voters, he would co-sponsor legislation to ban stock trading by members of Congress, a practice he said “needs to come to an end immediately.”

More than two months after being sworn in, Bresnahan, who defeated a Democratic incumbent last November in one of the most expensive House races in the country, has not introduced or co-sponsored such a bill. Over that time, he has emerged as one of the most active stock traders in the freshman class, according to Capitol Trades, a site that monitors the stock market activity of lawmakers.

Read the full story here


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Trump’s tariffs could choke healthy US solar market

Solar panels on a farm in Maryland


By ARIANNA SKIBELL, Power Switch, 4/04/2025

U.S. solar power has been having a moment. President Donald Trump’s tariff blitz may end it.

The nation’s solar industry has experienced a staggering growth rate over the past decade, with generation growing 27 percent last year alone. But because companies import almost 75 percent of their panels from countries targeted by Trump’s tariffs, the industry’s growth could be clipped by snarled supply chains and soaring costs, writes Benjamin Storrow.

“It’s just an enormous expense to bear,” Brett White with developer Pine Gate Renewables told Ben.

For now, Trump is digging in his heels. The president insisted on social media, “MY POLICIES WILL NEVER CHANGE,” even as China retaliated with an eye-popping 34 percent tariff and U.S. stocks plummeted even further.

The nation’s leading solar manufacturer, First Solar, was no exception with its shares falling almost 6 percent this afternoon — a foreboding harbinger of what could be to come.

The tariffs arrive as the U.S. solar industry is weathering potential setbacks on at least two other fronts. Congressional Republicans are working to roll back subsidies for solar developers signed into law under the Biden administration. And the Commerce Department is expected to finalize separate, higher duties on solar imports from Southeast Asia after discovering China has been routing solar components through those countries at lower prices (i.e. “dumping,” in global trade parlance).

Read the full story here


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