In 2017, Mayor Bowser pledged DC’s commitment to prepare for and combat climate change by becoming carbon-neutral and climate resilient by 2050. Now, a little less than five years later, where are we? And what should we expect from the rest of the decade?
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More DMV News
Virginia Regulators Question Decision-Making Power for Fossil Fuel Plant Closures
Virginia Mercury
The State Corporation Commission is asking the General Assembly to consider granting it more power over decisions related to the retirement of fossil fuel plants.
Dominion Proposes New Dulles-to-Arcola Transmission Line
Loudoun Now
Dominion Energy has unveiled the first of several accelerated projects to build new power lines and substations to accommodate growing demand from Loudoun data centers.
Maryland Court Upholds Right to Challenge Forest-Clearing Plans
Maryland Matters
In what the Chesapeake Bay Foundation hailed as a landmark ruling, the Maryland Court of Appeals declared Aug. 26 that a developer’s forest conservation plan can be challenged in court.
With Fall Nearly Here, Fairfax County Has Been Phasing Out Gas Leaf Blowers
FFXNow
Last week, the county announced that its Park Authority and Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) are “in the process of phasing out gas-powered blowers” in favor of “exclusively purchasing” battery-powered blowers. The county is encouraging all contractors and residents to follow suit, saying battery-powered equipment is quieter, cleaner, and can be more cost-efficient to operate.
National and International News
Costs of Climate Change Far Surpass Government Estimates, Study Says
Washington Post
The economic toll of deadly heat waves, crop-killing droughts and rising seas that each additional ton of carbon dioxide levies on society is much higher than the U.S. government tallies when considering new regulations. A new comprehensive analysis pegs the social cost of carbon at $185 a ton — more than triple the current federal standard.
DOE Begins Accepting Applications for $425M in Major Boost to State Clean Energy Funding
Utility Dive
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced a significant expansion to its state energy program and is now accepting applications for $425 million in formula funding for the development of renewable resources, efficiency improvements, installation of electric vehicle chargers and other clean energy projects.
School’s Out: As Temperatures Rise, Some Students Sent Home Because of Lack of AC
Grist
Classrooms are becoming hotter and hotter as global temperatures rise to extreme levels. These rising temperatures have a detrimental effect on how students learn and fixing them will cost millions of dollars, becoming a point of contention for educators.
$1 Billion in Federal Economic Grants Headed Coast to Coast
AP News
The government will send $1 billion worth of federal grants for manufacturing, clean energy, farming, biotech and more to 21 regional partnerships across the nation, President Joe Biden and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced Friday.
Is the Paris Agreement Working?
Inside Climate News
Promising climate action is one thing, but it’s not always easy for countries to deliver on the pledges they’ve made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Agreement. New research shows that countries with the most ambitious climate plans also are the most likely to follow through.