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The Watchdog

A blog on energy matters in Louisiana!

EPA investigates Louisiana environmental, health agencies for racial discrimination in issuing air pollution permits by Mark Schleifstein

4/29/2022

1 Comment

 
Article by Mark Schleifstein
Originally Published on Nola.com
April 7, 2022
The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating whether two state agencies discriminated against Black residents when they were involved in permitting decisions for two chemical plants and a grain terminal in St. John and St. James parishes.

The probe centers on actions taken by the state Department of Environmental Quality and Health when DEQ considered permits during the past 2 years for the Denka Performance Elastomers plant, the proposed Formosa Plastics Sunshine plant and the proposed Greenfield Exports grain terminal, according to letters EPA sent to environmental groups announcing the start of its investigation.
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​They come five months after EPA Administrator Michael Regan promised a crackdown on permitting decisions along Louisiana’s chemical corridor. Environmental Groups have long called that area “Cancer Alley,” due to federal studies that show higher concentrations of airborne pollutants and more instances of cancer in that region than elsewhere in the state. ​

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Congressional Hearing on Carbon Capture in the Gulf

4/28/2022

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Originally published by Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
​

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The House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources is hosting a hearing on "The Opportunities and Risks of CCS in the Gulf of Mexico". 

Center for International Environmental Law's (CIEL) President, Carroll Muffett, will be testifying, speaking about the limited potential, high costs, and history of failures of CCS, and how the false promise of CCS threatens to entrench fossil fuels and slow the transition to clean and renewable energy. 

The hearing started at 8:30am CT on April 28th.​
Watch the Hearing

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Calling all New Orleanians! Save the Date: Entergy’s 3rd public IRP meeting is on Tuesday, May 3rd

4/25/2022

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​This Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is Entergy New Orleans’ 20-year energy resource plan, on which all major power generation and energy efficiency investment decisions are meant to be based. 

Make your voice heard! Join the meeting either in-person or virtually on Tuesday, May 3rd @10:30am CT.
​LIVESTREAM 🔗: council.nola.gov
IN-PERSON: New Orleans City Hall

The IRP process is a powerful tool for ensuring that New Orleans energy consumers receive affordable and reliable electricity service that does not compromise the health of their communities or the environment.
​

Click "Read More" to learn about how to get involved!
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Happy Earth Day from us at The Alliance!

4/22/2022

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There are over 100 #FightForOurFuture events taking place this weekend in honor of Earth Day to call on our elected officials to pass bold investments in climate — and there’s an event happening near you! We’re raising our voices together to demand that President Biden, Congress, and elected officials at all levels of government finally deliver on their promises to address the climate crisis. 

The most recent IPCC report shows that the only way we can stop further warming and even worse consequences on our planet is to end greenhouse gas emissions and start transitioning right now to a green economy. Time is running out. We need to make sure our leaders take action this year, and a massive day of action can help tip the scales. 
Find an Earth Day event near you:
map.fightforourfutures.com
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BP12 Memorial on April 20th

4/20/2022

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12 years after the BP Drilling Disaster, the Mississippi Hub of GulfSouth4GND is hosting a Radical Day of Reflection to reflect on what has changed and what has stayed the same in our offshore environment. Join us for a virtual event on April 20th at 12pm CT. 
On April 20, 2010, the BP Drilling Disaster occured on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico and killed 11 workers and set off the largest oil spill in U.S. history. 12 years later, offshore oil drilling continues to threaten our Gulf Coast communities, workers, wildlife, and tourism & fishing economies.

​12 years later, offshore oil drilling continues to threaten our Gulf Coast communities, workers, wildlife, and tourism & fishing economies.
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Register

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As climate report warns of fossil fuel industry growth, Louisiana has several projects on the way by Halle Parker

4/19/2022

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Article by Halle Parker
Originally Published on WWNO - New Orleans Public Radio
To stick to the world’s climate goals, the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure without a way to remove their carbon emissions must grind to a halt globally, including in Louisiana where several facilities are planned.

That was one of the top messages of the latest international climate change report on mitigation released on April 4.

Earlier this year, Louisiana became the first Deep South state with a plan for cutting its carbon footprint. However, while Gov. John Bel Edwards advocates for a cleaner future, it remains unclear how and when the state will tackle the influx of an additional 101 million metric tons of emissions from future industrial projects that have already been approved.​
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Debunking Demand (IPCC Mitigation Report, Part 1) by Amy Westervelt

4/18/2022

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Article by Amy Westervelt
​Originally Published on Drilled News
April 5th, 2022
Every few years the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) releases an assessment, which consists of several reports prepared by three working groups. Working Group I focuses on the scientific evidence for climate change; Working Group II on the impacts, adaptation and vulnerabilities; and Working Group III on mitigation, what we can do about it (and what's stopping us).  The 2018 IPCC report got a LOT of media attention, more than any previous report, thanks to a combination of uncharacteristically stark warnings from climate scientists and a media cycle that wasn't quite as inundated with crises as the current one.

On April 4, 2022, the IPCC released the mitigation report for its current cycle and folks if the 2018 report was blunt, this one is absolutely screaming "do something!!!"
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No More Business As Usual!

4/18/2022

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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) continues to report overwhelming evidence that fossil-fueled global warming is increasing at faster rates than earlier predicted. Without quickly phasing out fossil fuels, the United States will fall far from its 2030 emission goals and drag the world deeper into a state of climate emergency. 

But the Biden Administration has yet to use his full authority under existing law to stop approving new fossil fuel leases, exports and infrastructure and declare a climate emergency to rapidly build out renewables and protect vulnerable communities Troublingly, Biden and the United Nations also continue to  sell communities false “solutions” like Carbon Capture and Storage, or CCS – a dangerous delay tactic championed by the fossil fuel industry and other polluters to continue business-as-usual while taking resources away from the needed transition to clean, cheaper renewable energy. 


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Entergy proposes its customers cover cost of backup generators for businesses by Wesley Muller

4/14/2022

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Article by Wesley Muller
Originally published on the Louisiana Illuminator
​April 6th, 2022
Project would give backup power to select corporate customers
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Entergy has proposed a new project to give backup generators to grocery stores and other commercial customers across the state to form micro-grids that can be used during outages and peak demand times, but the utility company wants the rest of its customers to pay for them. 
​

“As currently proposed, I do not find the costs and benefits of the program are being allocated in a manner that is just and reasonable to non-host customers,” PSC regulatory expert Lane Sisung said in his recommendation to commissioners not to certify the program.

“To think that some of the largest most powerful companies in the state would be benefiting from something when the residents and everyone else are already paying exorbitant rates is just absurd to me,” AAE Executive Director Logan Burke said.


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Natural Gas and Foreign Policy

4/12/2022

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By Jesse George & Logan Burke
As the relentless assault by Russian Federation military forces on Ukraine continues, people of goodwill watch in horror at what is unfolding. Whatever his motivation – and regardless of Western provocations – we condemn Vladimir Putin’s actions unequivocally.

​We must note, however, the role that petrocapitalism has played in the escalation of this conflict. In the wake of the Russian Federation’s invasion, world crude oil and methane prices have increased significantly, in some cases reaching record prices. President Biden’s first action in response to Russian aggression was to sanction Russia’s Nord Stream 2 methane pipeline, which has now been entirely suspended by German Chancellor Scholtz,  a telling sign that Russia’s power on the world stage derives primarily from its large reserves of fossil fuels.
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Great News! The Ethics Law Passed at the New Orleans City Council!

4/7/2022

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​Great news! The ethics ordinance passed at today's New Orleans City Council meeting. The ethics law bans campaign contributions from companies the New Orleans City Council regulates or contracts with, including Entergy, AT&T, and Cox Communications.

The passage of this ordinance is a necessary safeguard against the potential for undue influence on energy costs, climate policies, and numerous other matters handled by the Council that impact the daily lives of all New Orleanians.
​
More than 50 New Orleans residents gave comments in support of the ethics ban at the March 29th New Orleans City Council Utility Committee meeting. ​

Greater New Orleans Interfaith Climate Coalition (GNOICC) first proposed the ban, which was then approved by the Ethics Review Board in August 2021.
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New gas fired generators in a neighborhood near you. But what about solar & storage?

4/5/2022

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Even as the costs of methane gas continue to rise, in turn increasing the cost of electricity in the region, Entergy Louisiana is requesting the go-ahead from the Louisiana Public Service Commission for the right to contract with large commercial and industrial customers to install new gas fired generators in a neighborhood near you. Maybe. 

Among the many reasons the Alliance is concerned about this new application,  including continued investment in fossil fuel infrastructure, new costs borne by residents, new localized emissions within neighborhoods, and an increased dependence on methane gas for electricity generation (the state currently generates 70% of electricity from the fossil fuel), the ability for the utility to side-step the Commission’s market based mechanisms designed to ensure Entergy purchases or provides the lowest-cost power, we worry that the utility and “host” customers who would participate in this program would resist public visibility into the placement of these facilities. And since some of these projects would be small enough to evade air emissions permitting, you simply wouldn’t know if your community is now home to a gas peaker plant.


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A Farewell Letter from Our Outgoing State Policy Director, Jessica Hendricks

4/4/2022

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Allies and Supporters,
I have made the decision to resign from my position as State Policy Director with the Alliance for Affordable Energy. My deepest gratitude goes out to all of you that I’ve had the pleasure of working with and learning from. I can assure you this was not an easy decision. 

As some may know, I was offered a position in the New Orleans’ Council Utility Regulatory Office as an Energy Policy Analyst, and I’m very much looking forward to advancing the City’s clean energy goals and advocating for the City’s utility customers, especially the most vulnerable. I imagine I’ll be seeing many familiar faces in my new role, and I look forward to continuing the conversation with all of you.

If you would like to reach me, my personal email is JMaloneHendricks@gmail.com, and I look forward to staying in touch. 

Thank you for all of the work you do, and please keep it up! In a State with some of the highest rates of energy insecurity, this work is invaluable to so many, especially in a State so vulnerable to the worst impacts of Climate Change. 

Until next time,
Jessica

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The Secret to Lowering Your Energy Bills in the Long-Term? Energy Efficient Home Upgrades.

4/1/2022

1 Comment

 
By Ishita Yadav, AAE Intern
Looking to lower your energy bill? One of the easiest ways to reduce your energy use is to switch to energy efficient appliances. Most new appliances available in the U.S. are ENERGY STAR certified, indicating they consume anywhere between 10 to 50% less electricity each year than their traditional, non-energy efficient equivalents. Studies show that investing in energy efficient appliances not only saves you money by reducing your electricity load, but also increases energy security and reduces the harmful pollution emitted from traditional non-renewable energy sources such as coal, gas, and oil.

By replacing the appliances in your home with ENERGY STAR-certified appliances, you are making an investment that will reduce your energy bill for years to come. 
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As residential electricity bills increase, conducting energy efficiency improvements on your home will help protect you from the financial impact of the unpredictable increases that will impact ratepayers. The savings you achieve from a single energy-efficient appliance may seem small on its own, but in most cases, the premium price you pay will be more than offset by your energy savings in the long-run.

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