white wind turbines on golden field under blue and white sunny cloudy sky during daytime.

Repealing clean energy incentives could cost families hundreds more in utility bills

A Republican-backed bill aiming to roll back the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy support would increase average household energy costs by $250 to $415 annually, according to multiple policy analyses.

Naveena Sadasivam reports for Grist.

In short:

Branded by President Trump as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” the legislation would repeal nearly all clean energy incentives from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which had helped lower generation costs by expanding wind, solar, and other low-emission energy sources.
Policy groups including Energy Innovation, the Rhodium Group, and Princeton’s ZERO Lab project that the repeal would increase household energy bills by $250 to $415 annually by 2035, primarily due to higher reliance on fossil fuels.
States with deregulated energy markets, such as Texas and Pennsylvania, would experience more severe price spikes, while regulated markets may see smaller, steadier increases due to the way costs are passed to consumers.

Key quote:

“The ironic thing is that what’s in the bill, the net results of it will be completely contradictory to what the [Trump] administration’s stated policy priorities are and will cede a lot of the AI development and the manufacturing to China specifically.”

— Robbie Orvis, senior director for modeling and analysis at Energy Innovation

Why this matters:

Electricity demand in the United States is rising fast, fueled by the spread of electric vehicles, new factories, and energy-hungry data centers. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act aimed to meet that growing demand with renewable energy, which has no fuel costs once built. Rolling back those supports means utilities will turn back to coal and gas — both more expensive and more polluting. As demand outpaces supply, households are likely to see rising utility bills.

This is also about health: Fossil fuel power plants emit pollutants that increase the risk of asthma, heart disease, and cancer. If incentives for electric vehicles and clean electricity are cut, the U.S. will burn more gasoline and natural gas, raising exposure to these hazards. And globally, weakening U.S. leadership on clean energy could slow climate progress while allowing other nations, especially China, to dominate emerging tech markets in green manufacturing and artificial intelligence.

Learn more: Clean energy investments in GOP-led states face cuts under Trump-backed tax bill

grist.org

electric vehicle EV charging at a charging station.

Credit: Haberdoedas/Unsplash

New Trump administration rule weakens efforts to promote cleaner cars

The Trump administration just threw a wrench into Biden’s fuel efficiency plans, publishing a new rule that challenges how electric vehicles factor into federal standards.

Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill.

In short:

The U.S. Transportation Department issued a rule saying the Biden administration improperly used electric vehicles to calculate carmakers’ fuel economy standards.
While not eliminating Biden’s rules outright, the administration suggested it may not enforce them during its own rulemaking process, arguing the current standards are akin to an EV mandate.
The move undercuts one of Biden’s core climate strategies and could reduce pressure on automakers to improve efficiency — unless U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules, which Republicans are also trying to reverse, stay intact.

Why this matters:

Fuel efficiency rules are one of the federal government’s main tools to cut transportation emissions — the top source of greenhouse gases in the U.S. While this new rule doesn’t outright kill the fuel economy standards, it signals the administration likely won’t enforce them while it writes its own version.

Read the Full Article on

thehill.com

Repealing clean energy incentives could cost families hundreds more in utility bills

Scientists call on UN to adopt bold ocean policies to combat climate and biodiversity threats

EU ocean protection plan draws fire for weak enforcement and lack of binding goals

Wildfire smoke from Canada continues to choke U.S. cities as climate patterns worsen

EPA rollback plan threatens billions in savings and thousands of lives, analysis shows

New Trump administration rule weakens efforts to promote cleaner cars

Move to revoke California EV rules threatens state authority on clean air

Midwestern dust storms double as climate change and farming strip soil bare

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.