MADISON, Wisconsin, May 29 -- The University of Wisconsin Madison campus issued the following news: A map showing the percentage of abandoned farmland within a 36-square-kilometer area. Most of the more than 30 million acres of cultivated land abandoned between 1986 and 2018 is concentrated in the Great Plains and the Mississippi River valley. Farmland is often a battleground in the fight against climate change. Solar panels and energy crops are pitted against food production, while well-inte  more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, a journal from the American Chemical Society that says it serves the interdisciplinary community of chemists, engineers, physicists and biologists, published research articles on the following topics in its May 29, 2024, edition (Vol. 16, Issue 21). Here are excerpts: Reviews: * Use of Perfluorochemicals in Li-Air Batteries: A Critical Review Biological and Medical Applications of Materials and Interfaces: * Electrophoretic Microfl  more

FRAMINGHAM, Massachusetts, May 30 -- Ameresco, a cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, issued the following news release: FRAMINGHAM, MA and O'AHU, HI -- Ameresco, Inc., (NYSE: AMRC), a leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, today announced its Kupono Solar project in Hawaii has been recognized with the prestigious SEAL Environmental Initiatives Award. This esteemed accolade, presented by SEAL (Sustainability,   more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- The American Council on Renewable Energy issued the following statement on May 29, 2024: * * * The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released initial guidance today on the technology-neutral tax credits (Sections 45Y and 48E). Following is a statement from Ray Long, President and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), on the guidance: "Today's announcement is another 'win' for American consumers seeking affordable, r  more

CANBERRA, Australia, May 29 (TNSres) -- The Australian National University issued the following news release: A simpler and more cost-efficient method for removing salt from seawater using heat, developed by scientists from The Australian National University (ANU), could address unprecedented global water shortages. By 2025, 1.8 billion people will likely face what the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) calls "absolute water scarcity." To help combat the water crisis, ANU researchers ha  more

PASADENA, California, May 29 -- The California Institute of Technology issued the following news: Each investigator, recognized for curiosity-driven research in chemistry or physics, will receive up to $2 million over five years The Brown Institute for Basic Sciences at Caltech today announced the 2024 class of Brown Investigators. The cohort, the first selected through the newly formed Brown Institute for Basic Sciences, comprises eight distinguished mid-career faculty working on fundamental   more

LONDON, England, May 30 -- Covington, a law firm, issued the following news release: Covington advised Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power in connection with the financing of the Hassyan independent water project (IWP), the world's largest renewable energy-powered reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant. The financial closing follows the October 2023 signing of a 32.5-year water purchase agreement with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and ACWA Power for the first phase of the project. Al  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, May 30 -- The Institute for Local Self-Reliance issued the following news release with eight groups: A coalition of solar and environmental justice groups, including the CLEAR Energy Coalition, is celebrating the passage of provisions of policy that will expand adoption of rooftop and distributed solar in Minnesota. The Omnibus Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate bill (SF 4942/HF 4975) includes provisions that improve local rooftop solar permit  more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued the following statement on May 28, 2024, by Commissioner Mark C. Christie on a decision (Docket No. ER24-994-001, et al.) involving Welcome Solar LLC: * * * To borrow the famous line from the movie Cool Hand Luke,[1] "What we've got here is failure to communicate." The developer, Welcome Solar LLC, and the transmission provider, PJM, make factual allegations that are in conflict. Many of the mater  more

WASHINGTON, May 29 -- Friends of the Earth issued the following news release: Today, the Treasury Department and the IRS released draft guidance on the most influential clean energy tax credit in the Inflation Reduction Act, the 45Y Clean Electricity Credit. This credit is technology neutral, intended to incentivize any electricity that produces zero greenhouse gas emissions. The proposal affirms the eligibility of renewables like wind and solar, but requests comments on the eligibility of gasi  more

WASHINGTON, May 29 -- Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, issued the following news release: In Case You Missed It, following the Washington Post's Editorial Board's call for fewer tariffs on China, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) slammed the editorial board for advocating for policy that hurts American workers and American industry. In his response, Brown highlights the extent of China's cheating, and lays out the case that investment in American production will never pay off if American workers are  more

CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 30 (TNSres) -- The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis issued the following news release: * * * As energy storage attains commercial viability and round-the-clock renewables capacity increases in the medium-term, the role of gas-based power is likely to fizzle out. As energy storage attains commercial viability and round-the-clock renewables capacity increases in the medium-term, the role of gas-based power is likely to fizzle out. * * * Key Takeaways:   more

CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 30 (TNSres) -- The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis issued the following news release on May 29, 2024: * * * Key Takeaways: * Small modular reactors still look to be too expensive, too slow to build, and too risky to play a significant role in transitioning from fossil fuels in the coming 10-15 years. * Investment in SMRs will take resources away from carbon-free and lower-cost renewable technologies that are available today and can push the transiti  more

LANSING, Michigan, May 30 -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Michigan, issued the following news release on May 29, 2024: At the Mackinac Policy Conference today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced significant strides in housing and energy initiatives, continuing Michigan's national leadership in leveraging climate and clean energy-related federal funding. This includes raising the state's five-year housing production goal by over 50% and investing federal funds to lower energy costs for 28,000 low-i  more

PERTH, Australia, May 30 (TNSres) -- Murdoch University issued the following news: Renewable energy is the way of the future, but issues such as variability and surplus generation have so far created headaches in the move to fully utilising these energy solutions. New research led by Murdoch University, School of Engineering and Energy, Associate Professor Ali Arefi has found that using interconnected scattered microgrids may be the answer. "There are challenges associated with the intermitt  more

PEARL RIVER, New York, May 30 -- Orange and Rockland Utilities issued the following news release: Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. has awarded grants totaling approximately $45,000 to support nearly 50 creative, cutting-edge classroom projects that focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The selected projects are designed to challenge students to think, plan, act and achieve -- all while having fun learning. The grants enable the schools to purchase equipment, suc  more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- The National Hydropower Association issued the following news release: The National Hydropower Association applauded the new Biden Administration Proposed Rule that would treat water power like solar, wind and other emission-free resources. In a newly-issued Proposed Rule implementing the Inflation Reduction Act's (IRA) Section 45Y and 48E tax credits (Tech Neutral Credits), numerous water power technologies (hydropower, pumped storage, marine, and hydrokinetic technologi  more

ITHACA, New York, May 29 -- Cornell University issued the following news: Despite concerns that China is buying or leasing all the farmland in the United States, new Cornell-led research shows that this is not the case. Using a federal dataset of more than 40,000 foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land as of 2020, Wendong Zhang, assistant professor and extension economist at the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and collaborators show that countries classified   more

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, May 29 -- Gov. Daniel J. McKee, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: The McKee Administration has recognized 20 state entities, municipalities, and public schools for their renewable energy and energy efficiency achievements at its Seventh Annual Lead by Example Clean Energy Awards ceremony. "I am proud of all our nominees and winners for your efforts to reduce our energy usage across the public sector," said Governor Dan McKee. "The Lead by Example prog  more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-California, issued the following news release: United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) announced a new $1.6 million federal investment in local solar roof innovation with San Jose-based company, GAF Energy. The company is a U.S. manufacturer, with its 112,000 square-foot combination R&D and manufacturing facility located in South San Jose. The funding, made possible through the Biden Administration's clean energy agenda and the Bipartisan I  more

CHISINAU, Moldova, May 30 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following remarks on May 29, 2024, by Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Moldovan President Maia Sandu at a joint news availability: * * * Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken holds a joint press availability with Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Chisinau, Moldova. PRESIDENT SANDU: (Via interpreter) Dear Secretary of State, dear Antony, welcome back to Chisinau. Your visit of today reconfirms the excellent relationship between the  more

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina, May 30 -- The Southern Environmental Law Center issued the following news release on May 29, 2024: Regulated monopoly Duke Energy's proposed North Carolina Carbon Plan would violate federal rules governing new gas plants and underinvest in no-regrets, carbon-free, renewable energy resources, a group of clean energy and environmental advocates noted today in testimony filed at the North Carolina Utilities Commission (https://starw1.ncuc.gov/NCUC/PSC/PSCDocumentDetail  more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, May 30 -- Southwest Research Institute issued the following news release: The Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) Demo pilot plant has generated electricity for the first time using supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles. The $169 million, 10-megawatt sCO2 facility at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio is demonstrating next-generation power production technology in a project led by GTI Energy in collaboration with SwRI, GE Vernova,   more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, May 29 -- The National Electrical Manufacturers Association issued the following statement on May 28, 2024: * * * NEMA President and CEO, Debra Phillips today issued the following statement in response to the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) announcement on Extending Certain Exclusions from China Section 301 Tariffs: "Friday's Section 301 announcement by the Biden Administration to effectively increase the cost of 27 vital electrical components by $1.3 billion   more

ITHACA, New York, May 29 -- Cornell University issued the following news: In May, on top of exams, work for his engineering project team and prep for summer opportunities, Joey Armstrong '25 was crunching numbers for the community. As an intern for the Ithaca 2030 District, an initiative to reduce the carbon footprint of Ithaca's commercial buildings, Armstrong is one of a number of Cornell students who have been responsible for calculating and making legible the district's progress. Accordin  more

TUSKEGEE, Alabama, May 30 -- The Tuskegee University issued the following news: The Tuskegee University Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Mark Brown '86 as the university's 10th president and chief executive officer. Dr Brown's selection is the first time in Tuskegee's nearly 143-year history that an alum will lead the university. He will begin his tenure on July 1. The Board of Trustees approved the retired Air Force Major General's nomination after several tale  more

WASHINGTON, May 29 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued the following news release: Proposed Rules for "Technology-Neutral" Clean Electricity Incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released proposed guidance on the Clean Electricity Production Credit and Clean Electricity Investment Credit established by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. By providing clarity to developers of clean electricity pr  more

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin, May 29 (TNSres) -- The University of Wisconsin's Milwaukee Campus issued the following news release: UW-Milwaukee's College of Engineering & Applied Science and Oregon State University have been selected by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a research center devoted to developing new knowledge to help industry create new technologies that will dramatically improve concrete's sustainability, durability and labor efficiency, while also bringing down its  more

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia, May 30 -- William and Mary issued the following news: The William & Mary Committee on Sustainability has announced the spring 2024 Green Fee awards. This semester, 13 proposals were approved to receive a total of $211,019 in grants. These projects will advance W&M's sustainability through academic research, educational opportunities and improved technologies and operational systems. "The Green Fee is a valuable tool," said Calandra Waters Lake, sustainability consulta  more

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania, May 29 (TNSres) -- Westinghouse Electric issued the following news release on May 28, 2024: Westinghouse Electric Company released its 2023 Sustainability Report today. The report provides the latest updates on the company's efforts to integrate sustainability throughout its business and deliver clean, affordable and secure nuclear energy for a carbon-free future. In 2023, Westinghouse advanced its commitments to support the environment, its employees and the   more

WASHINGTON, May 30 (TNSfact) -- The White House issued the following news release on May 29, 2024: * * * Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Steps to Bolster Domestic Nuclear Industry and Advance America's Clean Energy Future For decades, nuclear power has been the largest source of clean energy in the United States, accounting for 19% of total energy produced last year. The industry directly employs nearly 60,000 workers in good paying jobs, maintains these jobs for decades, and suppor  more

WASHINGTON, May 30 (TNSfact) -- The White House issued the following news release: * * * Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Expand Access to Capital for Small- and Medium-Sized Climate Businesses Through President Biden's Investing in America agenda, the U.S. is making the largest public investment in climate action in history. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, the largest-ever investment in climate action, introduced and expanded grants, loans, tax incen  more