Trump and Tesla

Nevada, which incessantly markets itself as the Saudi Arabia of solar power and benefits from federal research funding, received a boost in the new federal budget, over the objections of the Trump administration. Indeed, Donald Trump's recommendations were overridden by the Republican Congress in so many areas that it is dubious to call it the Trump budget any more.

Climate Chaos Claims Continue Causing Consternation

Anyone who thought "manmade climate cataclysm" rhetoric couldn't possibly exceed Obama era levels should read the complaint filed in the "public nuisance" lawsuit that's being argued before Federal District Court Judge William Alsup in a California courtroom: Oakland v BP and other oil companies. The allegations read at times like they were written by a Monty Python comedy team and a couple of first year law students.

Judge dismisses Exxon lawsuit to stop climate change probes

A federal judge on Thursday dismissed Exxon Mobil Corp.'s lawsuit seeking to stop New York and Massachusetts from probing whether the oil and gas company covered up its knowledge about climate change and lied to investors and the public about it. U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan rejected as "implausible" Exxon's argument that the states' Democratic attorneys general, Eric Schneiderman and Maura Healey, were pursuing politically motivated, bad-faith fraud investigations in order to violate its constitutional rights.

Forget coal, solar and wind are now both beating natural gas in the market

Prices for solar, wind, and battery storage are dropping so rapidly that renewables are increasingly squeezing out all forms of fossil fuel power, including natural gas. The cost of new solar plants dropped 20 percent over the past 12 months, while onshore wind prices dropped 12 percent, according to the latest Bloomberg New Energy Finance report .

Softbank to Build World’s Biggest Solar Park in Saudi Arabia

SoftBank Group Corp. for a $200 billion solar power project in the kingdom, calling it the single largest of its kind in the world. SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son said he envisions the project, which runs the gamut from power generation to panel and equipment manufacturing, as a way to help wean Saudi Arabia off its dependence on oil for electricity, create as many as 100,000 jobs and shave $40 billion off power costs.

Environmental Activist Patagonia Relies On Oil And Gas Industry For It’s Products

An oil and gas interest group has put together a list of outdoor outfitter Patagonia products that could not be created without the help of fossil fuels - an industry the company publicly campaigns against. Patagonia, an " activist company ," campaigns against fossil fuels and hydropower as damaging to the environment.

The Latest: Catalan speaker calls for defense of freedoms

The lawyer for fugitive former Cat... . FILE - In this March 18, 2018 file photo Catalan's fugitive ex-president Carles Puigdemont, takes part in a panel titled "Self-Determination", at the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights, in ... .

Colorado’s NREL – once threatened by draconian cuts from Trump…

Once faced with devastating cuts , a research facility in Colorado now looks as if it will emerge unscathed in the federal government's next budget. Included in Congress' $1.3 trillion spending plan for the rest of the fiscal year is $2.3 billion for a program within the U.S. Department of Energy that provides the bulk of the funding for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden.

Is Levi Tillemann Toast?

Hailing from a distinguished political family and armed with impressive qualifications of his own, Levi Tillemann's entrance into the 6th District Democratic primary last summer raised eyebrows and generated party fears of in-fighting prior to the general election against five-term Republican incumbent Mike Coffman. But Tillemann's campaign appears to be teetering on the edge of irrelevancy after a stretch of disappointing fundraising and being overlooked for a key endorsement earlier this month.

In Pompeo, Trump has the enabler for his multifaceted China policy

Ankit Panda writes that while Rex Tillerson's State Department drifted away from the White House, the new secretary may boost diplomacy's role in enacting Trump's agenda US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's services are no longer required, President Donald Trump has determined. Instead, Trump has chosen Mike Pompeo, currently the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, to succeed Tillerson, the former ExxonMobil executive, as America's top diplomat.

Trump picks camera-proven Kudlow as top economic aide

President Donald Trump has chosen Larry Kudlow to be his top economic aide, elevating the influence of a long-time fixture on the CNBC business news network who previously served in the Reagan administration and has emerged as a leading evangelist for tax cuts and a smaller government.

Trump fires top diplomat Tillerson after clashes, taps Pompeo

U.S. President Donald Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday after a series of public rifts over policy on North Korea, Russia and Iran, replacing his chief diplomat with loyalist CIA Director Mike Pompeo. The biggest shakeup of Trump's Cabinet since he took office in January 2017 was announced by the president on Twitter as his administration works toward a meeting with the leader of North Korea.

Biofuel plant managers ask Trump to defend RFS

Managers at 150 biofuel production centers across the heartland sent a letter to President Donald Trump, urging the White House to "stand strong in defense of the Renewable Fuel Standard." Growth Energy joined the plant managers in calling for Reid Vapor Pressure relief and asking the administration to reject Sen. Ted Cruz's proposals.

UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on March 5

* Ultra Electronics: British defence contractor Ultra Electronics said it terminated the $234 million acquisition of Sparton Corp following an unfavourable anti-trust review outcome from the U.S. Department of Justice. * ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND: Britain's Royal Bank of Scotland could reach a multi billion-dollar settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over its mis-selling of toxic mortgage-backed securities within weeks, Sky News reported on Friday, citing sources.

Renewables, not natural gas, were main driver behind drop in U.S. power sector emissions in 2017

The growth of clean energy in 2017 was one for the record books: Last year was the first time a reduction in U.S. power sector carbon emissions could be attributed more to renewable energy and energy conservation than the nation switching from coal to natural gas to generate electricity. Carbon emissions from the power sector dropped 4.2 percent in 2017, this time on the back of declining load and greater renewable generation, according to a new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance .