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Texas lawmakers approve tax break limitations for wind turbines near military bases

Utility Drive | Posted on May 30, 2017

The Texas legislature has passed a bill that would eliminate tax abatements for wind turbines sited within 25 miles of military bases, over concerns they pose a safety risk to bases with aviation operations. Senate Bill 277 passed the House 76-65 on Tuesday, a day after a preliminary vote; the Senate passed the measure in April. Platts reports Gov. Greg Abbott's office has not indicated if he will sign the bill.Opponents of the bill say wind turbines do not pose a threat to military bases, and that the measure is political. 


Exxon Loses Appeal to Keep Auditor Records Secret in Climate Fraud Investigation

Inside Climate News | Posted on May 30, 2017

xxonMobil lost its appeal on Tuesday to keep records held by its auditors away from the New York attorney general's climate fraud probe. The documents could afford a candid—and perhaps damaging—glimpse into Exxon's private calculations of the business risks posed by climate change. They could contain anything from a smoking gun email to plodding, yet revealing, discussions related to Exxon's posture on global warming, including whether the company was adequately calculating climate change risks for investors. Exxon still has another opportunity to appeal.Investigators for state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman subpoenaed PricewaterhouseCoopers records pertaining to Exxon's assessment of climate change as part of an investigation into Exxon that was opened in 2015.Exxon fought to have the subpoena voided, arguing the records were privileged communications with its auditor and should be kept from the eyes of investigators. The oil giant, headquartered in Dallas, based its argument on a Texas law that grants a privilege to auditors and clients much like that between a lawyer and client.A state court judge agreed with Schneiderman's office that there was no such protection afforded Exxon under New York law and ordered the documents handed over last year. Exxon appealed that decision.


Arizona Utility owner, ex-regulator, lobbyist indicted on bribery, fraud charges

Arizona Central | Posted on May 26, 2017

Former Chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission Gary Pierce and water company owner George Johnson were indicted in federal court on charges of bribery, conspiracy and fraud. The charges filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday said Pierce approved higher rates for Johnson Utilities in the East Valley and Pinal County in exchange for $31,000, which the company funneled to his wife.Also named in the eight-count indictment were Sherry Pierce and lobbyist Jim Norton, who the indictment said "agreed to act as a conduit" between Johnson and Gary Pierce.The indictment also describes a plan for Pierce to buy a $350,000 land parcel with funds that actually were coming from Johnson, though the indictment does not indicate that transaction was completed.Pierce voted in 2011 to allow a rate increase for Johnson Utilities that the staff at the Corporation Commission opposed, and he voted in 2013 for a controversial change that allowed the utility to raise customer rates to pay the personal income tax of the company owners. Both hikes were approved by majority votes of the commission.Other water companies subsequently filed for similar increases allowing the collection of their owners' income taxes through utility rates. Norton, a managing partner at Axiom Public Affairs, wields considerable influence at the state Capitol, where he lobbies for business interests. He also has a strong personal relationship with Gov. Doug Ducey, whom he has known since college.

 


Nevada passes energy bills incentivizing solar energy

Nevada Sun | Posted on May 25, 2017

The Assembly passed the measures Monday to incentivize customers to install solar energy storage systems, research possible targets for utility companies to procure energy storage systems, and make it easier for residents to put up windmills. Assembly members also agreed with a Senate amendment to a bill that supporters say will help save energy and lower bills for customers, sending that to Gov. Brian Sandoval’s desk as well.


Ethanol and biodiesel boost bottom line for farmers

Nebraska TV | Posted on May 25, 2017

Ethanol shines in Nebraska -- creating jobs in communities like Cambridge, Ord, and Ravenna, while also boosting the bottom line for farmers. Nebraska produces more than two billion gallons a year, with two dozen plants, most in small communities. Ethanol, even higher blends up to 85 percent widely available in Nebraska. But it's another biofuel made from soybeans – biodiesel – that’s seen a big jump in recent years.Soy biodiesel demand has skyrocketed a thousand percent in the last decade, and that also means more soybean meal as a byproduct, as producers crush more soybeans for their oil.


Bill in Ohio House would permanently subsidize 2 coal-fired power plants

Columbus Dispatch | Posted on May 25, 2017

A new proposal in the Ohio House would provide a perpetual subsidy for two coal-fired power plants owned jointly by American Electric Power and just about every other major electricity utility in the state. House Bill 239 calls for the owners of Ohio Valley Electric Corp. to receive a guarantee of income at times when the market price of electricity is less than the cost to operate the power plants. That money would come from a charge to consumers.The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio already has approved a similar plan for AEP, which leads to a varying monthly charge that is now about $2 per month for a typical household.The legislation would take the PUCO’s action, which needs to be re-approved every few years, and make it last for the remainder of the life of the plants — which could be decades. Also, the bill would provide benefits to all Ohio Valley Electric co-owners in the state, not just AEP.


Overview of Iowa Biofuel Tax Credits and Ethanol Blends Sales

Agriculture Marketing and Resource Center | Posted on May 25, 2017

Ethanol consumption  has been promoted at the state level. In Iowa for instance, the Iowa General Assembly authorized House File 2754 in 2006. This legislation established the goal that 25% of all petroleum used in the formulation of gasoline in Iowa be replaced by biofuels by 2020. To support this goal, several refundable tax credits were enacted for biofuel retailers. As of now, Iowa biofuel retailers have four tax credits available: The Ethanol Promotion Tax Credit, the E85 Gasoline Promotion Tax Credit, the E15 Plus Gasoline Promotion Tax Credit, and the Biodiesel Blended Fuel Tax Credit (IDR, 2014). 


Were farmers cheated by NIPSCO's 100-mile power line project?

South Bend Tribune | Posted on May 25, 2017

A for-profit utility company claims it tried to be a good neighbor to meet concerns of farmers affected by a 100-mile power line that is under construction and will cross several northern Indiana counties.But farmers who are dealing with the downsides — such as gravel roads through their crops and poles that need to be farmed around — say they feel cheated by the Northern Indiana Public Service Co."I think they're absolutely crooks," said Karl Faulstich, who runs a 330-acre farm with his father near Plymouth.The Faulstiches were among hundreds of landowners who had no choice but to sell rights for a 200-foot-wide easement needed by NIPSCO to build the "Reynolds to Topeka" line, which is named after its southern and northern ends, respectively.Counties impacted by the nearly $300 million project are White, Pulaski, Starke, Marshall, Kosciusko, Elkhart and LaGrange. At the Faulstich farm, the line is being built less than 100 feet from a cattle barn. Nine power poles that are being built will make it challenging to harvest crops on the farm, and a gravel road for the project has taken over part of an alfalfa field.


There aren’t enough slaughterhouses to support the farm-to-table economy

Bloomberg | Posted on May 24, 2017

While the situation varies from species to species and state to state, sellers of noncommodity pork, beef, and chicken agree: there simply aren't enough facilities to humanely and safely kill their animals. The numbers are stark. In 1967 there were 9,627 livestock (cattle, calf, hog and sheep) slaughtering establishments in the U.S. That same year, Congress passed the Wholesome Meat Act, requiring producers to use a USDA-inspected facility if they sell meat across state lines. A mass consolidation of the meat industry followed. Today, commodity meat is dominated by large companies. Just four companies sell about 85% of America's beef and the pork and chicken markets are similarly controlled by huge corporations. By 2016, there were only about 1,100 federally inspected meat and poultry slaughterhouses in the country.But customers are increasingly demanding free-range meat from smaller producers that, largely because of the lack of slaughterhouse, aren't able to supply it fast or cheap enough. Volume sales for free-range meat, for example, was up 26.9 percent in 2016, while conventional was down 0.5 percent, according to data from Nielsen Fresh.Just a handful of large slaughterhouses handle a disproportionate amount of that American meat: Of those approximately 1,100 facilities, 215 large slaughter establishments (defined as 500 or more employees) produce about 75 percent to 90 percent of the country's volume. At the Smithfield plant in Tar Heel, N.C., for example, approximately 30,000 to 34,000 hogs are reportedly slaughtered each day. At the other end of the spectrum is Dealaman, the only federally inspected hog slaughterhouse in New Jersey, which processes a paltry 1,200 pigs a week.The explanations for the struggles of the small slaughterhouses vary but inevitably come down to two interrelated factors—regulations that favor large meatpackers and uneven enforcement of those regulations.


Wisconsin EPA approves filling of wetlands to build frac sand facility

| Posted on May 24, 2017

Wisconsin’s environmental protection agency has authorized a Georgia timber company to fill more than 16 acres of Monroe County wetlands in order to build a $65 million frac sand facility.Meteor Timber, one of the largest private landowners in Wisconsin, has proposed building a processing and loading facility along Interstate 94 near the town of Millston to dry and ship frac sand the company will mine from a nearby site it acquired in a 2014 purchase of nearly 50,000 acres.The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Friday granted the company a permit allowing it to fill the wetlands, including about 13 acres of “pristine” and increasingly rare hardwood swamp. Meteor must still receive permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before filling any wetlands. The company must also apply for permits allowing incidental loss of threatened and endangered species during construction. Meteor must still receive permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before filling any wetlands. The company must also apply for permits allowing incidental loss of threatened and endangered species during construction.After the proposal first received media attention, Meteor proposed to restore and preserve more than 640 acres of other land — including more than 296 acres of existing wetlands.“Our company knows that sustainability is an important part of operating responsibly,” Mathis said. “We have worked hard to go above and beyond other projects by developing a historic plan to permanently preserve and restore high-quality wetlands on more than 600 acres. This effort merits support from those who want to see growth, economic development and preserve the environment – because our project accomplishes all three.” However, the DNR determined those mitigation efforts “are not likely to fully compensate” for what it calls “permanent and irreversible” secondary impacts from activity on the site and may not compensate for the direct loss of 13.4 acres of “exceptional quality” white pine and red maple swamp, which is considered an imperiled habitat.The agency also said the permit approval “may lead to increased applications to fill rare, sensitive and valuable wetland plant communities.”Geers said those and other findings bring into question whether the project can be legally approved under state and federal law.


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