pv magazine: Texas Senate passes anti-solar, wind bill
The Texas Senate voted 22-9 to pass Senate Bill 819. The bill places restrictions on solar and wind power projects, requiring new permits, assessing fees, adding new regulatory requirements and placing new taxes on the projects.
The legislation âadds onerous requirements to new solar projects that would not apply to other energy sources except wind,â said the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA).
Texas has the nationâs largest utility-scale solar market â a $50 billion industry that has enough solar installed to power nearly 5 million homes. The bill is expected to slow development, raise Texansâ utility bills, harm rural economies, worsen grid reliability and encroach on private property rights.
It’s really hard to understand Texas politiciansâ goals here other than to support large donors from the oil industry.
NBC: What happens if a president and the federal government fail to follow a judge’s orders?
The Trump administration has been accused of ignoring or flat-out defying recent federal court orders, with two judges now weighing contempt findings against officials.
Washington-based District Judge James Boasberg ratcheted up the pressure Wednesday when he announced there is probable cause to find the government in contempt. Officials had shown “willful disregard” for his order that planes carrying Venezuelan alleged gang members be returned to the United States before they could be deported to El Salvador, Boasberg wrote.
Separately, the federal judge presiding over the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man the government wrongly deported to El Salvador, chastised the administration Tuesday for its inaction amid signs she would also consider whether to hold officials in contempt.
The Conversation: Canadaâs federal election doesnât seem like itâs about climate change, but it actually is
A defining feature of the ongoing federal election campaign has been the apparent marginalization of the environment and climate change as top-of-mind issues due to threats by the United States against Canadian sovereignty, security and trade.
But how Canada responds to U.S. President Donald Trump’s actions will also have profound implications for its future greenhouse gas emissions and its economy.
The current federal election is very different from those held in 2015, 2019 and 2021. In those elections, the environment and climate were central issues. Each time, more than 60 per cent of Canadian voters chose parties (Liberal, NDP, Bloc Québécois and Green) that advocated for strong climate action, including some form of carbon pricing.
Last Updated: 17.Apr.2025 22:45 EDT
Wednesdayâs political articles
Follow along as new links are added to todayâs political list
