GOLDEN CRESCENT AND 1000 ISLAND NEWS

  US companies have largely stopped issuing green bonds, with only one $350 million note from Oglethorpe Power in January, marking the slowest start to a year in at least a decade.   The decline in green bond sales is attributed to Republican leaders' attacks on ESG investments, inconsistent cost savings, and  scrutiny over greenwashing , with overall ESG dollar-designated bond sales from American corporations and financial institutions down nearly 89% from last year.   Despite the decline in the US, green bond sales are still strong in other parts of the world, with total sales expected to reach $660 billion this year, and companies are finding alternative ways to fund environmental projects outside of the green bond market.   Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, US companies have all but abandoned the green bonds that were once touted as a way for corporate America to have a hand in  fixing the planet . Only one such US dollar bond from an...

  March 31, 2025 A bombshell report from a clean energy group admitted that shifting to solar and wind may mean chaos for New York’s power grid as the state’s green energy law creates hurdles for cost and reliability. The report from the New York Affordable Clean Power Alliance, which represents solar and wind energy firms, noted that the state’s timetable to phase out energy generated by fossil fuel is unrealistic — and even dangerous. “The New York City area is forecasted to experience a generation shortfall starting in 2033, driven by an increase in peak demand and the planned retirement of existing dispatchable generation,” the report said. A   report from the New York Affordable Clean Power Alliance admitted that shifting to solar and wind could cause chaos for New York’s power grid. “New York faces hurdles in maintaining reliability due to ambitious renewables targets , the projected retirement of much of its flexible fossil generation fleet, growing load, and extreme we...

  ALBANY — A coalition of environmental advocacy groups is suing New York over the state’s slower than expected implementation of its landmark climate law, which requires regulations to meet the state’s mandated transition away from fossil fuels to reduce carbon emissions. 0:48 / The groups argued in the lawsuit that the state hasn’t taken the necessary steps to meet its upcoming mandates, which require a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030 to begin an ambitious set of targets over the next 25 years.   “With only five years until the first deadline, New York’s emissions are rising rather than falling,” their attorneys wrote. “The state must not only reverse this trend but must rapidly decrease emissions in the next few years.”   The civil action was  filed against the state Department of Environmental Conservation  in state court Monday  by Citizen Action of New York, the Sierra Club, WE ACT for Environmental Justice and PUSH Buffalo . They’re...

  March 27, 2025   Takeaways   NEW Mentions of sustainability and related terms on earnings calls have dropped 76% since 2020, with  the lowest level of "green chatter"  in 2025 since the second quarter of 2020.   The decline in climate talk on earnings calls is attributed to the current US administration's anti-climate stance, with companies avoiding the topic to stay under the radar and avoid unwanted scrutiny.   Despite the decrease in public discussion, investors remain interested in companies' exposure to climate change, and many companies are still making progress on sustainability initiatives, albeit quietly. In boardrooms across America, mentions of sustainability and related terms on earnings calls have dropped steeply as public companies see less to gain from associating themselves with environmental goals. Bloomberg Green  analyzed transcripts of S&P 500 company earnings calls going back to 2020, tracking mentions of more than a doz...

  March 28, 2025 In New Jersey, polls show Republicans have a shot at winning the governorship this November — their candidate in 2021 only lost to incumbent Phil Murphy by 51 percent to 48 percent. State Democrats are now freaking out over the rising energy prices created by their green policies. Electricity bills are set to go up by at least $25 a month statewide this summer and Democratic state legislators are in revolt against Governor Murphy’s extremism . Politico  reports :   “Assembly members brought friendly fire that suggests Murphy’s energy legacy is facing a meltdown before he leaves office.” Democratic Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald has doubts about Murphy leaning toward electric vehicles but banning natural gas heating and cooking: “Is it wise to continue a public policy push towards electrification that will only further increase demand when we haven’t addressed supply constraints?” It’s dawning on progressives that their fanciful plans to reshape so...

  18 House Republicans ask Mike Johnson not to target IRA clean energy tax credits In the letter, first shared with Politico’s E&E News, members led by Rep.  Andrew Garbarino  (R-N.Y.) criticized the IRA as a whole but wrote that repealing the credits could undermine the growth in the energy sector spurred by its tax provisions. They noted that a number of companies have already broken ground on investments they made assuming the credits would remain in place, and that eliminating them could lead to a “worst-case scenario” in which billions of dollars have already been spent for financial benefits that no longer exist. In addition to Garbarino, the letter was signed by GOP Reps. David Valadao (Calif.), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (Ore.), Marc Molinaro (N.Y.), Erin Houchin (Ind.), Anthony D’Esposito (N.Y.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Nick LaLota (N.Y.), Young Kim (Calif.), Jen Kiggans (Va.), John Curtis (Utah), Don Bacon (Neb.), Tom Kean Jr. (N.J.), Dave Joyce (Ohio), Mariannette Mil...