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States sue Trump administration for blocking the development of wind energy
17 states sue Trump for halting wind energy projects, claiming his executive order is unlawful and harms clean energy, jobs, and climate progress.
Flood insurance costs rise with newer risk rating
FEMA manages the National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, which supplies flood insurance to the public and businesses through a network of insurance providers. The agency began implementing a rating standard known as Risk Rating 2.0 in October 2021. Critics think the new rating drove up prices.
Trump administration cancels clean energy grants as it prioritizes fossil fuels
President Donald Trump’s administration is terminating grants for two clean energy projects and roughly 300 others funded by the Department of Energy are in jeopardy as the president prioritizes fossil fuels. The DOE is canceling two awards to a nonprofit climate think tank, RMI in Colorado, according to a document from the agency confirming the […]
Batten donates $100M to expand W&M marine, coastal research
Jane Batten, the matriarch of a Hampton Roads family known for its philanthropy, has pledged $100 million to William & Mary to boost coastal and marine science research towards finding global solutions for flooding and sea-level rise, the Williamsburg university announced Wednesday. The newly named Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences will expand the […]
Is ESG another CRT?
In January, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares joined a group of 24 other state attorneys general in challenging a U.S. Department of Labor rule allowing fiduciaries to consider environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria such as climate change in making investment decisions for retirement funds. The AGs argued that ESG practices work against investment […]
Va. Tech receives record $80M grant for climate-smart farming
Virginia Tech has received a record $80 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a pilot program that will pay farmers to add practices that could help curb greenhouse gases, the university announced Monday. The grant is the largest in the university’s history. Virginia Tech is partnering on the pilot program with Rural […]
SCC approves Dominion’s $9.8B offshore wind farm
The State Corporation Commission has approved Dominion Energy Inc.’s application for the proposed $9.8 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project (CVOW), which calls for the construction of 176 wind turbines 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. The Richmond-based Fortune 500 utility has already erected two pilot turbines for its 2.6-gigawatt Coastal Virginia Offshore […]
Four Va. businesses to receive flood solutions funding
Four Virginia-based small businesses focused on coastal resiliency and flooding will receive funding to develop their products, Norfolk-based nonprofit RISE Resilience Innovations announced Thursday. Divided between rural and urban projects, there were eight winning projects, with the other four based in North Carolina. More than 70 projects were submitted. The urban winners will receive up [&hell[...]
Leidos names new top climate scientist
Reston-based Leidos Holdings Inc. has named Miguel Román as senior director and chief scientist of climate and environment, the science and technology giant announced Thursday. Román joins Leidos from NASA, where since 2014, he led a worldwide group to generate long-term climate data from polar-orbiting satellites. In his new role, Román will be responsible for […]
Watershed moment
Hampton Roads is besieged by hurricanes, nor’easters and full moon tidal surges, but it’s not just coastal Virginia homes and businesses that are threatened by increased flooding. “Climate change is causing the state as a whole to deal with flooding and flood- related issues. It impacts a lot of people throughout the state,” says Michael […]
Youngkin chooses natural resources secretary
Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday that former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler is his pick for state secretary of natural resources. At the same time, Youngkin chose Michael Rolband as director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. “Virginia needs a diverse energy portfolio in place to fuel our economic growth, continued preservation of [&he[...]
30 Va. projects awarded $24.5M in flood prep grants
The Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund has awarded $24.5 million in grants for 30 projects statewide, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. “The Community Flood Preparedness Fund will provide an estimated $75 million a year to improve the resilience of our commonwealth, including targeted funding for Virginia’s most vulnerable and underserved communities,” Northam said in a [&he[...]
