Energy

Not your grandmother's nuclear reactor. A drawing of Oklo's proposed Aurora nuclear power plant, which would produce enough electricity for about 1000 homes.

Smaller Nuclear Plants May Come With Less Stringent Safety Rules

7:00am August 01, 2020

by Jeff Brady

Proposed new emergency preparedness rules would allow nuclear plants closer to where people live. Companies say the plants are safer, but they need the rule changes for a viable business model.

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend, is pictured in 1991. She now faces multiple counts related to sex trafficking of minors and perjury. She has pleaded not guilty.

National

Judge Releases Trove Of Sealed Records Related To Lawsuit Against Ghislaine Maxwell

3:03pm July 31, 2020

The judge unseals hundreds of pages of documents related to a now-settled defamation suit brought against Maxwell by one of Jeffrey Epstein's accusers.

West Atlanta resident Harriet Feggins has been out of work since March because of the pandemic. So far she has managed to pay her electric bill by scraping together odd jobs and dipping into her 401(k). "I'm trying to do everything I can," she says, but s

'Tidal Wave' Of Power Shut-Offs Looms As Nation Grapples With Heat

7:13pm July 28, 2020

Power shut-off moratoriums imposed at the start of the pandemic are beginning to expire. Customers and utilities face a backlog of missed bills that may eventually be passed on to ratepayers.

President Trump proposes changes to the National Environmental Policy Act at the White House in January. The final rules aims to speed approval of pipelines and other infrastructure.

Trump Overhauls Key Environmental Law To Speed Up Pipelines And Other Projects

4:40pm July 15, 2020

by Jeff Brady

President Trump is making major changes to a bedrock environmental law that he says will help the economy. Critics say the move will sideline input from communities affected by polluting projects.

Pump jacks operate at dusk near Loco Hills in Eddy County, New Mexico, on April 23. U.S. oil producers are grappling with prolonged low oil prices and the uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic.

Economy

Oil Industry, Accustomed To Booms And Busts, Is Rocked By Pandemic

4:05pm July 15, 2020

by Camila Domonoske

When the price of oil crashes, oil companies often merge and big oil gets even bigger. So this crisis could be an opportunity for companies, but it comes with a tremendous amount of uncertainty.

Court Halts Dakota Access Pipeline Shutdown As Legal Fight Goes Forward

10:27am July 15, 2020

A federal appellate court temporarily blocked a lower-court order to shut down and empty the controversial oil pipeline. The operator, Energy Transfer, can continue pumping while the case is pending.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden details his $2 trillion climate proposal Tuesday at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del.

Biden Outlines $2 Trillion Climate Plan

4:38pm July 14, 2020

by Alana Wise

The former vice president's initiative calls to chart the United States on "an irreversible path" to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Joe Biden Lays Out His Clean Energy Plan

4:03pm July 14, 2020

by Scott Detrow

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday outlined his plans to "build a resilient and sustainable infrastructure now and deliver an equitable clean energy future."

Environment

Native American Activists Victorious After Judge Orders Pipeline Shut Down

7:56am July 07, 2020

NPR's David Greene talks to Mark Trahant, editor of Indian Country Today, about what the Dakota Access Pipeline shutdown means for activists, and where the court battle goes from here.

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Federal Court Orders Dakota Access Pipeline To Shut Down And Be Drained

4:15pm July 06, 2020

by Jeff Brady

A federal court on Monday ordered the indefinite shutdown of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The decision is a victory for Native Americans and other activists who sued over its environmental impact.

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