Energy & Environment
Georgia officials, honeybee experts working to take sting out of hornet invasion
A tiny menace has been buzzing around Georgia’s coastal region and is trying to snatch up the state’s honeybees, but a team of scientists and state and federal employees are working to prevent the dangerous and disrespectful yellow-legged hornet from gaining a foothold in the Peach state. The hornet, which can grow to about an […]
Georgia coal ash pond neighbors channel frustrations through proposed EPA crackdown in Alabama
Juliette resident Gloria Hammond has watched as families moved away from their homes located next to what was once the largest coal-fired power plant in the country. On Wednesday, Hammond urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to follow through with its rejection of Alabama’s proposed coal ash disposal rules. The agency’s denial is part of […]
Okefenokee on track to World Heritage Site status
A notice in the Federal Register Monday signaled a new phase in the decades-long quest for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to become a World Heritage Site. The refuge now has the go-ahead from the U.S. Department of the Interior to prepare a draft nomination for the United Nations designation. “That’s the green light,” Refuge […]
State regulators reaffirm support for Burmese python rules meant to protect native wildlife in Georgia
This story was updated at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. State regulators rejected a push from an advocacy group representing reptile enthusiasts to reconsider new rules adopted last year that restricted ownership of Burmese pythons. The 2022 change was meant to head off any potential threat to native wildlife in Georgia. Originally from Southeast […]
Okefenokee Swamp refuge will be nominated for high-profile World Heritage designation
The National Park Service announced Friday that the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge will be nominated as a World Heritage Site, which moves forward the proposal four decades after the refuge was first considered a contender for the honor. If successful, the southeast Georgia refuge would become the first World Heritage Site in the state, and […]
Georgia Power must have taken lessons from Muhammad Ali
Here’s a question: “What does Georgia Power have in common with the greatest boxer of all time?” Huh? To be more specific: “What does Georgia Power have in common with Muhammad Ali?” Consider the behemoth utility’s tactics to wear down environmental critics by delaying doing the long-term and right thing with its millions of tons […]
Georgia Power, state regulators agree to division of Vogtle nuclear plant costs
A settlement agreement among Georgia Power, clean energy advocates, and state regulators’ staff could result in several billion dollars of costs being passed along to company shareholders for the beleaguered Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion project. The Public Interest Advocacy Staff of Georgia Public Service Commission and Georgia Power reached an agreement on Wednesday that, if […]
New federal water pollution rule draws mixed reaction
A federal rule limiting agencies’ power to regulate water pollution will severely restrict protections for waters and wetlands throughout the country, but could also be subject to challenges from conservative groups that maintain the new rule exerts more federal jurisdiction than the U.S. Supreme Court intended in a May decision. With the rule published Tuesday to […]
Federal, state regulators prod utilities to consider technology for grid upgrade
Of the many challenges confronting the nation’s aging, straining electric grid, the need for a lot of new transmission capacity is among the most pressing, experts and policymakers say. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy said the nation will need thousands of miles of new lines to better link regions to handle extreme weather, reduce […]
Governor taps long-time Georgia Department of Natural Resources employee to head agency
The governor has appointed a long-time staffer of the state Department of Natural Resources to lead the sprawling agency that oversees state parks, industrial pollution, hunting and fishing regulations and more. Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday morning – just as a Board of Natural Resources meeting was underway – that Walter Rabon was his pick […]
Biden administration proposes $106 million for Western salmon and steelhead recovery
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is recommending sending $106 million to 16 salmon and steelhead recovery efforts in five Western states, the federal agency said Thursday. NOAA and the Department of Commerce recommended grants to state agencies with salmon protection missions, tribes and tribal partnerships in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and California. The funding […]
Crush of Georgia environmentalists line up behind EPA greenhouse gas regulations opposed by carbon polluters
The Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel power plants has been endorsed by a crush of environmental advocates in Georgia. By the end of Tuesday’s public comment deadline, the EPA reported receiving more than 1 million responses across the nation to its proposed rule that is designed to reduce […]