Articles by Nichola Groom

U.S. Solar Industry Warns of Slowdown Due to Supply Chain Disruptions, Tariff Uncertainty

The U.S. solar industry is warning of a big slowdown in project installations this year as global supply chain disruptions and the threat of new U.S. tariffs on panel imports from Southeast Asia hit home. U.S. power company Southern Co. …

Judge Blocks Biden Order on Calculating Climate Risks in Government Decisions

A federal judge on Friday blocked for now the Biden administration from restoring Obama-era values for calculating the cost of climate change in the government’s permitting, investment and regulatory decisions. The preliminary ruling by a U.S. District Court judge in …

Climate Change Could Fuel Atmospheric Rivers, Which Caused Recent Canada Floods

Atmospheric rivers of the kind that drenched California and flooded British Columbia in recent weeks will become larger — and possibly more destructive — because of climate change, scientists said. Columns in the atmosphere hundreds of miles long carry water …

White House to Assist Drought-Plagued Western U.S. Communities

The White House on Wednesday announced an effort to provide immediate support to farmers, tribes and communities suffering from worsening drought conditions in the Western United States. After a meeting of the National Climate Task Force, President Joe Biden’s administration …

California Toughens PG&E Wildfire Safety Oversight

California officials on Thursday voted to toughen oversight of Pacific Gas & Electric, saying the utility had largely failed to perform required tree-trimming work near power lines in areas with the highest risk of wildfires. The unanimous vote by the …

Millions of Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells Pose Environmental, Health Risks

In May 2012, Hanson and Michael Rowe noticed an overpowering smell, like rotten eggs, seeping from an abandoned gas well on their land in Kentucky. The fumes made the retired couple feel nauseous, dizzy, and short of breath. Regulators responding …

Companies in Polluting Industries Slow to Disclose Climate Change Risks: Moody’s

U.S. and European companies in polluting industries rarely disclose the financial risks they face related to climate change even though a global task force called on them to do so two years ago, Moody’s Investors Service said in a report …

After Solar System Fires, Walmart Sues Tesla for ‘Widespread Negligence’

Walmart Inc. on Tuesday sued Tesla Inc., accusing it of “widespread negligence” that led to repeated fires of its solar systems and asking a court to force Tesla to remove solar panels from more than 240 of its U.S. stores. …

Filings Show PG&E Delayed Key Power Line Safety Overhaul

Shares of PG&E Corp fell about 3 percent after federal filings showed that the power utility had delayed a safety overhaul of a high-voltage transmission line, a prime suspect behind the deadliest wildfire in California history. The company filed for …

PG&E Cleared of Liability in 2017 California Wildfire, Bankruptcy Still Seen

California fire investigators last week concluded that a major 2017 wildfire was caused by privately owned electrical equipment, prompting the state’s new governor to estimate that PG&E Corp’s potential wildfire liabilities could be almost cut in half. Investors in the …