Department of Energy

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This Nuclear Power Plant Is Set to Achieve a Big First

Shuttered plant in Covert, Michigan, closes on $1.5B loan to become first nuclear reactor reboot

(Newser) - Holtec International's Palisades nuclear plant shuttered for good in 2022, after a half-century in service—but "for good" apparently means "just a few years," as the Michigan facility is now closer to becoming the first reboot for a nuclear reactor after all of its fuel has...

Today Kicks Off a Ban of These Lightbulbs

Barring of incandescent, halogen bulbs emitting fewer than 45 lumens per watt is now in place

(Newser) - The country may look a bit brighter Tuesday under a new rule banning most incandescent and halogen lightbulbs. Under an Energy Department rule put in place in April 2022, the manufacture and sale of most household incandescent and halogen bulbs is banned as of Tuesday, per Quartz . There are exceptions,...

Energy Department, Other Agencies Hit by 'Intrusions'

Ransomware attack that appears to have exploited a computer flaw has affected other groups globally

(Newser) - The Department of Energy and multiple other federal agencies are the victims of a ransomware attack that has already hit businesses in the UK and elsewhere around the globe. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, is lending support to those agencies "that have experienced intrusions,"...

Energy Dept. Official Fired After Allegedly Stealing Luggage

Sam Brinton was one of the first openly non-binary people hired by the federal government

(Newser) - Sam Brinton, who made headlines when they became one of the federal government's first openly non-binary officials, is no longer employed by the Department of Energy after they were accused of stealing luggage on two separate occasions from two different airports. Brinton, 35, is accused of stealing a woman'...

Old-Fashioned Light Bulbs Are Handed a Death Sentence

Advocates praise move to wind down use of '19th-century technology'

(Newser) - The Biden administration is scrapping old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs, speeding an ongoing trend toward more efficient lighting that officials say will save households, schools, and businesses billions of dollars a year. Rules finalized by the Energy Department will require manufacturers to sell energy-efficient light bulbs, accelerating a longtime industry practice...

Feds 'Ready to Rock-and-Roll' in Push to Expand Wind Power

Administration to support huge expansion in East Coast offshore wind projects

(Newser) - National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy says the Biden administration is "ready to rock-and-roll" with plans to boost offshore wind energy production along the East Coast. McCarthy said Monday that the administration plans to speed up development of clean energy projects and generate 30 million gigawatts of offshore wind power—...

Biden Gets Energy Chief Whose Focus Is Green
Biden Gets
His Energy
Chief
Feb 25, 2021 12:28 PM CST

Biden Gets His Energy Chief

Senate confirms Jennifer Granholm, an advocate of cleaner cars

(Newser) - Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm won Senate confirmation Thursday to be President Joe Biden’s energy secretary, per the AP . The vote was 64-35. Granholm, who served two terms as governor in a state dominated by the auto industry, will be a key player in Biden's vision for a...

'This Is Looking Like Worst Hacking Case in History of America'

Mitt Romney says silence from White House on alleged Russian attack 'inexcusable'

(Newser) - An alarming development in the massive cyberattack on American government systems: Sources tell Politico that the agencies that maintain America's nuclear weapons stockpile were compromised in the attack, which is strongly suspected to have been carried out by Russia. The sources say they have found evidence that hackers accessed...

After Trump Complaint, Feds Plan to Change Shower Rules

'My hair ... it has to be perfect,' he said

(Newser) - Weeks after President Trump complained that showers aren't strong enough, the Department of Energy has unveiled plans to loosen a 28-year-old energy law. Last month, Trump said that "when you take a shower, the water doesn't come out." "So what do you do? You just...

Trump's Dishwasher Lament Generates Attention

'Now you press it 12 times. Women tell me ...'

(Newser) - President Trump gave one of his longest speeches to date Wednesday night, with ridicule of his impeachment in the House a big topic. But Trump also hit on a less consequential issue that's now generating headlines: dishwashers. As in, the machines in people's kitchens. "Remember the dishwasher?...

House Investigators to Perry: You're Up. Perry: Nope

Spokeswoman for energy secretary says he'll only 'partake' in impeachment inquiry if it's public

(Newser) - The first member of Trump's Cabinet has been summoned to testify in the impeachment inquiry on the president—and it looks like he may not be going. A source tells the AP that Rick Perry's House appearance is set for Wednesday, but the energy secretary has already ignored...

Reports: Trump Is About to Lose Another Cabinet Member

Announcement from Energy Secretary Rick Perry on his resignation said to be coming soon

(Newser) - Looks like the Trump administration is about to lose another Cabinet member. Politico reported late Thursday that Energy Secretary Rick Perry is set to announce he's stepping down, with sources "familiar with his plans" saying his departure would come by the end of next month. The Washington Post...

After Khashoggi Murder, Feds OK'd Saudi Nuclear Permits

Sen. Tim Kaine slams 'eagerness to give Saudis anything they want'

(Newser) - Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine cried foul Tuesday after learning that the Trump administration approved the transfer of nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia on two occasions after the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The Department of Energy informed the Senate on Tuesday that licenses to export the sensitive technology...

Introducing America's New Export, 'Freedom Gas'

Department of Energy's new term is met with skepticism

(Newser) - Why call it liquefied natural gas when you can call it "freedom gas"? The patriotic term is making headlines after being spotted in a press release from the Department of Energy. On Tuesday, the department headed by Rick Perry announced that exports of the fuel source would be...

Nevada Governor 'Beyond Outraged' by Nuclear 'Deception'

Feds secretly shipped plutonium from SC

(Newser) - The Department of Energy revealed on Wednesday that it secretly shipped weapons-grade plutonium from South Carolina to a nuclear security site in Nevada months ago despite the state's protests. The Justice Department notified a federal judge in Reno that the government trucked in the radioactive material to store at...

Ex-DOE Staffer: My Rick Perry Photos Got Me Fired

Photographer says there was retaliation after he leaked pics of meeting between Perry, coal baron

(Newser) - Snapping photos of a meeting attended by Energy Secretary Rick Perry was part of Simon Edelman's role as a Department of Energy photographer. Yet he says he lost his job for doing just that, and ensuring the photos were seen. In an interview with the AP , Edelman says he...

Coal Companies Seeking Help From Energy Dept. Rejected

One CEO says President Trump personally promised him relief

(Newser) - The Trump administration has rejected a coal industry push to win a rarely used emergency order protecting coal-fired power plants, a decision contrary to what one coal executive said the president personally promised him, the AP reports. The Energy Department says it considered issuing the order sought by companies seeking...

Tunnel Collapses at 'Most Toxic Site in America'

No workers injured at sprawling nuclear site

(Newser) - A tunnel collapse was discovered at the Hanford nuclear site Tuesday, months after experts called the Washington state facility "the most toxic place in America" and a "Chernobyl waiting to happen." Some 4,800 workers at the site were told to shelter indoors Tuesday morning after crews...

Rick Perry Sorry He Wanted to Get Rid of Energy Dept.

Statements 'do not reflect my current thinking,' says appointee

(Newser) - Oops . Rick Perry, who famously pledged to get rid of the Energy Department while simultaneously forgetting its name in 2012, says he regrets that now that he's learned what the department actually does, the Washington Post reports. Perry is Donald Trump's pick to head the department, and...

Energy Department Rebuffs 'Unsettling' Trump Request

Refuses to give out names of those working on climate change

(Newser) - Donald Trump's transition team sent a memo with 74 questions to the Energy Department this week, among them a request for the names of people who have worked on climate change issues recently. Specifically, it requested a list of all employees and contractors who attended the UN's annual...

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