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Bush Administration Set to Hand America's Rivers Over to Hydropower Industry

A new federal rule, produced behind the scenes, will hand electric utility lobbyists a big victory at the expense of states, tribes, communities, and the environment tomorrow, conservationists warned. The Bush administration will grant sweeping new authorities to electric utilities to scrap already completed negotiations over the future of dammed rivers — and then restart talks under new rules that stack the deck against measures to protect river wildlife, provide public river access, or otherwise accommodate the needs of up and downstream neighbors. This sweeping change, which will rewrite rules for ongoing negotiations at 112 hydro licensing projects on 95 rivers in 24 states, goes far beyond what Congress required in the Energy Policy Act. Adding insult to injury, the agencies will jointly release “final” rules without ever providing the public an opportunity to comment on a draft. “This measure is profoundly unfair to everybody who has negotiated with electric utilities in good faith, sometimes for years and years,” said Robbin Marks, who directs the hydropower reform campaign at American Rivers. “The energy bill was bad enough, but now the Bush administration is going the extra mile for hydropower lobbyists to pad industry profits at the expense of rivers and […]

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Congress Undermines Federal Wind Research and Development Program

Federal investments in wind energy research and development (R&D) will be severely restricted during 2006 with a whopping $13 million of the $39 million available for 2006 being carved out – or earmarked – for 17 specific local projects requested by individual members of Congress. “Earmarking one-third of the wind energy R&D program without adding more funds significantly harms important ongoing efforts,” said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. “It results in an effective budget of only $26 million for crucial efforts at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) aimed at continuing to drive down the costs of the technology.” In addition to the R&D budget carve-outs, the overall program will also suffer a cut from $41 million to about $39 million. The restrictions and the $2 million cut were included in the annual Energy and Water Development appropriations, or spending, bill (H.R. 2419) just passed by the House and Senate. “The Senate had originally proposed an $8 million cut in wind investments below current spending,” said AWEA Legislative Director Jaime Steve, “but AWEA and its allies were able to restore $6 million of that amount.” Steve added, “We were also successful in keeping Senate calls to restrict the Department of […]

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