MELBOURNE, Australia, July 1 -- The Australian Conservation Foundation issued the following statement: * * * In response to Resources Minister Keith Pitt's announcement that the Morrison government will give $175 million from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) to support the Olive Downs coal project in Queensland's Bowen Basin, the Australian Conservation Foundation's Suzanne Harter said. "While investors around the world are getting out of fossil fuels, and Australia's ban  more

CANBERRA, Australia, July 1 -- The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association issued the following news release: The voice of the Australian oil and gas industry said today's planned and scheduled lifting on the restrictions on onshore gas development will mean Victoria may once again become an energy powerhouse. APPEA Victorian Director Ashley Wells said the original ban on a proven, safe and highly regulated industry didn't make sense and meant that Victorians have had to re  more

DENVER, Colorado, July 1 -- The Colorado House Democrats issued the following news on June 30, 2021: Governor Polis today signed two bills into law to invest millions into helping communities transitioning away from coal and to lay the groundwork for the development of a passenger rail to connect Colorado from our Northern to our Southern borders. Both of these bills were sponsored by Majority Leader Daneya Esgar. "The two new laws created today have been longstanding priorities of my Southern  more

BRUSSELS, Belgium, June 28 -- The European Commission issued the following news release: The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, Austrian plans to establish a network reserve for the Austrian electricity market. The temporary measure will be in force until end 2025 and will contribute to safeguarding secure network operation and sufficient electricity supply in Austria, without unduly distorting competition in the Single Market. Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestag  more

LONDON, England, July 1 -- Friends of the Earth issued the following statement: * * * Reacting to news that from 1 October 2024 the UK will no longer use coal to generate electricity, a year earlier than planned, Friends of the Earth energy campaigner, Tony Bosworth, said. "Although this is welcome news, coal power was already fading into the history books. "Coal provided just 1.5% of UK electricity in the final quarter of 2020, the lowest level on record, and by the end of next year, there   more

PARIS, France, July 1 (TNSRep) -- The International Energy Agency issued the following news release: The growth of hydropower plants worldwide is set to slow significantly this decade, putting at risk the ambitions of countries across the globe to reach net-zero emissions while ensuring reliable and affordable energy supplies for their citizens, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency. Hydropower today has a key role in the transition to clean energy not only through the m  more

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, July 1 (TNSRes) -- The International Renewable Energy Agency issued the following news release on June 30, 2021: Accelerating energy transitions on a path to climate safety can grow the world's economy by 2.4 per cent over the expected growth of current plans within the next decade, a new analysis from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) shows. The Agency's 1.5 C pathway foresees the creation of up to 122 million energy-related jobs in 2050, more t  more

BISMARCK, North Dakota, July 1 -- Gov. Doug Burgum, R-North Dakota, issued the following news on June 30, 2021: Gov. Doug Burgum and Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford today applauded the sale of Coal Creek Station to Rainbow Energy Center LLC as a landmark moment for the future of energy production in North Dakota and the culmination of more than a year of determined efforts by the administration and others to save the state's largest power plant, preserving critical baseload power and hundreds of jobs.   more

CANBERRA, Australia, July 1 -- The Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science's Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia issued the following news release: The Coalition Government is supporting mining jobs and exports in central Queensland through a Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) loan to the Olive Downs metallurgical coal project. Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt said the $900 million project in the Bowen Basin will   more

LONDON, England, July 1 -- The Nuclear Industry Association issued the following statement: * * * In reaction to the Government's decision to bring forward the phase out date for coal generation to October 2024, Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association said. "Nuclear has played an integral part in reducing Britain's use of high carbon power, including coal generated electricity, for decades, saving the country more emissions than any other source. "However, with the   more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-North Dakota, issued the following statement: * * * Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) released the following statement on Rainbow Energy Center, LLC's (Rainbow Energy Center) announcement that they have reached an agreement to purchase and operate Coal Creek Station near Underwood, North Dakota. "Rainbow Energy Center's announcement is welcome news and great relief not only for the hundreds of workers employed at Coal Creek Station, but for every  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, July 1 -- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, issued the following news release on June 30, 2021: Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today questioned expert witnesses at a Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on "Toxic Coal Ash: Adverse Health Effects from the Puerto Rico Plant and Options for Plant Closure." In April, Congressman Cohen introduced the Ensuring the Safe Disposal of Coal Ash Act, which would strengthen protections against coal ash co  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Oklahoma, issued the following news release: Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) introduced the Energy Poverty Prevention Act (EPPA) to the House of Representatives this morning. Rep. Hern previously introduced EPPA last Congress. "Transparency is at the heart of a lot of the bills and ideas I've supported since coming to Congress," said Rep. Hern. "In light of recent decisions out of the Biden Administration to destroy energy jobs in Oklahoma, drive gas   more

DENVER, Colorado, July 1 -- Sen. Michael F. Bennet, D-Colorado, issued the following news release: Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry's Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources, joined a group of Democratic senators in calling on Senate Leadership to prioritize the historic investments proposed in President Joe Biden's American Jobs Plan for natural infrastructure restoration, resilience,  more

BISMARCK, North Dakota, July 1 -- Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota, issued the following statement: * * * U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee member, issued the following statement today on Rainbow Energy Center reaching an agreement to purchase Coal Creek Station from Great River Energy (GRE): "Today's announcement is excellent news for the employees of Coal Creek Station and Falkirk Mine, and it's a prime example what can be done with Nor  more

BISMARCK, North Dakota, July 1 -- Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, issued the following news release on June 30, 2021: Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today outlined the important role of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies to the future of Coal Creek Station, which was approved for purchase by Rainbow Energy today ensuring its operation beyond 2022. Hoeven has been working with Great River Energy, Rainbow Energy and N  more

MAPLE GROVE, Minnesota, July 1 (TNSOps) -- The Sierra Club issued the following news release on June 30, 2021: Earlier today, Great River Energy (GRE) announced that the utility would be selling its Coal Creek Station power plant to Rainbow Energy Center instead of retiring it as planned. Sierra Club had previously praised GRE for its plans to close Coal Creek -- which GRE had admitted was losing customers $170 million a year -- and replace it with lower cost renewable energy. In today's announ  more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, July 1 -- The U.S. Trade and Development Agency issued the following news release on June 30, 2021: The U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced grant funding to Poland's Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe (PEJ - Polish Nuclear Power Plants Ltd) for a front-end engineering and design study that will help develop Poland's first two nuclear power plants, facilitate the country's transition away from coal-fired power, and strengthen the country's efforts to ensure its long-term en  more

WARSAW, Poland, July 1 -- Westinghouse Electric issued the following news release: Westinghouse Electric Company has announced the launch of Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) work under a grant from the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to progress the nuclear energy program in Poland. The FEED will be a major step forward in bringing the project closer to realization. It is also one of the key elements in the implementation of the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) betwee  more