Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Green Energy

114 laid off from federal energy lab in Golden as Biden-era programs face scrutiny
Approved, kdvr.com, Local, National

114 laid off from federal energy lab in Golden as Biden-era programs face scrutiny

By Heather Willard | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — On Monday, 114 employees of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory were “involuntarily separated” from the agency. The mass layoff was confirmed in an email from an NREL spokesperson, who said NREL is dealing with “a complex financial and operational landscape shaped by the issuance of stop work orders from federal agencies, new federal directives, and budgetary shifts.” “As a result, NREL has experienced workforce impacts affecting 114 employees across the laboratory, including staff from both research and operations, who were involuntarily separated today,” the statement read. “We appreciate their meaningful contributions to the laboratory. NREL’s mission continues to be critical to achieve an affordable and secure energy future. We a...
Rare Earth minerals affected by China export ban used in EVs, green energy, and military tech
Approved, Breitbart, National

Rare Earth minerals affected by China export ban used in EVs, green energy, and military tech

By John Hayward | Breitbart China has restricted the export of several crucial rare earth minerals to the United States in response to President Donald Trump’s tariff increases. The restrictions come up short of a total ban, but they will probably slow the delivery of minerals needed by defense, energy, and electronics companies. The term “rare earth minerals” is sometimes used broadly to refer to all valuable or unusual minerals, but in fact it refers to a specific list of 17 metallic elements. Fifteen of them are lanthanides, meaning they occupy a specific region of the periodic table of the elements that begins with lanthanum (atomic number 57). The lanthanides all share similar atomic structure and chemical behavior, so the grouping is not arbitrary. READ THE FULL STORY AT...
Rosen: Eco-radicals push watermelon socialism, not science
Approved, denvergazette.com, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Rosen: Eco-radicals push watermelon socialism, not science

By Mike Rosen | Denver Gazette I recently stumbled on one of my all-time favorite movies on TV. It was the 1965 film of Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago, starring Omar Sharif and Julie Christie. So, I watched the whole thing for 10th time. One particular scene stands out. After his service as a doctor in the Russian Army during World War I, Zhivago returns to his family who’d been living with his in-laws, in Moscow. By this time, the Russian Army had disintegrated, the Czar had been overthrown and the Bolsheviks had taken control following the 1917 Revolution. Arriving at the elegant townhome of father-in-law Aleksander Gromeko, a retired professor, Zhivago is confronted by a burly women in military garb; an overbearing communist official who, addresses him as “comrade” and annou...
Denver’s large building electrification rules updated
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver’s large building electrification rules updated

By Scott Weiser | Denver Gazette Deadline extensions are among changes to help ease the burden of switch from natural gas Denver’s regulations requiring electrification of all buildings larger than 25,000 square feet has drawn controversy since they were implemented in 2021, especially from businesses and building owners. But relief may be on the horizon as city officials are re-writing the rules after soliciting public input and pushing compliance deadlines farther into the future. While the Energize Denver Building Performance Policy sets energy-saving targets for buildings 25,000 square feet and larger, building owners and industry representatives say the policies are forcing a switch from natural gas to full electrification in violation of federal law. According to the c...
Taxpayers gave $50 million to Thornton’s Solid Power to expand, prove out EV battery technology
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Taxpayers gave $50 million to Thornton’s Solid Power to expand, prove out EV battery technology

By Michael Booth | The Colorado Sun Thornton-based Solid Power has a $50 million federal grant to ramp up development of the solid-state EV batteries it considers the technology of the near-future in automobiles, putting the company closer to its goal of developing a mass production facility in the eastern U.S. or Korea.  The current EV battery market is dominated by liquid-based lithium-ion versions, and solid-state researchers believe their models are safer and offer more driving range to settle “range anxiety” fears among potential buyers. The federal grant for Solid Power, announced Friday, will allow the company to expand to a continuous manufacturing line in Colorado of the sulfide-based solid electrolytes to replace the smaller batch system currently in place.  READ TH...