#National Fuel Efficiency Program

[monkeyssalad-blog]

STOP WASTE : SAVE FUEL by jim goodyear Via Flickr: 440PSX[rsz[strtn Windows Down - Lights Out

[e-the-village-cryptid]

A brief bullet-point list of the executive orders Trump signed yesterday. The tiktok thing is a distraction. If you are in the US, please read this. It will take less than 5 minutes. Gift article so no paywall

Some of the items on that list:

Freeze federal hiring except for military and immigration enforcement.

Bar asylum for people newly arriving at the southern border; declare migrant crossings at the southern border to be a national emergency; suspend the entire Refugee Admissions Program.

Terminate DEI initiatives across the federal government.

Recognize only two sexes; remove protections for transgender people in federal prisons.

Withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, the pact among almost all nations to fight climate change.

Declare a national energy emergency, a first in U.S. history, which could unlock new powers to suspend certain environmental rules or expedite permitting of certain mining projects.

Try to undo Biden’s ban on offshore drilling for 625 million acres of federal waters; undo Biden-era tailpipe pollution regulations and other energy-efficiency, fossil fuel, and pollution regulations.

Open the Alaska wilderness to more oil and gas drilling.

Eliminate environmental justice programs across the government, which are aimed at protecting poor communities from excess pollution.

Withdraw from the World Health Organization.

Ensure that states carrying out the death penalty have a “sufficient supply” of lethal injection drugs.

Create the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk in charge.

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #20

May 24-31 2024

The EPA awards $900 million to school districts across the country to replace diesel fueled school buses with cleaner alternatives. The money will go to 530 school districts across nearly every state, DC, tribal community, and US territory. The funds will help replace 3,400 buses with cleaner alternatives, 92% of the new buses will be 100% green electric. This adds to the $3 billion the Biden administration has already spent to replace 8,500 school buses across 1,000 school districts in the last 2 years.

For the first time the federal government released guidelines for Voluntary Carbon Markets. Voluntary Carbon Markets are a system by which companies off set their carbon emissions by funding project to fight climate change like investing in wind or solar power. Critics have changed that companies are using them just for PR and their funding often goes to projects that would happen any ways thus not offsetting emissions. The new guidelines seek to insure integrity in the Carbon Markets and make sure they make a meaningful impact. It also pushes companies to address emissions first and use offsets only as a last resort.

The IRS announced it'll take its direct file program nationwide in 2025. In 2024 140,000 tax payers in 12 states used the direct file pilot program and the IRS now plans to bring it to all Americans next tax season. Right now the program is only for simple W-2 returns with no side income but the IRS has plans to expand it to more complex filings in the future. This is one of the many projects at the IRS being funded through President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act.

The White House announced steps to boost nuclear energy in America. Nuclear power in the single largest green energy source in the country accounting for 19% of America's total energy. Boosting Nuclear energy is a key part of the Biden administration's strategy to reach a carbon free electricity sector by 2035. The administration has invested in bring the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan back on-line, and extending the life of Diablo Canyon in California. In addition the Military will be deploying new small modular nuclear reactors and microreactors to power its installations. The Administration is setting up a task force to help combat the delays and cost overruns that have often derailed new nuclear projects and the Administration is supporting two Gen III+ SMR demonstration projects to highlight the safety and efficiency of the next generation of nuclear power.

The Department of Agriculture announced $824 million in new funding to protect livestock health and combat H5N1. The funding will go toward early detection, vaccine research, and supporting farmers impacted. The USDA is also launching a nation wide Dairy Herd Status Pilot Program, hopefully this program will give us a live look at the health of America's dairy herd and help with early detection. The Biden Administration has reacted quickly and proactively to the early cases of H5N1 to make sure it doesn't spread to the human population and become another pandemic situation.

The White House announced a partnership with 21 states to help supercharge America's aging energy grid. Years of little to no investment in America's Infrastructure has left our energy grid lagging behind the 21st century tech. This partnership aims to squeeze all the energy we can out of our current system while we rush to update and modernize. Last month the administration announced a plan to lay 100,000 miles of new transmission lines over the next five years. The 21 states all with Democratic governors are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The Department of Transportation announced $343 million to update 8 of America's oldest and busiest transportation stations for disability accessibility. These include the MBTA's the Green Line's light-rail B and C branches in Boston,  Cleveland's Blue Line, New Orleans'  St. Charles Streetcar route, and projects in San Francisco and New York City and other locations

The Department of interior announced two projects for water in Western states. $179 million for drought resilience projects in California and Utah and $242 million for expanding water access in California, Colorado and Washington. The projects should help support drinking water for 6.4 million people every year.

HUD announced $150 million for affordable housing for tribal communities. This adds to the over $1 billion dollars for tribal housing announced earlier in the month. Neil Whitegull of the Ho-Chunk Nation said at the announcement "I know a lot of times as Native Americans we've been here and we've seen people that have said, ‘Oh yeah, we'd like to help Indians.’ And they take a picture and they go away. We never see it, But there's been a commitment here, with the increase in funding, grants, and this administration that is bringing their folks out. And there's a real commitment, I think, to Native American tribes that we've never seen before."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged $135 million to help Moldavia. Since the outbreak of Russia's war against neighboring Ukraine the US has given $774 million in aid to tiny Moldavia. Moldavia has long been dependent on Russian energy but thanks to US investment in the countries energy security Moldavia is breaking away from Russia and moving forward with EU membership.

The US and Guatemala launched the "Youth With Purpose” initiative. The initiative will be run through the Central America Service Corps, launched in 2022 by Vice President Harris the CASC is part of the Biden Administration's efforts to improve life in Central America. The Youth With Purpose program will train 25,000 young Guatemalans and connect with with service projects throughout the country.

Bonus: Today, May 31st 2024, is the last day of the Affordable Connectivity Program. The program helped 23 million Americans connect to the internet while saving them $30 to $75 dollars every month. Despite repeated calls from President Biden Republicans in Congress have refused to act to renew the program. The White House has worked with private companies to get them to agree to extend the savings to the end of 2024. The Biden Administration has invested $90 Billion high-speed internet investments. Such as $42.45 billion for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, $1 billion for the The Middle Mile program laying 12,000 miles of regional fiber networks, and distributed nearly 30,000 connected devices to students and communities, including more than 3,600 through the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program

[shadeops21]

New Sideproject - "What If" aircraft liveries

Got bored.

Downloaded AC7 aircraft models and retexture templates.

Made a thing.

Figured I'd share.

"F/A-23 Redback", of 75SQN, Royal Australian Air Force

[Lore/Story behind the aircraft below the cut]

When Lockheed Martin won the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program with their YF-22 Raptor demonstrator, Northrop & McDonnell Douglas placed their contender, the YF-23 Black Widow II's, into storage pending dismantling for static display.

However, fortune would come calling from an unsuspecting source: Australia. The Royal Australian Air Force had recently completed delivery of 75 brand new F/A-18A/B Hornets to replace their aging fleet of Mirage III's. However, planners within the Department of Defence and Australian Defence Force recognised the shifting landscape of aerial warfare, and payed close attention to the US's ATF program.

Initially, the RAAF wanted to purchase the F-22 after it won the program in 1991 and had expressed tentative interest, though didn't commit due to the high initial operating costs at the time and recent budgetary issues the ADF faced due to other concurrent modernization programs taking place. By the time the RAAF were ready to order the aircraft, the US had marked the aircraft as unavailable for export sales.

Lockheed Martin did offer the RAAF the opportunity to buy into the Joint Strike Fighter program, which would be the precursor program that resulted in the development of the F-35 Lighting II series of aircraft, however RAAF leadership turned to McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, recalling how well their YF-23 performed in the program demonstrations.

The two testbed aircraft, Spider and Grey Ghost, were shipped to Australian on loan for use by the RAAF's Aircraft Research & Development Unit (ARDU) for evaluations in the mid 1990's, as the operating environment in Australia was different to that of the United States. While the aircraft performed well, some modifications were suggested including the use of more fuel efficient engines, an adjusted cockpit panel layout, and provisions to mount external stores much like the F-22 had (primarily for long-distance ferry flights across Australia, but also for use in low-threat or permissive environments where stealth is not a concern).

Northrop & McDonnell Douglas accommodated the upgrades, and in 1999, an initial purchase of 24 F/A-23A stealth fighters was made to equip two squadrons with the modified design. The airframe was given the designator of Redback in reference to the small but dangerous spider that called the continent home, whilst also showing homage to the original name of Black Widow II.

No 75 SQN and No 77 SQNs were the first recipients of the new F/A-23As, operating as composite squadrons comprised of both the new Redback and the older F/A-18A+ Hornets. As the Hornets aged, they were transferred to No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit for training and adversarial use.

There was talk of purchasing more Redbacks to augment a strike gap left behind pending the retirement of the venerable F-111C Aardvarks, however the decision was made to purchase Boeing's F/A-18F Super Hornets (with Boeing having bought and merged with McDonnell Douglas).

F/A-23A Redback was the initial version developed in the late 1990s and early 2000's, with upgrades and enhancements introduced over time to incorporate newer technologies and extend the life of these aircraft. Upgraded aircraft were unofficially referred to as -23A+s, similar to how F/A-18As that were upgraded to match the capability of the newer F/A-18C/Ds were referred to as A/B+

In the late 2000's, the RAAF (under license from Northrop/Boeing) introduced a variant featuring new engines, a new radar and updated avionics to incorporate newly released weapons systems, designated F/A-23B.

With the F-35 coming into service with the US and other JSF partner nations, and the older legacy Hornets retired out of service, the RAAF were looking into how to compliment their fleet of Redbacks. The F/A-18F Super Hornets operated by No. 1 and No. 6 Squadron were due for upgrade, and Boeing proposed the "Advanced Super Hornet" as a upgrade package.

To sweeten the deal, components from ASH were splintered off for use to update the fleet of F/A-23Bs, now used by all three former Hornet squadrons (3, 75, & 77) as well as 2OCU and the ARDU. Forming the B+ 'Mid Life Update', components borrowed from the ASH included it's new IRST and AESA radar package, compatibility with the Enclosed Weapons Pod, and a fully glass cockpit display.

By 2020, both the Redback and Rhino finished their upgrades, and formed the backbone of Australia's air warfare component, with No.'s 3, 75, and 77 operating F/A-23B+ Redbacks, No. 1 operating the F/A-18F+ (informal designation for the Advanced Super Hornet) and No. 6 operating as a composite of F/A-18F+ and EA-18G+ (EA-18G Growlers given the Advanced Super Hornet upgrade package).

Australia remains the only operator of the YF-23 platform, though not for a lack of trying on the part of Northrop & McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing).

---

If you made it this far, good on 'ya.

This YF-23 "What If" concept livery is dedicated to my friend @kaitaiga, who I know is fucking obsessed with the YF-23 Black Widow II. The livery came first, and then of course my 'writer' brain had to think up a background as to how the RAAF got their hands on an F-22 equivalent aircraft and maintained its service instead of buying into the F-35 program.

I have nothing against F-35 (anymore) though I am still salty that we haven't gone full-send into the Advanced Super Hornet. The CFTs along the spine just look sleek as fuck.

Thank you for reading!

[darkmaga-returns]

The Trump administration directed the USDA to remove climate change references from its websites, signaling a move away from climate-focused regulations seen as burdensome to farmers.

USAID’s climate initiatives, like "$150 billion net-zero strategies" and projects in developing nations, are criticized for prioritizing ideology over practical agricultural productivity and food security.

Programs aimed at reducing carbon emissions or promoting "climate-smart" agriculture are deemed counterproductive, as CO? is essential for plant growth, and such measures often hinder farming efficiency.

U.S. farmers risked losing competitiveness due to restrictive climate policies (e.g., methane reduction mandates), while countries like China and India prioritized high-yield, fossil fuel-based agriculture.

Trump’s withdrawal from agreements like the Paris Accord is framed as a win for U.S. farmers, ending costly, impractical climate mandates and refocusing on productivity and rural economic needs.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Sierra Club:

The Environmental Protection Agency—the federal watchdog tasked with safeguarding the environment and human health—is facing “unprecedented” attacks under the new Trump administration, putting Americans’ ability to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live healthy lives at risk, experts warn.  

These attacks on the EPA, from mass terminations of employees to axing programs and funding intended to address pollution and advance clean energy, are part of a sweeping effort now underway to dismantle the administrative state. It’s a strategy specifically called for under Project 2025—the governing blueprint spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation and backed by over 100 right-wing organizations.  

“With astonishing speed and disregard, Trump and his team are delivering on the promises of Project 2025,” said Stephanie Reese, director of strategic implementation and justice for Mom’s Clean Air Force. Reese was speaking at a press conference��held earlier this month outside EPA headquarters, where environmental activists and Democratic members of Congress spoke out in protest of actions to undermine the agency by the Elon Musk–led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The event was among many organized rallies outside the federal agencies that DOGE has targeted and infiltrated since President Trump took office, unleashing chaos and cuts affecting virtually all parts of the executive branch. 

At the EPA, there has been an exodus of employees, a freeze on funding disbursement—including funds already authorized by Congress—as well as a dismissal of scientific advisory boards and a removal of climate change references from the agency’s website. Trump is installing industry lobbyists in key leadership posts, while his pick to head the agency—former New York Republican Congress member Lee Zeldin—has announced a set of five pillars to guide the EPA’s work, most of which deviate from the agency’s core mission to protect human health and the environment. Among the EPA’s new priorities under administrator Zeldin are “bringing back American auto jobs,” focusing on leading the world in artificial intelligence, and boosting fossil fuel development by pursuing “energy dominance” and permitting reform. 

Michelle Roos, executive director of the Environmental Protection Network and a former EPA staffer, called these pillars “extraordinarily disingenuous.” “I think it speaks to a massive ignorance of what EPA does,” she told Sierra.  

What is perhaps most concerning, Roos said, are the threats to government workers and widespread personnel terminations that risk crippling many agencies and departments, including the EPA. Just over a month into the new administration, hundreds of EPA staff have already been fired, placed on administrative leave, or pushed or incentivized into resigning. More than 300 career staffers have departed the agency since the November election, and on February 14, Trump fired nearly 400 probationary employees.  

[phoenixyfriend]

Ko-fi prompt from Zarz:

Not sure if this is the type of question you're interested in, but if you are: My state has a cool energy efficiency program called Focus on Energy that sends people free LEDs and smart power strips, offers rebates for solar arrays, has discounts on smart thermostats, and runs various other programs to encourage saving energy. They advertise that the program saves over $4 for every dollar spent. Saving energy is great for the planet, but I'm curious how it also results in four-fold economic savings (and how in the world one would even begin to calculate an exact dollar amount for that).

So as a disclaimer, I have taken nearly a year to write this. It's not that the topic isn't interesting, it's just... really hard to research. But here's what I've got.

This is the sort of thing that is based on two kinds of evidence:

evidence of past cases where such a thing could be recorded and estimated

projected values based on estimates that come only from highly-controlled testing, but are only really 'in theory' so far

Solar panels are really popular right now, so we have a lot of case studies to look at. We also, at least in the US, have a pretty rigid utilities sector with near monopolistic control over pricing and access. Utilities in most places are, to my knowledge, negotiated by the local government, and then run privately.

But the first step to figuring out if a claim like you've heard up there is legitimate is to figure out what the base price of these things is.

I'll use Nassau County, New York, as an example, since it's nearby.

On average, Nassau County, NY residents spend about $245 per month on electricity. That adds up to $2,940 per year. That’s 35% higher than the national average electric bill of $2,179. The average electric rates in Nassau County, NY cost 24 ¢/kilowatt-hour (kWh), so that means that the average electricity customer in Nassau County, NY is using 1,041 kWh of electricity per month, and 12,492 kWh over the course of the year. Source: Energy Sage (link)

$245/month is our standard here for electricity on a 'standard' plan.

Let's assume we have no unexpected costs to cover in the first year, like hail damage or wildfire smoke. We just have the panels themselves and the installation costs.

This website, Solar Reviews, says the average cost after the federal tax credit is $11,500 - $14,056. Their cheapest estimate is the 4kw system, which is $9,322, but they say that the 6kw system is 'typical,' so we'll go with that, which is avg $12,778.

According to ecowatch:

On average, a 6 kW system will produce roughly 750 kilowatt-hours (kWhs) of electricity per month, or between 8,000 and 10,000 kWhs a year. (link)

New York has much less sunlight than a place like Arizona, so that's about 8,000 kWhs per year. It's about two-thirds of the amount of electricity the average resident of this county uses, meaning it covers about $2000 of electricity spending per year.

So, the average resident does not save money by installing solar panels of this size until they've had them for six years or so, and that's only if there aren't any major repairs. A resident with a really, really big expenditure and roof size, like a big box store, might see a greater return on investment since they'd be able to buy the panels themselves in bulk.

...but, that's without state or local rebate programs and the like. It might take less time for you to pay off the solar panels if you have those to rely on. That said, this Forbes article actually gives a higher estimate for using ROI to pay off the panels than I did, so it really falls into 'long term returns.'

(You can also manage to fuel an electric vehicle using just your solar panels, if you've got the money for one of those.)

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Emily Singer at Daily Kos:

The United States Department of Agriculture pulled $1 billion in funding for two programs that help feed school children and the poor, Politico reported, marking the latest cruel cut President Donald Trump and co-President Elon Musk have made in their quest to cut the federal budget. According to Politico, the USDA cut $660 million from the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program, which gave schools funding to purchase food from local farmers and food producers.  According to the USDA, "This program will strengthen the food system for schools and childcare institutions by helping to build a fair, competitive, and resilient local food chain, and expand local and regional markets with an emphasis on purchasing from historically underserved producers and processors.” The rest of the cuts come from the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which according to the USDA provides "funding for state, tribal and territorial governments to purchase foods produced within the state or within 400 miles of the delivery destination to help support local, regional and underserved producers."

The programs were both created under the Biden administration, and helped feed needy members of the community while at the same time boosting local farmers and food vendors. “USDA has provided $900 million in funding to 50 states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and 84 Tribal governments, sourcing foods from over 8,000 local producers, with more than 5,000 identified as underserved. This wholesome food has gone to 7,900 food banks, food pantries, and communities across America,” the USDA announced in December, when President Joe Biden was still in office.

[...] Ultimately, this is the latest cut Trump and Musk have made through the so-called Department of Government Efficiency that not only hurts needy Americans but also farmers. DOGE's cuts are causing farmers to lose millions in grants to help them prevent climate-change fueled losses in their crops. The Trump administration’s shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development also hurts farmers, as the government spent billions on crops that they sent to impoverished nations. What’s more, Trump's tariffs on China are also set to hit farmers hard, as China is one of the biggest consumers of American-grown wheat, corn, soybeans, and more. If tariffs make the products too expensive, China will look elsewhere to purchase their farm goods.

What cruelty! The USDA under 47 has pulled $1BN+ in funding for two programs that help feed school children and the poor.

[moontyger]

Enjoy accurate weather forecasts while they last.

President Donald Trump’s march to drastically downsize the government has reached the nation’s climate and weather agency — threatening to disrupt a wide range of economic sectors that rely on federal weather data, from agriculture and transportation to real estate and even insurance, writes Scott Waldman.

The administration is looking to cut NOAA’s 12,000-employee workforce in half, two former officials of the agency, a member of Congress and a congressional staffer told Scott. Democrats expressed concern today that billionaire Elon Musk, who heads the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, may also try to take control of the National Weather Service.

Musk owns the largest satellite fleet in orbit — through his company SpaceX — and would stand to gain from privatizing the weather service, writes Garrett Downs. The agency operates an array of satellites, buoys, balloons and radar installations.

The tech mogul’s bureaucracy-slashing band of volunteers has moved deeper into the nation’s federal agencies, accessing sensitive data, cutting programs and putting personnel on leave. Its officials visited NOAA headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, last week.

Reducing NOAA’s staff and commercializing national weather forecasting is in line with recommendations detailed in Project 2025, a conservative wish list written as a playbook for a second Trump administration. It calls for NOAA to be “broken up and downsized” largely because of its climate change research, and says the weather service “should fully commercialize its forecasting operations” — whatever that means.

The Project 2025 authors contended that private companies such as AccuWeather offer more reliable forecasts than the NWS does — though their source for that claim was an AccuWeather press release that didn’t even mention NOAA or the NWS. AccuWeather has come out against the Project 2025 plan, with its CEO emphasizing last year that “it has never been our goal to take over the provision of all weather information.”

NOAA is one of the world’s top climate science agencies, making it a popular target for fossil fuel proponents. That research helps inform its other functions, which includes managing the NWS, the National Hurricane Center and the nation’s fisheries.

[ppgsalternativeorigin]

Echoes of Redemption | Ch. 1 - Manipulative Tactics, Homecomings

Townsville, Virginia, was a vibrant city nestled on the East Coast, just a stone's throw from the heart of Washington, District of Columbia. As a key suburb to the nation's capital, it was home to countless federal workers who made the daily commute to Washington, where the President resided in the iconic White House. Surrounded by the bustling neighborhoods of Arlington and nearby cities like Alexandria, Townsville flourished within the dynamic and diverse District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area. Known for its cultural richness, the DMV offered boundless opportunities, from the world-class museums and monuments of D.C. to the rapidly expanding tech industries in Northern Virginia.

Situated along the scenic Potomac River, Townsville beautifully blended suburban tranquility with easy access to the fast-paced urban life of Washington, District of Columbia. Its prime location, with access to major highways and public transit options, including the Metro system, made it the perfect place for professionals seeking a peaceful residential life while remaining close to the nation's political and cultural epicenter. Families and young professionals alike were drawn to Townsville for its top-notch schools, expansive parks, and a growing economy that promised both opportunity and stability.

The DMV area, rich in history and home to diverse communities, offered a seamless fusion of modern innovation and tradition. The region's mix of government, politics, technology, and culture made it one of the most influential and vibrant in the country. Townsville's strategic location allowed its residents easy access to world-renowned educational institutions, cutting-edge tech companies, and some of the best healthcare facilities in the nation. Moreover, the area's diverse social landscape—from District of Columbia's thriving arts scene to the historic charm of Alexandria—ensured there was something for everyone.

Life in Townsville struck the perfect balance between suburban calm and urban excitement. The city embraced its proximity to one of the world's most powerful cities while maintaining a distinct local culture and a close-knit community atmosphere. Whether enjoying outdoor activities along the Potomac River, exploring the area's rich history, or indulging in the region's ever-evolving culinary scene, Townsville offered its residents a fulfilling lifestyle.

Thanks to the efficiency of the metro system, residents could easily commute to Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, District of Columbia, making the city a convenient and accessible home base. Over the years, Townsville had transformed into a thriving community, largely fueled by the economic prosperity of the DMV region. Much of this success, however, could also be attributed to Townsville's iconic trio of superheroes—the Powerpuff Girls—who not only protected the city but also became enduring symbols of hope and unity, inspiring pride in the hearts of its citizens.

-----

Before Townsville introduced its groundbreaking Residential Treatment Program for villains, the city's crime rate had been spiraling out of control. Frustrated by the increasing violence and criminal activity, Townsville's leaders sought a more effective and humane solution to deal with its dangerous criminals. The city made the bold decision to establish a specialized residential treatment facility, where villains would be detained until they could undergo thorough evaluations by trained psychiatrists and behavioral experts. The program aimed not only to address the immediate threat posed by these criminals but also to provide a long-term rehabilitation strategy to break the cycle of violence.

To implement this, police officers were given the responsibility of capturing each villain and bringing them to the facility, where they would be assessed for any underlying psychological issues or traumas that might have contributed to their criminal behavior. In a city long accustomed to facing villainous threats, this initiative marked a shift in how justice was administered—focusing on rehabilitation over punishment.

The facility itself was equipped with state-of-the-art technology, providing a safe and controlled environment where experts could analyze each villain's behavior, motivations, and mental state. Along with the psychiatric evaluations, the program included counseling, anger management classes, and social reintegration training, giving villains a chance to reintegrate into society as law-abiding citizens. This approach, while controversial, also aimed to reduce the long-term costs of incarceration, offering an innovative and hopeful alternative to the traditional prison system.

As Townsville moved forward with this initiative, the community began to question whether true redemption was possible for those who once wreaked havoc on their city. But the hope remained: with the right care and intervention, even the most notorious villains might one day become valuable members of society.

At the Residential Treatment Program for Townsville's villains, a diverse group of notorious criminals was housed for rehabilitation. Among them were familiar faces like Mojo Jojo, Fuzzy Lumpkins, the Gangreen Gang (minus Ace, who had left early to join the band Gorillaz), Sedusa, Femme Fatale, and many others. This program was designed to help them confront their pasts, understand the concept of redemption, and ultimately transform their futures. The psychiatrists at the facility worked tirelessly with each individual, helping them grasp that redemption wasn't just about seeking forgiveness—it was about actively correcting past mistakes and changing their behavior for the better.

The facility wasn't just about one-on-one sessions; it also offered group therapy and various workshops designed to foster self-awareness and growth. One evening, Rob led an Anger Management group therapy session, where twenty familiar villains gathered in a circle, ready to face their inner turmoil. The room was tense, but there was a shared sense of purpose. Mojo Jojo was the first to speak, his voice sharp with frustration as he vented about the humiliation he felt from being repeatedly defeated by the Powerpuff Girls—his own sisters, no less.

Rob listened patiently, validating each villain's feelings and giving them the space to process their emotions. As the session continued, more villains began to share their painful stories, revealing the complex factors behind their descent into villainy. Mojo Jojo confessed the deep trauma he carried from witnessing the violent death of his mother while trying to protect her baby chimpanzee at a sanctuary in Louisiana. Ace opened up about the struggles his family endured growing up in poverty in the Bronx, New York. Snake shared his story of being expelled from a prestigious boarding school in McLean, Virginia, after a rebellious stint in vandalism with Ace. Arturo recounted how his father was jailed after his family illegally entered the District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia area from Mexico, seeking a better life only to face heartbreaking consequences.

Femme Fatale, usually poised and controlled, tearfully revealed a hidden pain from her past—being sexual assaulted by a fraternity member while attending the University of Virginia, an event that left lasting emotional scars. Each villain shared deeply personal stories of hardship, loss, and betrayal. As they spoke, a sense of connection began to form between them—an understanding that their actions, however destructive, stemmed from unresolved trauma and pain.

However, as the therapy sessions progressed, it became clear that the road to redemption wasn't solely within their control. The villains had been heavily influenced by HIM, a notorious manipulator who had preyed on their vulnerabilities and pushed them toward even darker paths. HIM's sinister influence had shaped their decisions, turning them into tools of chaos and destruction. Mojo Jojo, Sedusa, Femme Fatale, and the Gangreen Gang had all fallen victim to his manipulative tactics—his promise of power and control had pushed them to make choices they might never have made on their own.

Despite this, the villains in the treatment program began to realize that they weren't entirely responsible for their actions. HIM had played a pivotal role in their downward spiral, and as they worked through their trauma, they started to find strength in knowing that they weren't beyond help. The road to redemption would be long and difficult, but with the support of the program and the willingness to confront their painful pasts, the villains began to see a glimmer of hope for a better future.

While the road to recovery wasn't guaranteed, it became clear that the program was more than just a containment facility—it was a place where even the most notorious criminals in Townsville had a chance to rebuild their lives, free from HIM's sinister influence.

Two years had passed, and many of Townsville's infamous villains had been successfully discharged from the Residential Treatment Program, their lives forever changed. Thanks to the dedication of their psychiatrists and the structured environment, several of them had made remarkable progress, shedding their villainous pasts and stepping into new chapters of their lives. The results were proof of the program's success—a testament to the power of rehabilitation over punishment.

The Gangreen Gang had disbanded. Ace, who had left the treatment program early to pursue his dream, had successfully joined the band Gorillaz, where he was living his dream of being a musician. Snake, once a troublemaker with little interest in academics after he met Ace, had turned his life around. He completed his GED during his time in the program and earned a scholarship to attend Stanford University in California, thanks to financial support from his wealthy family. Arturo, ever the family man, relocated to Silver Spring, Maryland, where he worked as a line cook at the Mexican restaurant his family had opened, building a stable future with his relatives. Grubber, always seeking a path beyond destruction, returned to the United Kingdom to follow his passion for writing. He enrolled at Oxford University to pursue a degree in literature, aiming to become a novelist and tell stories that could inspire change. Big Billy, finding a new sense of purpose, moved into a group home designed for special-needs monsters. There, he discovered fulfillment by helping others and contributing meaningfully to the community, finally finding peace and a way to give back.

Fuzzy Lumpkins, who had once been a force of destruction, left the program and returned to his cabin, where he found peace and joy in spending time with his grandchildren, reconnecting with the simpler pleasures of life. Sedusa, having discovered her talents outside of villainy, transitioned into a career in marketing within the beauty industry, using her charm and skills to help brands thrive in a new, positive context. And then there was one more…

-----

Mojo Jojo, once the notorious foe of the Powerpuff Girls, was the first villain to enter the Residential Treatment Program. As the program's inaugural participant, he was also the first to confront his past in front of a group of twenty familiar faces, alongside his therapist, Rob. Over the next three years, Mojo Jojo committed himself to a rigorous process of self-reflection and healing. Through countless therapy sessions, he gradually worked through the trauma that had defined his early life.

Much like many other primates, Mojo Jojo's early experiences with humans were harsh and traumatic. Captivity, mistreatment, and neglect had left deep emotional scars that shaped his behavior and his view of the world. The most painful memory that haunted him, however, was the tragic loss of his mother. As a newborn chimpanzee, he had witnessed her death at the hands of humans who shot her while she tried to protect him. The trauma of losing her in such a violent and unjust manner became a defining moment in his life—one that fueled his rage and hatred toward both humans and himself.

Through his time in therapy, Mojo Jojo slowly began to untangle the complex web of grief, anger, and abandonment that had driven his villainous actions. Although the path to healing was long and fraught with setbacks, the once-feared villain began to see that the pain of his past didn't have to dictate his future. The more he opened up, the closer he came to understanding that redemption wasn't just about seeking forgiveness; it was about acknowledging the pain and taking responsibility for his actions, no matter how far gone he had once felt.

Mojo Jojo's story didn't end with the loss of his mother. After the tragic death of his original companion, Joe, who succumbed to an allergic reaction caused by Chemical X, Professor Utonium—his surrogate father—rescued a newborn chimpanzee from Louisiana. The Professor named him Jojo, and the young chimpanzee, though no replacement for Joe, brought a glimmer of joy back into their lives, helping to heal some of the emotional wounds from the past.

However, the traumatic events of Mojo Jojo's life didn't stop there. Along with the emotional scars from his early experiences, he also had to contend with a serious health diagnosis. As a result of being exposed to Chemical X at such a young age, Mojo Jojo was genetically mutated, which led to his diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes when he was just 13 months old. The memory of that time was fuzzy, but he recalled Professor Utonium taking him to a veterinary hospital in Washington, District of Columbia, for a series of blood tests. The results were devastating. The tests confirmed the diagnosis, and a veterinary assistant explained to Professor that, as an animal, Mojo Jojo was classified under specific medical guidelines.

Thanks to the Professor's pet insurance, Mojo Jojo was able to get the insulin he needed to manage his condition. But the diagnosis added another layer of complexity to Mojo Jojo's already tumultuous life. He had to learn to live with both the physical limitations of his illness and the emotional burden of feeling different—isolated from others, even in the midst of a family that loved him. The weight of his mutation, his illness, and the past he couldn't escape all contributed to the anger and resentment that had defined his later years.

Despite everything, the support of Professor Utonium and the presence of Jojo provided Mojo Jojo with some semblance of stability in an otherwise chaotic life. But as he entered the Residential Treatment Program, he began to realize that healing would require more than just managing his diabetes or finding comfort in family. It meant confronting the deeper wounds within himself and finding a way to move beyond the darkness of his past.

During his time in the Residential Treatment Program, Mojo Jojo focused on preparing for the SATs, with the goal of being accepted into the bioengineering program at Virginia Tech—his surrogate father's alma mater. The idea of following in Professor Utonium's footsteps gave him a sense of purpose that he had never known before. As he studied and worked hard, he began to picture a future where he could use his intellect for something good, rather than relying on his former life of villainy.

However, when Mojo Jojo was finally released from the program, he was confronted with an unexpected blow. His lair, the place where he had spent one year plotting his schemes, was set to be demolished. The city council had approved a plan to raze the building, leaving Mojo Jojo with no place to call home. With nowhere else to go, Mojo Jojo was forced to swallow his pride and return to the Utonium household.

Gone was the supervillain garb—he traded his iconic uniform for a simple T-shirt, khaki shorts, and brown Birkenstock sandals, embracing a more humble lifestyle. Mojo Jojo knew that if he was truly going to change, he needed to leave the past behind. To support himself and start saving for his future at Virginia Tech, he took a part-time job at a local bookstore. It wasn't the life he had envisioned for himself when he was bent on world domination, but it was a start. He focused on doing the work and saving money, determined to build a new life—one that didn't revolve around villainy.

But just when Mojo Jojo thought he was making progress, the past caught up with him. One day, a former ally from his villainous days reached out, with an offer that seemed almost too tempting to refuse. The old, familiar pull of power and control was there, and for a moment, Mojo Jojo found himself torn between the life he was building and the life he had left behind.

Nine months had passed since Mojo Jojo was discharged from the Residential Treatment Program. He sat in the kitchen of the Utonium household, dressed casually in a gray "Virginia Tech" T-shirt, navy blue twill shorts, and White Adidas Ultraboost DNA 1.0 Sneakers. His Apple Watch rested on his wrist, and his AirPods played some calming music as he sipped from a mug of hot coffee. The soft hum of the kitchen filled the space, a stark contrast to the chaotic life he used to lead.

Just then, Professor Utonium entered the kitchen, as always in his signature white lab coat, pens tucked into its pocket, with a shirt and tie underneath. He held a large envelope in his hands and smiled as he approached Mojo Jojo.

"Good morning, Jojo," Professor Utonium said, his voice warm. He extended the envelope. "I think this might be your acceptance letter."

Mojo Jojo's heart skipped a beat. He eagerly tore open the envelope and scanned the letter inside. As his eyes quickly scanned the words, a smile spread across his face. His eyes lit up as he turned toward the Professor, beaming with excitement.

"I got accepted to the bioengineering program at Virginia Tech!" Mojo Jojo exclaimed, his voice filled with joy and disbelief. He could hardly contain his happiness.

Professor Utonium's face lit up with pride. He stepped forward and, without hesitation, enveloped Mojo Jojo in a heartfelt hug. For a moment, they stood there in silence, the weight of their shared journey heavy in the air. The embrace was more than just a congratulation—it was a symbol of how far Mojo Jojo had come, from the villainous, angry chimpanzee he once was to this moment of triumph and transformation. It was a quiet yet powerful recognition of redemption and the possibilities of a new life.

-----

In March 2025, most college students were embarking on their spring break adventures, heading off to their various destinations—whether it was to sunny beaches, adventurous road trips, or quiet retreats to recharge before the end of the semester. The typical buzz of excitement filled the air as campuses emptied, with friends and classmates making plans for their week-long escapes from the stress of exams, assignments, and the daily grind of college life.

Snake, now known by his real name, Sanford Ingleberry, had been looking forward to a much-needed spring break with his girlfriend, Kelsey. The two had planned a dream trip to Japan, eager to explore the bustling streets of Tokyo and indulge in their shared love for the country's culture and cuisine. However, just days before their departure, Snake received unexpected news: he was required to attend a two-week therapy session with Rob, the same therapist who had worked with him during his time at the Residential Treatment Program.

The news came as a shock. He had been hoping for a relaxing getaway to recharge and enjoy some time off with Kelsey. But instead, he found himself booking a last-minute flight from California back to Virginia to fulfill the required updates following his release from the program. Although the therapy sessions were an important part of his continued progress, Snake couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment. Japan had been the perfect escape from the stress of academics and the constant pressure of rebuilding his life. But now, he had to put those plans on hold.

Despite the setback, Snake was determined to make the best of the situation. He explained the change in plans to Kelsey, who understood the importance of his therapy sessions and supported him. While the trip to Japan would have to wait, Snake knew that continuing his journey of self-discovery and healing was just as important as any vacation. He boarded the plane back to Virginia, ready to reconnect with his former fellow villains and face whatever challenges lay ahead in those two weeks of therapy. It was just another step in his ongoing effort to move forward, to truly leave his villainous past behind, and build the future he had always wanted.

At Dulles International Airport, the former members of the Gangreen Gang waited eagerly near the baggage claim, holding up a colorful banner that read, "Welcome back to Townsville, Snake and Grubber!" The sight of it made Snake's heart swell with nostalgia, knowing that even after all this time, his old friends were here to support him.

Ace stood proudly at the front of the group, dressed in a white tee, a black leather jacket, black skinny jeans, and sleek black boots. His usual air of cool confidence was unmistakable. Arturo was next to him, wearing a burgundy hooded sweatshirt, black joggers, and his trusty white and black Nike Air Force 1 sneakers. Big Billy, ever the gentle giant, wore a green t-shirt with yellow stripes on each sleeve, paired with a dark green zippered hoodie, blue jeans, and white/navy blue Avia Quickstep sneakers from Walmart.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the terminal as Snake emerged from the baggage claim area. He was dressed casually but with a unique style that set him apart. He wore an olive green thrifted sweater under an antique green army jacket, black Dickies Double Knee Utility jeans, and black Vans SK8-Hi sneakers. His Apple AirPods Max hung around his neck, and his signature brown Kangol hat was perched backward, adding to his effortlessly cool appearance. In one hand, he carried a cream canvas tote bag emblazoned with the words "Stanford, Stanford, Stanford, Stanford" in bold lettering, while his other hand held a black Calpak carry-on suitcase, a subtle nod to the progress he had made since his time in the program.

The moment Snake spotted his old friends, his face lit up with joy. Without a second thought, he rushed over to them, throwing his arms wide for a group hug.

"Ace! Arturo! Big Billy!" Snake shouted with excitement, his voice full of warmth and happiness. The three of them wrapped him up in a tight embrace, laughing and catching up in the way only old friends can.

In that moment, all the years of distance and the changes they'd gone through seemed to melt away. The bond they shared was still as strong as ever, and Snake knew that no matter where life took him, these friendships were ones he'd carry with him forever.

-----

On the road from Blacksburg, Virginia to Townsville, Virginia, the car cruised smoothly along the highway, with the landscape of rolling hills and lush forests unfolding around them. Professor Utonium, focused on the road ahead, gripped the steering wheel with his usual calm precision. His glasses caught the light as he glanced occasionally at the rearview mirror, ensuring everything was safe and steady.

In the passenger seat, Mojo Jojo sat in the shotgun position, his eyes drifting from the passing scenery to the occasional glance at Professor Utonium. Although he had been working hard on moving forward in his life, there was still a hint of uncertainty in his posture, as if he were both eager and nervous for what lay ahead. His hands rested on his lap, his fingers lightly tapping against his knee as if subconsciously processing the long journey that had led him here.

The silence between them was comfortable, filled with the hum of the car's engine and the occasional sound of tires rolling over the pavement. There were no words needed—the distance they had traveled, both literally and figuratively, was something they both understood deeply. Professor Utonium glanced over at Mojo Jojo and gave him a small, reassuring smile.

"You've come a long way, Jojo," he said, his voice soft but filled with pride. "I know you've got a lot ahead of you, but I'm proud of everything you've accomplished so far."

Mojo Jojo returned the smile, albeit a little reserved. He was still adjusting to the idea of being someone new, someone different than the villainous persona he once embodied. The road to redemption, though long and difficult, was a path he now walked with purpose.

"Thanks, Professor," Mojo Jojo replied, his voice carrying a mix of gratitude and determination. "It feels good, you know? Not just to be out of the program, but to know I'm... changing."

As they drove closer to Townsville, the city looming just on the horizon, the road ahead felt wide open with possibility—one that Mojo Jojo had never imagined would be his.

[animeraider]

Project 2025 will kill you. Yes, you. Sections 11-15 (of 30)

So I've been reading Project 2025 so you don't have to, and I'm going to report on everything I find that is alarming, which is a lot. Part One can be found here. Part Two can be found here.

Section 11 - Department of Education

"Federal education policy should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated."

That's the first sentence in this whole section. I think that pretty much says it all.

All student loans and grants are to be moved to the private sector. Move education for military families to the Defense Department and for Washington D.C. to Congress. I imagine that also applies to protectorates like Guam and Puerto Rico but the document actually doesn't say.

Put all education funding under State Control. You should really ask a child living in Florida how that's working out. Reject Gender Identity and Racial studies. Eliminate executive orders in education. I remind you that integration was done by executive order.

Transfer all Native American education to the Bureau for Indian Affairs. Transfer all adult education programs to the Department of Labor. Privatize Student Aid.

Move all civil rights enforcement to the Department of Justice. Transfer all civil service employees to other agencies. Eliminate the understanding that Trans people even exist.

Eliminate any privacy regulations used to protect students from any form of abuse. Rescind all regulations in Equity in IDEA.

Eliminate all food programs for students. All of them.

Phase out income-based student loan repayment programs. Rescind all funding for the National Education Association. Consider "Critical Race Theory" to be racism. 

Here's a crazy one that takes paragraphs to unravel: Allow parents of children over the age of 18 to sue to recover any monies spent on their education. Also, allow families to "opt out" of the education system entirely and for those that do give as a tax break the funding that would have been used to educate that child directly to the parents.

Allow states to opt out of any and all federal education programs. Eliminate Parent PLUS loans. 

There is page after page of basically "end anything Obama or Biden did", but eventually it all boils down to that first sentence. Eliminate the Department of Education.

Section 12 - Department of Energy (and related commissions)

You would expect this whole document to be drill baby drill but in fact it starts with the repeal and elimination of the Biden Administration's Infrastructure Act - the single largest jobs creation bill in the last 75 years. That's followed with not only a dependence upon oil and natural gas but a declaration that the U.S. needs to be the best in the world in Science. Great for a country trying to eliminate the Department of Education.

Eliminate the office of Clean Energy, and the office of Grid Deployment. Yep, they don't want the government looking at the power grid. 

Not only increase a reliance ("dominance") in oil and gas but nuclear power as well. 

Lots of paragraphs on focusing on science, which again - see the section on the Department of Education. Lots of contradictions here. Increase the level of private sector disposal of nuclear waste. What could possibly go wrong?

Fund a rebuilding of the country's nuclear arsenal. New warheads and testing. Eliminate Carbon Capture programs and Carbon offsets. Pursue much more coal, including coal waste as fuel. Increase fossil fuels. 

End the government's focus on green energy and renewables. Eliminate efficiency standards for appliances. In fact, they put this paragraph in the document twice on consecutive pages. 

"End Grid planning and focus instead on reliability." I shit you not, that's a whole topic in here. Say goodbye to grid upgrades and hello to more Texas-style outages. They then spend several pages repeating everything I've already told you about. 

Eliminate the Department of Energy's ability to make loans. Eliminate the Advanced Research Projects Agency. Looks like that better battery for your Tesla is going to have to wait.

Eliminate the Clean Energy Corps. Privatize the Energy Information Administration. Stop all funding for "climate reparations" - i.e. paying for the damage caused by oil production in underdeveloped nations.

Drill in Alaska (of course). Claim the Arctic Circle for the same purpose. Take an "America First" approach at the Office of Technology. 

Accelerate cleanup of all "Superfund" sites (except for Hanford in Washington State - which is where the U.S. government has stored Plutonium Waste for many years) with a goal of completing all work by 2035. That sounds good on the surface but in most of these sites there is a reason that it needs to go slow: fast work actually makes the contamination WORSE and spreads it further. Eliminate some regulations specific to the Hanford site.

Get all active Nuclear Waste stored at Yucca Mountain already.

As long as we're talking about nuclear stuff again, let's make more nukes. Abandon the Test Ban Treaty. Divest certain programs at Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore to refocus on nuclear energy and weaponry. Several pages are spent rehashing the need to get rid of renewables

Refocus transmission of electrical to the state level. I mean, why can't we all be Texas? Eliminate all questions about oil and gas pipelines to only consider the need for the fuels, not environmental or any other concerns. 

Eliminate the guidance of "as low as reasonably possible" for nuclear exposure when considering renewing the licensing for existing nuclear power plants or building new ones. 

Fuck, this was a nightmare to get through. but guess what's next?

Section 13 - Environmental Protection Agency

This whole section was written by Mandy M. Gunasekara, a former Chief of Staff at the EPA under the Trump Administration who in 2023 was kicked off the ballot in Mississippi when she ran for Public Service Commissioner - because she didn't live there.

Let's start that in the mission statement that it blames the lead poisoning crisis in Flint Michigan on The Obama Administration, which is so obviously incorrect that it boggle belief. It also states that every expansion of the EPA since 1972 is unnecessary.

Eliminate the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. Eliminate the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance. Eliminate the Office of Public Engagement and Environmental Education. "Relocate" the Office of Children’s Health Protection and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization - although the document does say where to relocate these agencies to.

Review the grants program to ensure that taxpayer funds go to organizations focused on tangible environmental improvements free from political affiliation (there are no such groups). 

This document goes on for more than 30 pages and makes the same faulty assumptions and rewrites historical data so often that it should be considered a work of fiction. But the key thing is unchanged: That everything that the EPA has done in terms of rulings and regulations since 1972 should be repealed.

Where I grew up you could see the air in 1972. It was grey. That's what they want to go back to.

Section 14 - Department of Heath and Human Services

This whole section was written by The Heritage Foundation. In the first two sentences it proclaims the COVID-19 Pandemic as over (which it isn't) and that life expectancy has decreased since the end of the Pandemic - which we do not yet know as the timing is too recent for statistical analysis. It's a lie.

No more abortions. Ever.

Prioritize families over everyone else. By the way, that's "traditional" families. Mother, father, children, church.

Remove the ability to declare emergencies and provide guidelines for outbreaks of diseases that contradict the political agenda of the administration. Move the recommendations of the CDC on how to treat anything into a separate political agency.  The entire document assumes that the CDC is faulty and corrupt, and not that the people using the CDC to make policy are. This is also a lie.

Remove Generic drugs from Medicaid. Make Abortion pills a controlled substance, with the ultimate goal of making them illegal at the same degree as Meth and Cocaine.

Eliminate chickenpox, Hepatitis, and MMR vaccines that originate from studies and science from fetal tissue. That's all of them, by the way. Also, eliminate vaccine mandates of any kind - you know, the type that for a while eliminated chicken pox, small pox, the mumps, measles and so on and could have been used to eliminate COVID. I notice that all of these are on the rise in the US. Even motherfucking POLIO is back.

Eliminate all research that uses science from Fetal Tissue. Eliminate all science funding and research that involves the fluidity of human sexuality. There are men and there are women and they are born that way. Period.

Several paragraphs are about "Woke" policies, and they encourage an end to diversity in conferences and studies.

When it gets to the Medicare section there is paragraph after paragraph about the bureaucracy of Medicare and how much time doctors have to spend on paperwork. This is a common fallacy that has been around for decades - yes, there is paperwork and there is a lot of it, but it's still LESS PAPERWORK THAN REQUIRED BY PRIVATE INSURERS. 

The truth is that bureaucratic waste in Medicaid is about 2%, where in the private industry it varies from 5% to 10%.

Eliminate the ability to negotiate drug prices under Medicare. 

As for Medicaid, paragraph after paragraph is dedicated to the elimination of problems that don't actually exist, plus adding work requirements to eligibility and actually taking away from states the ability to make programs flexible - which seems like an oxymoron until you realize that most waivers for various programs under Medicaid are for Democratic Party controlled states that are allowed to use these funds to treat the LGBTAI+ community and allow for abortion access.

Under the Affordable Care Act there is an awful lot of focus on redesigning medical care into a Concierge Medicine approach, which most people would not be able to afford. The document calls this stronger health care (true) and more affordable (patently false). It would also eliminate all of the cost controls in the system. There is no language saying that they want to eliminate the ACA, but they certainly would render it useless.

Prohibit travel for Abortion care.

Defund Planned Parenthood, which as I like to tell people is NOT a chain of abortion clinics but is a chain of Doctor's Offices with an emphasis on women's care. Withdraw Medicaid funds from any state where abortion is legal.

Deny gender affirming care for anyone with Medicaid or Medicare. Again, men and women are the only two genders and they are determined at birth.

Rescind all COVID-19 Mask and Vaccination guidelines, and pay damages to anyone displaced (i.e. fired) for not following those guidelines.

Institute work requirements for all recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Most of the verbiage about the prevention of teenage pregnancies is to deter things that aren't happening. Adoptions should be funneled through religious organizations. Crazily enough, the document in the same paragraph also acknowledges that there are 4 times more children awaiting adoption than people who want them, although I believe the actual ratio is closer to 7 to 1.

Move the office of Refugee Settlement to the Department of Homeland Security. Looking back at that document, there is no indication that DHS actually wants this.

Allows for parents who do not have custody of their children to receive a child-tax credit anyway. It actually specifically calls out that it wants the ability to allow deadbeat dads to take the tax credit.

Encourage bad marriages to stay together as a requirement of government assistance. Allow faith-based organizations who distribute this aid to discriminate as they see fit. Implement a national campaign that is pro-father propaganda. You know, to keep marriages together. Think of the poor men.

Eliminate Head Start.

Criminalized Physician assisted suicide, which is legal in 10 states according to this document. Remove requirements that telemedicine be local to the patient. I should point out that this would eliminate the ability to recommend hospitalizations, as these doctors wouldn't have admitting privileges where the patients actually are.

Allow hospitals, doctors and physicians to not provide abortion related care of any kind because of religious beliefs, even in states where it is legal and protected.

No more funding for condoms. No more funding for "Morning-after" pills (which they call "the week after pills" in this section). Withdraw all support for gender affirming/transitioning guidance. 

Stop teaching the medical procedures used in abortion care. I repeat, hinder the educational skills of every doctor in America.

The entire section on Indian Health Care (and why can't they ever use the phrase "Native Americans"?) is full of lies and I won't dignify them. 

Sunset all HHS regulations, which Trump tried last time around.

More bullshit about violations of human rights that never happened (mostly involving twitter and Facebook). They don't want the department to push back against lies on social media.

More verbiage that the administration needs to be Pro-Life and anti-Trans care. This is like the fifth or sixth time in this document so far, making it one of the longer ones I've gone through. This is followed by a series of paragraphs that are mostly lies about the COVID Pandemic, complaining about things that never happened.

It's full of lies.

Restrict and/or rescind funding to any country that supports abortion care. Prohibit overseas personnel from providing care that is in contradiction with administration policy. That's right, overseas care is now a political decision.

The entire rest of the document - several pages - is about how the only civil rights violation in health care is that providers of care of certain religions are not allowed to discriminate in their health care decisions, and that such discrimination should be allowed.

To summarize: No abortions, no gender affirming care, no contraceptives, stay in abusive marriages, no good health care for poor people, let churches discriminate, and lie every third sentence (or more often).

Section 15 - Department Housing and Urban Development

Woohoo! This section was written by Dr. Ben Carson! This of course means it's the shortest section in the whole damn thing, clocking in at all of 14 pages, 4 of which are footnotes.

Also, unlike previous chapters, the first 4 pages are only about what the department does who what the department posts and responsibilities are, and has no policy directives save for the basic concept that the department needs an overhaul.

Replace all career officers with political appointees. Issue an executive order making the HUD Secretary a member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S, to counter the Chinese threat that they are buying to much real estate in the U.S. Seems highly reminiscent of the same language used against Japan in the 1980's.

Reverse all protections for LGBTQIA+ persons implemented under the Biden Administration. Reverse all property appraisals done under the Biden Administration, because you know they did them all wrong. Eliminate any programs that have any mention of Climate Change. Eliminate the use of special-purpose credit authorities. Eliminate the new Housing Supply Fund.

Non-citizens, even those households who are comprised of both citizens and non-citizens, are to be denied housing assistance. Anyone with mental issues or drug assistance issues need to be treated before considered for housing. 

"Statutorily restricting eligibility for first-time homebuyers." That's the EXACT wording.

Finally, create an office of CFO for the department, who will do most of the work. Not bad for the laziest cabinet secretary in all history.

14 pages, only 6 of which are policy, all of which is designed to not actually do anything.

Next posting will cover the Department of the Interior, the Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of Transportation, and the  Department of Veteran Affairs.

[sepdet]

Pres Carter & the Road Not Taken

On June 20, 1979, the Carter administration installed 32 panels designed to harvest the sun's rays and use them to heat water.

Here is what Carter predicted at the dedication ceremony:

"In the year 2000 this solar water heater behind me, which is being dedicated today, will still be here supplying cheap, efficient energy…. A generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people."

For some of the solar panels it is the former that has come to pass: one resides at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, one at the Carter Library and, as of this week, one will join the collection of the Solar Science and Technology Museum in Dezhou, China. Huang Ming, chairman of Himin Solar Energy Group Co., the largest manufacturer of such solar hot water heaters in the world, accepted the donation for permanent display there on August 5. After all, companies like his in China now produce some 80 percent of the solar water heaters used in the world today.

But they are based on the same technology developed here in the U.S. and once manufactured in Warrentown, Va., by InterTechnology/Solar Corp., the company behind the Carter panels. Roughly three meters long, one meter wide and just 10 centimeters deep, the blue-black panels absorb sunlight to heat water piped through their innards. The Carter administration set a goal of deriving 20 percent of U.S. energy needs from such renewable sources by the turn of the century. Today, the U.S. gets a mere 7 percent of its energy from renewables, the bulk of that from the massive hydroelectric dams constructed in the middle of the 20th century. Solar thermal and photovoltaic technology combined provide less than 0.1 percent.

[Note: this article was written in 2010; by the end of 2023 the figures were a respectable 21% renewables, 3.9% from solar and 10.1% from wind. ]

By 1986, the Reagan administration had gutted the research and development budgets for renewable energy at the then-fledgling U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) and eliminated tax breaks for the deployment of wind turbines and solar technologies—recommitting the nation to reliance on cheap but polluting fossil fuels, often from foreign suppliers. "The Department of Energy has a multibillion-dollar budget, in excess of $10 billion," Reagan said during an election debate with Carter, justifying his opposition to the latter's energy policies. "It hasn't produced a quart of oil or a lump of coal or anything else in the line of energy."

And in 1986 the Reagan administration quietly dismantled the White House solar panel installation while resurfacing the roof. "Hey! That system is working. Why don't you keep it?" recalls mechanical engineer Fred Morse, now of Abengoa Solar, who helped install the original solar panels as director of the solar energy program during the Carter years and then watched as they were dismantled during his tenure in the same job under Reagan. "Hey! This whole [renewable] R&D program is working, why don't you keep it?"

[...]

It was the oil shock that pretty much caused the government to take a very serious look at its domestic solar resource," recalls Abengoa's Morse, who has spent decades aiding and abetting the still fledgling solar thermal industry both in government and out. "The motivation was energy independence," a motive that remains recognizable in political rhetoric today because, as Carter himself put it, the sun cannot be embargoed, referring to the 1973–74 Arab oil embargo. "We have this big solar resource, we should use it," Morse explains.

Carter was the first president to take that idea seriously, warming the reviewing stand for his inauguration on January 20, 1977 with the sun's heat harvested by roughly 1,000 square meters of solar thermal panels, according to Morse. "President Carter saw [solar] as a really valid energy resource, and he understood it. I mean, it is a domestic resource and it is huge," Morse recalls, although he admits the inaugural solar system left some chilly. "It was the symbolism of the president wanting to bring solar energy immediately into his administration."

That symbolism became more concrete in the form of a vastly increased budget for energy technology research and development (pdf)—levels still unmatched by succeeding administrations—and tax credits for installing wind turbines or solar power that caused a first boom in renewable energy installation. In a sense alternative energy was finally getting the same government support used to develop and maintain other energy technologies, such as oil drilling or nuclear power. "It did not take long for the U.S. government to realize that energy was a great national interest and subsidize it," Morse notes.

But the real symbolism was the Carter family using hot water heated by the sun for some of their daily activities. "It was used for the cafeteria, in the laundry and other parts of the White House," Morse says.

That was symbolism that Morse suggests the Reagan administration did not support as wholeheartedly. "We had a new administration that really did not like renewables very much. I don't know if you remember those days when it was called alternative energy and there was something about 'alternative' that did not sit very well." So when the time came to resurface the roof, the panels were taken down. "It was working fine, but the decision was it was not cost-effective."

[...]

And those solar-thermal collectors also symbolize an alternative history. "We certainly didn't address the oil and energy issues going back to when Carter tried," Tardif says. "Maybe it would be different if Americans understood what actually happened. We were poised to achieve 20 percent renewables by 2000. What happened?"

What happened?

Big Oil's internal scientists concurred with public scientists, predicting global warming creates by fossil fuels, like this 1982 internal document at Exxon corp:

Source:

These projections turned out to be surprisingly accurate, 40 years later.

But Exxon and other fossil fuel companies used hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies to fund a multi-pronged, decades-long disinformation campaign, ranging from funding pro-fossil-fuels politicians to creating fake thinktanks of energy experts to advise news media to subsidizing university programs and professors in exchange for favorable research, as extensively documented by this spring 2024 US Congressional investigation which the press ignored:

This is not simply a history lesson. Trump put sone of his most diligent efforts in his first term into dismantling as much of his predecessor's' signature accomplishments as possible.

Biden's biggest accomplishment is the Infrastructure Act which included aggressive tax breaks, incentives and subsidies for renewables, jobs in the renewables industry, and R&D. Biden got us over the 20% renewables goal Jimmy Carter set.

We cannot afford to let Donald Trump imitate Reagan and put the renewables industry back another 40 years, no matter how many billions of dollars Big Oil gave his campaign.

[ajunicetryagain]

For a bit of context, let's look at Donald Trump's record and promises in the same areas:

Trump's EPA cut the minimum number of lead pipes that need to be replaced each year by more than half – 3%, down from 7% under the previous 1991 rule. [Bloomberg Law]

Trump notoriously had his own fraudulent university, repeatedly tried to eliminate public service debt forgiveness and has consistently opposed Biden's efforts to forgive student loan debt. [Center for American Progress / CEPR]

Trump made the largest cuts to national monuments in the nation's history, slashing Grand Staircase-Escalante by half and Bears Ears by a staggering 85%. [The Center for Biological Diversity]

Trump rolled back Obama-era fuel efficiency standards under a so-called SAFE Vehicles Rule that his own EPA warned would be detrimental to safety. [Reuters / Public Citizen]

Trump repeatedly cut the budget for the IRS, targeted low-income people for audits and may be facing his own $100 million tax bill following an audit. [CBPP / Americans for Tax Fairness / ProPublica]

Trump, famously anti-offshore wind, has vowed to immediately end offshore wind if elected. [Washington Post / The Guardian]

Trump eliminated the DACA program, a move the Supreme Court (without all three of his eventual appointments) thankfully overturned. [National Immigration Law Center]

Trump signed a child welfare executive order – largely a repackaging of existing programs – that authorized faith-based organizations to turn away qualified prospective parents based on their sexuality, gender identity or religion. [Lambda Legal]

Trump appointed more than 200 federal judges, including such gems as his three SCOTUS appointments and Matthew Kacsmaryk [Pew Research / The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights]

The parties are not the same – and neither are Trump and Biden.

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #16

April 26-May 3 2024

President Biden announced $3 billion to help replace lead pipes in the drinking water system. Millions of Americans get their drinking water through lead pipes, which are toxic, no level of lead exposure is safe. This problem disproportionately affects people of color and low income communities. This first investment of a planned $15 billion will replace 1.7 million lead pipe lines. The Biden Administration plans to replace all lead pipes in the country by the end of the decade.

President Biden canceled the student debt of 317,000 former students of a fraudulent for-profit college system. The Art Institutes was a for-profit system of dozens of schools offering degrees in video-game design and other arts. After years of legal troubles around misleading students and falsifying data the last AI schools closed abruptly without warning in September last year. This adds to the $29 billion in debt for 1.7 borrowers who wee mislead and defrauded by their schools which the Biden Administration has done, and a total debt relief for 4.6 million borrowers so far under Biden.

President Biden expanded two California national monuments protecting thousands of acres of land. The two national monuments are the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, which are being expanded by 120,000 acres. The new protections cover lands of cultural and religious importance to a number of California based native communities. This expansion was first proposed by then Senator Kamala Harris in 2018 as part of a wide ranging plan to expand and protect public land in California. This expansion is part of the Administration's goals to protect, conserve, and restore at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

The Department of Transportation announced new rules that will require car manufacturers to install automatic braking systems in new cars. Starting in 2029 all new cars will be required to have systems to detect pedestrians and automatically apply the breaks in an emergency. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration projects this new rule will save 360 lives every year and prevent at least 24,000 injuries annually.

The IRS announced plans to ramp up audits on the wealthiest Americans. The IRS plans on increasing its audit rate on taxpayers who make over $10 million a year. After decades of Republicans in Congress cutting IRS funding to protect wealthy tax cheats the Biden Administration passed $80 billion for tougher enforcement on the wealthy. The IRS has been able to collect just in one year $500 Million in undisputed but unpaid back taxes from wealthy households, and shows a rise of $31 billion from audits in the 2023 tax year. The IRS also announced its free direct file pilot program was a smashing success. The program allowed tax payers across 12 states to file directly for free with the IRS over the internet. The IRS announced that 140,000 tax payers were able to use it over their target of 100,000, they estimated it saved $5.6 million in tax prep fees, over 90% of users were happy with the webpage and reported it quicker and easier than companies like H&R Block. the IRS plans to bring direct file nationwide next year.

The Department of Interior announced plans for new off shore wind power. The two new sites, off the coast of Oregon and in the Gulf of Maine, would together generate 18 gigawatts of totally clean energy, enough to power 6 million homes.

The Biden Administration announced new rules to finally allow DACA recipients to be covered by Obamacare. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an Obama era policy that allows people brought to the United States as children without legal status to remain and to legally work. However for years DACA recipients have not been able to get health coverage through the Obamacare Health Care Marketplace. This rule change will bring health coverage to at least 100,000 uninsured people.

The Department of Health and Human Services finalized rules that require LGBTQ+ and Intersex minors in the foster care system be placed in supportive and affirming homes.

The Senate confirmed Georgia Alexakis to a life time federal judgeship in Illinois. This brings the total number of federal judges appointed by President Biden to 194. For the first time in history the majority of a President's nominees to the federal bench have not been white men.

[oliviiaagraceeeeee]

Key Players in the Australian Energy Sector

Highlights

Overview of leading names in the electricity, gas, and renewables industries

Examination of infrastructure expansion and technology adoption

Guidance on accessing timely sector data and updates Market Overview

The Australian energy sector encompasses a diverse range of enterprises engaged in electricity generation, natural gas production, and renewable technologies. ASX Energy Stocks represent companies listed on the national exchange that contribute to grid stability, fuel supply, and emissions reduction. This landscape features firms specializing in coal-fired power, wind and solar farms, and gas pipelines, each offering insights into industry dynamics.

Market Composition

ASX Energy Stocks include major electricity generators, mid-stream gas operators, and emerging solar developers. Large-scale producers maintain significant fleet capacities, while mid-tier firms focus on pipeline networks and storage facilities. Recent listing activity highlights growth in renewable-focused entities, reflecting shifts toward lower-emission generation sources.

Renewable Energy Advances

Investment in wind, solar, and battery storage has accelerated technology deployment across the nation. ASX Energy Stocks tied to renewable projects showcase capacity expansions in remote regions as well as grid-connected installations in urban areas. Data from government sources indicates incremental rises in renewable output year over year, underscoring transitions in generation mix.

Infrastructure Developments

Pipeline extensions, transmission line upgrades, and substation uprates are underway to support load growth and distributed generation. Companies associated with ASX Energy Stocks drive these upgrades through capital expenditure programs. Infrastructure service providers, equipment manufacturers, and engineering contractors play critical roles in delivering network reliability.

Regulatory Environment

Federal and state regulations shape emissions targets, wholesale market frameworks, and pricing mechanisms. Entities categorized under ASX Energy Stocks adhere to licensing requirements, environmental standards, and reporting obligations stipulated by energy market operators. Compliance with national emissions reduction plans influences project planning and operational timelines.

Technology Integration

Automation, grid-scale storage, and digital monitoring systems are being adopted to enhance efficiency. Firms in the ASX Energy Stocks group leverage real-time data analytics for outage management, demand forecasting, and maintenance scheduling. Partnerships with technology vendors support pilot programs for virtual power plants and distributed energy resource management.

Data Access and Resources

Timely access to generation statistics, network outage reports, and commodity pricing feeds is available through official market operator portals. Company filings, quarterly updates, and operational dashboards offer factual disclosure on capacity, performance, and expenditure. Subscribers to sector newsletters can receive alerts when foundational data sets are updated.

Call to Action

Explore sector developments and subscribe to receive regular updates on regulatory changes, capacity additions, and technology advancements in the Australian energy market.

[kajalsawant434]

Biodiesel Market Trends: Key Developments and Future Outlook

The biodiesel market has been experiencing significant growth in recent years, driven by increasing environmental concerns, government mandates, and the rising demand for cleaner, renewable energy sources. As nations around the world strive to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, biodiesel has become an essential part of the renewable energy transition. This article explores the latest biodiesel market trends, key developments in the sector, and the future outlook for this eco-friendly fuel alternative.

Key Trends Shaping the Biodiesel Market

Increasing Demand for Renewable Energy

The growing global push for renewable energy has been a major catalyst in the expansion of the biodiesel market. Governments are implementing stricter environmental policies and fuel regulations that promote the adoption of biofuels, including biodiesel. For instance, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in the United States mandates the blending of biofuels like biodiesel into the nation’s transportation fuel supply, driving demand for biodiesel.

As more countries aim to meet their carbon reduction goals, biodiesel has gained prominence as a cleaner, more sustainable alternative to traditional petroleum-based diesel. The need for green energy solutions is expected to fuel continued growth in the biodiesel sector.

Advancements in Feedstock Technologies

Another important trend in the biodiesel market is the increasing use of innovative feedstocks. While vegetable oils and animal fats have traditionally been the primary feedstocks for biodiesel production, there is growing interest in alternative and more sustainable feedstocks such as algae, used cooking oils, and agricultural residues.

Technological advancements in feedstock processing are improving the efficiency of biodiesel production and expanding the range of materials that can be used to produce biodiesel. This not only helps in reducing feedstock costs but also improves the sustainability of biodiesel as a renewable energy source.

Technological Innovations in Production

The biodiesel production process is also evolving, with ongoing advancements aimed at increasing efficiency and reducing costs. Enzyme-based transesterification and catalytic processes are being developed to enhance biodiesel yields while minimizing waste and energy consumption. Second-generation biodiesel technologies are gaining traction, offering the potential to use non-food-based feedstocks and waste products for biodiesel production, which addresses concerns related to food security and land use.

Additionally, the development of modular production units allows smaller, decentralized biodiesel production facilities, enabling local production that is more flexible and adaptable to regional feedstock availability.

Government Support and Policy Regulations

Government policies are crucial in shaping the future of the biodiesel market. Subsidies, tax credits, and blending mandates continue to support the growth of biodiesel production and consumption. In countries like the United States, Brazil, and the European Union, policy frameworks are actively encouraging the use of biofuels through incentives and renewable energy mandates.

For instance, the EU Renewable Energy Directive mandates that biofuels, including biodiesel, must account for a portion of the total energy used in the transport sector. Similarly, the Brazilian government has made significant strides in promoting biodiesel production, with its Program for the Production and Use of Biodiesel (PNPB) providing financial and policy incentives for biodiesel manufacturers.

The continuation of these government incentives and the development of new policies supporting biofuels will be essential to maintaining the positive momentum in the biodiesel market.

Key Developments in the Biodiesel Market

Expansion of Biodiesel Production Capacity

In recent years, global biodiesel production capacity has expanded, particularly in key markets such as the United States, Brazil, and Indonesia. The growth of large-scale biodiesel plants and the establishment of new production facilities are contributing to the increased supply of biodiesel.

For example, Indonesia has emerged as a leader in biodiesel production, with the government pushing for the mandatory use of biodiesel blended with palm oil-based biofuel (B20 and B30). This initiative has led to a surge in biodiesel production, contributing to both energy security and rural economic development.

Corporate and Industry Collaborations

In the biodiesel industry, collaborations between companies and stakeholders are becoming increasingly important for advancing the technology and scaling up production. Notable collaborations include partnerships between biofuel manufacturers, automakers, and government agencies to develop sustainable transportation solutions. By working together, these stakeholders aim to streamline the production process, improve fuel efficiency, and increase the adoption of biodiesel as a mainstream energy source.

Neste, a global leader in the renewable fuel sector, has made significant strides in sustainable biodiesel production. The company has partnered with several automotive and logistics companies to help increase the use of biodiesel, particularly in transportation fleets.

Emerging Markets in Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region has witnessed a rise in biodiesel demand and production, with countries like India, China, and Indonesia making significant investments in the sector. Governments in these regions are increasingly recognizing the importance of biodiesel in reducing their dependence on imported crude oil, improving air quality, and promoting rural economic growth.

Indonesia's biodiesel industry, driven by palm oil production, is a prime example of how developing countries are investing in biofuels to drive economic development. Similarly, India is ramping up its efforts to meet renewable energy goals, with increasing production of biodiesel from various feedstocks.

Future Outlook of the Biodiesel Market

The future outlook for the biodiesel market appears positive, with several factors contributing to continued growth and innovation in the sector.

Increased Adoption in Transportation and Heavy Duty Applications

The adoption of biodiesel in both light-duty and heavy-duty transportation is expected to grow in the coming years. With governments introducing stricter emissions standards and renewable energy targets, biodiesel will play an increasingly significant role in decarbonizing the transportation sector. The development of higher biodiesel blends (such as B20, B30, and even B50) will offer a viable alternative to conventional diesel fuels, particularly for heavy-duty vehicles, ships, and aircraft.

Expansion of Advanced Biofuels

The next phase in the biodiesel market’s evolution involves the commercialization of advanced biofuels, including second-generation biodiesel produced from non-food-based feedstocks. These biofuels are made from cellulosic biomass, algae, and waste oils, offering improved sustainability and reducing the environmental impact associated with traditional biofuel production.

With innovative biotechnologies and government support, the market for advanced biofuels is poised to grow, creating new opportunities for the biodiesel industry.

Continued Government Mandates and Sustainability Goals

As part of their climate change initiatives, many countries will continue to support the biodiesel industry through policy mandates and incentives. Long-term sustainability goals and carbon reduction targets will be key drivers of demand for biofuels, encouraging greater investments in the industry. The growth of carbon trading markets may further incentivize biodiesel production, as companies seek to offset their carbon emissions.

Challenges Ahead: Feedstock Availability and Cost

Despite the promising outlook, there are challenges the biodiesel market must address, including the availability and cost of feedstocks. As demand for biodiesel increases, competition for vegetable oils and other feedstocks may drive up prices. Finding alternative feedstocks that are both sustainable and cost-effective will be critical for ensuring long-term growth in the biodiesel sector.

Conclusion

The biodiesel market is on a growth trajectory, supported by increasing demand for renewable energy, advancements in feedstock technology, and government policies encouraging the use of biofuels. Key developments such as the expansion of production capacity, global industry collaborations, and the rise of advanced biofuels are paving the way for a more sustainable future.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

A growing number of House Republicans are asking federal budget planners to protect Biden-era tax incentives for clean and renewable energy projects from repeal by Congress and freezes by the Trump administration. 

In a letter on Sunday, 21 Republican members of the House warned of economic disruptions and loss of investments if the tax credits from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act were slashed. 

The letter came as the House Ways and Means Committee is expected to begin meeting behind closed doors to decide precisely which budget cuts to make to pay for Trump’s big tax cut bill, a measure expected to be passed through what is known as a budget reconciliation process. It is the same process that was used to pass the IRA, and requires only a simple majority in the Senate for passage. At the same time, Congress is racing to pass a bill to cover the current fiscal year and avoid a government shutdown before a March 14 deadline. 

“Both our constituencies and the energy industry alike remain concerned about disruptive changes to our nation’s energy tax structure,” the Republican lawmakers wrote. 

Incentives offered under the IRA include tax discounts for a wide range of new energy fields, from electric vehicles and ethanol fuels to wind and solar farms, hydrogen plants and carbon capture projects. Many of the incentives were enacted for a 10-year period, the Republicans’ letter said, allowing developers to incorporate them into plans for major projects, “all of which would be jeopardized by premature credit phase outs or additional restrictive mechanisms.”

But not every Republican signatory supports every energy tax credit offered under the IRA. Many remain opposed to programs supporting electric vehicles in particular. 

When reached earlier this year about whether he continued to support preservation of at least some of the energy tax incentives in the IRA, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) made clear that he particularly was concerned about the provisions that benefited his state’s farm economy.  

Nebraska is second only to neighboring Iowa in ethanol production capacity, and it also is one of the nation’s leading wind energy states, with many wind developments benefiting farmers who have signed agreements to have turbines on their land. The IRA extended or increased certain tax credits for wind projects and ethanol production, and also provided new opportunities for the ethanol industry to generate tax savings through installation of carbon capture, biogas or energy efficiency upgrades. 

“The answer is yes, we should preserve tax credits for biofuels and for energy generation,” Bacon said in an email. “Folks who have invested in IRA projects should be grandfathered in regardless.”

But he said he did not support continuation of the IRA’s incentives for electric vehicles.

“There’s no support for the EV mandates and tax credits,” he wrote. “Hybrids are the way to go. EVs really aren’t popular in the Midwest.”

On Monday, the conservative environmental group Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions issued a statement in support of the Republican lawmakers who are backing the IRA credits.