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Filed under: Government/Legal, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs
Anthony Foxx, labeled by
President Obama as "one of the most effective mayors Charlotte [North Carolina] has ever seen," has been nominated by the President to be the next Secretary of Transportation. Foxx would take over for
Ray LaHood, who announced that he would be
stepping down a few months ago.
President Obama had only positive things to say about Mr. LaHood, who had previously served in Congress as a Republican, calling him "a model for the kind of bipartisan approach to governance I think we need so badly in this town." Foxx had been a Democrat, but said during the nomination speech, "There is no such thing as a Democratic or Republican road, bridge, port, airfield or rail system."
Scroll down below to see a video from
CBS News highlighting Obama's announcement and Foxx's acceptance.
Continue reading Anthony Foxx nominated by Obama to be next Transportation Secretary [w/video]
Anthony Foxx nominated by Obama to be next Transportation Secretary [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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April 30th, 2013
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Legislation and Policy, Fisker
House Republicans have been critical of the Obama Administration over new-energy loans to companies such as
Tesla Motors, and will hold a hearing later this month to discuss struggling California-based
Fisker Automotive, the
Wall Street Journal says.
Representative
Darrell Issa (R-CA), of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee, said he will also accelerate a probe into Fisker's business, and told
Automotive News that Fisker, "is a design company, not a manufacturing company. It was destined to fail from the beginning. The greater concern is, does this affect more viable companies, whether they received loans or not?"
Co-founder Henrik Fisker, CEO Tony Posawatz and COO Bernhard Koehler are among those being asked to testify in the April 24 hearing, the Journal reports.
Fisker resigned as the company's executive chairman in March.
"Fisker is a design company, not a manufacturing company. It was destined to fail from the beginning" - Darrell Issa, R-CA.
Republicans have criticized the Obama Administration for US Energy Department loans to companies such as electric-vehicle maker Tesla, now-bankrupt solar-panel maker Solyndra LLC and Fisker, whose $529-million credit line with the government was frozen after just $192 million was distributed because the automaker missed certain production quotas. Nonetheless, Fisker (the man, not the company) has asked for travel expenses reimbursement, but told the
Detroit News, "If they are not going to reimburse me as guided by (a staff member), I am still planning to travel on my own expense to testify as I have nothing to hide."
Last month,
Fisker furloughed its US employees and hired a law firm for a potential bankruptcy proceeding.
House Republicans will hold hearing on Fisker, Henrik asks for travel funds originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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April 11th, 2013
Tags:
Bankruptcy,
congress,
darrell issa,
Department of Energy,
doe loans,
fisker,
Fisker Karma,
Government,
henrik fisker,
house republicans,
karma,
Obama,
plug in hybrid
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, MPG, Legislation and Policy, USA
President Obama wants to know how many clean cars $2 billion can buy. In an announcement expected later today, the President is expected to ask Congress to use $2 billion that the government has raised from allowing oil and gas exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf to fund clean energy transportation. That means plug-in vehicles, better batteries, biofuels and compressed natural gas vehicles.
Obama will reportedly make the announcement at
Argonne National Laboratory, a site already known for automotive innovation, including the development of an
omnivorous engine and, with
General Motors,
improved batteries. The President previously mentioned taking oil and gas money and putting it into an "Energy Security Trust" fund in his State of the Union speech last month. The money would come from offshore oil drilling leases and would be spread out over 10 years. There would not be any expansion of offshore drilling (or a change in the administration's position on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) to raise the money. The end goal, as we've heard so many times before, is to "protect American families from spikes in gas prices and allow us to run our cars and trucks on electricity or homegrown fuels," according to White House documents.
Of course, just because the President asks for something doesn't mean Congress will go along. As the
The Detroit News notes, the President asked for $650 million for battery and vehicle research last year but Congress only approved $330 million. Also, there are still many billions of Department of Energy loan
money left over from the $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan (ATVMP).
Obama calls for spending $2 billion in oil lease revenues on clean vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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March 15th, 2013
Tags:
Argonne,
atvmp,
Barack Obama,
congress,
electric vehicle,
hybrid,
mpg,
Obama,
Oil drilling,
plug in hybrid,
Usa
Filed under: Government/Legal
President
Barack Obama announced his nominees to lead the
Environmental Protection Agency and the
Department of Energy today. After speaking out about global warming in both his Inaugural Address and State of the Union speech this year, the President hopes that the new appointees will help lead the administration toward meaningful climate change policy-making.
Gina McCarthy will step from her current role as assistant EPA administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, to replace Lisa Jackson for that agency's top spot. Meanwhile, Ernest Moniz will replace Steven Chu as Secretary of Energy in the President's Cabinet. Both nominees will require confirmation by the Senate.
Moniz most recently held a position as the Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Energy Initiative, overseeing projects that angled to reduce greenhouse gasses. Despite this, his appointment has been met with skepticism from some environmental groups who don't like his record of partnering with big oil companies like BP, Shell and Chevron.
McCarthy has worked with both Democrats and Republicans in the past, including a stint with Obama's Presidential opponent, Mitt Romney. At the announcement, the President said of McCarthy, "Gina has focused on practical, cost-effective ways to keep our air clean and our economy growing."
Obama picks new leaders for Dept. of Energy and EPA originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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March 4th, 2013
Filed under: Government/Legal
President
Barack Obama announced his nominees to lead the
Environmental Protection Agency and the
Department of Energy today. After speaking out about global warming in both his Inaugural Address and State of the Union speech this year, the President hopes that the new appointees will help lead the administration toward meaningful climate change policy-making.
Gina McCarthy will step from her current role as assistant EPA administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, to replace Lisa Jackson for that agency's top spot. Meanwhile, Ernest Moniz will replace Steven Chu as Secretary of Energy in the President's Cabinet. Both nominees will require confirmation by the Senate.
Moniz most recently held a position as the Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Energy Initiative, overseeing projects that angled to reduce greenhouse gasses. Despite this, his appointment has been met with skepticism from some environmental groups who don't like his record of partnering with big oil companies like BP, Shell and Chevron.
McCarthy has worked with both Democrats and Republicans in the past, including a stint with Obama's Presidential opponent, Mitt Romney. At the announcement, the President said of McCarthy, "Gina has focused on practical, cost-effective ways to keep our air clean and our economy growing."
Obama picks new leaders for Dept. of Energy and EPA originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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March 4th, 2013
January 21st, 2013
