Business Manager: Sean W. Daly
After the administration discontinued NOAA's billion-dollar disaster database in May 2025, Climate Central revived it under the leadership of former NOAA scientist Adam Smith. The database has tracked 417 weather and climate disasters totaling over $3 trillion since 1980, with 14 billion-dollar disasters occurring in the first six months of 2025 alone. Source: time.com
Nearly 6,000 tradeswomen gathered in Chicago for the 15th Annual Tradeswomen Build Nations conference, with IBEW representing over 800 members including 26 from Local 11. The event featured workshops on empowerment and leadership, highlighting growing programs like EMPOWER and the first-ever All-Women's Veteran Electrical Entry Program Pre-Apprenticeship class. Source: ibew11.org
Connecticut Siting Council voted 5-3 to reject United Illuminating's plan to build a high-voltage transmission line through Fairfield and Bridgeport using steel monopoles up to 195 feet high. The decision marks an unexpected victory for local critics who argued the project would be a visual blight, though UI expressed shock at the decision and is exploring legal options. Source: ctmirror.org
Connecticut faces significant uncertainty planning its energy future as the Trump administration eliminates federal tax credits for wind and solar, halts offshore wind development, and issues stop-work orders for projects already under construction. State officials are grappling with how to meet clean energy goals while ensuring grid reliability, with DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes acknowledging natural gas and oil may need to remain part of the solution longer than planned. Source: ctmirror.org
Seven Connecticut technical high schools are slated to receive solar installations through a collaboration with the Connecticut Green Bank, delivering 4.6 megawatts of clean energy and $5.9 million in lifetime cost savings. The projects will include workforce development components offering classroom and onsite education to students, with a groundbreaking event scheduled for October 29 at Howell Cheney Technical High School in Manchester. Source: yahoo.com
Eleven governors from PJM Interconnection member states are demanding greater control over grid operations as data center expansion drives capacity auction costs from $2.2 billion to $16.1 billion in two years. The surge in electricity demand from AI and data centers has caused ratepayer bills to increase substantially, with some threatening to withdraw from the 13-state grid altogether. Source: grist.org
IBEW Local 280 is opening a new 7,200-square-foot union hall and training center in Redmond, Oregon in January to accommodate growth driven by data center construction. The union has grown to 500 members, fueled by work on Facebook and Apple data center campuses in Prineville, with journeyman electricians earning $57.65 per hour. The electrician field in Central Oregon has grown 22.1% over the past decade. Source: redmondspokesman.com
As COP30 approaches, challenging questions loom about climate finance delivery, adaptation funding, and whether countries can bridge the widening gap between current emissions trajectories and climate targets. Experts warn that without decisive action on financing mechanisms and accountability frameworks, vulnerable nations will continue bearing disproportionate climate impacts while lacking resources for resilience. Source: ft.com
COP30 in Belem, Brazil marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement with critical discussions on climate finance, deforestation, and closing the gap between countries' pledges and the 1.5C warming target. Key issues include scaling climate financing from $300 billion to $1.3 trillion annually by 2035, protecting tropical forests through Brazil's proposed $125 billion fund, and addressing the urgent need for ambitious national climate plans. Source: france24.com
Bill Gates calls for a strategic pivot in climate action ahead of COP30, arguing the world should focus on preventing human suffering rather than solely on emissions targets. In his memo "Three Tough Truths About Climate," Gates contends that climate change is serious but won't end civilization, and that health and prosperity are the best defense against climate impacts, sparking debate among climate scientists and activists. Source: gatesnotes.com
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