Latest news with #Fiedler
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TVA becomes first U.S. utility to apply for permit to build first modular nuclear reactor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) became the first utility in the U.S. to apply for a permit to build the first modular nuclear reactor. A modular nuclear reactor is smaller in size and can be built more easily, faster, and cheaper than traditional reactors. The TVA announced this week that it submitted the first permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to build a small, modular nuclear reactor. 'This is huge. Very exciting for the TVA, our region, and the nation,' Scott Fiedler, a spokesperson for the TVA said. The TVA hopes to build the reactor along the Clinch River in Oak Ridge. The permit application process took around three years, according to the TVA. It comes as Gov. Bill Lee pushes to make Tennessee a hub for nuclear energy. 'Nuclear energy has a lot of benefits,' Fiedler said. 'Number one, uranium. It's mined here in the United States and we have plenty of it. Two, very safe. Safe technology, we know a lot about it, highly regulated, and finally, it's extremely reliable and cheap. We want abundant, low-cost power to fuel American jobs, and nuclear is the way to go.' The Tennessee Valley Authority has already applied for an $800 million federal grant to help fund the project. Fiedler told News 2 nuclear energy will be the backbone of the power grid and drive the economy. 'Electricity, unlike any other commodity, gold, oil, it's truly now the building block of the economy,' Fiedler said. 'It will power our prosperity and drive American jobs, not only here in Tennessee, but if we can export this technology, it will drive a cleaner world, and all of that starts here in Tennessee.' ⏩ The NRC will review permit applications for two years. Then, there will be a six-month public comment period. The TVA can begin site preparations and non-nuclear construction as early as Jan. 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pa. awards $22.5 million in Solar for Schools grants to help 73 schools reduce energy costs
A solar array. (Robert Zullo/ States Newsroom) Pennsylvania has awarded grants totaling $22.5 million to 73 schools across the state to help pay for solar energy installations, the Commonwealth Financing Authority announced Tuesday. The awards under the Department of Community and Economic Development's Solar for Schools program will provide up to $500,000 to each school. The solar arrays they help pay for could save school districts millions of dollars in energy costs, state Rep. Elizabeth Fieldler (D-Philadelphia) said. 'I am so happy for each of these schools and excited to see names from nearly every corner of the state,' Fiedler, who introduced legislation to create the program last year, said. 'I've heard from rural schools who plan to include their solar panels in agricultural education and from city schools that are thinking strategically about rooftop solar with limited space. I have no doubt that the recipients will benefit from the program's flexibility to meet their school's needs and to make the most of their strengths.' The grant awards come as the legislature is preparing for the final month before the state budget is due June 30. The current budget included up to $25 million for the Solar for Schools program and Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed to match that amount in the upcoming budget. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Fiedler's bill, which passed both chambers of the General Assembly with broad bipartisan support last summer, was created as a way to address the school funding crisis, rising utility costs and climate change together, her office said. 'As energy costs rise, diversifying our energy sources is more important than ever. Increased energy usage throughout the country also puts us at a higher risk because of the inadequate power grid,' state Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Greene) said. 'Schools that use solar panels will counteract that problem by improving Pennsylvania's energy security and lowering costs – saving millions of dollars of taxpayer money.' It also received strong support from building trade unions, whose members will benefit from the construction jobs the grants help to create. 'These new projects through Solar for Schools will open up doors for workers across the state,' said Robert S. Bair, president of the Pennsylvania Building Trades Council. 'Energy jobs are crucial in Pennsylvania. Labor needs to be on the forefront of growing industries like solar.' Union support was, in part, the result of a yearslong effort to strengthen relationships between environmental and labor advocates, who recognize the adoption of renewable energy sources requires skilled workers just as fossil fuel plants do. In the initial round of applications for Solar for School, districts from rural, suburban and urban areas requested $88 million, more than three times the amount available in the current budget. The grants awarded totaled less than the full $25 million because the money is divided between three regions and the DCED did not find enough qualifying applications in one of them, Fiedler said. While interest in renewable energy is growing and political support for such programs is broadening, solar energy still faces hurdles in state government. With the overwhelming response to the initial appropriation, Fiedler said she is hopeful that at least another $25 million Solar for Schools will be approved as part of the next budget. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Kinsey Fiedler ties single-season Tennessee softball program record
Kinsey Fiedler ties single-season Tennessee softball program record No. 16 Ole Miss (34-12, 10-9 SEC) defeated No. 4 Tennessee (37-11, 12-7 SEC), 3-2, Friday at Ole Miss Softball Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. Friday marked the Lady Vols' second consecutive loss after sweeping Auburn at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. Despite a second straight loss, one Tennessee player tied a program record in the contest. Senior center fielder and leadoff hitter Kinsey Fiedler recorded her eighth triple of the 2025 season, tying Lindsay Schutzler's single-season mark for triples. Fiedler went 2-for-3 against Ole Miss, recording one RBI and one run. She is a Washington transfer, playing three seasons for the Huskies, and advanced to the 2023 Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Fiedler was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team in 2022. In 2025, Fiedler has started all 38 games for the Lady Vols. She has recorded a .390 batting average, totaling two home runs and 35 RBIs. Fiedler has recorded 53 hits, including six doubles and eight triples. She has scored 42 runs and has seven stolen bases. Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
CBS News
10-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Anne Arundel County approves measure that favors redevelopment
Anne Arundel County leaders approved a sweeping measure to encourage redevelopment across the county. Bill 2-25 paves the way for more redevelopment in Anne Arundel County, speeding up the approval process, offering discounted connection fees to county utilities, and loosening land use restrictions to allow for more commercial and housing density. Ethan Hunt, the Anne Arundel County director of government affairs, explained the purpose of the bill during the council meeting Monday night. "To ensure that our underutilized parcels that are already developed in the county can be repurposed for more beneficial uses," Hunt said. In a statement, County Executive Pittman called the bill a win for families who were priced out of the housing market and a win for the environment because it directs growth to already developed areas. Currently, there are no major redevelopment projects on the books. The measure goes into effect on July 1, 2025. Critics of the bill say it opens the door for overdevelopment. Amanda Fiedler, a councilmember for District 5, told WJZ the bill is well-intentioned. However, she still voted against it after an amendment passed allowing for residential development in C4 areas — parcels of land that are zoned strictly for commercial use. Fiedler said she wanted the Broadneck Peninsula to be exempt from the ordinance, arguing the area doesn't have the infrastructure to support additional housing. Fiedler also said her constituents don't want more development. "I made a commitment to them to consider them when making any changes to the area that could impact traffic, their quality of life," said Fiedler. "For me, it really is the traffic and the infrastructure, we're talking two lanes in and out." Louben Repke, who owns Dodge Arrows Annapolis, said he's seen enough redevelopment in the 20-plus years he's lived in Anne Arundel County. "Anybody will tell you it seems like everywhere is being built on, all up and down Ritchie highway," said Repke. Repke grew up on the Broadneck Peninsula and said he's apprehensive about potential redevelopment in his community. "I think the vast majority of people will tell you, building more, especially apartment complexes, is typically not a good idea until you address the roads and the infrastructure," Repke said.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania school districts request over $90 million from Solar for Schools grant program
(WHTM) — Lots of schools across the Commonwealth want solar power. Pennsylvania school districts requested almost $90 million from the Solar for Schools grant program, more than triple the amount of available funding. The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) now has to decide which applications to approve. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D) introduced the legislation. She says schools in the program have the potential to save millions. 'It really is a program that could benefit all of our schools,' said Rep. Fiedler. 'We just need to provide the funding for it so that schools can make it happen, and then they have savings and budget predictability for many, many years to come.' Rep. Fiedler says the DCED will release its recommendations for grant applications in May, and an additional $25 million for Solar for Schools is proposed in the governor's next budget. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
