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Category: Energy

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Cosponsors Bipartisan Recreational Trails Program (RTP) Full Funding Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, this week joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Ted Budd (R-N.C.) to introduce the Recreational Trails Program Full Funding Act, bipartisan legislation to improve the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) by increasing the transparency accountability of its funding program. Since 1991, the Recreational Trails Program has provided funding to states to develop and maintain outdoor recreational trails, allowing millions of Americans and their families to enjoy activities such as hiking, bicycling, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and 4-wheel driving. 
    “From Vermont’s Green Mountains to Utah’s ‘Mighty Five’ National Parks, America is home to unmatched natural beauty. The Recreational Trails Program plays a vital role in helping build and maintain hiking trails across the country so folks can enjoy and explore our great outdoors,” said Senator Welch. “Our bipartisan bill will support this crucial program to ensure that future generations can experience the joy of hiking our nation’s scenic trails for many years to come.” 
    “Minnesota snowmobilers, hikers, ATV users, cyclists, and countless others who enjoy the outdoors rely on the Recreational Trails Program to explore our state’s natural wonders and support our local businesses,” said Senator Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will ensure states receive the resources they deserve to protect and improve these trails for generations to come.” 
    “The Recreational Trails Program provides Idahoans and visitors to our state with access to our public lands,” said Senator Risch. “This legislation ensures trail maintenance projects can continue and future generations can enjoy Idaho’s great outdoors for years to come.” 
    “From Murphy to Manteo, North Carolina’s network of recreational trails not only attracts tourism to our state, but also allows North Carolinians to enjoy the natural beauty our state has to offer. I am proud to join Senator Klobuchar in introducing this bipartisan legislation to help maintain, improve, and expand upon the natural infrastructure of our public lands,” said Senator Budd. 
    The RTP Full Funding Act—which is supported by recreational groups from snowmobilers to cyclists and hikers to off-highway power sport vehicle users—will ensure that federal funds collected for this program are maximized to support more trail projects in the future. The bipartisan bill signals strong support for bringing the Recreational Trail Program funding in line with the revenue collected from the federal gas tax already paid by off-road recreational vehicle users without impacting funding for other federal transportation programs, including the Transportation Alternatives Program.  
    The RTP Full Funding Act will increase the accuracy and transparency of RTP funding by: 

    Requiring a study to determine the total amount of funds collected; 
    Improving reporting on expenditures from the RTP to improve accountability and oversight; and 
    Streamlining RTP funding distribution to the states by reducing unnecessary paperwork. 

    In addition to Sens. Welch, Klobuchar, Risch, and Budd, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators John Curtis (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). 
    The bill is supported by the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC), Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT), Motorcycle Industry Council,  Safe & Responsible Use at the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, American Trails, International Mountain Bicycling Association, The Corps Network, International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, American Council of Snowmobile Associations, American Horse Council & American Horse Council Foundation, American Hiking Society, Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), PeopleForBikes, Back Country Horsemen of America, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Association, and Rails to Trails Conservancy. 
    “The Recreational Trails Program has produced tens of thousands of successes across the nation, benefiting the health, safety and enjoyment of millions of hikers and bicyclists and ATVers and snowmobilers and equestrians and more.  It has forged national and regional partnerships among those who use trails – overcoming potential competition with plans that deliver great opportunities for all.  RTP projects benefit from the sharing of best practices and from widespread volunteerism and Public-Private-Partnerships.  Because RTP offers flexibility in uses including maintenance and education, the program can improve other trail projects.  Best of all, RTP unifies the nation across our diversity – north and south, urban and rural, young and old, Red and Blue and more, and connects more Americans to their shared legacy of public lands and waters.  We thank our wonderful Congressional Champions for making this possible!” said Marianne Fowler and Derrick Crandall, Co-Chairs of the Coalition for Recreational Trails. 
    “The RTP is vitally important to trail users everywhere.  The program funds trail construction, maintenance, safety, interpretation, and other important projects. The funding for this program has remained flat for too long.  We would like to thank the bill sponsors for taking action to ensure that these important priorities will be fully funded,” said Duane Taylor, Director of Safe & Responsible Use,  Specialty Vehicle Institute of America. 
    “The International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association and the American Council of Snowmobile Associations applaud the continued leadership of Senators Klobuchar and Risch and the active support of Senators Welch, Budd, Tillis, Merkley and Curtis to return to outdoor recreation the resources required to build and maintain our recreational trail infrastructure. Their persistence in pushing for this funding partially addresses the greatest inequity contained in our federal aid highway program…This legislation is a step in the right direction for the continued support of the trails system – and the rural communities across the United States! Thank you for your support and leadership!” said Jaret Smith, President of the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, and Christine Jourdain, Executive Director of the American Council of Snowmobile Associations. 
    “The Recreational Trails Program is vital for building and maintaining trails for cyclists across the country.  At PeopleForBikes, we strongly support more funding for all bicycle infrastructure programs and applaud the bipartisan leadership of this legislation for their support of recreational trails,” said Jenn Dice, CEO of PeopleForBikes. 
    “American Hiking Society and the 59 million strong hiking community praises the bipartisan leadership of Senators Klobuchar and Risch in support of the Recreational Trails Program! The RTP Full Funding Act of 2024 will ensure that the over three decades long impact of RTP can continue to provide the tens of millions of non-motorized and motorized trail users in urban and rural areas the benefits of trails including health and wellness, connectivity, and economic growth. Hikers and trail users across the country thank Senators Klobuchar, Risch, Budd, Welch, Tillis, Curtis, and Merkley for their support of our nation’s trails!” said Tyler Ray, Senior Director for Programs and Advocacy, American Hiking Society. 
    Read the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Executive Committee

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    ATO Executive Committee

    The ATO Executive Committee focuses on the strategic matters that relate to the direction and positioning of the organisation.

    Our Commissioner and Second Commissioners are statutory appointments. The ATO Executive Committee consists of the Commissioner, 3 Second Commissioners and the leads from the operations and technology sections of the ATO.

    For more information about our organisation, see:

    Commissioner and Registrar

    Commissioner of Taxation and Registrar of the Australian Business Register and the Australian Business Registry Services

    Rob Heferen

    Rob Heferen was appointed as the 13th Commissioner of Taxation on 1 March 2024.

    Rob has had a long career in the Australian Public Service, beginning in 1989 as a graduate at the Australian Customs Service. Over 35 years, he’s accumulated diverse experience across policy development and program delivery in a range of portfolios. Rob has represented Australia in international forums including the United Nations (UN), International Energy Agency (IEA) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

    For almost 20 years, Rob’s interest and expertise in economics and tax policy led him to various roles in the ATO and Commonwealth Treasury. This included leading the Secretariat for the Australia’s Future Tax System Review (the Henry Tax Review) and culminated in his role as Deputy Secretary, Revenue Group at the Commonwealth Treasury between 2011–2016. Here he had responsibility for tax policy, tax legislation and revenue forecasting.

    Rob’s other Senior Executive roles include:

    • Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
    • Deputy Secretary of Higher Education, Research and International in the Department of Education, Skills and Employment
    • Deputy Secretary of Energy at the Department of the Environment and Energy (where he served as Australia’s representative on the International Energy Agency’s Governing Board)
    • Deputy Secretary of Indigenous Affairs at the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

    Rob is a proven people leader, with an open, collaborative and authentic style. He has a strong record of achievement in leading organisations to help shape and deliver on Government priorities.

    Rob has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tasmania, and a Graduate Diploma of Economics from the Australian National University.

    Second Commissioner – Client Engagement

    Jeremy Hirschhorn

    Jeremy Hirschhorn was appointed to the Second Commissioner role from 16 April 2020. He has overall responsibility for the ATO’s Client Engagement Group, which fosters willing participation in Australia’s tax and super systems through well-designed client experiences.

    Jeremy has more than 20 years’ experience in roles managing complex tax matters.

    As Deputy Commissioner of Public Groups & International from April 2015, Jeremy was responsible for ensuring that the largest Australian and multinational companies were meeting their corporate tax obligations and providing the Australian community with confidence that these large companies were being held to account.

    Jeremy also worked as Chief Tax Counsel, with responsibility for the provision of the ATO’s legal advice in relation to interpretation of the tax and super laws, when he joined the ATO in August 2014.

    Prior to joining the ATO, Jeremy was a senior partner in KPMG’s tax practice.

    Jeremy holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from the University of NSW. He is a Chartered Tax Adviser and Chartered Accountant.

    Second Commissioner Frontline Operations

    David Allen

    David Allen was appointed to the Second Commissioner Frontline Operations role from 1 November 2024. In this role, David leads the Frontline Operations Group which is responsible for a broad range of the ATO’s taxpayer services for all segments of the community.

    These include:

    • processing all payments, activity statements, income tax returns, superannuation lodgments and other forms
    • administering the Tax File Number register, Australian Business Register and Director ID Services.

    David joined the ATO in 2010 as an Assistant Commissioner in Public Groups & Internationals – working in Capital Gains Tax risk, Internationals. In 2016, he was the ATO’s delegate to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD) based in Paris.

    In 2018, David was promoted to Deputy Commissioner and established the Enterprise Strategy and Design (ESD) business line – which takes the leadership role in working with business areas to shape the ATO’s strategic direction, risk management, planning and reporting, as well as internal audit and design.

    Prior to joining the ATO, David held senior roles in different tiers of the public service including Commonwealth, United Kingdom, NSW and local government.

    David has a degree in Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration from Australian Graduate School of Management.

    Second Commissioner for Law Design and Practice

    Kirsten Fish

    Kirsten has overall responsibility for the ATO’s law practice, including law interpretation, public advice and guidance, independent dispute prevention, litigation and resolution, and the ATO’s contribution to policy and law design.

    The Law Design and Practice Group serves the community, government and clients by ensuring the tax and super laws are informed, understood, administered and applied with confidence and integrity and is respected and trusted as the authoritative voice of the Commissioner on matters of law and revenue analysis.

    Kirsten joined the ATO in 2014 and the ATO’s Chief Tax Counsel from 2015, one of the highest legal authorities within the ATO, leading the Tax Counsel Network and providing technical leadership in relation to significant tax issues, cases and rulings. Kirsten was acting Second Commissioner for 12 months before being formally appointed to the role in October 2021.

    Prior to joining the ATO, Kirsten was a tax Partner at Clayton Utz with a focus on the financial services industry and providing finance and investment transaction advice.

    Kirsten holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and Masters of Law (Tax).

    Chief Operating Officer

    Jacqui Curtis

    The Chief Operating Officer (COO) leads the ATO’s Enterprise Strategy and Corporate Operations functions.

    These functions include Strategic Planning, Governance, Finance, Corporate, Risk Management, People, Integrity, Change Management and Design for the organisation. In this role, Jacqui is a member of the ATO Executive, responsible for shaping and setting strategic direction and oversight implementation.

    The COO position gives greater strength and integration to our corporate positioning, and ensures we are well positioned for Australian Public Service (APS)-wide reforms of corporate and shared services, and that our planning, governance and risk management is strategic and sensible. The COO brings together an integrated picture of our people and resource management and ensure we have the right capability and culture to meet our strategic intent.

    This position has a role in managing the relationship with key stakeholders like our scrutineers.

    All of these underpin our ability to deliver on a better client and staff experience. 

    Prior to the COO role, Jacqui joined the ATO in September 2013 as Deputy Commissioner ATO People and was responsible for delivering an enterprise-wide human resource management service which supports ATO employees in providing a sustainable, open and accountable workplace. Jacqui was also responsible for leading the Reinvention Program Management Office and the change management driving this key reform.

    Before joining the ATO, Jacqui was General Manager of the People Capability Division with Services Australia, where she led the department’s leadership and change, people development, workforce planning and research functions. Jacqui has also worked for the Australian Public Service Commission, where she was responsible for delivering integrated people development, SES and APS-wide leadership and talent, change management, strategic recruitment, communications, and learning and development. She also has extensive international experience.

    Jacqui holds an Executive Masters in Public Administration from the Australian National University and is a Fellow of Australian Human Resource Institute, and was appointed Adjunct Professor University of Canberra in 2018.

    In October 2019, Jacqui was appointed the inaugural Head of the APS HR Professional Stream.

    Chief Information Officer

    Mark Sawade

    Mark Sawade was appointed to the Chief Information Officer role from 11 March 2025.

    In this role Mark has overall responsibility for the ATO’s Enterprise Solutions and Technology Group, who work to ensure we maintain a contemporary, secure and reliable technology environment that supports tax, super and registry systems into the future.

    Mark has nearly 25 years’ experience in the Australian Public Service, primarily in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) leadership roles. Preceding his appointment at the ATO, Mark was the Chief Information Officer at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, where he led and delivered a range of digital transformation initiatives.

    In 2019, Mark led the School Funding and Data Collection division in the Department of Education, where he delivered significant reform that focused on increased use of government data in the calculation of school funding entitlements.

    Mark has also held ICT senior executive leadership roles in a number of public sector agencies, including at the Department of Education, Australian Bureau of Statistics, ComSuper and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

    Mark holds a Bachelor of Computer and Information Science from the University of South Australia.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Global solar boom leaving Canada in the shade — but federal shift could change sector fortunes

    Source: – Press Release/Statement:

    Headline: Global solar boom leaving Canada in the shade — but federal shift could change sector fortunes

    Fernando Melo, federal director for policy and government affairs at CANREA, an industry body, said Canada has “great solar resources that we are only beginning to harness,” noting that new utility-scale power procurements coming in 2025 in several provinces, including solar-specific auctions in Quebec and Saskatchewan, would help spur deployment of PV plant. Read more.
    The post Global solar boom leaving Canada in the shade — but federal shift could change sector fortunes appeared first on Canadian Renewable Energy Association.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Alberta bill enables hydrogen home heating, electricity market remodeling

    Source: – Press Release/Statement:

    Headline: Alberta bill enables hydrogen home heating, electricity market remodeling

    “We promised a zero congestion system, meaning that every generator should be able to get their electricity to market, and that’s not the case anymore,” said Vittoria Bellissimo, the president of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association. Read more.

    The post Alberta bill enables hydrogen home heating, electricity market remodeling appeared first on Canadian Renewable Energy Association.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI USA: To Boost Forest Workforce, King Introduces Bipartisan Legislation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Jim Risch (R-ID), co-chairs of the Senate Working Forests Caucus, are introducing bipartisan legislation to improve forest industry employment and participation through a grant program aimed at rural and underserved communities. The Jobs in the Woods Act would support developmental programs designed to better equip and train the forest products workforce for careers with the U.S. Forest Service and timber industries. Nationally, the forest products industry employs roughly 925,000 people directly and supports nearly 2 million jobs indirectly. In Maine, the industry supports nearly 14,000 jobs across the state.
    “Maine’s forestry industry has been foundational for our state economy for generations, and we want to sustain it for generations to come,” said Senator King. “As the industry continues to evolve, we must ensure our forestry workforce has the proper training and skills to help responsibly manage our forests while strengthening our local economies. The bipartisan Jobs in the Woods Act is commonsense legislation that will invest in new and innovative workforce programs — helping Maine people get quality, good-paying jobs and securing the future of our state’s iconic timber industry.”
    “A robust and skilled workforce is critical to Idaho’s forest and economic health,” said Senator Risch. “My Jobs in the Woods Act will equip rural communities to build up the timber industry with educational and training programs to ensure Idaho continues to effectively manage our forests and prevent catastrophic wildfires for years to come.”
    “The Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast applauds Senator King for sponsoring and introducing the Jobs in the Woods Act and we fully support this important legislation at a critical time for the logging industry,” said Dana Doran, Executive Director of the Professional Logging Contractors Northeast. “Our existing logging and forest trucking workforce is aging, and targeted workforce education and training programs are needed to provide pathways to good paying careers in the woods to ensure the industry’s future. Opportunities are strong for the next generation, particularly in the rural areas where this legislation would have the greatest impact.”
     “A strong, economically viable forest products industry depends on a healthy wood supply chain — and that starts with a skilled, supported workforce. The Jobs in the Woods Act invests in workforce development and education in rural, forest-based communities,” said Tim O’Hara, Forest Resources Association President. “By supporting training programs focused on forestry-related careers, this legislation creates pathways for the next generation to pursue meaningful careers in forestry, logging, log transportation, sawmilling, and beyond — right in the communities they call home.”
    The forestry and forest products industry relies on the strength and resilience of our rural communities and the rural economy. We need to ensure that this rural economy can persist and to do so we need a strong workforce with the skillsets that can sustainably support our forest,” said Alexander Ingraham, President of Pinetree Associates. “Workforce development is a critical need for these communities, the forest, and the forest products industry to sustain and thrive. The Jobs in the Woods Act sets a pathway towards a thriving workforce and a sustainable rural economy.
    The Jobs in the Woods Act is cosponsored by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jim Crapo (R-ID), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
    As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator King is seen as a national leader in efforts to support Maine’s forest products industry. He also introduced the bipartisan Future Logging Careers Act to help train the next generation of Maine loggers. Previously, Senator King introduced the bipartisan Timber Innovation Act for Building Rural Communities Act to improve forest health and support Maine’s rural economy. He also introduced legislation to establish a “Future of Forests” panel tasked with making recommendations to secure the health of America’s forests. Senator King was key in establishing the Forest Opportunity Roadmap Maine (FOR/ME) Initiative, a participant-led initiative that is helping to diversify the state’s wood products businesses, attract investments, support research and development, and develop greater economic prosperity for rural communities impacted by mill closures.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: White House plans for Alaskan oil and gas face some hurdles – including from Trump and the petroleum industry

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Scott L. Montgomery, Lecturer in International Studies, University of Washington

    A pumping station and oil pipeline north of Fairbanks, Alaska, are part of the existing fossil fuel industry in the state. AP Photo/Al Grillo

    The second Trump administration has launched the next stage in the half-century-long battle between commerce and conservation over Alaskan oil and gas development. But its moves are delivering a mixed message to the petroleum industry.

    The administration has opened – or reopened – large swaths of government land in Alaska to oil and gas drilling, though only some of those opportunities have drawn much commercial interest in recent years. And an 800-mile pipeline across Alaska that the administration says it supports is not yet funded, and other administration policies risk turning off prospective partners.

    President Donald Trump says he wants to grow oil and gas production and advance the goal of what he calls U.S. “energy dominance.” The White House says that term means both reducing the amount of energy imported from other countries and increasing the amount of energy exported from the U.S., especially to allies.

    The U.S. is already the world’s largest producer and exporter of natural gas as well as the largest producer of crude oil. And the nation’s oil industry boomed under the Biden administration. However, the U.S. does import an average of over 6 million barrels per day of crude oil, most of it from Canada.

    Trump’s efforts seek to boost U.S. production to still greater heights by expanding access to areas for drilling and building related infrastructure. But as a former petroleum geoscientist and industry observer, I would suggest his various actions, taken as a whole, may have more limited effects than he seems to hope.

    Returned to leasing

    In one of his first executive orders after retaking office on Jan. 20, 2025, Trump declared that the U.S. would develop Alaska’s petroleum resources “to the fullest extent possible.”

    The Biden administration had banned oil leasing in three areas of Alaska. One was all but 400,000 acres in the coastal plain portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Another was a 13-million-acre swath of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, a massive parcel of federal land west of the refuge. The third area was 44 million acres of the offshore coastal portion of the northern Bering Sea, based on concerns for tribal rights and the migration routes of marine mammals.

    Trump moved quickly to reverse all these bans, describing them as an “assault on Alaska’s sovereignty and its ability to responsibly develop (its) resources for the benefit of the Nation.” And Trump went farther, expanding the available land by an additional 6 million acres in the petroleum reserve and another 1.1 million acres of the wildlife refuge.

    All those areas are home to many different types of wildlife, as well as Indigenous groups.

    Caribou migrate onto the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Alaska.
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service via AP

    The view of industry

    For the petroleum industry, I expect these actions are both welcome and irrelevant. Reopening the northeastern portion of the petroleum reserve creates a real opportunity: Exploration has found a significant amount of oil and gas in that area, and indications are that there may be more yet to discover.

    But prospects on the land in the wildlife refuge and the shallow waters of the Bering Sea are not likely of much interest to drilling companies unless oil prices rise significantly from their levels in early 2025. There is no established production in either area at present. And, though the refuge has oil and gas potential, there are no roads or pipelines, and Arctic drilling is especially expensive.

    In fact, the last two attempts by the government to lease oil development rights in the wildlife refuge drew very little interest. In 2020, the first Trump administration teamed with Republicans in Congress to overcome long-standing legal and political opposition to leasing in the refuge. But the 2021 lease sale was a bust, with none of the top oil producers in the state participating.

    A second round of bidding, in January 2025, received no interest at all from oil companies.

    The Trans-Alaska Pipeline runs 800 miles from the North Slope to the port of Valdez, Alaska.
    Mario Tama/Getty Images

    Pipe dreams that could come true

    A strong gain for the petroleum industry would be a major new pipeline to carry natural gas more than 800 miles south from the Prudhoe Bay area on the Arctic coast to a port near Anchorage on south-central Alaska’s Cook Inlet.

    The idea has its own decades-long history, and has been both pushed forward and set back over the years by changing economics, government plans, and tribal interest and opposition.

    The main challenge is that there is no way to transport natural gas off the North Slope. Since drilling began in the late 1970s, some has been used locally for heating and running equipment, with the vast majority being reinjected into oil reservoir rock to help maintain oil production.

    Rising demand and elevated prices in Asia, however, suggest the project could be profitable, despite the current cost estimate of US$44 billion. Project plans indicate most of it would go to build a liquefied natural gas export terminal near Anchorage, with the rest spent to construct an 807-mile pipeline paralleling the existing Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and a plant at Prudhoe Bay that would capture carbon from the atmosphere, compress it and inject it into oil-producing reservoirs to boost production.

    The pipeline is designed to carry 3.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas each day, which would make it one of the largest pipelines in North America. The export terminal, to be built near the town of Nikiski on Cook Inlet, would have a capacity of roughly 1 trillion cubic feet per year, enough to heat about 15 million homes for a year.

    The pipeline could take as little as two to three years to build, but the terminal and carbon-capture plant would take longer – five years or so. The exports from Alaska could go to other ports in the U.S., but they could also fetch higher prices in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and possibly China.

    An artist’s rendering of what a natural gas export terminal would look like on Cook Inlet, near Nikiski, Alaska.
    Alaska Gasline Development Corporation

    A wrench in the works

    Most of the permits needed for the pipeline-and-export-terminal project have been secured by the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, a company created by the state of Alaska to build the project.

    However, no company or foreign government has yet agreed to foot the bill, and despite the support of the Trump White House, there’s no indication the federal government will do so either.

    The Trump administration has also created a new barrier to the project. Its sweeping tariffs and the resulting trade war crashed prices in the global oil and gas market in early April 2025.

    In addition, uncertainty about the permanence of tariffs or other restrictions on international trade are now widespread and directly affect the oil industry. Lower gas and oil prices and less stability make any project less attractive.

    It’s true that Trump exempted oil and gas from his most recent tariffs. But that matters less than the broader effect the trade war is already having, with analysts projecting it is driving the global economy toward recession. Less economic activity means less demand for oil and gas, and therefore less incentive for companies to drill new wells and build new pipelines.

    To top everything off, the White House slapped heavy tariffs on Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, the very countries that might be inclined to help fund the pipeline project. Even before the trade war, they were hesitant about supporting it. The potential suspension, or reinstatement, or adjustment of tariffs is not likely to help them view the situation as more stable.

    Those who favor oil and gas development in Alaska may be wondering whether the president is truly on their side. It remains to be seen whether their hopes might end up a casualty of White House economic policy.

    Scott L. Montgomery does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. White House plans for Alaskan oil and gas face some hurdles – including from Trump and the petroleum industry – https://theconversation.com/white-house-plans-for-alaskan-oil-and-gas-face-some-hurdles-including-from-trump-and-the-petroleum-industry-254040

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Companies will still face pressure to manage for climate change, even as government rolls back US climate policy

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ethan I. Thorpe, Fellow at Private Climate Governance Lab, Vanderbilt University

    Amazon partnered with Dominion Energy to build solar farms in Virginia to power its cloud-computing service. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

    As the federal government moves to eliminate U.S. climate rules, companies still face pressure to be better stewards of the planet from their customers, investors, employees, local communities, lenders, insurers, global trading partners and many states.

    Each of those groups knows it will face increasing costs from rising temperatures and extreme weather if corporations don’t rein in their greenhouse gas emissions.

    Many companies will find that returning to past polluting ways isn’t in their best interest. Over 60% of chief financial officers surveyed by global management firm Kearney in December 2024 signaled that they intended to invest at least 2% of their revenue in sustainability in 2025.

    These companies may maintain a low profile about climate change while the Trump administration is in power, but they have strong financial incentives to continue to reduce their emissions and their own climate risks.

    We study private environmental governance – the ways companies and organizations work outside government to improve the nation’s sustainability and reduce environmental damage. Our work finds that, in this polarized era, addressing climate and sustainability challenges is not just a matter of government action. That’s because a lot of climate and sustainability progress is underway in the private sector.

    Sustainability matters to companies’ bottom lines

    Businesses have used climate and sustainability initiatives for years to make their operations and supply chains more efficient and to reduce their long-term costs.

    When McDonald’s faced public pressure to reduce waste in the late 1980s, the company teamed up with the Environmental Defense Fund to analyze the problem. It was able to reduce its waste by 30% over the following decade, saving the company US$6 million a year. This early risk-taking by McDonald’s opened the door for other environmental groups to help businesses understand how to reduce their environmental impact, including emissions, while boosting the companies’ profitability.

    The shipping company Maersk expects to cut emissions and boost productivity at the same time with better logistics and low-emissions ships like this one, which runs on methanol.
    Axel Heimken/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Maersk, the logistics giant responsible for nearly a quarter of global shipping, has responded to pressure from its corporate customers with a plan to reduce carbon emissions by one-third from 2022 to 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2045. It expects the combination of low-emissions vessels and a more efficient delivery network with hubs and shuttles to help meet its climate goals while increasing productivity.

    Companies have also helped drive the expansion of renewable energy, motivated by the competitive economics of renewables and business opportunities. Facebook’s parent company Meta and Google invested nearly $2 billion in projects to provide renewable energy in the Tennessee Valley Authority service area, even though no government required them to do so. And major companies continued
    signing renewable energy power purchase agreements in 2025.

    Microsoft and Amazon are responding to massive new power demand by trying to locate data centers near existing nuclear power plants for cleaner energy supplies.

    Thousands of companies report emissions via private systems

    Another sign of companies’ continuing commitment to sustainability is how many of them measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions even when governments do not require them to do so.

    Nearly 25,000 companies representing two-thirds of total global market capitalization and 85% of the S&P 500 report their emissions to the nonprofit CDP. Disclosing emissions is like keeping a fitness journal with a personal trainer. It helps a company track its progress and plan for future financial and environmental risks. More than 12,500 small- and medium-size companies also disclosed emissions to CDP in 2024.

    Many of these companies were initially motivated by pressure from environmental groups or corporate customers. Today, they have more reason to continue paying attention to emissions.

    California has its own formal reporting requirements designed to encourage companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. And other states are considering setting climate disclosure rules. The Trump administration has promised to challenge them, and announced that it also plans to cut federal greenhouse gas reporting standards, but companies will likely still face reporting rules in the future.

    The European Union also approved reporting requirements. It delayed their start date in April 2025 to give companies more time to comply.

    Cleaner supply chains can also be more efficient

    Managing supply chains with climate and environmental risks in mind can also help businesses increase their efficiency and reduce the risk that climate change will disrupt their operations.

    The supply chain is the largest source of the average company’s emissions and may be particularly vulnerable to climate shocks. A storm can easily disrupt vital production or shipping, and droughts or heat waves can damage crops, stop work and increase costs. Companies estimate climate-related supply chain risks at $162 billion, nearly three times the cost of mitigating those risks. Many companies therefore have incentives to reduce emissions and their exposure to related hazards.

    Nearly 80% of the largest companies across seven global economic sectors had set environmental requirements for suppliers within their value chains as of 2023. These requirements include reporting carbon emissions, reducing emissions and using sustainable forestry practices.

    Walmart eliminated 1 billion tons of carbon emissions from its supply chain in less than seven years by sharing its expertise with suppliers and working with them to reduce their emissions. Walmart’s global director of sustainable retail noted in 2024 that the effort made its suppliers more efficient, too.

    Keeping employees and customers happy

    Companies also face pressure from average people − both employees and customers.

    More than two-thirds of Americans support action to address climate change. Even companies that are not consumer-facing need retail customer and employee support. Pro-climate actions have been found to improve employee and customer loyalty.

    The outdoor clothing company Patagonia ranked third out of over 300 brands in a 2024 customer experience survey, in part because of its reputation for sustainable practices. Many of the over 10,000 respondents cited the company’s sustainable practices as the leading reason for their support.

    Many companies also face pressure from lenders and insurers who want to reduce climate risks to their own bottom lines. Dozens of insurers have committed to ending or restricting underwriting for new fossil fuel projects. Others use incentives, such as lower premiums for companies that reduce emissions or invest in climate adaptation.

    Climate change may accelerate the current 5% to 7% annual increase in insured losses, according to estimates from insurer Swiss Re. That has led some insurance leaders to recommend insurance companies take bigger steps to reduce emissions through their investments and policy underwriting.

    Private climate governance can help buy time

    Media attention and interest group advocacy is often focused on government actions, but decisions made in boardrooms and through initiatives with nonprofits have created an important kind of private climate governance.

    As companies respond to their own economic risks and incentives, they help buy time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change until the political system recognizes the financial risks posed to the entire country.

    Zdravka Tzankova receives funding from the National Science Foundation.

    Ethan I. Thorpe and Michael Vandenbergh do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Companies will still face pressure to manage for climate change, even as government rolls back US climate policy – https://theconversation.com/companies-will-still-face-pressure-to-manage-for-climate-change-even-as-government-rolls-back-us-climate-policy-251580

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Apollo Funds Commit up to $400 Million for New Commercial Solar Partnership with Summit Ridge Energy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK and ARLINGTON, Va., April 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo (NYSE: APO) and Summit Ridge Energy, LLC (“Summit Ridge Energy” or “Summit Ridge”), one of the nation’s leading commercial solar companies, today announced that Apollo-managed funds (the “Apollo Funds”) have committed up to $400 million for a new joint venture partnership with Summit Ridge to jointly own and operate a portfolio of commercial solar assets across Illinois.

    Summit Ridge Energy is one of the largest owner-operators of commercial solar assets in the United States, with over 2GW of solar projects operating and in development across Illinois, Maryland, Virginia, New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maine, providing energy savings to more than 40,000 homes and businesses while contributing to American energy independence. In 2022, Apollo Funds previously made a $175 million strategic investment in Summit Ridge.

    Apollo Partner Corinne Still said, “We are pleased to expand our relationship with Summit Ridge Energy and enter this new partnership, which we believe represents a compelling opportunity to invest in solar projects poised to contribute domestic power generation capacity to meet growing electricity demands for households and businesses alike. Apollo is committed to serving as a leading capital provider enabling the new industrial renaissance and is excited to continue our support of Summit Ridge’s mission to deliver a more secure, self-reliant energy future for communities across the country.”

    “As we expand our footprint of solar assets, Summit Ridge Energy is advancing a more reliable and locally driven energy system—bolstering the U.S. electric grid while delivering savings to businesses and households and helping to create thousands of American jobs,” said Adam Kuehne, Chief Investment Officer of Summit Ridge Energy. “We’re proud to partner with the Apollo team as we continue driving the nation toward greater energy independence.”

    Over the past five years, Apollo-managed funds and affiliates have committed, deployed or arranged approximately $58 billioni of climate and energy transition-related investments, supporting companies and projects across clean energy and infrastructure.

    Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP served as legal counsel to the Apollo Funds.

    ____________________
    i     As of December 31, 2024. The firmwide targets (the “Targets”) to deploy, commit, or arrange capital commensurate with Apollo’s proprietary Climate and Transition Investment Framework (the “CTIF”), are (1) $50 billion by 2027 and (2) more than $100 billion by 2030 The CTIF, which is subject to change at any time without notice, sets forth certain activities classified by Apollo as sustainable economic activities (“SEAs”), and the methodologies used to calculate contribution towards the Targets. Only investments determined to be currently contributing to an SEA in accordance with the CTIF are counted toward the Targets. Under the CTIF, Apollo uses different calculation methodologies for different types of investments in equity, debt and real estate. For additional details on the CTIF, please refer to our website here: https://www.apollo.com/strategies/asset-management/real-assets/sustainable-investing-platform.

    About Apollo

    Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade credit to private equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of December 31, 2024, Apollo had approximately $751 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.

    About Summit Ridge Energy   

    As the nation’s leading commercial solar company, Summit Ridge Energy merges financial innovation and industry-leading execution to deliver locally generated energy via a more resilient and secure electric grid. This has made Summit Ridge one of the fastest-growing energy companies in America, with over 2 GW of solar power operating and in development.

    Since launching in 2017, Summit Ridge has raised over $5B in project capital to finance 200+ solar farms, providing energy savings to more than 40,000 homes and businesses while contributing to American energy independence. Learn more at srenergy.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.

    Contacts

    For Apollo:

    Noah Gunn
    Global Head of Investor Relations
    Apollo Global Management, Inc.
    212-822-0540
    ir@apollo.com

    Joanna Rose
    Global Head of Corporate Communications
    Apollo Global Management, Inc.
    212-822-0491
    communications@apollo.com

    For Summit Ridge Energy:

    Media

    347-723-7231

    press@srenergy.com

    Business Development

    business@srenergy.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Ring Energy Provides Board of Directors Update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    THE WOODLANDS, Texas, April 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ring Energy, Inc. (NYSE American: REI) (“Ring” or the “Company”) today provided an update concerning its Board of Directors (the “Board”), including the retirement of Ms. Regina Roesener effective April 14, 2025 and the appointment of Ms. Carla Tharp to the Board effective April 14, 2025 who will serve as an independent Director.

    Mr. Paul D. McKinney, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “It has been a pleasure to work closely with Regina as a fellow Director. She joined our Board in 2019 and her financial markets and board governance experience was greatly valued. On behalf of the entire Board, I want to thank Regina for the strong strategic guidance and oversight she consistently provided in support of Ring’s stockholders, and we wish her all the best in retirement.”

    About Ms. Carla Tharp

    Ms. Tharp is the CEO of Apoyar Energy, an upstream oil and gas exploration and production company focused on international assets. She most recently served as President of C.T. Tharp & Co., an independent consulting firm concentrating on global acquisitions and divestitures. Ms. Tharp served in multiple key positions at APA Corporation (formerly Apache Corporation) from 2020 through 2023 leading multi-disciplinary teams, including as Vice President of New Business & Commercial, Vice President of Corporate Development, and Vice President of Reserves. Prior to Apache, she served as Managing Director of Energy Investment Banking at Raymond James Financial, Inc., as well as Director of Acquisitions and Divestitures at Citigroup Inc. and Lantana Energy Advisors. Ms. Tharp graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering before working as a reservoir engineer in transactions and reserves reporting, senior and mezzanine debt finance and in a private equity portfolio company. She is a licensed professional engineer in Texas and has held Series 79 and 63 FINRA licenses.

    Mr. McKinney concluded, “We look forward to Carla’s contributions to the Board as she brings an extensive and impressive technical and financial background in the upstream oil and gas business that complements the skills and expertise of our other Directors. Her proven multi-decade track record of sourcing, evaluating, and executing significant organic and external value-enhancing opportunities will prove invaluable as Ring continues to execute its proven strategy designed to further position the Company for long-term success.”

    ABOUT RING ENERGY, INC.

    Ring Energy, Inc. is an oil and gas exploration, development, and production company with current operations focused on the development of its Permian Basin assets. For additional information, please visit www.ringenergy.com.

    SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

    This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements involve a wide variety of risks and uncertainties, and include, without limitation, statements with respect to the Company’s strategy and prospects, regarding the composition of the Company’s board of directors, and the expectation that Ms. Tharp will help Ring execute its strategy designed to further position the Company for long-term success. The forward-looking statements include the Company’s ability execute its proven strategy designed to further position the Company for long-term success. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and subject to numerous assumptions and analyses made by Ring and its management considering their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will conform to expectations is subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which are disclosed in the Company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, and its other SEC filings. Ring undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

    CONTACT INFORMATION

    Al Petrie Advisors
    Al Petrie, Senior Partner
    Phone: 281-975-2146
    Email: apetrie@ringenergy.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Afreximbank commissions first-of-its-kind African Trade Centre in Abuja, Nigeria – marking a new era for Intra-African trade

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    ABUJA, Nigeria, April 11, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Multilateral Bank African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has officially commissioned its first Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC) today in Abuja, Nigeria, ushering in a transformative era for trade and investment in Africa.

    During the grand commissioning ceremony, speakers, including Hon. Dr. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of Federation, Nigeria representing H. E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, The Federal Republic of Nigeria, highlighted the AATC’s strategic importance, its pivotal role in shaping Africa’s economic future and the significant impact it is poised to make on Africa’s trade and investment landscape.

    Speaking at the Ceremony, Dr. Akume stated, “Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC) is a landmark project that embodies our shared commitment to advancing Intra-African Trade, fostering economic integration and unlocking a vast potential of our continent. This occasion is a realisation of a bold vision for Africa’s economic future. AATC stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, resilience and forward-thinking leadership. It is more than a physical structure; it is the beginning of innovation, a hub for entrepreneurship and a catalyst for sustainable development.

    He added, “This centre will serve as a critical platform for trade facilitation, capacity building and investment promotion – key pillars of Africa’s economic transformation. Afreximbank’s role in shaping Africa’s trade landscape cannot be overstated because the institution has consistently demonstrated its commitment to breaking down barriers, bridging financing gaps and empowering African businesses to be competitive. All these have been accomplished through flagship projects such as the AfCFTA adjustment fund that is managed by Afreximbank’s subsidiary, Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), PAPSS and other Trade Finance Programmes. The AATC located in Abuja represents yet another milestone in this journey and this aligns perfectly with Nigeria’s strategic priorities under the Federal Government’s eight-point agenda, particularly in the areas of job creation, economic diversification, and regional integration. As we commission this remarkable edifice today, let us renew our resolve to be the stronger, more interconnected and prosperous Africa.”

    Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, echoed this sentiment, remarking, “The Abuja AATC is the first of several AATCs being developed across Africa and the Caribbean. Some would be Afreximbank owned while others would be supported through a franchise-scheme. With these, we expect to create a sizeable network of AATCs that will act as the lighthouses to guide the interconnections and flow of trade and investments within continental Africa and between Africa and Caribbean regions. This AATC Abuja has been a 41-month journey, one built on hope and determination. Like the other AATCs, the Abuja AATC would serve a multi-purpose goal; it will serve as a platform for fostering deeper regional and continental integration and house Afreximbank’s permanent regional office, bringing a three-decade-old aspiration to fruition. This AATC will also offer a technology incubation hub, an SME incubation facility, a Digital Africa Trade Gateway, a conference and exhibition facility and a business hotel.”

    Prof. Orama thanked the Federal Government of Nigeria for its support noting that the relationship between the Bank and Nigeria has been truly mutually beneficial and most cordial. “Over the last three decades, successive governments have accorded unflinching support to Afreximbank, responding most positively to capital calls, creating a congenial environment for its smooth operations while providing the Bank significant domestic policy support that helped to execute many of the development programmes in Nigeria.” He said.

    With the opening of the Abuja AATC, Afreximbank continues its mission to promote intra-African trade and investment opportunities, laying the groundwork for a more prosperous and integrated African economy.

    Over 500 distinguished guests attended the commissioning ceremony, notably, Hon. William F. Duguid, J.P. Senior Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Republic of Barbados, Hon. Sylvester Grisby, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Liberia, Hon. Adebayo Olawale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Nigeria and his counterpart, Hon. Dr. Jumoke Oduwole MFR, Minister of Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Nigeria as well as Nigeria’s former Vice President Hon. Namadi Sambo. Hon. Bockaire Kalokoh, Deputy Minister of Finance of Sierra Leone and Hon. Sheilla Chikomo, Deputy Minister Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Zimbabwe represented their respective countries. The event was also well attended by business leaders led by billionaire entrepreneur Mr. Aliko Dangote, Founder and Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, Mr Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Transcorp Group, policymakers, pan-African CEOs, and entrepreneurs.

    Their presence showcased a shared vision and determination to enhance trade across Africa, as they pledged to work together to leverage the AATC for the continent’s economic transformation.

    The Abuja AATC comprises two interconnected nine-storey towers. One tower features world-class commercial A-grade office spaces, a trade and exhibition centre, a conference centre, a technology and SME incubator, a Digital Trade Gateway and a trade information services hub. The adjoining tower boasts a 148-room business hotel, seminar and meeting rooms, a wellness centre, a restaurant and other ancillary facilities. These features are designed to provide a comprehensive ecosystem for trade and business activities, catering to the diverse needs of African businesses. It will also host office spaces for local and international financial institutions and policy organisations, ensuring a complete support system for trade and business activities.

    The AATC building is expected to achieve gold – and potentially platinum – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), a globally recognised standard for sustainable building design and construction. This certification will make the Abuja AATC one of the few certified buildings in Nigeria and West Africa, underscoring its commitment to environmental sustainability.

    The global architect Messrs SVA International developed a multifaceted global design, drawing inspiration from the concept of a bazaar, which reflects the vibrant feature of daily life in many African cities. Construction of the USD120 million project commenced in November 2021 on a prime piece of land measuring 5,856 square meters and achieved completion in 41 months.

    The Abuja Afreximbank African Trade Centre (Abuja AATC) is the first of seven planned AATCs across Africa, including Kampala, Uganda, Harare, Zimbabwe, Cairo, Egypt, Yaoundé, Cameroon, Tunis, Tunisia, and Kigali, Rwanda. In addition, Afreximbank recently broke ground in Bridgetown, Barbados, to construct the first AATC outside of Africa. Through franchising and licensing arrangements, the Bank intends to partner with relevant institutions and economic development organizations to establish non-Bank owned ATCs in the rest of Global Africa. These AATCs will serve to link buyers, sellers, suppliers, service providers, enterprises, governments, chambers of commerce, financial institutions, economic development organisations and the general African and global trade and investment community.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: QUICK ESTIMATE OF INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION AND USE-BASED INDEX FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation

    QUICK ESTIMATE OF INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION AND USE-BASED INDEX FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2025

    (BASE 2011-12=100)

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 4:00PM by PIB Delhi

    The Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) are released on 12th of every month (or previous working day if 12th is a holiday) with a six weeks lag and compiled with data received from source agencies, which in turn receive the data from the producing factories/ establishments. These Quick Estimates will undergo revision in subsequent releases as per the revision policy of IIP.

    2.        Key Highlights:

    1.  The IIP growth rate for the month of February 2025 is 2.9 percent which was 5.0 percent (Quick Estimate) in the month of January 2025.
    2.  The growth rates of the three sectors, Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity for the month of February 2025 are 1.6 percent, 2.9 percent and 3.6 percent respectively.
    3.  The Quick Estimates of IIP stands at 151.3 against 147.1 in February 2024. The Indices of Industrial Production for the Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity sectors for the month of February 2025 stand at 141.9, 148.6 and 194.0 respectively.
    4.  Within the manufacturing sector, 14 out of 23 industry groups at NIC 2 digit-level have recorded a positive growth in February 2025 over February 2024. The top three positive contributors for the month of February 2025 are – “Manufacture of basic metals” (5.8%), “Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers” (8.9%) and “Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products” (8.0%).
    5.  In the industry group “Manufacture of basic metals”, item groups “Flat products of Alloy Steel “, “Pipes and tubes of Steel”, “Bars and Rods of Mild steel” have shown significant contribution in growth.
    6. In the industry group “Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers”, item groups “Auto components/ spares and accessories”, “Axle”, “Commercial Vehicles, have shown significant contribution in growth.
    7. In the industry group “Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products” item groups “Cement- all types”, “Cement Clinkers”, “Pre-fabricated Concrete blocks (including RMC)” have shown significant contribution in growth.
    8.  As per the use base classification, the indices stand at 152.3 for Primary Goods, 115.5 for Capital Goods, 159.9 for Intermediate Goods and 191.3 for Infrastructure/ Construction Goods for the month of February 2025. Further, the indices for Consumer durables and Consumer non-durables stand at 126.5 and 146.7 respectively.
    9.  The corresponding growth rates of IIP as per Use-based classification in February 2025 over February 2024 are 2.8 percent in Primary goods, 8.2 percent in Capital goods, 1.5 percent in Intermediate goods, 6.6 percent in Infrastructure/ Construction Goods, 3.8 percent in Consumer durables and (-)2.1 percent in Consumer non-durables (Statement III).  Based on use-based classification, top three positive contributors to the growth of IIP for the month of February 2025 are – Infrastructure/ construction goods, Primary goods, and Capital goods.
    10.   Monthly Indices and Growth Rate (in %) of IIP for the last 13 months

     

    3.       Along with the Quick Estimates of IIP for the month of February 2025, the indices for January 2025 have undergone the first revision and those for November 2024 have undergone final revision in the light of the updated data received from the source agencies. The Quick Estimates for February 2025, the first revision for January 2025 and the final revision for November 2024 have been compiled at weighted response rates of 89 percent, 94 percent and 95 percent respectively.

    4.     Details of Quick Estimates of the Index of Industrial Production for the month of February 2025 at Sectoral, 2-digit level of National Industrial Classification (NIC-2008) and by Use-based classification are given at Statements I, II and III respectively. Also, for users to appreciate the changes in the industrial sector, Statement IV provides month-wise indices for the last 13 months, by industry groups (as per 2-digit level of NIC-2008) and sectors.

    5.     Release of the Index for March 2025 will be on Monday, 28th April 2025.

     

    Note: –

    1. This Press release (English and Hindi Version) is also available at the Ministry’s Website –http://www.mospi.gov.in.
    2. Detailed information pertaining to IIP is available at https://mospi.gov.in/iip and https://esankhyiki.mospi.gov.in/

     

    STATEMENT I: INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION – SECTORAL

    		  

    (Base: 2011-12=100)

    		  

    Month

    Mining

    Manufacturing

    Electricity

    General

    (14.372472)

    (77.63321)

    (7.994318)

    (100)

    2023-24

    2024-25

    2023-24

    2024-25

    2023-24

    2024-25

    2023-24

    2024-25

    Apr

    122.6

    130.9

    138.8

    144.6

    192.3

    212.0

    140.7

    148.0

    May

    128.1

    136.5

    143.1

    150.4

    201.6

    229.3

    145.6

    154.7

    Jun

    122.3

    134.9

    141.6

    146.6

    205.2

    222.8

    143.9

    151.0

    Jul

    111.9

    116.1

    142.1

    148.8

    204.0

    220.2

    142.7

    149.8

    Aug

    111.9

    107.1

    144.4

    146.1

    220.5

    212.3

    145.8

    145.8

    Sep

    111.5

    111.7

    141.5

    147.2

    205.9

    206.9

    142.3

    146.9

    Oct

    127.4

    128.5

    142.1

    148.4

    203.8

    207.8

    144.9

    150.3

    Nov

    131.3

    133.8

    139.3

    147.0

    176.3

    184.1

    141.1

    148.1

    Dec

    139.5

    143.2

    151.6

    156.8

    181.6

    192.8

    152.3

    157.7

    Jan

    144.3

    150.7

    150.8

    159.5

    197.1

    201.9

    153.6

    161.6

    Feb*

    139.7

    141.9

    144.4

    148.6

    187.2

    194.0

    147.1

    151.3

    Mar

    156.2

     

    156.2

     

    204.2

     

    160.0

     

    Average

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Apr-Feb

    126.4

    130.5

    143.6

    149.5

    197.8

    207.6

    145.5

    151.4

    Growth over the corresponding period of previous year

     

     

     

     

    Jan

    6.0

    4.4

    3.6

    5.8

    5.6

    2.4

    4.2

    5.2

    Feb*

    8.1

    1.6

    4.9

    2.9

    7.6

    3.6

    5.6

    2.9

    Apr-Feb

    8.2

    3.2

    5.4

    4.1

    6.9

    5.0

    6.0

    4.1

    * Figures for Feb 2025 are Quick Estimates.

    NOTE : Indices for the months of Nov’24 and Jan’25 incorporate updated production data.

     

     

    STATEMENT II:  INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION – (2-DIGIT LEVEL)

    (Base: 2011-12=100)

    Industry

    Description

    Weight

    Index

    Cumulative Index

    Percentage growth

     

    code

     

    		  

    Feb’24

    Feb’25*

    Apr-Feb*

    Feb’25*

    Apr-Feb*

     

     

     

    		  

     

     

    2023-24

    2024-25

     

    2024-25

     

    10

    Manufacture of food products

    5.302

    151.9

    142.6

    133.8

    130.8

    -6.1

    -2.2

     

    11

    Manufacture of beverages

    1.035

    120.0

    114.8

    109.7

    112.5

    -4.3

    2.6

     

    12

    Manufacture of tobacco products

    0.798

    77.3

    76.1

    81.3

    83.6

    -1.6

    2.8

     

    13

    Manufacture of textiles

    3.291

    104.1

    106.6

    107.6

    108.9

    2.4

    1.2

     

    14

    Manufacture of wearing apparel

    1.322

    125.6

    120.1

    106.8

    113.9

    -4.4

    6.6

     

    15

    Manufacture of leather and related products

    0.502

    96.8

    87.7

    94.9

    91.9

    -9.4

    -3.2

     

    16

    Manufacture of wood and products of wood and cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials

    0.193

    101.7

    106.6

    97.1

    102.7

    4.8

    5.8

     

    17

    Manufacture of paper and paper products

    0.872

    79.2

    72.0

    79.1

    78.3

    -9.1

    -1.0

     

    18

    Printing and reproduction of recorded media

    0.680

    88.8

    81.2

    89.1

    84.3

    -8.6

    -5.4

     

    19

    Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products

    11.775

    131.2

    131.8

    132.1

    136.6

    0.5

    3.4

     

    20

    Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products

    7.873

    125.4

    121.8

    126.9

    129.3

    -2.9

    1.9

     

    21

    Manufacture of pharmaceuticals, medicinal chemical and botanical products

    4.981

    205.6

    212.0

    234.1

    232.0

    3.1

    -0.9

     

    22

    Manufacture of rubber and plastics products

    2.422

    110.3

    115.2

    108.4

    113.4

    4.4

    4.6

     

    23

    Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products

    4.085

    147.7

    159.5

    142.2

    147.3

    8.0

    3.6

     

    24

    Manufacture of basic metals

    12.804

    213.2

    225.6

    212.4

    226.3

    5.8

    6.5

     

    25

    Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment

    2.655

    95.7

    102.1

    90.3

    97.0

    6.7

    7.4

     

    26

    Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products

    1.570

    125.8

    139.1

    120.5

    130.0

    10.6

    7.9

     

    27

    Manufacture of electrical equipment

    2.998

    111.5

    121.9

    105.1

    129.2

    9.3

    22.9

     

    28

    Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.

    4.765

    121.0

    124.7

    118.7

    122.2

    3.1

    2.9

     

    29

    Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers

    4.857

    130.4

    142.0

    127.5

    132.7

    8.9

    4.1

     

    30

    Manufacture of other transport equipment

    1.776

    145.8

    157.8

    141.9

    161.0

    8.2

    13.5

     

    31

    Manufacture of furniture

    0.131

    227.7

    240.8

    183.5

    226.5

    5.8

    23.4

     

    32

    Other manufacturing

    0.941

    76.4

    71.6

    84.9

    80.7

    -6.3

    -4.9

     

     

     

    		              

     

    05

    Mining

    14.372

    139.7

    141.9

    126.4

    130.5

    1.6

    3.2

     

    10-32

    Manufacturing

    77.633

    144.4

    148.6

    143.6

    149.5

    2.9

    4.1

     

    35

    Electricity

    7.994

    187.2

    194.0

    197.8

    207.6

    3.6

    5.0

     

     

     

    		              

     

     

    General Index

    100.00

    147.1

    151.3

    145.5

    151.4

    2.9

    4.1

     

    * Figures for Feb 2025 are Quick Estimates.

    		              

     

     

    STATEMENT III: INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION – USE-BASED

    (Base :2011-12=100)

     

    Primary goods

    Capital goods

    Intermediate goods

    Infrastructure/ construction goods

    Consumer durables

    Consumer non-durables

    Month

    (34.048612)

    (8.223043)

    (17.221487)

    (12.338363)

    (12.839296)

    (15.329199)

     

    2023-24

    2024-25

    2023-24

    2024-25

    2023-24

    2024-25

    2023-24

    2024-25

    2023-24

    2024-25

    2023-24

    2024-25

    Apr

    142.2

    152.2

    92.4

    95.0

    152.0

    157.8

    169.8

    184.2

    108.1

    119.5

    154.7

    150.9

    May

    149.9

    160.9

    102.6

    105.3

    156.9

    162.4

    173.2

    186.3

    115.6

    130.2

    149.8

    154.0

    Jun

    146.7

    156.0

    107.4

    111.3

    154.2

    159.1

    170.9

    184.9

    116.8

    127.1

    146.7

    145.2

    Jul

    141.8

    150.1

    102.1

    114.0

    153.8

    164.6

    170.3

    179.7

    117.0

    126.6

    153.5

    147.1

    Aug

    145.4

    141.6

    107.4

    107.4

    157.4

    162.3

    176.8

    181.5

    123.2

    129.8

    148.3

    141.8

    Sep

    138.8

    141.3

    112.6

    116.5

    154.2

    160.8

    172.8

    178.8

    125.0

    132.9

    142.6

    145.7

    Oct

    146.1

    149.8

    106.1

    109.2

    157.5

    165.0

    175.9

    184.2

    123.0

    129.8

    142.4

    146.4

    Nov

    143.8

    147.7

    98.0

    106.7

    151.3

    158.5

    164.2

    177.3

    106.5

    121.5

    157.2

    158.1

    Dec

    151.9

    157.7

    103.8

    114.6

    159.8

    170.0

    180.3

    193.6

    114.5

    124.0

    179.7

    166.3

    Jan

    154.3

    162.8

    108.3

    119.5

    163.8

    172.5

    186.6

    200.4

    121.4

    130.2

    164.9

    164.4

    Feb*

    148.2

    152.3

    106.7

    115.5

    157.6

    159.9

    179.5

    191.3

    121.9

    126.5

    149.9

    146.7

    Mar

    163.1

    		  

    131.6

    		  

    169.2

    		  

    195.2

    		  

    129.9

    		  

    155.2

    		  

    Average

    		                        

    Apr-Feb

    146.3

    152.0

    104.3

    110.5

    156.2

    163.0

    174.6

    185.7

    117.5

    127.1

    153.6

    151.5

    Growth over the corresponding period of previous year

    		              

    Jan

    2.9

    5.5

    3.2

    10.3

    5.3

    5.3

    5.5

    7.4

    11.6

    7.2

    0.3

    -0.3

    Feb*

    5.9

    2.8

    1.7

    8.2

    8.6

    1.5

    8.3

    6.6

    12.6

    3.8

    -3.2

    -2.1

    Apr-Feb

    6.5

    3.9

    6.2

    5.9

    5.2

    4.4

    10.0

    6.4

    3.0

    8.2

    4.0

    -1.4

    * Figures for Feb 2025 are Quick Estimates.

    NOTE: Indices for the months of Nov’24 and Jan’25 incorporate updated production data.

     

    STATEMENT IV:  MONTHLY INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION – (2-DIGIT LEVEL)

    (Base: 2011-12=100)

    Industry code

    Description

    Weight

    Feb-24

    Mar-24

    Apr-24

    May-24

    Jun-24

    Jul-24

    Aug-24

    Sep-24

    Oct-24

    Nov-24

    Dec-24

    Jan-25

    Feb-25

    10

    Manufacture of food products

    5.3025

    151.9

    142.4

    119.8

    116.4

    118.3

    119.9

    122.3

    120.5

    130.5

    136.5

    152.8

    159.0

    142.6

    11

    Manufacture of beverages

    1.0354

    120.0

    124.2

    123.8

    136.4

    125.2

    112.9

    100.3

    101.8

    102.7

    99.4

    104.3

    115.4

    114.8

    12

    Manufacture of tobacco products

    0.7985

    77.3

    78.3

    61.1

    88.1

    83.2

    81.3

    78.5

    91.2

    92.3

    80.3

    89.0

    98.4

    76.1

    13

    Manufacture of textiles

    3.2913

    104.1

    106.9

    105.3

    107.0

    106.2

    109.1

    109.4

    109.3

    111.1

    106.2

    113.9

    113.7

    106.6

    14

    Manufacture of wearing apparel

    1.3225

    125.6

    143.0

    105.1

    123.6

    122.6

    111.7

    112.5

    103.7

    104.0

    110.3

    119.1

    120.2

    120.1

    15

    Manufacture of leather and related products

    0.5021

    96.8

    95.9

    89.3

    102.6

    99.2

    102.0

    94.3

    89.5

    87.0

    76.3

    89.2

    93.9

    87.7

    16

    Manufacture of wood and products of wood and cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials

    0.1930

    101.7

    111.4

    84.3

    100.3

    103.8

    99.1

    108.1

    106.7

    103.2

    98.2

    115.0

    104.4

    106.6

    17

    Manufacture of paper and paper products

    0.8724

    79.2

    83.0

    75.6

    81.0

    79.8

    81.7

    83.0

    81.2

    78.3

    75.0

    76.7

    76.7

    72.0

    18

    Printing and reproduction of recorded media

    0.6798

    88.8

    91.6

    82.1

    91.9

    85.3

    84.4

    83.3

    84.7

    78.0

    82.6

    90.0

    83.3

    81.2

    19

    Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products

    11.7749

    131.2

    142.4

    135.4

    140.7

    132.2

    140.9

    130.8

    128.8

    132.8

    135.6

    147.4

    146.3

    131.8

    20

    Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products

    7.8730

    125.4

    132.3

    127.0

    133.2

    131.7

    135.2

    129.5

    129.4

    129.4

    123.2

    131.0

    130.9

    121.8

    21

    Manufacture of pharmaceuticals, medicinal chemical and botanical products

    4.9810

    205.6

    228.0

    244.4

    245.0

    218.8

    224.7

    212.6

    222.9

    216.9

    251.4

    258.6

    244.3

    212.0

    22

    Manufacture of rubber and plastics products

    2.4222

    110.3

    116.3

    108.9

    112.4

    114.5

    116.9

    115.5

    117.6

    116.6

    103.6

    107.0

    118.7

    115.2

    23

    Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products

    4.0853

    147.7

    165.4

    148.7

    149.1

    154.1

    136.3

    139.8

    137.6

    144.3

    136.7

    151.9

    162.7

    159.5

    24

    Manufacture of basic metals

    12.8043

    213.2

    232.1

    220.7

    225.9

    219.2

    223.7

    225.6

    219.7

    228.2

    222.0

    237.0

    242.2

    225.6

    25

    Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment

    2.6549

    95.7

    115.0

    85.0

    97.8

    89.5

    93.7

    92.8

    99.5

    100.2

    95.2

    106.9

    104.2

    102.1

    26

    Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products

    1.5704

    125.8

    134.7

    114.2

    136.5

    134.8

    130.9

    146.6

    146.7

    124.2

    115.9

    115.1

    126.2

    139.1

    27

    Manufacture of electrical equipment

    2.9983

    111.5

    124.7

    110.4

    122.7

    136.8

    131.8

    127.7

    128.1

    125.9

    121.1

    163.8

    131.4

    121.9

    28

    Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.

    4.7653

    121.0

    145.4

    108.0

    118.1

    125.3

    126.2

    122.9

    131.7

    120.2

    117.7

    127.7

    122.0

    124.7

    29

    Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers

    4.8573

    130.4

    130.5

    126.5

    134.4

    128.9

    133.5

    129.2

    132.6

    133.4

    134.4

    116.3

    148.3

    142.0

    30

    Manufacture of other transport equipment

    1.7763

    145.8

    175.7

    140.3

    153.2

    153.4

    155.0

    156.4

    189.0

    184.5

    159.4

    142.2

    180.0

    157.8

    31

    Manufacture of furniture

    0.1311

    227.7

    296.4

    220.8

    246.0

    217.0

    209.2

    226.2

    246.6

    211.4

    201.7

    239.1

    232.9

    240.8

    32

    Other manufacturing

    0.9415

    76.4

    90.0

    96.5

    72.5

    74.6

    83.3

    86.9

    99.5

    91.8

    57.0

    77.8

    76.7

    71.6

     

     

     

    		                          

    5

    Mining

    14.3725

    139.7

    156.2

    130.9

    136.5

    134.9

    116.1

    107.1

    111.7

    128.5

    133.8

    143.2

    150.7

    141.9

    10-32

    Manufacturing

    77.6332

    144.4

    156.2

    144.6

    150.4

    146.6

    148.8

    146.1

    147.2

    148.4

    147.0

    156.8

    159.5

    148.6

    35

    Electricity

    7.9943

    187.2

    204.2

    212.0

    229.3

    222.8

    220.2

    212.3

    206.9

    207.8

    184.1

    192.8

    201.9

    194.0

     

     

     

    		                          

     

    General Index

    100

    147.1

    160.0

    148.0

    154.7

    151.0

    149.8

    145.8

    146.9

    150.3

    148.1

    157.7

    161.6

    151.3

    Note: The figures December 2024, January 2025 and February 2025 are provisional

     

    ****

    Samrat

    (Release ID: 2120934)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Parliamentary Estimates Committee Reviews PM-KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana at Agrivoltaics Site in Issapur, Delhi

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 4:00PM by PIB Delhi

    The Parliamentary Committee on Estimates, chaired by Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Member of Parliament, undertook a field visit to the Sunmaster Agrivoltaics Plant at Issapur, Najafgarh, Delhi. Organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), the visit focused on reviewing the implementation of two key schemes – PM-KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.

    The visit offered Members of Parliament and officials an on-ground perspective of agrivoltaics technology, which allows dual use of land for both solar energy generation and agricultural cultivation—maximizing land productivity and supporting farmer income.

    The delegation was welcomed by Shri Sudeep Jain, Additional Secretary, MNRE, who provided a comprehensive briefing on the objectives and impact of PM-KUSUM in promoting clean, sustainable energy for agriculture. He emphasized how the scheme empowers farmers by enhancing energy access while ensuring both food and energy security.

    The session featured a comparative analysis between ground-mounted solar systems and stilt-based agrivoltaic models, highlighting key advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness and land-use efficiency—critical pillars of the PM-KUSUM vision.

    During the visit, the Committee members also engaged in interactions with local farmers, gaining firsthand insight into the transformative role of solar energy in rural livelihoods.

    In a symbolic gesture of environmental commitment, Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal and Members of the Committee participated in a tree plantation drive under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative. The Members also took a tractor ride with farmers, reinforcing their grassroots engagement and commitment to understanding the realities of the agricultural sector.

    In his concluding remarks, Dr. Jaiswal lauded MNRE and stakeholders for their well-coordinated efforts and the potential of agrivoltaics to synergize energy and agriculture. He recommended further studies to explore its scalability and maximize benefits for farmers across rural India.

    This visit reflects the Government of India’s strong push for clean energy solutions that also support inclusive rural development under the leadership of MNRE.

    *****

    Navin Sreejith

    (Release ID: 2120941) Visitor Counter : 73

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Italy’s Minister of University and Research Ms Anna Maria Bernini calls on Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh

    Source: Government of India

    Italy’s Minister of University and Research Ms Anna Maria Bernini calls on Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh

    The two Ministers discuss deepening collaboration in Quantum Technologies, AI, and Biotechnology

    Dr Jitendra Singh recalls bilateral discussions between PM Modi and PM Meloni on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Brazil

    India and Italy Sign MoU to Boost Cooperation in Science and Technology

    Indo-Italian programme to include 10 research initiatives and 10 collaborative initiatives

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 3:25PM by PIB Delhi

    In a significant move to enhance bilateral scientific cooperation, Italy’s Minister of University and Research, Ms. Anna Maria Bernini, currently on India visit, called on Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and Minister of State for PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, Dept. of Space, Dept. of Atomic Energy met with Italy’s Minister of University and Research, Ms. Anna Maria Bernini, for a high-level meeting at North Block here.

    The hallmark of the meeting was the signing of an MoU of cooperation by the two Ministers. The discussions between the two dignitaries centered on advancing joint initiatives in quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and other emerging sectors.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh recalled the bilateral discussions between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil, which culminated in the announcement of a Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029. The plan outlines a shared vision for collaborative innovation in science and technology.

    As part of this vision, both nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of scientific research and agreed to implement the 2025–2027 Executive Programme for Scientific and Technological Cooperation, aimed at fostering collaboration in critical technologies like AI and digitalization.

    Reaffirming India’s commitment to bilateral research, Dr. Jitendra Singh announced the signing of the Indo-Italian Executive Programme of Cooperation (EPOC) for 2025–2027 on 10th April 2025 during the Joint Science & Technology Committee Meeting.Under the EPOC framework, both countries have successfully implemented over 150 joint research projects to date.

    The current programme includes joint funding for 10 research mobility proposals and 10 significant collaborative research initiatives across a wide range of scientific disciplines.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted India’s robust progress in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), High-Performance Computing (HPC), Big Data, and biotechnology. He noted that India’s strategic investments and policies are steering the nation toward becoming a global hub of emerging technologies.

    Sharing key achievements, Dr. Jitendra Singh mentioned about India’s pioneering development of a DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine, which was later gifted to many countries in need.The development and launch of the HPV vaccine and Nafithromycin, an indigenous antibiotic for respiratory infections.The country’s first-ever gene therapy trial, which has been a success.The creation of a national genome data bank to support personalized medicine and public health research.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh proudly referenced India’s vibrant startup ecosystem, now the third largest globally, with significant contributions from agro-biotech startups. Initiatives such as the Aroma Mission (also known as the Purple Revolution) exemplify innovation in agriculture and floriculture.

    He also highlighted the impact of technology-driven schemes like the Soil Health Card and Swamitva Yojana, which have revolutionized agriculture through drone technology.

    Reflecting India’s commitment to preserving ancient wisdom through modern science, Dr. Singh spoke of the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) — a unique initiative that digitizes and protects traditional Indian knowledge using cutting-edge technology.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh, also the Minister of Earth Sciences, briefed the delegation about India’s ambitious Deep Ocean Mission, which aims to send an Indian submersible 6,000 meters deep into the ocean. The trial dive up to 500 meters is set to commence next year.

    Both countries reiterated their commitment to long-standing cooperation in fields such as Infectious diseases, Quantum technologies, green hydrogen and renewable energy, Cultural heritage preservation technologies and Sustainable Blue Economy.

    They also agreed to explore new collaborative areas such as Industry 4.0, Clean energy.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh also identified other mutual sectors, including academic and industrial partnerships involving SMEs and startups from both nations.

    Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology and Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology were also part of the high-level meet.

    ****

    NKR/PSM

    (Release ID: 2120928) Visitor Counter : 71

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Cybersecurity of solar energy infrastructure – E-001383/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001383/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Yvan Verougstraete (Renew)

    During the SolarPower Summit 2025, the Commissioner for Energy announced that the Commission would soon begin an assessment of critical elements in the EU solar value chain, in particular regarding cybersecurity risks.

    This announcement comes amidst rising concerns over the resilience of energy infrastructure, especially the vulnerability to cyberattacks of solar inverters – devices that convert the direct current produced by solar panels to alternating current.

    Precise information has yet to be given on the assessment’s scope, content and timeline.

    • 1.Can the Commission provide more details on the planned assessment?
    • 2.Is it considering legislative initiatives following this assessment to improve cybersecurity in the EU’s photovoltaic sector?
    • 3.Has it taken any specific measures in response to previous cyberattacks on solar infrastructures in the EU?

    Submitted: 4.4.2025

    Last updated: 11 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Are the Commission’s objectives regarding the rate of wind power installation still tenable and warranted? – E-000581/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Renewable energy sources are necessary to achieve our decarbonisation targets and reach climate neutrality by 2050. The EU legislative framework in place fosters their deployment.

    While the Renewable Energy Directive[1] sets an overall EU target of 42.5% renewable energy by 2030, as well as several sectoral targets, it does not set technology-specific targets.

    The EU legislative framework leaves discretion to Member States on technologies and what contribution they put forward, provided that the overall ambition is aligned with the achievement of the EU target.

    The infringement procedure that the Commission opened in September 2024 (INFR(2024)0227)[2] is related to incomplete transposition of the permitting provisions of the directive 2023/2413[3] by the transposition deadline (1 July 2024).

    The correct transposition and implementation of EU law is crucial for achieving the policy goals of the Commission. To that end, the Commission services are in contact with the French authorities regarding this ongoing infringement procedure .

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02018L2001-20240716
    • [2] https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/?lang_code=en&langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&decisionDateFrom=01%2F08%2F2024&decisionDateTo=02%2F10%2F2024&dg=ENER&memberState=FR&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate&title=permitting&refId=INFR(2024)0227
    • [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/2413/oj/eng
    Last updated: 11 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – European fire safety strategy – E-000779/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Affordable Housing Plan will include a dedicated European Strategy for Housing Construction to foster productivity and competitiveness in the construction sector to increase housing supply. While the Plan is not expected to alter national fire safety requirements, the Commission is already pursuing a number of relevant initiatives:

    — The recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive[1] (EPBD) provides that Member States must address the issues of fire safety in new buildings and buildings undergoing major renovation and may address fire safety in their national building renovation plans.

    — In the context of the implementation of the EPBD, the Commission has recently launched a call for tender[2] aiming at providing the Member States with guidance on fire safety linked to the electrification and renovation of buildings.

    — The Commission has published guidance of fire safety for electric vehicles parked and charging infrastructure in covered parking spaces[3], which will feed into the guidance on fire safety in car parks required by the EPBD.

    — The Fire Information Exchange Platform (FIEP) is supports exchange of information relevant for fire safety considerations.

    — In the context of the implementation of the Construction Products Regulation[4] (CPR), the Commission will initiate a horizontal CPR Acquis group for fire issues. One of the subjects this forum will discuss is the new test method for fire performance of façades.

    — Later this year, the Commission will launch a call for tender for preparatory action on fire safety statistics in close collaboration with the Member States.

    • [1] Directive (EU) 2024/1275 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 April 2024 on the energy performance of buildings (recast). OJ L, 2024/1275, 8.5.2024. http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1275/oj
    • [2] https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/digit/opsys/esubmission-fo-ui/?cftUuid=f762535d-cef8-4774-b779-8b7f8f0c5b34
    • [3] Guidance of fire safety for electric vehicles parked and charging infrastructure in covered parking spaces — Publications Office of the EU (https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/c2c1f892-f3ef-11ef-b7db-01aa75ed71a1/language-en).
    • [4] https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/construction/construction-products-regulation-cpr_en
    Last updated: 11 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft announces the start of the IT Competition Marathon

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Rosneft has opened registration for the Academic Tournament, the first competition of the IT Marathon 2025.

    Teams of research fellows, postgraduate students of physical, mathematical and technical specialties, as well as candidates and doctors of science are invited to participate. The prize fund of the Academic Tournament is 2.5 million rubles (before taxes).

    Participants are invited to develop computer programs that will speed up the solution of a system of linear equations on modern multi-core computers. The need for such programs arises during the modeling of liquid filtration processes in porous rocks. The best solutions will be used in Rosneft’s science-intensive software: RN-SIGMA, RN-KIM, and RN-GRID.

    Participants will need skills in solving systems of linear algebraic equations using numerical methods.

    Details about the IT Marathon and registration on the website https://events.rn.digital/hack/Academic2025.

    In addition to the Academic Tournament, the IT Competition Marathon will include the Geonavigation League, the Student Hackathon, competitions in information modeling among Rosneft specialists, and for the first time, the Cup in Additive Technologies and Reverse Engineering, the final of which will take place in September at the Tyumen Industrial and Energy Forum TNF-2025.

    The winners and prize winners of all IT Marathon competitions will meet in December at the grand finale in Moscow.

    Conducting specialized competitions allows Rosneft to solve real production problems, attracting highly qualified specialists and talented youth to cooperation. For participants, this is an opportunity to prove themselves at the all-Russian level and create original solutions that will find application in modern digital technologies of the oil and gas industry.

    The organizers of the IT Marathon in 2025 are the Rosneft Research Institute in Ufa and RN-Technologies.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft April 10, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Achinsk Oil Refinery Confirms Product Quality Compliance with National Standard

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Achinsk Oil Refinery (part of the oil refining unit of NK Rosneft) voluntarily confirmed the compliance of the quality of the petroleum road bitumen produced by the plant with the requirements of the GOST standard in the National Certification System. Previously, quality conformity assessments were conducted for motor gasoline and diesel fuels of various seasonal grades produced by Achinsk Oil Refinery.

    Voluntary confirmation of product quality compliance with interstate and national standards of the Russian Federation is part of the systematic work of Rosneft enterprises to improve business efficiency.

    The quality certificates issued by the Achinsk Oil Refinery upon shipment of petroleum products bear the signs of the National Certification System. This allows the consumer to obtain information about the properties of the purchased product online. A unique QR code directs to the website of the National Certification System on the secure server of Rosstandart. The consumer can obtain information about the manufacturer, certificates of conformity to GOST based on the results of an independent examination, data on intermediate checks of the parameters of petroleum products, their properties.

    Voluntary certification of products in addition to mandatory certification confirms the high level of technological efficiency of production of motor fuels and other petroleum products at the enterprise. Quality control at the Achinsk Oil Refinery is carried out at all stages of the technological process, ensuring consistently high quality of the commercial product. Rosneft Oil Refinery is constantly working on selecting new recipes for the production of petroleum products with high consumer properties that meet modern GOST requirements.

    Reference:

    Achinsk Oil Refinery, a subsidiary of Rosneft, is the only major oil refining enterprise in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The plant produces a wide range of high-quality petroleum products, including motor gasoline and diesel fuel of the highest ecological class K5, jet fuel, bitumen, etc.

    ANPZ motor fuels are multiple winners of the All-Russian competition “100 Best Products of Russia”.

    The national certification system was created under the auspices of Rosstandart to increase confidence in voluntary confirmation of conformity and create advantages for bona fide manufacturers.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft April 10, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft held the first open Olympiad for schoolchildren of Bashkiria

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    ANK Bashneft (part of Rosneft) held the first open Olympiad for schoolchildren at the Ufa State Petroleum Technological University (USPTU). The winners will receive additional points for the Unified State Exam when entering USPTU.

    More than 100 schoolchildren from Ufa, as well as other cities and regions of Bashkortostan, took part in the Olympiad. Students in grades 10-11 were able to test their knowledge in the chemical-mathematical and physical-mathematical areas.

    The awarding of the Olympiad winners is planned at the All-Russian Job Fair, which will be held in Ufa on April 18, 2025. At the fair, Bashneft will also provide the winners with the opportunity to take the “oil quest”, which is dedicated to the profession of an oil worker. The Rosneft Olympiad is planned to be held at Ufa State Petroleum Technical University on an annual basis with an expansion of the number of participants.

    Rosneft, as part of the corporate continuous education program “school – college/university – enterprise”, is implementing projects to attract talented young people and form an external personnel reserve. In the Republic of Bashkortostan, the program has been implemented for several years. In 2024, 49 schoolchildren entered the 10th “Rosneft-classes”. In addition, in Ufa, in a pilot mode, 25 9th-grade students were enrolled in the “Rosneft-class”. The Ufa Fuel and Energy College (UTEK) acted as a partner.

    There are six Bashneft corporate groups in Ufa State Petroleum Technical University and Ufa Energy Company in various training areas, including: solid fuel, oil and gas processing technology, design and operation of oil and gas processing equipment, oil and gas geology, geophysics and others. In specialized groups, students combine work in production with training according to an individual schedule. Training in specialized subjects is carried out with the involvement of expert teachers from among Bashneft employees.

    In partnership with Bashneft enterprises, the following basic departments were created at USPTU: “Technology of Petrochemical Processes”, “Welding of Oil and Gas Structures”, “Bashneft – Processing” and “Bashneft – Environmental Engineering”.

    Reference:

    ANK Bashneft is one of the oldest enterprises in the country’s oil and gas industry, operating in the extraction and processing of oil and gas. The company’s key assets, including an oil refining and petrochemical complex, are located in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Oil and gas exploration and production is also carried out in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Orenburg Region and the Republic of Tatarstan.

    USPTU is a key partner of Bashneft in personnel training. More than 50% of Bashneft employees are graduates of this university.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft April 11, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Coalition plan to dump fuel efficiency penalties would make Australia a global outlier

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Mortimore, Lecturer, Griffith Business School, Griffith University

    The Coalition has announced it would, if elected to government, weaken a scheme aimed at cutting car emissions.

    The scheme, known as the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), was introduced by the Albanese government and was due to take effect in July. It involved issuing penalties to automakers that breach an emissions ceiling on their total new car sales.

    The new Coalition plan, announced this week, would see such penalties abolished.

    But the penalties are crucial. Without penalties, automakers have limited incentive to supply fuel efficient, low or zero-CO₂ emitting vehicles to the Australian market.

    If this plan became government policy, it would make Australia an international outlier – and put at risk Australia’s ability to meet its obligations under the Paris climate agreement.

    An international outlier

    More than 85% of the international car market is covered by fuel efficiency standards.

    Without a robust New Vehicle Efficiency Standard scheme, complete with penalties for automakers that break the rules, Australia would join Russia in the tiny minority of developed countries without strong fuel efficiency standards for new vehicles.

    Abolishing the penalties embedded in the scheme also risks making Australia the world’s dumping ground for inefficient vehicles.

    That’s because the penalties embedded in the scheme are there to incentivise automakers to sell more efficient vehicles in Australia.

    The current scheme, as it is, is not particularly punitive. Automakers that breach their cap of emissions are given up to two years to fix their mistakes before being issued with a financial penalty.

    Weakening the scheme won’t help make it easier for Australians to buy fuel-efficient cars.

    Decarbonising Australian roads

    The 2015 Paris Agreement, to which Australia is a signatory, requires developed nations to decarbonise their transport by as much as 80% by 2050.

    Carbon emissions from Australian transport accounts for 21.1% of the nation’s emissions (to June 2023).

    It represents the third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia.

    Without measures aimed at making cars more fuel efficient, Australia’s CO₂ emissions will continue to rise. It will be harder to meet our commitments under the Paris Agreement.

    It’s regulation, not a tax

    The Coalition, which is hoping to pick up votes in outer-ring suburbs, has called the penalties embedded in the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard scheme a “car tax”.

    Liberal leader Peter Dutton said this week:

    This is a tax on families who need a reliable car and small businesses trying to grow. Instead of making life easier, Labor is making it harder and more expensive […] We want cleaner, cheaper cars on Australian roads as we head towards net zero by 2050, but forcing unfair penalties on carmakers and consumers is not the answer.

    But these penalties are not a tax; they are a form of regulation. Automakers that meet the rules wouldn’t have to pay penalties, under the current scheme.

    If the goal is to reduce people’s hip-pocket pain at the bowser, the focus should be on ensuring Australians can buy fuel-efficient vehicles.

    That means incentivising automakers to bring fuel-efficient vehicles to the Australian market. It also means avoiding any policy that encourages carmakers to see Australia as a dumping ground for gas-guzzling vehicles.

    Anna Mortimore receives funding from Reliable Affordable Clean Energy Cooperative Research Centre for 2030 (RACE for 2030).

    – ref. Coalition plan to dump fuel efficiency penalties would make Australia a global outlier – https://theconversation.com/coalition-plan-to-dump-fuel-efficiency-penalties-would-make-australia-a-global-outlier-254386

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Golden votes against reckless, deficit-funded GOP budget resolution

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

    House-Senate ‘compromise’ contains health care cuts, lopsided tax breaks for the wealthy and trillions in new debt

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) voted today against the Senate Amendment to H. Con. Res. 14 — a compromise budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2025. 

    “You can’t build a good house with rotten wood. This compromise combines the House GOP’s plan to cut health care to pay for millionaires’ tax cuts with a Senate GOP plan to explode the deficit and enshrine accounting gimmicks that set a new low for fiscal instability. I see no way that combining these two bad plans will somehow yield a good one through the reconciliation process,” Golden said. 

    “There’s a better way forward: Congress could target tax cuts to working families, paid for by allowing the expiration of tax cuts for the very wealthy. We don’t need to take away anyone’s health care or pass trillions in new deficit spending to pass a budget that puts the middle class first,” Golden said.

    The proposal on the floor today was a Senate amendment to the GOP budget resolution adopted by the House in February. As amended, the plan:

    • allows for roughly $5.3 trillion in deficit-financed tax cuts, including $3.8 trillion to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which disproportionately benefitted the wealthy;
    • uses an accounting gimmick known as the “current policy baseline” to artificially reduce the legislation’s price tag;
    • instructions for the House Energy and Commerce Committee to cut $880 billion in spending — a target that will be impossible to reach without hundreds of billions in Medicaid cuts, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
    • a $5 trillion debt limit increase; and
    • more than $7 trillion in new debt, in total, over the next decade. 

    The elements of the House-Senate compromise budget resolution are stacked against working families: Roughly half the benefit of extending the full 2017 tax package would go to households with annual income over $450,000. The Treasury Department found that the plan would give an average annual tax break of more than $32,000 for those in the top 1 percent, while working families will only get a few hundred dollars in tax cuts per year.

    Cuts to Medicaid would hurt families in the 2nd Congressional District. Medicaid provides health coverage to 236,000 people in CD2 — more than one-third of the population — according to KFF.

    The national debt is currently roughly $29 trillion. Interest on the debt costs the federal government more every year than on national defense or Medicare. It is second only to Social Security as an annual line item in the federal budget.

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 11, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 11, 2025.

    Do Inuit languages really have many words for snow? The most interesting finds from our study of 616 languages
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charles Kemp, Professor, School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Languages are windows into the worlds of the people who speak them – reflecting what they value and experience daily. So perhaps it’s no surprise different languages highlight different areas of vocabulary. Scholars have noted

    Labor gains 5-point lead in a YouGov poll, taken during Trump tariff chaos
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national YouGov poll, conducted April 4–10 from a sample of 1,505, gave Labor a 52.5–47.5 lead, a 1.5-point gain for Labor since the March 28 to

    Better cleaning of hospital equipment could cut patient infections by one-third – and save money
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Mitchell, Professor of Nursing and Health Services Research, University of Newcastle Annie Spratt/Unsplash Hospital-acquired infections are infections patients didn’t have when they were admitted to hospital. The most common include wound infections after surgery, urinary tract infections and pneumonia. These can have a big impact for

    As more communities have to consider relocation, we explore what happens to the land after people leave
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina Hanna, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Planning, University of Waikato Christina Hanna, CC BY-SA Once floodwaters subside, talk of planned retreat inevitably rises. Within Aotearoa New Zealand, several communities from north to south – including Kumeū, Kawatiri Westport and parts of Ōtepoti Dunedin – are considering future

    Extinctions of Australian mammals have long been blamed on foxes and cats – but where’s the evidence?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arian Wallach, Future Fellow in Ecology, Queensland University of Technology michael garner/Shutterstock In 1938, zoologist Ellis Le Geyt Troughton mourned that Australia’s “gentle and specialized creatures” were “unable to cope with changed conditions and introduced enemies”. The role of these “enemies” – namely, foxes and feral cats

    Yes, government influences wages – but not just in the way you might think
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Peetz, Laurie Carmichael Distinguished Research Fellow at the Centre for Future Work, and Professor Emeritus, Griffith Business School, Griffith University doublelee/Shutterstock Can the government actually make a difference to the wages Australians earn? A lot of attention always falls on the government’s submission to the Fair

    Sorry gamers, Nintendo’s hefty Switch 2 price tag signals the new normal – and it might still go up
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Egliston, Senior Lecturer in Digital Cultures, Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow, University of Sydney Last week, Nintendo announced the June 5 release of its long anticipated Switch 2. But the biggest talking point wasn’t the console’s launch titles or features. At US$449 in the United States,

    A fair go for young Australians in this election? Voters are weighing up intergenerational inequity
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Woodman, TR Ashworth Professor in Sociology, The University of Melbourne Securing the welfare of future generations seems like solid grounds for judging policies and politicians, especially during an election campaign. Political legacies are on the line because the stakes are so high. There is a real

    The Coalition prepares to soften Australia’s 2030 climate target, while reaffirming its commitment to the Paris Agreement
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute The Coalition has been forced to reassert its commitment to the Paris climate agreement after its energy spokesman Ted O’Brien appeared to waver on the pledge on Thursday. O’Brien faced off against Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen at

    Grattan on Friday: Will there be leadership changes on both sides of politics next parliamentary term?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When Jim Chalmers and Angus Taylor met for this week’s treasurers’ debate, the moderator observed that in three or six years they might be facing each other as prime minister and opposition leader. Election results trigger, or subsequently lead to,

    ‘Alarmist nonsense’: Labor and Coalition dismissed security risks over the Port of Darwin for years. What’s changed?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Laurenceson, Director and Professor, Australia-China Relations Institute (UTS:ACRI), University of Technology Sydney Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have both committed to stripping a Chinese company, Landbridge, of the lease to operate Darwin Port. Landbridge paid A$506 million for the 99-year lease from

    This chart explains why Trump backflipped on tariffs. The economic damage would have been huge
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Giesecke, Professor, Centre of Policy Studies and the Impact Project, Victoria University The Trump administration has announced a 90-day pause on its plan to impose so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on nearly all US imports. But the pause does not extend to China, where import duties will rise

    Big changes are planned for aged care in 2025. But you’d never know from the major parties
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hal Swerissen, Emeritus Professor of Public Health, La Trobe University Ground Picture/Shutterstock There has been little new in pre-election promises for Australia’s aged-care workers, providers or the 1.3 million people who use aged care. In March, Labor announced A$2.6 billion for another pay rise for aged-care nurses

    Good boy or bad dog? Our 1 billion pet dogs do real environmental damage
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bill Bateman, Associate Professor, Behavioural Ecology, Curtin University William Edge/Shutterstock There are an estimated 1 billion domesticated dogs in the world. Most are owned animals – pets, companions or working animals who share their lives with humans. They are the most common large predator in the world.

    A damning study of online abuse of female MPs shows urgent legal reform is needed
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassandra Mudgway, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Canterbury Media Whale Stock/Shutterstock Women MPs are increasingly targets of misogynistic, racist and sexual online abuse, but New Zealand’s legal framework to protect them is simply not fit for purpose. Recently released research found online threats of physical and

    Fresh details emerge on Australia’s new climate migration visa for Tuvalu residents. An expert explains
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney The details of a new visa enabling Tuvaluan citizens to permanently migrate to Australia were released this week. The visa was created as part of a bilateral treaty Australia and Tuvalu

    ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 10, 2025
    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 10, 2025.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Turbo-charging tomatoes with Auckland’s food scraps

    Source: Auckland Council

    Thanks to a technology called anaerobic digestion, Aucklanders’ food scraps now provide renewable energy to help power the tomatoes that may very well end up on Aucklanders’ plates, contributing to New Zealand’s circular economy and reducing waste disposal costs.

    Anaerobic digestion extracts the powerhouse of energy and nutrients locked inside food scraps and other organic waste, with the EcoGas facility in Reporoa leading the way in implementing this technology in New Zealand.

    The facility collects food scraps and other organic waste from a range of sources, including Auckland Council’s food scraps collection, and produces enough heat from the waste to keep a neighbouring five-hectare glasshouse at ideal temperatures to grow its tomatoes – the equivalent of heating about 2,000 homes. Soon, the glasshouse will also gain bio-carbon dioxide produced by the food scraps to enhance tomato growth, as excess energy generated from the food scraps is fed into the national gas grid.

    The residual material that remains after biogas is extracted is transformed into liquid fertiliser, replacing synthetic fertilisers in New Zealand’s agriculture, which is much better for soil health.

    Auckland Council GM Waste Solutions Justine Haves says diverting Auckland’s food scraps from landfill to be turned into clean energy and other resources helps move Auckland towards its goal of Zero Waste by 2040.

    “Sending waste to landfill is the most expensive way to dispose of a community’s waste from an environmental perspective,” Ms Haves says.

    “The more waste we have going to landfill, the more harmful emissions we have and the more landfill capacity we need, which comes at a significant cost to communities,” she says.

    “With our finite resources, it makes sense to use the best environmentally sustainable technologies available to us to recover valuable resources from food scraps, and by diverting Auckland’s food scraps away from landfills towards processing for beneficial uses, the cost of the food scraps service is reduced.

    “The food scraps sent from Auckland to Reporoa travel in aggregate trucks that were previously heading back there empty, so this is a truly circular initiative.”

    Separating food scraps from rubbish is an easy way to reduce a household’s carbon footprint and provide a renewable resource for energy and fertiliser, so if you haven’t yet made use of your food scraps bin, it’s never too late to start! Simply put your food scraps bin out each week and it will be picked up as part of Auckland Council’s kerbside collection. 

    From your kitchen to an Ecogas facility – the food scraps journey

    Watch the Journey of Food Scraps video below. 

    [embedded content]

    Food scraps bins go out weekly, on council collection day. The small bins are emptied into food scraps collection vehicles – a third of which are electric – and the food scraps are transported to a facility in Papakura before being transferred into trucks bound for Reporoa.

    The food scraps are loaded into vehicles which have delivered gravel and aggregate to Auckland from Taupō. Instead of returning to Taupō empty, they make the return trip south carrying food scraps. We are using an existing trip that would still happen without food scraps.

    Food scraps arrive at the Ecogas Organics Processing Facility where they begin the process of anaerobic digestion.

    Turning food scraps into clean energy and fertiliser – what is Anaerobic Digestion?

    Imagine a huge tank. You mash up all your food scraps, like banana peels, corn cobs, and bones until it looks like a thick soup and pour it into the tank. Inside it, there are tiny, invisible helpers – the bacteria. These helpers love to eat the food scraps, but they don’t need any air to do it.

    As they munch away, they make two special things: bio-gas for energy use and a liquid fertiliser that can be applied onto pasture to help grass thrive. This whole process is called anaerobic digestion because it happens without any oxygen.

    The huge tanks turn Auckland’s food scraps into renewable energy and fertiliser which is spread on neighbouring farms. The energy helps to grow tasty tomatoes and the fertiliser helps grow grass to feed cows. Both the tomatoes and milk end up in your supermarket and on your plate. This energy is also used to run the facility itself making it self-sufficient and supplying renewable gas to the local gas grid.

    Place your food scraps bin at the kerbside on your collection day and rest assured that you’re making a difference now and for the future.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Graham Introduce Latest Version of Trade Manufacturing Policy to Hold China Accountable

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced the latest version of the Foreign Pollution Fee Act to level the playing field for American manufacturers and workers by holding non-market economies like China accountable for their unfair trade practices. The legislation puts America’s efficient manufacturers at the center of industrial strategy, strengthening our economic resilience, reducing supply chain dependence on adversaries, and rewarding innovation in production. The original Foreign Pollution Fee Act was updated this year to incorporate feedback received during a public comment period. 
    “Other countries can decrease their cost of manufacturing by 20 percent by not enforcing the laws we take for granted. This means they take our jobs too. This is wrong,” said Dr. Cassidy. “It’s time the U.S. promotes fair trade, preserves jobs in Louisiana and elsewhere, and revives American manufacturing. That helps fulfill President Trump’s goal of rebuilding the Golden Age.”
    “It is long past time that the polluters of the world, like China and others, pay a price for their policies. This bill calls out the foreign polluters and rewards American businesses who are doing the right thing,” said Senator Graham. “We are leveling the playing field, and American manufacturers and business will be the biggest beneficiaries.”
    The Foreign Pollution Fee Act: 
    Combats China’s Exploitation of Trade Rules: This policy will level the playing field for U.S. businesses by countering the unfair practices of non-market economies like China, ensuring American manufacturers can compete and thrive.
    Strengthens Global Supply Chain Resilience: Diversifying trade relationships will reduce dependence on adversarial nations, making supply chains more secure against geopolitical disruptions and enhancing national security.
    Revitalizes American Manufacturing: By discouraging imports of pollution-intensive goods, this policy will bring jobs back home, strengthen domestic industries, and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.
    Expands U.S. Export Markets: As high-polluting countries modernize their industries, they’ll increasingly demand American-made inputs, feedstocks, and cutting-edge technologies, opening new opportunities for U.S. exports.
    Deepens Trade Ties with Allies: By promoting partnerships with nations that share our economic and environmental values, this policy builds a coalition against predatory practices by the Chinese Communist Party, supporting emerging markets and allies alike.
    Rewards Leadership in Cleaner Manufacturing: The policy incentivizes international partners to adopt cleaner production methods while ensuring that domestic manufacturers maintain a competitive edge by continuing to lead in industrial decarbonization.
    Industry sectors covered by the Foreign Pollution Fee Act include iron, steel, aluminum, cement, glass, fertilizer, hydrogen, solar components, and certain battery inputs.
    Background
    Cassidy and Graham introduced an earlier version of their Foreign Pollution Fee Act to level the playing field with Chinese manufacturing and expand American production in 2023. Earlier this year, Cassidy released a new video featuring vocal support from several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees for the Foreign Pollution Fee Act.  
    The Foreign Pollution Fee Act was a key topic at Cassidy’s Louisiana Energy Security Summit in October 2024.The summit featured ten panels that explored protecting U.S. interests from unfair trade practices, Louisiana’s low-pollution manufacturing advantage, and the role of natural gas in strengthening U.S. geopolitical influence. Panelists included presidents and CEOs from Entergy, First Solar, Buzzi UnicemUSA, Orsted, and Aluminum Technologies, former Trump administration officials, and leaders from Louisiana trade associations and major energy and Fortune 500 companies. 
    In September 2024, he released the 3rd episode of Bill on the Hill, where he highlights his Foreign Pollution Fee Act and discusses China’s growing economy and military coming at the expense of the American worker. After hearing fellow Americans share their concerns, Cassidy presented his plan to address the nexus between economic development, national security, and the environment. 
    He penned editorials in Foreign Affairs, The Washington Times, and jointly in the USA Today Network discussing the geopolitical threat that China poses to U.S. global standing. 
    In 2023, the Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution urging Congress to pursue an industrial manufacturing and trade policy to counter competition from China. 
    The Foreign Pollution Fee Act is supported by a variety of key industry and advocacy stakeholders including: Steel Manufacturers Association, U.S. OCTG Manufacturers Association (USOMA), Portland Cement Association, Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition, Ultra Low Carbon Solar Alliance, America First Policy Institute, Carbon Removal Alliance, Heirloom, Climeworks, Climate Leadership Council, Cleaner Economy Coalition (CEC), the Industrial Innovation Initiative (I3), Rainey Center Freedom Project, RepublicEN.org, Carbon Upcycling, Ceres, SAFE’s Center for Strategic Industrial Materials, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, ElementUSA, and Evangelical Environmental Network.
    “The Steel Manufacturers Association thanks Senator Cassidy and Senator Graham for introducing the Foreign Pollution Fee Act. This critical legislation will provide another strong path to ensuring fair trade. America has a tremendous competitive advantage because of its lower emissions manufacturing processes. We make the cleanest steel in the world. This is because the United States lets markets choose the most efficient production technologies and raw materials. However, poor overseas environmental standards, compliance, and enforcement creates an artificial advantage in trade that harms American producers and workers,” said Philip K. Bell, President of the Steel Manufacturers Association. “Current U.S. trade countermeasures are not specifically designed to address unfair trade practices related to the environment. Imposing a fee on foreign pollution helps monetize our environmental advantage and level the playing field. We look forward to working with Senators Cassidy and Graham on the Foreign Pollution Fee Act to support American jobs and competitiveness.”
    “The SEMA Coalition supports Senator Cassidy’s 2025 Foreign Pollution Fee Act. For American solar manufacturers to compete on a level playing field and outcompete China, we need innovative border measures such as a foreign pollution fee. Any successful, long-term strategy to reshore the solar value chain must prioritize taking these steps to safeguard the domestic solar industry from the impacts of global overcapacity,” said Mike Carr, Executive Director of the SEMA Coalition. “We are grateful for Senator Cassidy’s leadership and look forward to working closely with him and the administration to advance trade and tax policies that ensure a level playing field with China and longevity for U.S. solar manufacturers and workers.”
    “The Ultra Low Carbon Solar Alliance congratulates Senators Cassidy and Graham on the introduction of the Foreign Pollution Fee Act of 2025 and is proud to endorse the bill. The members of the Alliance are demonstrating that with the right policy mix U.S. manufacturers can claw back critical energy supply chains in the face of Chinese over subsidization and product dumping,” said Michael Parr, Executive Director of the Ultra Low Carbon Solar Alliance. “In recent years we have begun to re-establish U.S. solar manufacturing at scale, providing a secure supply of U.S. energy generation, bolstering U.S. energy dominance and security. Because solar manufacturing in China is twice as polluting as in the U.S., the Foreign Pollution Fee Act will provide a critical backstop against China’s ongoing efforts to evade U.S.tariffs, helping to ensure that America’s fastest growing form of energy generation continues to use U.S. made solar products.”
    “The cement industry supports policies that protect domestic manufacturers through robust trade mechanisms and data collection. Sen. Cassidy’s Foreign Pollution Fee Act is very thoughtful, pragmatic legislation that will highlight the carbon advantage of U.S. manufacturers and level the playing field against more carbon-intensive foreign imports,” said Sean O’Neill, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for Portland Cement Association.
    “The Foreign Pollution Fee Act would create a fairer market for domestic manufacturers and foster innovation in the U.S.,” said Giana Amador, Executive Director of the Carbon Removal Alliance. “We commend Senator Cassidy for his leadership in protecting American entrepreneurs and advancing a homegrown carbon removal industry poised to generate jobs and billions in economic growth nationwide.”
    “In the global race to lead the industries of the future, it’s wrong to let U.S. manufacturers be undercut by countries that ignore the high standards our businesses uphold,” said Vikrum Aiyer, Head of Public Policy for Heirloom. “The Foreign Pollution Fee Act levels the playing field and makes it a fair fight—and in a fair fight, America wins, thanks to homegrown innovations like direct air capture that can mitigate the impact of our competitors flouting environmental standards, all while ensuring America remains the most competitive place in the world. We’re proud to be investing in such technologies in Louisiana to produce new energy solutions and carbon management tools, creating thousands of jobs to service nearly half a billion dollars in customer contracts and growing, as we onshore U.S. innovation to leverage the American advantage and strengthen our energy security.”
    “The Foreign Pollution Fee Act is an important way to protect and expand U.S. manufacturers’ strategic advantage in meeting rising global demand for decarbonized goods and services. Climeworks is proud to support Senator Cassidy’s initiative, which we believe will strengthen vital supply chain resilience,” said Daniel Nathan, Chief Project Development Officer for Climeworks. 
    “ElementUSA strongly supports your foreign pollution fee legislation, which levels the playing field for responsibly produced domestic minerals. By incentivizing cleaner supply chains, this policy directly advances our mission to reprocess industrial waste and reshore critical minerals using low-emission technologies. It empowers U.S. innovators like us to compete globally while turning legacy environmental liabilities into valuable, sustainable resources,” said Chris Young, Chief Strategy Officer for ElementUSA.
    “Senator Cassidy’s introduction of the Foreign Pollution Fee Act is a significant step forward in capitalizing on U.S. industry’s superior environmental performance and creating a more level playing field for years to come. By rewarding American firms for their lower pollution and holding higher emitters accountable, we will boost U.S. manufacturers, create more jobs, and secure critical supply chains,” said Greg Bertelsen, CEO for Climate Leadership Council. “The Council looks forward to working with Senator Cassidy and a growing coalition of stakeholders to advance a foreign pollution fee as a tool for leveraging America’s carbon advantage, strengthening the U.S. economy, and reducing global emissions.”
    “Citizens’ Climate Lobby welcomes the re-introduction of the Foreign Pollution Fee Act by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Foreign polluters should be held accountable for the climate impacts of their exports to the U.S., and this bill takes a critical step in ensuring that imported goods reflect their true carbon cost. By requiring robust emissions accounting for foreign imports, the legislation promotes transparency and fairness in global trade. We are pleased to see this important bill reintroduced and our grassroots volunteers nationwide will be working toward its passage in Congress,” said Jennifer Tyler, VP of Government Affairs for Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
    “As a consensus-based coalition of industry, labor, and nonprofit leaders, the Industrial Innovation Initiative (I3) applauds Senator Cassidy’s ongoing commitment to American industry and congratulates him on this comprehensive effort to prioritize American workers, U.S. manufacturing, and a strong economy while reducing industrial emissions,” said David Soll, Industrial Decarbonization Manager for Great Plains Institute.
    “Senator Cassidy’s Foreign Pollution Fee is a bold America First solution that puts U.S. workers and manufacturers first—not China. It’s time we stop rewarding hostile regimes for cutting corners and start leveling the playing field for the American companies doing it right,” said Sarah Hunt, President for Rainey Center Freedom Project.
    “The Foreign Pollution Fee Act would bring accountability for dumping trash into the sky. That accountability would simultaneously level the playing field and spawn worldwide innovation,” said former U.S. Representative Bob Inglis (R-SC-04), Executive Director for RepublicEN.org.
    “The Foreign Pollution Fee Act aims to support the U.S. cement industry’s continued investment in innovative production technologies that lead to cleaner, more sustainable building materials,” said Juliane Kniebel-Huebner, COO for Carbon Upcycling. “We are grateful for Senator Cassidy’s leadership and look forward to working with him and our industry partners to continue to bolster the competitiveness of U.S. cement manufacturers.”
    “Ceres applauds the introduction of a foreign polluter fee in the U.S. Senate as a fair, predictable, and congressionally approved approach to global trade. This legislation would leverage U.S. trade and industrial policy to ensure the nation’s leadership in clean manufacturing and other key 21st century industries remain an advantage against China and other competitors, to the benefit of U.S. economic, geopolitical, and national security interests,” said Zach Friedman, Senior Director of Federal Policy for Ceres.
    “For too long, American industry has been competing on an uneven playing field on the global stage while bad actors like the Chinese Communist Party have adhered to unacceptably low standards to outcompete us on cost,” said Joe Quinn, Executive Director of SAFE’s Center for Strategic Industrial Materials. “By turning that uneven playing field into a competitive advantage for industries like batteries, steel, and aluminum that are critical to both national and energy security, the Foreign Pollution Fee Act will make the U.S. more self-reliant and restructure markets to reward innovation, not pollution.”
    “The Foreign Pollution Fee Act of 2025 delivers a three-fold win, defending the health of our children from harmful pollution, protecting the livelihoods of American workers, and leveling the playing field for American firms leading the way in clean manufacturing. The majority of products named in the Foreign Pollution Fee Act are powered by or directly utilize mercury-containing coal for production. While the United States reined in harmful mercury pollution a decade ago, other countries like China have no such protections on the books. China is responsible for 25-30% of the world’s mercury emissions, and unfortunately, air pollution doesn’t recognize national boundaries. Mercury pollution from coal combustion in China travels across the Pacific and is deposited in American oceans, lakes, and streams, resulting in widespread fish consumption advisories and continued risk of mercury-induced brain damage to our children, especially those in Alaska and our Western states. The Foreign Pollution Fee Act will help create the healthy environment and bright future that all God’s children, both here in the United States and across the world, deserve by ensuring foreign manufacturers finally clean up their act. On behalf of our children, we thank Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Lindsay Graham (R- SC) for their leadership advancing this critical bill,” said Reverend Dr. Jessica Moerman, President & CEO for the Evangelical Environmental Network.
    “Senator Cassidy’s introduction of the Foreign Pollution Fee Act opens the door for Congress to advance a critical tool for supporting American manufacturers—who are among the cleanest and most innovative in the world. A foreign pollution fee would create a fairer playing field for U.S. manufacturers, driving demand for cleaner, U.S.-made products and holding the worst global environmental actors accountable,” said CEC. “The Cleaner Economy Coalition looks forward to working with Senator Cassidy and other policymakers to advance a foreign pollution fee.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Lummis – Trump is ending Biden’s war on energy and one state is key to that strategy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis
    Washington, D.C. — Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) this week published an op-ed highlighting how President Trump is ending President Biden’s war on energy, and how Wyoming is the key to that strategy. 
    Read the full op-ed here. 
    —-
    SEN CYNTHIA LUMMIS: Trump is ending Biden’s war on energy and one state is key to that strategy
    Fox NewsApril 9, 2025
    I don’t have to tell you that Biden-era policies drained the pocketbooks of American families. But just how bad was it? Everything got more expensive. Food, consumer goods and especially energy. During President Joe Biden’s administration, energy prices increased by over 30% as a direct result of his disastrous anti-energy agenda.  
    But the Biden era is over, and that’s nowhere more apparent than in America’s energy outlook. President Donald Trump is reversing course and returning us to the Golden Age of American energy production. That’s great news for Wyoming and for America. 
    One big way the president is unleashing American energy is by removing costly regulatory hurdles. On day one, Trump declared a national energy emergency to spur domestic energy and critical mineral production and lower prices for all Americans. He reversed the Biden administration’s unconscionable decision to pause LNG export permits. He has opened up new federal lands and offshore locations for responsible leasing, and he has proposed permitting reforms. Under the leadership of EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the administration is protecting mining jobs out west and reversing the Biden administration’s assault on U.S. energy.  ….
    Trump has been an ally and friend of coal country. Unlike Democrats, who are still obsessively pushing their radical Green New Deal, Trump knows that intermittent wind and solar will not meet all of our energy needs in the era of cloud computing and artificial intelligence demands.  
    Trump, likewise, has been honest with the American people about the importance of baseload energy sources. And Wyoming knows that better than anyone, we’ve been America’s No. 1 coal producer since the 1980s, making ever cleaner baseload energy from coal a reality.  
    But Trump isn’t content to just stick with what we’ve always done. He wants to innovate. And so does Wyoming. We want to unleash our traditional energy sector while investing in new and exciting nuclear technology. Wyoming began construction on the first new-generation advanced reactor in Kemmerer last year. When completed, it will supply energy to 400,000 homes, creating 1,600 construction jobs and 250 high-paying permanent positions in the process. 
    Wyoming contains the largest uranium deposits in the country, presenting the opportunity to lead the way from mining to fabrication to energy production. America will not achieve Trump’s energy goals without nuclear energy, which means America will not achieve energy dominance without Wyoming.  ….
    The Biden administration’s full-scale assault on Wyoming energy will take years to undo, but I’m pleased that Trump and his administration are already making headway and bringing American energy back.  ….
    Our country is blessed with amazing natural resources that are critical to our economic and national security. We must use those resources. We must invest in our energy security. Wyoming is grateful that President Trump is delivering on his promise to Make American Energy Great Again.  
    U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis is a Republican from Wyoming who sits on the Senate Banking, Commerce, and Environment and Public Works committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Markey and Rep. Castor Urge FTC to Open Investigation into New Allegations that Meta Violated COPPA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    New Petition and Whistleblower Statement Provide Evidence that Meta Knowingly Allowed Children to Use its VR Platform Horizon Worlds

       Letter Text (PDF)

    Washington (April 10, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Representative Kathy Castor (FL-14), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, wrote today to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson urging the FTC to open investigation into allegations – in a petition submitted by advocacy organization Fairplay – that Meta violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The petition contains significant evidence that Meta and its executives knew children were using Horizon Worlds, its virtual reality (VR) platform, and yet failed to obtain parental consent before collecting their personal information, as COPPA requires. Additionally, an accompanying sworn statement by a new Meta whistleblower further suggests Meta intentionally ignored child users on Horizon Worlds and disregarded its obligations under COPPA.

    In the letter the lawmakers write, “The Fairplay petition raises serious and troubling allegations. According to the complaint, Meta has knowingly permitted large numbers of children under the age of 13 to access Horizon Worlds using standard adult accounts — accounts that do not require parental notice or consent and that permit extensive data collection.

    The lawmakers continue, “As the authors of the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), we take these allegations with the utmost seriousness. Congress originally passed COPPA to safeguard children’s privacy in the face of evolving technological threats. Although the original law needs an update to account for those new threats, Meta appears to have blatantly violated the COPPA requirements. The volume of personal information collected from children in VR — including body movements, facial expressions, voice recordings, eye tracking, and environmental data — renders these allegations especially concerning. Moreover, VR platforms do not merely present screen-based content, they envelop young users in highly interactive, sensory-rich worlds that can blur the boundary between virtual and physical experiences. For those reasons, the allegations in the Fairplay petition deserve urgent attention from the FTC.”

    Senator Markey authored the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in 1998 and continuously fights for young people on online platforms. He and Senator Cassidy reintroduced their update to COPPA, the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), in March 2025. In September 2024, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed COPPA 2.0, co-led by Representative Castor, by a voice vote. In July 2024, the U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, which included COPPA 2.0, by a 91-3 vote.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Seeks to Unfreeze $80 Million to Help RIers Lower Their Home Energy Bills

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    PROVIDENCE, RI – The Trump Administration is withholding tens of millions of dollars for clean energy and energy efficiency upgrades across Rhode Island that Congress approved under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (P.L. 117-58) and the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169).

    U.S. Senator Jack Reed supported the creation of a number of clean energy grant programs in the two laws to help Rhode Islanders lower their energy bills, make energy efficiency upgrades more affordable and accessible for Americans, and boost renewable energy production.  Now, Senator Reed is urging the Trump Administration to release around $80 million in previously awarded federal funds to help Rhode Island accelerate its clean energy transition, lower prices, and drive economic growth.

    Today, Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, sent a pair of letters to two key members of President Trump’s cabinet.  Reed urged U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to “release the nearly $36 million in electric vehicle charging infrastructure funding for Rhode Island that is being held by the Department of Transportation.”  He also urged U.S. Secretary of Energy  Christopher Wright to “immediately release nearly $43 million in clean energy and energy efficiency funding for Rhode Island.”

    “Rhode Islanders deserve affordable, reliable electricity.  America needs an energy policy that embraces technology and innovation and includes renewables like solar, wind, geothermal, and emerging battery storage technologies.  Investing in things like heat pumps is a win-win that lowers energy costs, increases energy independence, and supports good-paying jobs here in Rhode Island.  We’ve made some real progress, but President Trump’s partisan hold on clean energy funds puts those gains at risk and contributes to higher home energy costs,” said Senator Reed.

    Federal clean energy funds being halted or withheld by the Trump Administration includes:

    Home Efficiency Rebate (HER) Program: $31.9 million halted indefinitely, awaiting final approval.   The funding is in Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources’ (OER) U.S. Treasury account, but OER is unable to launch the program until it receives final approval of its implementation blueprint plan from DOE. 

    This funding would allow Rhode Islanders to get rebates for up to 100 percent of the costs (up to $16,000 per multifamily unit) to purchase and install heat pumps.  According to Rewiring America, the average homeowner will save between $370 to $1,000 per year by upgrading to a heat pump.

    National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI): Over $20.8 million frozen and guidance rescinded.  NEVI funds are designed to ensure a convenient, reliable network of charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) nationwide.  The program was allocated $22.8 million, $2 million has already been spent by the state.

    Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program (CFI): $15 million on hold – with grant agreement signed, but funds not obligated.

    This funding would help build out RI’s EV charging infrastructure and would finance additional chargers in strategic public locations such as public road parking lots, municipal office buildings, public schools, and public parks. 

    Building Code Adoption: $9.4 million awarded but never obligated.

    This program would help local governments adopt updated building energy conservation codes and standards.  The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that by 2040, modernized energy codes will save homes and businesses $138 billion on their utility bills— equivalent to $162 annually per household.

    Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation (RECI): $1.6 million on hold. The money is in OER’s U.S. Treasury account, but any drawdown of funds is subject to agency approval.

    This program is designed for training and implementation of updated energy codes for residential buildings.

    Many of these large grants are structured as passthrough grants, meaning federal agencies grant a large sum to a state agency, which then coordinates its own in-state application and disbursement process with local communities and non-profit partners.  Many were scheduled to begin this year before being halted by the Trump Administration.

    The Inflation Reduction Act has been instrumental in attracting more than $129 billion in announced clean energy factory investments nationwide since it was enacted in 2022.  Rolling back investments would harm all 50 states and create an economic drag on the U.S. economy.

    These federal funds were authorized and appropriated by Congress, signed into law by the previous administration, and awarded to Rhode Island.  Federal law allows for a pause or delay in releasing funds by a new Administration, but a rescission of Congressionally appropriated funds, without Congressional approval, is tantamount to impoundment, which is illegal.  However, the Trump Administration believes impoundment is permissible and that the President has the authority to ignore funding laws that have been passed by Congress. The Trump Administration now wants to litigate this matter before what it believes is a friendly U.S. Supreme Court with six of nine justices appointed by Republican presidents. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: To Help More American Households Save Energy, U.S. Senators Renew Bipartisan Effort to Boost Weatherization Aid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to make more homes energy efficient and help residents save on their utility bills, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) teamed up to re-introduce the Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act (S.1342).  This bipartisan bill seeks to improve public health and lower household energy costs by bolstering the federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which covers home weatherization, window replacement, sealing air leaks, ventilation improvements, and other key energy-saving measures.
    The bill will authorize a Weatherization Readiness Fund to help those in need repair structural issues and prepare homes for weatherization assistance, increasing the number of homes the program is able to serve.  It also seeks to raise the amount of funding allowed to be spent on each home to keep up with current labor and material costs, and will raise the cap on the amount of funding allowed to be spent on renewable energy upgrades in each home.  These provisions are essential updates to a program that has helped so many families over the past few decades.
    Since 1976, the Weatherization Assistance Program has helped more than 7.4 million low-income families reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient.  The U.S Department of Energy estimates that these upgrades help each household save $372 in energy bills annually.
    In addition to saving families money, energy efficient homes also help cut down on our carbon footprint, reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
    “This bipartisan, cost-effective bill is about saving families and taxpayers money, cutting air pollution, and generating good-paying clean-energy jobs.  Passing the Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act will help save families in need real money on their energy bills while also benefitting the U.S. economy, environment, and public health.  It would help reduce demand on energy grids nationwide which helps keep utility rates lower and frees up financial resources for family essentials, like groceries and medicine.  By expanding the program to include critical home repairs, we can alleviate economic hardship, address healthy housing disparities, and improve energy efficiency for those households who need it most,” said Senator Reed.
    “The Weatherization Assistance Program is a proven, cost-effective way to permanently decrease energy usage while reducing low-income Americans’ energy bills,” said Senator Collins.  “This bipartisan bill would help build on the significant investments we have secured for the Weatherization Assistance Program so that more Americans are able to make improvements that will allow them to affordably heat their homes.”
    “During the baking heat of summer and the freezing winds of winter, too many families across this country struggle to pay their heating and cooling bills,” said Senator Coons. “The Weatherization Assistance Program has already helped thousands of Delawareans trying to make ends meet, and this legislation lowers rising energy bills for thousands more by giving low-income families support to make their homes more energy efficient while creating new clean energy jobs and reducing the impact of climate change. 
    “Weatherizing homes is one of the most effective tools we have to help Granite State families save money on their monthly utility bills while also reducing emissions,” said Senator Shaheen. “By expanding access to the Weatherization Assistance Program, this commonsense bipartisan legislation would allow more households to implement cost-saving energy efficiency measures that create new jobs and boost New Hampshire’s economy.” 
    David Terry, the President of the National Association of State Energy Officials, stated: “We applaud Senators Reed, Collins, Coons and Shaheen for introducing this important bipartisan piece of legislation, which will help low-income and elderly Americans.  The sponsoring senators are continuing their long-time support of energy efficiency programs that reduce costs for the public.”
    David Bradley, CEO of the National Community Action Foundation which represents local weatherizers said: “The Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act keeps hundreds of community teams  hard at work with streamlined processes and up to date  technology. It will help make older homes safer and sturdier, so retirees and working  families can stay in their communities; energy bills will be lower; residents will be healthier and even make fewer emergency hospital visits.  Thousands of contractors and crew members will be trained in valuable specialty skills of measuring and improving building performance.  The unwavering leadership of Senators Jack Reed, Susan Collins, Chris Coons and Jeanne Shaheen keeps the Weatherization Assistance Program robust and relevant through changing times.”
    Cheryl Williams, Executive Director of the National Association for State Community Services Programs said: “NASCSP is thrilled to support the Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act, introduced by Senators Reed, Collins, Coons, and Shaheen, long time champions of weatherization. This legislation paves the way toward decreasing energy burdens and improving the health and safety of low-income households, while supporting more than 8,500 highly skilled jobs across the country.”
    Weatherization is key to lowering the energy burden among low-income households, a quarter of whom spend more than 15% of annual income on energy bills.?This?burden often?compels families with limited financial resources to?cut back?on essentials like medicine, groceries, and child care.
    An independent study of the Weatherization Assistance Program by Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that children in weatherized households miss less school, improving educational outcomes.  Adults miss less work, increasing both their own incomes and their contributions to the economy.  Families also reported experiencing fewer flu and cold symptoms and emergency room visits, decreasing costly medical expenses.
    The Weatherization Assistance Program also helps boost our economy.  DOE has reported that the program supports over 8,500 jobs for energy experts and contractors, while increasing our national economic output by $1.2 billion.
    Senators Reed and Collins spearheaded the bipartisan effort to include $3.5 billion in WAP funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
    Click here to read the full bill text.
    -end-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reflections on 2024: FECM’s Year in Review

    Source: US Department of Energy

    By any measure, 2024 was one of the most successful in the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s (FECM’s) history. 

    We made enormous progress toward addressing and reducing methane emissions in the oil and gas industry to meet our environmental responsibilities and ensure that U.S. natural gas can compete in a rapidly changing global marketplace.

    We accelerated carbon capture, removal, utilization, and storage technologies, and laid the groundwork for a strengthened and expanded carbon dioxide (CO2) transport and storage infrastructure.

    We made real and impressive strides toward establishing a secure domestic supply chain for the critical minerals and materials that will be required in a 21st Century economy.

    We advanced pathways to clean hydrogen deployment through fuel cell technology, as well as electrolysis and biomass, waste, and fossil resources coupled to carbon capture, utilization, and storage. 

    And we expanded meaningful engagement and strengthened relationships with communities, Tribes, industry, and other stakeholders to not only ensure the success of our projects but also to help drive economic development, technological innovation, and the growth of high-wage jobs across America.

    Our 2024 successes would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the people who make up FECM. We are thankful for our leadership and our team at Headquarters and at the National Energy Technology Laboratory for their continued amazing work—and for their professionalism and commitment. 

    As we look toward 2025, we remain committed to carrying out our work for the American people. 

    Year in Review Highlights

    Here are a few prominent examples of FECM investing in technologies to minimize the environmental and climate impacts of fossil fuel and industrial processes:

    • DOE collaborated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to award $850 million to 43 projects that will help small oil and gas operators, Tribes, and other entities across the country to reduce, monitor, measure, and quantify methane emissions from the oil and gas sector as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. 
    • With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, FECM awarded $518 million to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for permanent, safe storage of CO2. The 23 selected projects across 19 states support the Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) Initiative.
    • FECM announced $75 million to establish a Critical Materials Supply Chain Research Facility to support on-going government initiatives, such as the Critical Materials Collaborative and Critical Materials Innovation Hub, along with the overall DOE-wide critical mineral and material goals of diversifying and expanding supply, developing alternatives, improving efficiencies across the supply chain, and enabling a circular economy.
    • FECM invested $45 million into six projects to create regional consortia focused on securing domestic critical minerals and materials. The selected projects will build on DOE’s Carbon Ore, Rare Earth and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Initiative, expanding the focus from the basin scale to cover eight regions across the nation. 
    • FECM along with DOE’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office invested more than $58.5 million into 11 projects that aim to support Carbon Negative Shot’s objectives through integrated pilot-scale testing of advanced technologies and detailed monitoring, reporting, and verification protocols. Carbon Negative Shot is the U.S. government’s first major carbon dioxide removal effort and part of DOE’s larger Energy Earthshots Initiative.
    • FECM invested $44.5 million into nine university and industry-led project teams that will serve as regional partners to advance commercial-scale carbon capture, transport, and storage across the United States. The Regional Initiative for Technical Assistance Partnerships will accelerate the understanding of specific geologic basins to enable the permanent storage of CO2 emissions from industrial operations and power plants, as well as legacy emissions in the atmosphere. 
    • FECM announced four research and development projects that will receive nearly $32 million to advance technologies to help reduce natural gas flaring at oil production sites, a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, by transforming gas into valuable products that would otherwise be wasted by those operations. These projects support the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, which launched a whole-of-government initiative to redouble efforts to significantly reduce methane emissions while protecting workers and communities, growing jobs, and promoting U.S. technology innovation.

    FECM also formed new working groups and initiatives to strengthen stakeholder engagement:

    • After requesting, receiving, and incorporating feedback from climate, environmental justice, community, labor organizations, and carbon management sector leaders, along with guidance from other DOE offices, FECM released principles to help developers deploy successful carbon management projects that reduce pollution, create high-quality jobs, and improve transparency and accountability under the Responsible Carbon Management Initiative.
    • The International Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification Working Group released a framework for the measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification of methane, carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gas emissions to drive continuous reductions in emissions across the global natural gas market.
    • The Tribal Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Working Group was formed to provide ongoing advice and expertise to DOE on the best ways to assist Tribal decarbonization efforts and utilization of their natural resources.
    • DOE and the White House Council on Environmental Quality held the first meeting of two federal Permitting Task Forces to help address the efficient, orderly, and responsible development of CO2 pipelines and related carbon capture and storage projects. This includes projects on both private and federal lands and of those that cross federal, state and tribal boundaries.
    • And with support from various DOE offices, we released the Carbon Management Strategy for public comment to provide a comprehensive roadmap for the remainder of the decade.

    We hope you enjoyed reading this highlight of FECM’s accomplishments over the past year. To keep up to date with future announcements, blogs, and more, sign up for news alerts and follow us on X, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FECM Leadership Advances New Strategic Priorities at Industry Events and National Laboratory Site Visits

    Source: US Department of Energy

    Blog

    FECM leadership has been engaging with stakeholders and staff across North America, introducing the Trump Administration’s priorities and their role in promoting energy abundance and security.

    Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management

    March 20, 2025

    PDAS Tala Goudarzi and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Operations Vicki Michetti take a closer look at the groundbreaking projects underway at the NETL Albany campus.

    In recent weeks, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) leadership has been engaging with stakeholders and staff across North America, introducing the Trump Administration’s priorities and their role in promoting energy abundance and security.

    On February 11, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) Tala Goudarzi, joined by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Operations Vicki Michetti, visited the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) campus in Albany, Oregon to tour the facility and discuss the Administration’s energy agenda. The NETL-Albany campus is internationally recognized for its work in metallurgy and materials research, with a particular emphasis on processing critical minerals and alloys. Additionally, the campus explores and characterizes natural systems including natural gas hydrates and geothermal systems. 

    From left to right: Senior Advisor Derek Cohen, PDAS Tala Goudarzi, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Operations Vicki Michetti learn about the innovative work being done at the NETL Morgantown campus.

    On February 27 and February 28, PDAS Goudarzi and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Operations Michetti visited NETL campuses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Morgantown, West Virginia to discuss the role the laboratory will play in unleashing American energy innovation. From left to right: Senior Advisor Derek Cohen, PDAS Tala Goudarzi, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Operations Vicki Michetti learn about the innovative work being done at the NETL Morgantown campus.

    PDAS Tala Goudarzi and Senior Advisor Derek Cohen engages with technical staff at the NETL Pittsburgh campus.

    The Pittsburgh campus focuses on process systems engineering, decision science, functional materials, and environmental sciences, with an emphasis on rare earth elements used in defense technology and staples of modern living. The Morgantown campus focuses on domestic coal, natural gas, and oil energy conversion and is also home to Joule 2.0—one of the fastest, largest and most energy-efficient supercomputers in the world. Pictured: PDAS Tala Goudarzi and Senior Advisor Derek Cohen engages with technical staff at the NETL Pittsburgh campus.

    FECM and International Affairs (IA) leadership stand in front of the FECM booth at the 2025 Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada

    The following week, on March 7, FECM’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Resource Sustainability Ryan Peay and Senior Science Advisor Grant Bromhal attended the 2025 Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Conference in Toronto, Canada. Peay and Bromhal met with the mining industry’s most influential experts and stakeholders to further explore the role of a secure, domestic critical minerals supply to strengthen energy security.

    On March 10, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright delivered keynote remarks at the 43rd annual CERAWeek by S&P Global, emphasizing the need to bolster American energy, with a particular focus on liquefied natural gas exports. The conference, which took place in Houston, Texas between March 10 and March 14, centered around the theme of “Moving Ahead: Energy strategies for a complex world.” Throughout the week, PDAS Goudarzi engaged on the ground with industry leaders, policymakers, and other experts about the role of FECM in ensuring national security.

    To keep up to date with future announcements and events, sign up for FECM news alerts and visit FECM’s website.

    MIL OSI USA News –