Following the landmark ruling today on America's clean energy future by the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor filed a bipartisan jobs and energy bill to spur investment and research in widespread distributed energy technology, such as rooftop solar. Often the cheapest, most reliable and efficient energy source, distributed energy creates electricity at or near the customer, as opposed to centralized generation at large power plants that often requires electricity to be transmitted long distances to consumers. Combined with incentives to reduce demand for electricity that were affirmed today by the U.S. Supreme Court, America must chart a modern course for powering our communities that includes localized sources. Read more »

On the day that the World Meteorological Organization reported that carbon dioxide levels are at a new record high, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor called on businesses and governments to put more resources into lowering greenhouse gases. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor released the statement below following today’s announcement that BP agreed to a tentative settlement of $18.7 billion for claims resulting from the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster: Read more »

Suncoast Credit Union is one of the 18 new partners from throughout the country to join the Better Buildings Challenge, which is a commitment to reduce its portfolio-wide energy use by at least 20 percent in the next 10 years. Read more »

Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, communities and neighborhoods, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Grounded in the struggles of the 1960's Civil Rights Movement, environmental justice sounded the alarm about the public health dangers for their families, their communities and themselves. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor fought to restore vital energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives that have been placed on the chopping block by House Republicans during the debate on the U.S. Department of Energy appropriations FY2016 bill. Debate on the Castor Amendment occurred late last night. Read more »

Earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) marked the fifth anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon Blowout Disaster at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science Laboratory, where scientists summarized the extraordinary amount of research done since the disaster to better understand its costs to the Gulf of Mexico and the environment. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor released the statement below following today’s ruling by a federal district judge in New Orleans that placed the majority of blame on BP for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster in 2010. “It is appropriate that BP be held fully accountable for its gross negligence and economic and environmental damage caused by the 2010 disaster.  Workers lost their lives and… Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) announced today that the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO), a research consortium in St. Petersburg, will be Florida’s representative for the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program, designing the program and administering the fund for the state. FIO will establish competitive grants for Centers of Excellence focusing on science, technology, and monitoring related to Gulf restoration, according to a rule published today by the U.S. Department of Treasury written as part of implementing the RESTORE Act, which passed July 6, 2012 in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster that devastated the Gulf of Mexico. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) sent this letter to the Florida Public Service Commission. Read more »