ENVIRONMENTAL MARKETS
State utilities – such as New York’s Con Edison – are beginning to consider non-traditional infrastructure and resource investments to meet peak load. Distributed energy resources investments and increased customer engagement will help create a more diverse, resilient energy grid. Over the next year – and beyond – State PUCs and utilities will work closely…...
The DOI will offer approximately 742,000 acres offshore Massachusetts for commercial wind energy development in a competitive lease sale scheduled for January 29, 2015. On November 26, 2014, the Department of Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published a notice to offer approximately 742,000 acres of the Massachusetts Wind Energy Area (WEA) for…...
The Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether EPA unreasonably refused to consider cost factors in its MATS rulemaking process. On November 25, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court granted petitions to hear state and industry challenges against the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) to decide whether EPA unreasonably refused to…...
The EPA has proposed to update air quality standards for ground-level ozone to levels within 65 ppb to 70 ppb from the current level of 75 ppb. On November 25, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to update the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone by strengthening primary and secondary ozone…...
The EPA has issued an interim rule delaying the CSAPR compliance deadlines by three years consistent with the recent court-ordered schedule. On November 21, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an interim final rule amending the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule’s (CSAPR) compliance deadlines to align with the October 23 ruling — of the U.S. Court…...
Non-hydro utility-scale energy storage solutions are landing record-setting contracts in multiple regions, marking a transition beyond small-scale ancillary services. Fast-reacting and flexible energy storage resources can efficiently provide ancillary services to free-up traditional generation assets for wholesale market participation. The U.S. Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change recently cited that by 2022, the worldwide demand…...
The FERC has directed RTOs/ISOs to identify fuel assurance issues relevant to their respective markets and file a report on the status of their efforts to address the issues. On November 20, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order directing regional transmission organizations and independent system operators (RTOs/ISOs) to file reports on…...
The U.S. has announced a $3B commitment to the Green Climate Fund – the largest single pledge to date. On November 15, 2014 – eve of the 2014 G-20 Summit in Australia – U.S. President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. will contribute $3B to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the financial support mechanism aimed…...
State energy efficiency resource standards (EERS) outline near- and long-term energy use reduction requirements for utilities and third-party program administrators. EERS play an instrumental role in reducing power-sector emissions growth and could help reduce electricity consumption by as much as 10 percent by 2020. States that do not have a history of EERS or incentive…...
The U.S. and China have announced joint climate actions including new emissions reduction targets for the post-2020 period, ahead of the 2015 UN Climate Conference. On November 12, 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama and China President Xi Jinping announced bilateral cooperation on climate action, including post-2020 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets. The duo expects…...
Four large-scale renewable energy projects selected through RPS Main Tier solicitations will add approximately 164 MW to New York’s renewable energy capacity. On November 12, 2014, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced $206M in funding to four Upstate large-scale clean energy projects aimed to reduce emissions and improve energy infrastructure resiliency. Once operational, the…...
RGGI’s comments on EPA’s Clean Power Plan proposal highlight the potential for state economic growth and clean energy innovation. On November 7, 2014, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) members – Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont – released a report on their comments supporting the Environmental Protection…...