Coal Power
On March 4, 2014, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) held the first carbon allowance auction under the new Model Rule. Auction prices reached record levels and high market participation and allowance demand exhausted the 5 million allowance Cost Containment Reserve. Overview The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is the nation’s first mandatory market-based cap-and-trade…...
The House has passed a bill aimed to reinstate a 2008 coal mining regulation which the administration discarded despite an extensive rulemaking process. On March 25, 2014, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America Act (H.R. 2824), a bill aimed reinstate the 2008 Stream Buffer…...
For the third time since 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing the EPA’s regulation of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) under the Clean Air Act. Overview On February 24, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments over the case Utility Air Regulatory Group v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on whether EPA is ultimately legitimized…...
The House has approved the Electricity Security and Affordability Act aimed to provide a reasonable alternative to EPA’s pending power plant regulations. On March 6, 2014, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Electricity Security and Affordability Act (H.R. 3826), a bipartisan bill aimed to provide guidance to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) pending carbon…...
The FY 2015 budget plan proposes $27.9B in DOE funding, reiterating President Obama’s commitment to a low-carbon future and energy infrastructure resilience. President Barack Obama’s FY 2015 budget plan released on March 4, 2014 allocates $27.9B for the Department of Energy (DOE), a 2.6 percent increase from the 2014 enacted level. It reflects DOE reorganization…...
Alternative power producers continue to turn to the YieldCo model to find lower costs of capital and residual value. Investors benefit from low risk exposure to renewable energy development, high yield and more favorable tax rates, however, risks do exist. Since January 1, 2014, two new YieldCos have been announced, SunEdison and Hannon Armstrong Sustainable…...
On January 28, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing to receive testimony on S. 1600, the Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2013. This Act that would enable domestic production of critical minerals necessary in the manufacturing of many clean energy technologies. Overview Critical minerals play and important role in…...
EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2014 projects that 90 percent of coal-fired power plant retirements will occur by 2016, the first year of MATS enforcement. On February 14, 2014, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released a report showing that more coal-fired power plants are projected to retire by 2016 than previously predicted. The report draws on…...
EPA’s 2013 enforcement results show violators paid more than $5.6B in fines, civil penalties, restitution, and environmental projects. On February 7, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its FY 2013 enforcement and compliance report detailing results of EPA civil and criminal enforcement programs and estimated environmental benefits. The results highlight that violators paid more…...
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has advanced legislation that would restrict EPA authority to finalize power plant emissions regulations. On January 28, 2014, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the Electricity Security and Affordability Act (H.R. 3826) designed to provide a reasonable alternative to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) impending carbon dioxide…...
DOE will provide $1B financial assistance for the FutureGen 2.0 Project, the world’s first commercial-scale, oxy-combustion electric generation project with CCS technology. On January 15, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced its decision to provide approximately $1B in cost-shared funding to FutureGen Industrial Alliance for its $1.68B FutureGen 2.0 Project, a private-public partnership established…...
U.S. Commerce Chamber’s new energy advocacy platform proposes actionable recommendations to capitalize on the nation’s energy potential. On January 15, 2014, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy launched its new energy advocacy platform titled “Energy Works for US,” a comprehensive plan with recommendations for 2014 and beyond. The plan, an update…...