A coalition of businesses and trade groups including Avista Corp, NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas filed a lawsuit with the Oregon Court of Appeals challenging the Climate Protection Program aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels and natural gas starting in 2022. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality adopted the program in…...
California Independent System Operator Board of Governors on March 17 approved the grid operator’s 10-year transmission plan, which identified 23 projects estimated to cost $2.9 billion. The plan aims to boost grid reliability through system expansions, upgrades, and reinforcements required to enhance reliability and to achieve the state’s clean energy goals in an efficient and…...
U.S. Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) introduced legislation on March 17, which aims to speed the development of clean energy by promoting competition, planning, transparency, and effective supervision of transmission networks. The bill titled Connecting Hard-to-Reach Areas with Renewable Powered Energy, or CHARGE, Act would establish reforms through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulations or the…...
The Securities and Exchange Commission on March 21 recommended rule amendments that would compel registrants to incorporate specific climate-associated disclosures in their registration records and periodic accounts. These disclosures pertain to details about climate-related risk that could have a quantifiable effect on their business, outcomes of operations or financial conditions, and certain related financial statement…...
Discussion around the social cost of greenhouse gases has drawn increased interest following the Biden administration’s renewed focus on establishing the climate metric for federal agencies to incorporate in their policy decisions.
U.S. power generation from renewables will expand from 21 percent in 2021 to 44 percent in 2050, according to a March 18 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The growth in renewable energy can be attributed to a rise in new wind and solar power generation assets. Growth in wind and solar assets is…...
The fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on March 16 stayed a district judge’s injunction against the use of the social cost of carbon, or SCC, estimates that federal agencies were directed to incorporate in their environmental analyses of major actions pursuant to an executive order that President Joe Biden issued in January 2021. Three-judge panel…...
The U.S. Energy Department on March 14 announced a $32 million grant to fund over thirty projects aimed at improving affordable housing technology. The seven recipients will pilot renovation methods that reduce disruptions to residents while advancing the energy and environmental execution of buildings speedily, inexpensively, and efficiently. These techniques include prefabricating walls and replacing…...
New England’s annual capacity auction ended with adequate power system supplies to satisfy peak demand in 2025-2026, with clearing prices ranging from $2.531 to $2.639 per kilowatt month across various pricing zones. The value of the capacity market in 2025-2026 will be about $1.04 billion, according to preliminary estimates in the results released on March…...
The 55th quarterly carbon auction of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, the nation’s first market-based emissions regulation program, sold all of the nearly 21.8 million CO2 allowances offered at a record high clearing price of $13.50, according to the results released on March 11. Bids ranged from $2.44 to $30.00 per allowance with…...