The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on March 11 ruled that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission inadequately examined downstream emissions when it authorized Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co.’s natural gas pipeline expansion project in Massachusetts. The court found that the commission’s environmental assessment failed to account for the reasonably foreseeable indirect…...
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation on March 9 released draft criteria for identifying disadvantaged communities to guide the state’s equitable implementation of the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The draft provides an interactive map and a list of communities as well as criteria to direct initiatives that cut emissions, open economic…...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on March 11 proposed federal implementation plans for 26 states to ensure that they meet the Clean Air Act’s “good neighbour provision,” by reducing air pollution that impairs the ability of downwind states to meet their 2015 ozone standards. From 2023, the agency proposes to include electric generating units in…...
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which represents the largest investment in U.S. infrastructure, includes major provisions important to the energy industry, ranging from building out the first national network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to modernizing the electric transmission grid and expanding clean energy.
The U.S. Energy Department announced funding for 11 projects aimed at expanding the deployment, and use of, nuclear power as a clean energy source, and cutting the amount of waste produced from advanced reactors. The projects will be funded through the department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) will develop technologies that can resolve the waste…...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on March 9 reinstated a waiver issued under the Clean Air Act allowing California to pursue its own tailpipe pollution standard and zero-emission vehicle mandate, reversing a Trump-era action. The move also allows other U.S. states to adopt California’s clean cars program. In 2019, under the Trump administration, the agency…...
The U.S. Department of Transportation on March 7 announced the availability of $1.47 billion in competitive grant funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to help transform bus fleets and facilities across America, which will aid high paying careers and help lower carbon emissions. This includes $1.1 billion funding to state and local…...
The Florida legislature on March 7 approved a utility-backed bill that would phase down compensation for surplus power sent back to the grid by home solar customers by 50 percent from 2024 through 2028, and decrease further to the avoided cost rate by 2029. The bill would allow utilities to impose new charges on those…...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on March 7 proposed new emissions requirements for the medium and heavy-duty truck sector, to begin in model year 2027. The new standards are aimed at reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from heavy-duty gasoline and diesel engines and setting updated greenhouse gas standards for certain categories. The proposed action…...
The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Board of Public Utilities released a new guidebook named “Charge Up Your Town – Best Management Practices to Ensure Your Town is EV Ready” on March 8. This handbook will give municipalities a plan to become electric vehicle ready, from implementing…...
The U.S. Energy Department unveiled a study on March 7, which indicates that by 2030 nearly half of medium- and heavy-duty truck purchases, operations, and maintenance will be cheaper for those equipped with zero-emission engines than conventional engines powered by diesel fuel. The study, conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, highlights that clean trucks…...