Hydropower is moving to the forefront of clean energy and climate policy debates as a growing number of U.S. states are setting targets to achieve zero-carbon power. About half a dozen state-level laws were enacted last year to establish 100 percent clean energy transition, showing how the nation’s decade-long renewable push is ramping up. Hydroelectricity…
New Jersey is making strides to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. Among recent actions, the state released a comprehensive plan for economy-wide decarbonization, enacted a law to boost electric vehicle use targeting 2 million EVs on the road by 2035, and doubled the offshore wind power goal to 7.5 gigawatts by 2035.
U.S. electricity generation from renewable sources such as wind and solar are projected to surpass nuclear and coal by 2021 and to surpass natural gas in 2045, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook 2020. The share of U.S. electricity generation from renewable sources is projected to double, accounting for 38 percent…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit on Jan. 24 vacated three orders issued by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2017 granting extensions of small refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS, program. The court ruled that the agency cannot allow extensions of exemptions that had lapsed, noting that none of…
Democratic Governor Phil Murphy on Jan. 27 released a comprehensive plan, outlining strategies to reach the administration’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050 and achieve the target of 80 percent emissions reduction from 2006 levels set by the Global Warming Response Act enacted last year. To support the strategies, Murphy signed an executive…
The U.S. Energy Department will provide funding to advance sustainable transportation resources and technologies, with a focus on spurring further innovation in advanced batteries, innovative hydrogen concepts, and biofuels. The funding opportunity will be issued on behalf of the agency’s three transportation offices – Vehicle, Fuel Cells, and Bioenergy Technology Offices. The investment aims to…
The Public Service Commission of Maryland has issued its annual report on the implementation of the Maryland Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard with data for calendar year 2018. According to the report, published on Dec. 10, Maryland RPS obligations were almost entirely fulfilled through the submission of the appropriate level of Tier 1 and Tier 2 Renewable Energy Credits…
The 46th quarterly carbon auction of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the nation’s first mandatory cap-and-trade program to cut power sector emissions, resulted in a price of $5.61 per short ton for the 13.1 million tons of carbon allowances sold. The clearing price was almost the same as the June 2019 price, which was the…
U.S. energy sector carbon emissions rose by 2.7 percent last year compared to 2017, reaching 5.27 billion metric tons, according to a Nov. 26 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Emissions in 2018 rose for the first time since 2014, driven by higher natural consumption to meet demand during extreme weather conditions and transportation-related…
Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak signed an executive order Nov. 22 directing state agencies to evaluate policies and regulatory strategies to achieve emissions reductions consistent with Nevada’s commitment as a member of the U.S. Climate Alliance. The directors of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Governor’s Office of Energy will coordinate the efforts…
U.S. House Representative Donald McEachin, a Democrat representing Virginia, introduced legislation on Nov. 21 that would set a nationwide goal of achieving a 100 percent clean energy economy by 2050. The bill, which has over 150 co-sponsors, calls on federal agencies to use their existing authorities to reach the net-zero carbon goal while remaining technology-neutral. The…
California, joined by 22 other states, filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to withdraw a 2013 waiver that allowed the state to set its own tailpipe pollution limits and zero-emission vehicle standards, according to a Nov. 15 news release. The agency acted in September to cancel the waiver as part of…
