Legislation creating an ambitious cap-and-trade program in Oregon cleared a key committee on June 12 and is scheduled for a House vote on Monday. If passed, the bill would make Oregon the second state after California to adopt the market-based approach to slashing greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change. Democrats currently hold a trifecta in…
The Maine legislature has passed a bill on June 11 which was set to mandate an 80 percent renewable portfolio standard by 2040, but the goal was removed to focus instead on workforce initiatives and solar installations in schools. The final version of the bill, which was introduced by Democratic Representative Chloe Maxmin, centers instead on workforce…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has released the draft version of the 2019 Energy Master Plan, which provides a blueprint made up of seven strategies for achieving the state’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emission by at least 80 percent compared to 2006 levels,…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on June 4 dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s consideration of greenhouse gas emissions in approving Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. LLC’s $400 million Broad Run Expansion Project. The court ruled that the petitioners did not provide sufficient evidence to support their…
The Commission on Catastrophic Wildfire Cost and Recovery published a draft report on May 29 with recommendations on equitable distribution of costs among affected parties of the catastrophic California wildfires. According to the report, the trend of growing fire activity related to increasing global temperatures coupled with population incursions into high fire risk areas means that…
Democratic Governor Jared Polis on May 30 signed a slate of bills that will transform the state’s energy and environmental landscape, and unveiled a roadmap for the state to reach 100 percent renewable energy by 2040. Among the measures, House Bill 19-1261, the centerpiece of the state’s climate policy, sets a goal of achieving emission…
As more U.S. states look to expand clean energy and climate policies, carbon trading is evolving to play a key role in the shift to a greener economy.
Maryland enacted legislation on May 25 that authorizes the governor to include the state in a regional initiative that limits or reduces emissions from the transportation sector. The state is part of the Transportation and Climate Initiative, under which, a regional collaboration of nine Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and Washington DC that are exploring ways…
A series of bills which sought to tackle, monitor or challenge the issue climate change failed to pass the Republican-controlled legislature in Montana before it adjourned on April 25. Introduced by representative Nary Dunwell, a Democrat, HB 193 would establish a carbon tax and create ways to distribute the revenue from it. The bill would require…
A bipartisan group of state legislators re-introduced a pair of bills aimed at getting Pennsylvania to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. Christopher Rabb, a Democrat, introduced HB 1425, while Tom Killion, a Republican, is sponsoring the Senate version, SB 630. The proposals will set benchmarks for phasing out nonrenewable energy by requiring 50 percent…
Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo on May 9 announced that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation established regulations requiring all the power plants in the state to meet new emission limits for carbon dioxide. No existing coal-fired sources are expected to continue beyond 2020 under the new rule, as emissions control technology needed for…
The Colorado legislature approved a measure on May 1, setting a goal of achieving emission cuts of 26 percent by 2025, 50 percent by 2030, and 90 percent by 2050, relative to 2005 levels. The bill requires state regulators to establish implementation rules that may be revised as necessary to ensure timely progress toward the…
