Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin on Jan. 15 issued an executive order to reexamine the state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, the nation’s first mandatory cap-and-trade program to cut power sector emissions. The order notes that Virginia’s participation in RGGI risks contributing to the increased cost of electricity. Virginia became an official…...
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Jan. 14 released its Climate Equity Framework which outlines steps to implement the state’s air quality and climate policies, and plans to promote environmental justice. The framework proposes various suggestions to ensure public engagement and opinion in climate change policymaking and to minimize climate impact on…...
The U.S Energy Department of Energy has announced a $420 million funding opportunity for the agency’s Energy Frontier Research Centers, or EFRCs, which have been instrumental in innovation and have unlocked scientific breakthroughs leading to transformative climate solutions like solar windows and carbon capture technology. The funding aims to incentivise climate solutions through early-stage research…...
Federal and state agencies are advancing policy measures and incentives to foster transportation electrification, a key strategy to achieve ambitious emissions reduction mandates. Recent actions range from stronger national fuel efficiency standards to California’s $1.5 billion annual investment in clean vehicle incentives, and clean truck rules in New York and New Jersey.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper on Jan. 7 issued an executive order reinforcing the state’s commitment to clean energy and outlining next steps in the state’s plan to achieve net zero emissions. The order increases the state-wide goal to a 50 percent reduction in emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net zero emission…...
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Jan. 11 announced the release of its draft environmental assessment on the possible environmental and socioeconomic effects of commercial leases as well as related site assessment activities in the offshore Humboldt Wind Energy Area of California. The Humboldt WEA covers an area of about 206 square miles…...
Solar is expected to account for almost 50 percent of planned U.S. electric generating capacity additions in 2022, followed by natural gas-fired and wind encompassing 21 percent and wind 17 percent, respectively, according to a Jan. 10 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). EIA forecasts 46.1 gigawatts of new utility-scale electric generating capacity…
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a plan to increase the state’s energy storage deployment target by twofold to reach at least 6 gigawatts by 2030, as part of the 2022 State of the State. This marks the largest state-level target intended to facilitate New York’s transition to a low-carbon future, providing a pathway…...
The Virginia State Corporations Commission on Jan. 7 approved the second phase of the Grid Transformation Plan proposed by Dominion Energy Inc. for the years 2022 and 2023. The approved phase II is focused on a set of projects aimed at accommodating the growing participation of distributed energy resources promoted by recent policy developments. Virginia’s Clean…...
The New York Independent System Operator submitted market rule changes for consideration by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) proposing to revise buyer-side mitigation, or BSM, rules, in a bid to advance the objectives of the state’s landmark climate law, according to a Jan. 10 press release. The changes would exempt clean energy resources from…...
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Jan. 5 announced a plan to enhance the state’s renewable energy footprint including an investment of $500 million in offshore wind infrastructure, as part of the 2022 State of the State. The plan calls for investments in offshore wind manufacturing and associated supply chain, and is expected to create…...
