Since the turn of the century, increased scrutiny has been placed on the U.S. electric grid. The threat of weather disruption, physical and cyber-attacks, and decreased regional power generation capacity due to emissions regulations are key factors framing the debate over how to achieve power security and supply. Overview In 2012, Hurricane Sandy exposed electric…
The Supreme Court upheld EPA’s air pollution rule that regulates cross-border emissions of 28 upwind states to address downwind states’ compliance with air quality standards. On April 29, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), reversing an August 2012 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals…
ARPA-E has announced two programs to address methane emissions and develop innovative heating and cooling devices for buildings. On April 29, 2014, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) announced $60M for innovative programs to reduce oil and gas sector methane emissions and facilitate energy-efficient thermal management in buildings. ARPA-E…
On February 5, 2014, The New York Green Bank (NYGB) issued its first solicitation for project funding. With project funding commencing, NYGB aims to create a sustainable stream of private capital to replace intermittent grants and subsidies from state and federal sources, and be the first U.S. Green Bank to target $1 billion in capitalization….
A federal appeals court upheld EPA’s regulation to limit emissions of mercury and hazardous air pollutants from coal- and oil-fired power plants. On April 15, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for coal- and oil-fired electric utility steam…
On January 2, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission officially entered into two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU). The MOUs will provide solutions for overlapping jurisdiction and sharing information of mutual interest. Overview On March 5, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced…
More than 23,000 buildings across the U.S. have earned EPA’s Energy Star Certification, saving more than $3.1B on utility bills. On April 10, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the sixth annual list of top 25 U.S. cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings. The cities demonstrate economic and environmental benefits achieved from…
California has approved the first forest carbon offset project under the cap-and-trade compliance forestry protocol. On April 9, 2014, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced approval of the first forest carbon offset project – the Yurok Tribe/Forest Carbon Partners CKGG Improved Forest Management Project – under California’s cap-and-trade forestry offset protocol. CARB issued 836,619…
DOE has released a five-year Strategic Plan outlining priorities to address the nation’s energy, security, economic, and environmental challenges. On April 7, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) released its Strategic Plan for 2014-2018 to advance its mission of enhancing U.S. security and economic growth through transformative science, technology, and market solutions to address energy,…
The House has passed a bill aimed to enhance the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s prioritization for weather forecast and modeling. On April 1, 2014, the House of Representatives passed the 2014 Weather Forecasting Improvement Act (H.R. 2413) aimed to enhance U.S. weather forecast and modeling. The bill, introduced by Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) in…
On February 19, 2014, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) held its sixth carbon allowance auction. Auction results over the first year show that compliance entities are becoming more comfortable with program and that investor market confidence is growing. Similarly, a secondary allowance market is also developing as market confidence grows. Overview The California Air…
On March 4, 2014, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) held the first carbon allowance auction under the new Model Rule. Auction prices reached record levels and high market participation and allowance demand exhausted the 5 million allowance Cost Containment Reserve. Overview The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is the nation’s first mandatory market-based cap-and-trade…
