New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, in his State of the State address, proposed a tougher carbon cap for states covered under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) cap-and-trade program. The proposal underscores RGGI’s opportunity for achieving even greater emissions reductions in future years, as its current carbon cap remains significantly higher than actual emissions produced in…...
California regulators will direct the state’s largest utilities to return 85% of cap-and-trade proceeds to ratepayers. The move, which comes about a month after the successful completion of California’s first carbon allowance auction, aims at offsetting higher electricity costs resulting from the cap-and-trade program, by providing a “climate dividend” on utility bills. On December 20, 1012,…...
by Angelique Mercurio, Energy Solutions Forum California regulators have named two major carbon offset registries, American Carbon Registry and Climate Action Reserve, as approved participants under the state’s cap-and-trade program. The approval authorizes permanent carbon offsets from sectors that are not covered under cap-and-trade, and allows regulated entities to reduce compliance costs by using tradable offset credits…...
Quebec has adopted a regulatory amendment to its cap-and-trade program, proposing to link its emissions trading system with the California AB32 program. The move marks a major step towards establishing potentially wider carbon markets in North America. The Quebec Cabinet announced an amendment to its cap-and-trade regulations on December 13, 2012, proposing linkage with California’s AB32…...
Politico Conference Recap by Erin Carson, Senior Policy Advisor A well-attended energy conference held in Washington D.C. last week asked congressional members and industry leaders about the upcoming energy policy agenda. The topics included oil and gas, renewable energy, and the possibility of new energy legislation. Panelists spoke about the need to invest in energy technologies…...
On August 29, 2012 the Department of Energy (DOE) announced new investments for two university-led solar projects over a five-year period, under its SunShot Initiative. The investments amounting to $10 million are aimed at enhancing innovative technologies in concentrating solar power (CSP) systems. Such innovations can make solar power a practical energy option by increasing…...
According to a report released by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on August 27, 2012, applying a carbon tax at the rate of $20 per ton in 2013 and increasing it by four percent per year can raise $1.5 trillion over a span of 10 years. The report, which comes at a time when Congress…...
Ocean Power Technologies, a New Jersey-based renewable energy company, announced on August 20, 2012 that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a license for its 1.5 MW Reedsport wave energy park, the first of its kind in the U.S. The 35-year license approves the operation of up to 10 devices that can generate wave…...
According to an announcement from the Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Secretary Steven Chu convened a group of technical experts on August 2, 2012 to review the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) at Hanford Site, in order to assess its capability to detect and rectify equipment failure inside the plant’s black cells. Due to high levels…...
On May 12, Senators John Kerry (D-Mass) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) introduced the discussion draft of the American Power Act—their long-awaited energy and climate change legislation. The bill’s stated goal is to “secure the energy future of the United States, to provide incentives for the domestic production of clean energy technology, to achieve meaningful…...
Congressional leaders are growing increasingly concerned over domestic supplies of rare earth elements that are critical to producing multiple clean-energy technologies. These elements, which share unique properties of magnetism, luminescence, and strength, are used in products such as energy-efficient phosphors in fluorescent lamp products, advanced wind turbines, hybrid locomotives, high-speed motors, high power density motors…...