NYC has committed to reduce emissions to 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050, beginning with a comprehensive plan to retrofit all public buildings by 2025 and set target reductions and mandates for private buildings. On September 21, 2014, New York City (NYC) Mayor de Blasio announced a new goal of reducing emissions to 80…
On September 17, 2014, the Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing titled “Reforming America’s Outdated Energy Tax Code” to discuss possible reforms to the U.S. energy tax policy. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) underscored the need for predictable, level playing-field tax policy that puts renewables on the same footing as other…
The EPA has extended the comment period for its proposed emission guidelines for existing fossil fuel-based power plants by 45 days. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the comment period for its proposed Clean Power Plan from its mid-October deadline to December 1. The decision, which extends the initial 120-day comment period by an…
The FERC has approved Alaska LNG Project’s pre-filing review request and selected NRG as the third-party contractor to assist with the environmental review process. On September 12, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project participants’ request to commence the pre-filing review process. The project participants – ExxonMobil,…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) June Gas-Electric Coordination report highlighted industry responses to FERC’s March 20 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The NOPR aims to reform mismatched wholesale electricity and natural gas transportation market operating day, day-ahead, and intraday schedules. Both the natural gas and electric industries support a change in the intraday scheduling cycles…
The DOE has authorized Cameron LNG LLC and Carib Energy LLC to export LNG to non-FTA countries from Louisiana and Florida, respectively. On September 10, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued final authorization for two liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects – Cameron LNG LLC in Cameron Parish, Louisiana and Carib Energy LLC in…
The DOT has proposed new measures to strengthen security requirements for unattended freight trains containing crude oil. On September 9, 2014, the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a Notice of Rulemaking aimed to strengthen security requirements for unattended freight trains. The proposed rule strengthens existing regulations for railroad cars transporting certain…
The Alaska LNG Project participants have submitted a pre-filing request to FERC to begin the environmental review required for federal authorization to build and operate the project. On September 8, 2014, the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project participants – ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, BP, TransCanada, and Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) – announced the submission of…
The New York Department of Public Service (DPS) staff has issued a Straw Proposal on achieving the Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) Track One goals. The straw proposal reaffirms the initial April 24 proceeding which identified utilities’ role in managing a distributed system platform (DSP) and growing the state’s existing Distributed Energy Resource (DER) assets. Despite…
Four energy companies have formed a joint venture to advance the proposed 550-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline to transport Marcellus and Utica natural gas to Virginia and North Carolina. On September 2, 2014, Dominion Resources, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, and AGL Resources announced a joint venture to build the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline to provide…
An 11-state coalition led by NY Attorney General has filed a motion to dispute a lawsuit by a 12-state coalition challenging EPA’s commitments to address power plant emissions. On September 2, 2014, a coalition of 11 states – California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, the District of Columbia –…
On August 7, 2014, California and Quebec held a successful practice joint carbon emissions allowance auction in preparation for the first ever cross-border auction on November 2014. Despite varied participation levels in Quebec’s first four auctions, activity is expected to increase with program maturity and the upcoming 2015 compliance deadline.The programs – under the Western…
