New York Governor Andrew M Cuomo, at his 2013 State of the State address, proposed a major expansion of the successful NY-Sun program, announcing $150 million in annual funding through 2023. The expansion intends to steer progress in the solar power industry by making solar installations for homes and businesses more affordable. The proposal, part…...
As part of state goals to further a clean tech economy, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the Charge NY Plan, a new initiative intended to create a comprehensive charging network for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in New York. The proposal calls for a $50 million investment spread over five years, as part of…...
Congress extended the Wind Energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) for another year under the 2012 American Taxpayer Relief Act passed on January 1, 2013. The current extension widens the scope of the credit, as it applies to facilities under construction in 2013, unlike previous PTCs that only covered facilities that would be under production by the…...
Congress reconvenes this week after a week-long Thanksgiving break. Lawmakers will continue budget negotiations and consider other legislation this week, including a bill in the House that could affect energy research and development by targeting science, technology, engineering and math experts in a new immigration visa. Lawmakers also raised the importance of legislation enhancing cyber…...
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…...
With the election over, President Obama’s energy priorities will emerge as new rules and regulations are finalized under existing law. The balance of power in Washington is the same as it was prior to the elections– President Barack Obama will serve another four years and Congress will continue to be divided with a Democrat-controlled Senate…...
Under President Obama’s second term, energy industry officials and analysts are keen on the Administration’s priorities for the energy sector, envisioning regulatory reforms and policies to advance the nation’s energy and economic security. Key areas to watch include Keystone XL Pipeline talks, recognizing the primacy of states in regulating oil and natural gas development, and…...
Sequestration refers to a package of automatic $1.2 trillion across-the-board spending cuts that is a part of the 2011 Budget Control Act (BCA), passed in August 2011. The spending cuts would affect some 1200 government programs, including those that fund energy research and development initiatives. The cuts are scheduled to begin on January 2, 2013…...
Homes with Energy Star certification represented 26 percent of new buildings in the U.S. in 2011, according to a report released by Energy Information Administration (EIA) on October 16, 2012. Announcing the first Energy Star Day on October 10, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that the 20-year-old program has helped American consumers save…...
A new report from Brattle Group released on October 1, 2012 projects that as much as 77 GW of coal power could retire in the next five years, driven mainly by lower natural gas prices, despite a less restrictive regulatory atmosphere than previously envisioned. The report, which is an update on Brattle Group’s 2010 study,…...
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…...
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…...