In a much anticipated move, the Trump Administration has proposed the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule as a replacement for the Obama Administration Clean Power Plan (CPP). While the CPP was controversial from the start for it broad regulation of the power industry, the ACE rule will be controversial as it signifies a 180 degree
cap and trade
EPA’s Power Sector Carbon Pollution Standards
On June 2, 2014, U.S. EPA released its Clean Power Plan Proposal to address carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing power plants. EPA continues to move forward with climate change initiatives as gridlock in Congress persists over the issue. EPA’s strategy has been to target transportation and the power sector, the two largest sources…
Is the Hot Summer Breathing New Life into Addressing Climate Change?
It is an issue that just won’t go away…Our incredibly hot summer seems to have re-focused attention on doing something regarding climate change.
James E. Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, in Friday’s Washington Post, announced the release of a new study. The title of Mr. Hansen’s op-ed piece shows what the …
Congressional Dance on Greenhouse Gas Regs Appears Pointless Without Compromise
The AP is reporting that the Republican controlled House is expected to introduce legislation shortly that will strip all authority from U.S. EPA to regulate greenhouse gases (GHGs) under its existing authority in the Clean Air Act. This would specifically target the EPA’s endangerment finding and could possibly go as far as saying GHGs are not…
Cap and Trade or Command and Control?
With prospects dead for federal cap and trade climate change legislation, the focus for market mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions shifts to the states. Meanwhile, as discussed in my last post, EPA is left moving forward with its command and control regulations to reduce GHGs under the Clean Air Act.
After the defeat of Proposition 23, California’s…
Target Date of Climate Legislation- 2014?
While the political and policy focus is clearly on the Country’s struggling economy, caught within that debate is U.S. policy on climate change. As the economy continued to languish this summer, any hope of a cap and trade bill emerging from Congress died.
The bill was a victim of a Congress that created a Christmas tree of…
Midterm Election Fallout for Climate Change
By all accounts, Republicans are set to enjoy major gains in both the House and Senate following midterm elections. Speculation is that the Republicans could likely regain control of the House and could even get close in the Senate.
What implications could this change in the political landscape have for climate change regulation?
We have already…
Politics, Litigation and Debate Heats Up Over Climate Change
After this summer’s anti-climatic end to federal climate change legislation, some thought that perhaps there would be a temporary end of the discussion of climate change regulation. However, recent weather events (wildfires in Russia, floods in Pakistan and an ice sheet breaking off Greenland) and extreme heat have reinvigorated the debate.
Here is some highlights…
Energy Bill: No Caps, No RES- Yes to EPA and States
There was a lot of anticipation this summer about the scope of the energy bill coming out of the U.S. Senate. Would the Senate try and tackle climate change? Would it develop a national renewable portfolio standard?
The bill was released yesterday and the answer was "no" on both accounts.
The White House kept a glimmer of hope that…
EPA Transport Rule- State Budgets Explained
U.S. EPA has released its CAIR replacement program called the "Transport Rule." In a previous post I discussed EPA’s efforts under the Transport Rule to address the Court’s ruling striking down the CAIR rule. After listening to a presentation by EPA, the structure of the Transport Rule is a little clearer.
The major issue identified by the Court…