As discussed in the Wall Street Journal, it didn’t take long before a flurry of bills were introduced in Congress to stop EPA from moving forward with its controversial greenhouse gas (GHGs) regulations. After passage of the deal to extend Bush era tax cuts, halting EPA efforts is seen as the next major action needed to continue the
Federal Court Rejects Industry Plea to Delay EPA Greenhouse Gas Rules
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected an industry request to delay implementation of U.S. EPA’s greenhouse gas permitting requirements. Industry had requested a stay on the effectiveness of the rules while it proceeds with its full legal challenge to the Agency’s Endangerment Finding.
(Prior Post Discussing Lawsuit and Industry Arguments for Blocking the Effectiveness
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
Business Groups Seek Stay of EPA Climate Change Rules for Stationary Sources
A coalition of business groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers, have filed a request to block the effectiveness of EPA’s climate change rulemaking. The business groups have filed a motion seeking a stay of the effectiveness of EPA regulations that will soon require stationary sources (factories, utilities and boilers) to reduce greenhouse gas
Midterm Election Fallout for Climate Change
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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
Obama Administration Opposes Use of Nuisance Claims to Address Climate Change
A group of eight states and conservation groups ("Plaintiffs") have been pushing a massive federal nuisance claim against utilities. The Plaintiffs claim that major emitters of carbon dioxide in twenty states have created, contributed to, or maintained a common-law public nuisance by contributing to global warming thereby injuring States and landowners feeling the impacts of climate change. (See
US EPA Attempts to Ease Transition to Greenhouse Gas Regulation for Large Sources
On August 12th, the U.S .EPA released two proposed rules to address the potential gap that exists while States adopt rules to regulate greenhouse gases (GHGs) from large stationary sources. What U.S. EPA is really doing is making sure all fifty states will be regulating GHGs beginning January 2011.
On May 12, 2010, U.S. EPA finalized its controversial
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
Last Ditch Effort for a Climate Bill Before the Midterm Election
President Obama is convening a meeting tomorrow to explore all possible alternatives that would lead to passage of a climate bill before the midterm elections. The most likely alternative that will receive consideration is a much narrower cap that would only be applied to utilities. Under this approach, the provisions covering large industrial emitters and