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Michigan Policymakers Must Keep Working Toward an Equitable Clean Energy Future

Union of Concerned Scientists

Codifying a floor for renewables in state law is helpful, but clean energy advocates must keep pushing utilities to move more quickly to incorporate higher levels of renewables not only to cut emissions faster, but also because renewables are the most cost-effective resources for ratepayers. What Still Needs to be Done?

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TCI Update: Final Model Rule Addresses EJ, but Political Will May Be Lacking

Law and Environment

On June 10, 2021, the Transportation Climate Initiative Program (TCI-P) states released a final model rule creating a regional cap-and-trade-program to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector. We wrote about the draft model rule and its implementation challenges when it was released at the beginning of March.

Politics 130
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Climate Policy in the World’s Fourth Largest Country

Legal Planet

Carbon emissions from land use change (mostly logging) are comparable to Brazil’s, though Brazil gets a lot more publicity. Economic growth has hovered around a healthy 5% annually, meaning that GDP doubles about every 15 years and that carbon emissions will also surge without vigorous climate action.

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Germany’s Role in Climate Policy

Legal Planet

Although its track record has some complexities, this timeline of German actions shows just its early and sustained attention to clean energy policy: 1990. The Federal Cabinet adopts its first climate target, a 25-30% cut in carbon emissions by 2005 under 1987 levels. trillion tons.] Renewables are 42% of electricity.

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EPA’s Power Plant Carbon Rules Are Critical—and Complex. Here’s What to Know, and What to Watch.

Union of Concerned Scientists

This is despite the clean energy progress the power sector has experienced to date—and despite the groundwork laid for more progress from leading states, as well as the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Section 111 of the Clean Air Act constrains how EPA sets standards—but gives states wide latitude in implementation.

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Building a Better Power Grid for Minnesota

Union of Concerned Scientists

Renewable energy will help with all of that—but we need a grid that is designed for wind and solar instead of having to rely on expensive coal and gas plants. These kinds of transmission investments will help get these surplus amounts of cheap, clean energy to other areas across the region.

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Yes, Climate Change Worsened that Heatwave, Flood, Wildfire. Yes, Fossil Fuels are the Root Cause. Policymakers, Please Act and Stop the Madness.

Union of Concerned Scientists

Richer nations, which are most responsible for heat-trapping emissions, must provide low- and middle-income countries the funding they require to transition to clean energy and better withstand worsening climate extremes. They are literally putting their political interests and profits over our collective well-being.