Law and Environment

JUNE 16, 2021

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.

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Politics Carbon Emissions Clean Energy Greenhouse 130

Legal Planet

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

Confirming initial projections when the law was passed, models now predict that IRA will significantly cut emissions by 2030. Despite the IRA’s substantial assist to emission cuts, we will need additional policies to push emissions 50% below 2005 levels. Federal subsidies create new national political dynamics.

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2005 2030 Electricity 2004 285

Legal Planet

MAY 11, 2023

still does not limit carbon emissions from existing power plants, which generate 25 percent of our greenhouse gases. Joe Manchin about holding up EPA nominations claiming “overreach” ) But this is not just about the political calculus of a president trying to make good on a climate pledge. In the year 2023, the U.S.

Clean Air Act 218

Clean Air Act Carbon Emissions Greenhouse Fossil Fuels 218

Legal Planet

JANUARY 3, 2023

The case involves a California law prohibiting sale of pork produced from pigs that were not humanely raised. Depending on how the opinion is written, it could also impact how much authority states have to limit the sale of electricity from fossil fuel generators or the sale of high-emissions vehicle fuels. EPA regulations.

Fossil Fuels 226

Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Clean Energy Regulations 226

Legal Planet

DECEMBER 28, 2022

The omnibus spending bill is by no means a “climate law.” But the fact that they can pass as part of a bipartisan spending law is a sign of how climate change is slowly becoming normalized as a political consideration. electricity system and reduce emissions from heavy industry like steel and concrete, among other initiatives.”

Climate Change 212

Climate Change Carbon Emissions Law Renewable Energy 212

Legal Planet

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

The plan calls for repealing the Inflation Reduction Act’s multi-billion-dollar funding for clean energy, repealing EPA’s keystone finding that carbon emissions are harmful, opening new areas to oil and gas drilling, and installing climate deniers in key positions in the executive branch.

Climate Change 174

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Politics 174

Legal Planet

DECEMBER 30, 2021

In another key political development, Democrats won both of Georgia’s Senate runoff elections, given the Democrats working control of the Senate by the tiniest of margins. trillion infrastructure law , of which about half is new funding. Oregon required the elimination of all carbon emissions from its electricity system by 2040.

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2021 Paris Agreement 2030 Carbon Emissions 223

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 30, 2023

But the result would surely be a surge in carbon emissions, dooming us to even more severe climate change. The federal government has gotten a late start in cutting US emissions anyway, due to Republican resistance. Trump has also vowed to end the “madness” of Biden’s effort to promote electric vehicles.

Paris Agreement 250

Paris Agreement Fossil Fuels Politics Carbon Emissions 250

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 14, 2023

Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new power plant carbon pollution standards that, if strengthened, would go a long way to help meet the Biden administration’s goal of slashing carbon emissions in half from 2005 levels by the end of this decade. In 2012, coal generated 37 percent of US electricity.

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Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Nitrogen Oxides Clean Air Act 205

Legal Planet

JANUARY 8, 2024

The biggest news since July was the passage of two major corporate disclosure laws. Senate Bill 253 requires major public businesses operating in California to report all emissions relating to their businesses, including those of suppliers and customers. The package also includes six other laws. California.

Climate Change 248

Climate Change Clean Energy 2030 Renewable Energy 248

Legal Planet

AUGUST 15, 2022

The law will provide $379 billion in subsidies to clean energy in the form of direct payments and tax credits. Subsidies aren’t the ideal way to cut emissions, because it’s impossible to target them to the precise behavioral changes you seek. reduce cumulative GHG emissions by about 6.3 get the U.S. to within ~0.5

Fossil Fuels 256

Fossil Fuels Politics 2030 Renewable Energy 256

Legal Planet

MAY 23, 2022

Climate change wasn’t a central issue in the campaign, but resistance to climate action no longer provided a political advantage. Polling showed broad public support for more aggressive cuts in carbon emissions. Labor’s climate policy calls for a 43% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.

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Carbon Emissions Climate Change Fossil Fuels Politics 236

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 3, 2022

The majority 6–3 decision sharply curtails the EPA’s authority to set standards based on a broad range of flexible options to cut carbon emissions from the power sector—options such as replacing polluting fossil fuels with cheap and widely available wind and solar power coupled with battery storage. carbon emissions today.

Climate Change 230

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Nitrogen Oxides 230

Circle of Blue

MAY 31, 2022

Utilities warn of blackouts and rising electricity rates across the Great Lakes region this summer. The New York State Assembly is considering some of the most ambitious packaging reduction laws in the country, Grist reports. The storm took 10 lives and plunged thousands into electrical blackouts. Looking Ahead.

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Electricity Carbon Dioxide 2022 Regulations 130

Legal Planet

JANUARY 17, 2022

In a Friday post, I sketched some thoughts about how the Supreme Court’s vaccine mandate rulings might impact EPA’s power to control carbon emissions. The Court ruled in both cases on the principle that an agency can take action of “vast economic and political significance” only it Congress has plainly authorized it to do so.

Carbon Emissions 226

Carbon Emissions Politics Regulations Fossil Fuels 226

Legal Planet

JANUARY 13, 2022

Today, however, I’m going to focus instead on the conservative split and what it might mean for environmental law. EPA , which involves the scope of EPA’s authority to restrict carbon emissions from power plants. The case is about what measures EPA can use to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.

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Climate Change Regulations Carbon Emissions Conservation 303

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 29, 2023

According to the nonpartisan National Association of Attorneys General, a state attorney general’s job is to represent the public interest—not private, special interests—by, among other things, “enforcing federal and state environmental laws.” Electric utilities, meanwhile, gave her $44,750.

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Fossil Fuels Climate Change Sea Level Electricity 347

Legal Planet

JANUARY 12, 2023

2011 Supreme Court decides AEP case, barring lawsuits against carbon emitters using the federal common law of nuisance. 2012 EPA adopts regulation limiting carbon emissions for new cars. Trump EPA blocks scheduled tightening of CO2 emissions standards for new cars. 2014 Supreme Court decides UARG v.

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Paris Agreement Carbon Emissions Clean Energy 2007 213

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Gretchen Whitmer is expected to sign into law tomorrow. Senate Bill (SB) 271 requires utilities to achieve, at a minimum, renewable energy-generated electricity sales of 50 percent in 2030 and 60 percent in 2035. An equitable clean energy transition is not just about the technologies used to generate electricity.

Clean Energy 209

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Nuclear Power 209

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 29, 2024

But in nearly every instance, Rose listened politely, refrained from challenging Tillerson on the facts, and went on to his next question. Likewise, they understate the potential consequences, contend that we can easily adapt to them, and fight government efforts to curb carbon emissions and promote renewable energy.

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Fossil Fuels Climate Change 2007 Carbon Emissions 338

Legal Planet

MARCH 9, 2023

It was supposed to feature binding restrictions on carbon emissions in a global treaty and federal legislation. Since legislating mandatory emission limits still seems politically impossible, Congress went in a different direction with a 2022 bill providing massive funding for climate action.

Fossil Fuels 226

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Politics Carbon Emissions 226

Legal Planet

MAY 9, 2022

Texas and a number of other states have passed laws banning what they call “boycotts of fossil fuel companies.” Besides being fundamentally misguided and difficult to implement, these blacklist laws are incompetently drafted and quite likely unconstitutional. Is this as opposed to a political purpose on the part of the managers?

Fossil Fuels 222

Fossil Fuels Law Carbon Emissions Politics 222

Legal Planet

NOVEMBER 8, 2021

Late Friday, the House passed Biden’s infrastructure bill, the Build Back Better law. billion in funding for zero and low-emission buses and ferries. billion to build out charging capacity for electric vehicles, and $6 billion for energy storage. We will need much more robust transmission to achieve a carbon neutral grid.

Fossil Fuels 224

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Wind Power Carbon Emissions 224

Law Columbia

NOVEMBER 15, 2022

This blog post is adapted from testimony delivered at the New York City Department of Buildings hearing on proposed rule §103-14 , Procedures for Reporting on and Complying with Annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Certain Buildings in connection with the City’s building performance standard, Local Law 97. Additionality.

Law 52

Law Renewable Energy Greenhouse Carbon Emissions 52

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 8, 2022

SG: One great example of progress is the dramatic decline in coal-fired electricity in the United States. In 2012, coal accounted for 37 percent of US electricity, while natural gas and renewables—including hydropower—accounted for 30 percent and 11.7 percent respectively, according to US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data.

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Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Climate Change 267

Legal Planet

JANUARY 20, 2022

That bill provided billions of dollars for rail, public transit, zero- and low-emission buses and ferries, and EV charging stations. It also closed a loophole that had allowed states to veto vitally needed electric transmission projects. Along with the EU, he also pledged to cut global methane emissions in half.

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Carbon Emissions Paris Agreement 2030 Fossil Fuels 226

Legal Planet

JUNE 30, 2022

Chief Justice Roberts’s majority opinion leaves EPA other options to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. This doctrine applies to questions of great political and economic significance, and requires agencies to have clear authority from Congress in order to decide such questions. New York v. The Ruling.

Natural Gas 278

Natural Gas Regulations Clean Air Act Politics 278

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 16, 2022

They just released their 2022 “Annual Energy Outlook” (AEO), which is a big deal: it tells us where electricity is headed over the next 30 years. Here are five key takeaways from this year’s AEO, focused primarily on the electricity sector: 1. CO 2 emissions remain mostly level through 2050—nowhere close to meeting US climate goals.

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Natural Gas Renewable Energy Climate Change Electricity 265

Law and Environment

AUGUST 17, 2023

The proposal requires companies to report information related to “Scope 1” direct carbon emissions (think fuel use and greenhouse gases), “Scope 2” indirect carbon emissions (e.g., purchased energy and electricity), and for some companies to report on information related to “Scope 3” carbon emissions (i.e.,

Carbon Emissions 130

Carbon Emissions 2023 Clean Air Act Carbon Dioxide 130

Legal Planet

JULY 15, 2021

The system will involve over 2000 firms, accounting for one-seventh of global carbon emissions. The delays were apparently due to gaps in emissions data along with political maneuvering. The system is designed to reduce carbon intensity, the amount of emissions per unit of energy.

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2030 Carbon Emissions Clean Energy Greenhouse 289

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 12, 2022

Not to be outdone, 19 Republican state attorneys general also joined the fray in August, falsely claiming that “woke” asset managers are politicizing their investments by adopting ESG criteria instead of focusing solely on financial returns, as required by law, at the expense of their state pension funds. (No

Fossil Fuels 353

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Carbon Emissions Politics 353

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 20, 2023

Because beyond the importance of cleaning up the power sector itself, we also need a clean electricity system to enable the decarbonization of so many other aspects of our economy, from vehicles to homes and businesses to industrial processes. EPA ruling, EPA can still establish rigorous carbon emissions standards.

Clean Air Act 192

Clean Air Act Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Clean Energy 192

Legal Planet

FEBRUARY 3, 2023

And even when he mentions the new funding to build “charging stations” he refrains from uttering the words “electric vehicles.” Biden is taking a victory lap for his landmark climate laws without saying the word “climate.” Both laws are, of course, big climate achievements. Biden in a (non-electric) Corvette Stingray.

Climate Change 147

Climate Change Clean Energy Electricity Renewable Energy 147

PA Environment Daily

MARCH 29, 2024

Lee Highlights PA’s Abandoned, Unplugged Conventional Oil & Gas Well Problem -- PA Business Report: Energy Groups Opposed Methane Fee Rule Required By Federal Law -- Utility Dive: Efficiency, Clean Energy Are Options For Meeting Electricity Demand Growth Before Gas Generation -- Residents Express Concerns At US DOE's Listening Session On ARCH2 (..)

Natural Gas 95

Natural Gas 2024 Carbon Emissions Conservation 95

Legal Planet

MAY 9, 2022

But the next phase of market-based programs for reducing GHG emissions raises significant questions for policymakers, from nitty-gritty design issues like measuring and reporting mechanisms to bigger picture concerns such as whether these systems can reduce pollution at the pace needed to meet climate goals.

Government 169

Government Politics Climate Change Paris Agreement 169

Legal Planet

NOVEMBER 17, 2022

J)–while providing 65% support for a state tax on high incomes to fund electric vehicle investments (Prop. Local leaders should first conduct a funding analysis focused on the revenue sources available to them under state and local law and current revenue streams, especially those with the capacity for expansion.

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Government Politics Carbon Emissions Electricity 130

PA Environment Daily

MARCH 14, 2024

PA Utility Law Project Webinar On Impacts Of LNG Gas Exports On Energy Costs For Pennsylvania Families. Shapiro’s Offer To Work On Legislation To Make The Electric Grid More Reliable, Diversify Our Energy Sources, Lower Energy Costs For Ratepayers, Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions [PaEN] -- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Gov.

Natural Gas 94

Natural Gas Electricity Clean Energy Wind Power 94