Solar is increasingly providing clean, sustainable energy for our nation’s homes, businesses and industries. Clocking record-breaking growth and reaching a total of more than 4,700 megawatts of new installed capacity, 2013 was a big year for solar photovoltaic systems. But we’re also excited to watch 2014, which will mark a major milestone for a different… Keep reading →
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed revising the national air quality standard for ozone, the key pollutant in smog and regional haze. EPA acknowledges that the rule will cost billions of dollars each year to implement. Industry fears the additional regulatory costs, and environmentalists assert the rule does not restrict ozone enough. Select jurisdictions with high levels of background ozone, particularly Western states, will find it more difficult to reach attainment, and current mechanisms to account for naturally-occurring ozone spikes may prove inadequate. Republican leaders in the House and Senate have signaled their intention to oppose the rule in legislation. The EPA must navigate these complex issues as it prepares to finalize the rule by October 1, 2015.
A federal appeals court has rejected portions of revisions to EPA’s 2008 ozone rule that would delay compliance deadlines and revoke transportation conformity requirements. On December 23, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated portions of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone. The court… Keep reading →
Utilities exploring ways to integrate their renewable energy sources into their existing fleet should carefully examine the costs and characteristics of the many flexibility options at their disposal. This advanced planning can greatly reduce their investment needs, according to Jon Pietruszkiewicz, Project Manager, Black & Veatch. “Our message to utilities concerning their variable energy renewable… Keep reading →
WASHINGTON – In support of the President’s Climate Action Plan, the Energy Department announced two new energy efficiency standards today. The new standards for general service fluorescent lamps (GSFLs) and automatic commercial ice makers (ACIMs) are the ninth and tenth standards to be finalized in 2014. Altogether, the ten standards finalized this year will help… Keep reading →
An international organisation is not a State, and is only afforded immunity to the extent granted by statute. It is relatively uncommon for international organisations to come before the English courts, though economically and politically they can be very influential. Assuranceforeningen Gard Gjensidig v International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund [2014] EWHC 3369 (Comm) is a rare example of how the courts will interpret immunity legislation in the context of international organisations.
The Israeli regulator’s decision to reopen a natural gas agreement because of a monopoly issue jeopardizes the country’s gas export potential and its ability to attract foreign capital, as well as threatening to complicate relations with Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and Egypt. Yesterday, Israel’s Antitrust Authority announced it was considering whether to cancel an agreement… Keep reading →
Some interesting perspective on New York’s decision to ban hydraulic fracturing – from neighboring Pennsylvania, where safe fracking has lifted the state economy while directly benefiting cities and towns all across the commonwealth. Jeffrey Sheridan, press secretary for Governor-elect Tom Wolf’s transition team (to the Philadelphia Business Journal): “Governor-elect Wolf opposes a ban, and he… Keep reading →
Big things happened this year at the Energy Department and we were on the ground to record and bring many of those moments to you. We swore-in our new Deputy Secretary Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, we kicked off our #WomenInSTEM video series, and we met the next generation of leaders in science. 2014 was also a momentous… Keep reading →
On December 18, 2014, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released revised draft guidance on the consideration of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review.[1] The CEQ previously issued this guidance in draft form in February 2010.[2] Rather than finalize that draft, the CEQ opted to issue significantly revised draft guidance and open a 60-day public comment period, which closes on February 23, 2015.[3]
