New York City’s largest solar facility to be deployed at Freshkills Park will increase the city’s current renewable capacity by 50 percent. On November 25, 2013, Mayor Bloomberg announced NYC’s largest solar energy facility will be installed at Freshkills Park, Staten Island. The 10 MW facility, with potential to generate five times more power than… Keep reading →
NRC has resumed safety review of the proposed Yucca Mountain waste repository in response to a U.S. appeals court order. On November 18, 2013, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced an Order directing its staff to complete the safety evaluation report (SER) on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) license application for the proposed Yucca Mountain… Keep reading →
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has announced support for a draft bill aimed to scale back EPA’s proposed emissions rules for new power plants. On November 11, 2013, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote to Congress expressing support for a draft bill that would limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to set greenhouse gas… Keep reading →
EPA encourages contingency plans as Southwest, Lower Mississippi Basin, and Florida appear to be on unsustainable water use trajectories. EPA has issued a new report on the Importance of Water to the U.S. Economy with the aim of (1) raising awareness of water’s importance to U.S. economic welfare and (2) assembling critical information to sustainably… Keep reading →
President Obama has issued an executive order outlining multiple strategies to bolster climate resilience of states and local governments. On November 1, 2013, President Obama signed an Executive Order (EO) titled “Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change,” directing federal agencies to support climate resilience efforts in states and local communities. The… Keep reading →
On September 23, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated its 2012 New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) rule, which indirectly regulates fugitive methane emissions at the production phase of oil and natural gas development. EPA will use outcome data from the NSPS NESHAP rule to determine whether… Keep reading →
NY State’s Strategic Gasoline Reserve will hold three million gallons of fuel to prevent emergency supply gaps. On October 26, 2013, New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo launched the first U.S. state-based Strategic Gasoline Reserve as part of the Fuel NY initiative to prevent potential supply gaps during weather events and emergencies, such as… Keep reading →
The New York Public Service Commission has approved new power lines as part of its Indian Point contingency plan. On October 17, 2013, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) approved three transmission projects to maintain grid reliability if Indian Point Energy Center (IPEC) closes due to license expiration in 2015. IPEC’s nuclear reactors,… Keep reading →
The Senate has unanimously approved a bill to implement the U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Hydrocarbons Agreement aimed to facilitate offshore drilling cooperation in the Gulf of Mexico. On October 12, 2013, the Senate unanimously approved S. 812 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to implement the 2012 U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Hydrocarbons Agreement. The agreement establishes a legal… Keep reading →
The Alaska LNG project team has selected Nikiski as the lead site for the proposed liquefaction plant and terminal. On October 7, 2013, ExxonMobil, BP, ConocoPhillips, and TransCanada, announced the selection of Nikiski on the Kenai Peninsula as a lead liquefaction plant and terminal site for the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project. Prior… Keep reading →
