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Obama tells governors to move away from fossil fuels
President Obama yesterday told governors of fossil fuel-heavy states that they should prepare for the nation’s energy mix to transition away from fossil fuels. Regardless of the next administration, Obama said that the trend lines would move away from carbon-heavy energy sources. He also cautioned states not to rely on carbon-capture technologies because they are still expensive. [ read more … ]
After the stay: Where all 50 states stand
Eighteen states challenging the legality of U.S. EPA’s Clean Power Plan have halted planning discussions following the Supreme Court decision to stay the regulation, according to a review by E&E staff. Of the 47 states affected by the rule, nine are weighing whether to stop preparing or perhaps slow down now that they may have an extra year and a half to work out plans. The other 20 states — mostly supporters of the climate action — will press on with discussions about how to meet the carbon emissions limits for power plants, even though EPA can no longer legally require them to do so. [ read more … ]
Tax extenders drive emissions down, generation up — DOE
Renewable energy tax credits extended last year would give a dramatic boost to clean energy generation through the early 2020s and make a “sizable” dent in decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report from the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. While many prior studies have examined the general effects of solar and wind tax credits, few have examined the specific impact of the December 2015 extension, according to NREL’s Trieu Mai, co-author of the study. The researchers examined how two different natural gas price scenarios would affect renewable deployment and concluded the tax credits make a difference in both cases, at least through the early part of the next decade. [ read more … ]
Cutting carbon would prevent premature deaths — study
Limiting U.S. carbon dioxide emissions would save thousands of people from premature death thanks to related benefits stemming from reductions in other air pollutants, according to a new study published today in the journal Nature Climate Change. The study found that putting the United States on a “clean energy” path could prevent up to 175,000 premature deaths. [ read more … ]
Group tells court EPA took ‘marching orders’ from lobbyists
As a throng of challengers file legal briefs criticizing the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan as overreaching and unconstitutional, one group is stepping forward with a simpler, but serious, allegation: U.S. EPA let lobbyists write the rule. The Energy & Environment Legal Institute told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday that EPA’s controversial climate rule should be sent back to the drawing board because the agency crafted provisions of the plan through “backdoor dealings” with environmental lobbyists. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.