Environmental Law

States: California Tops Efficiency List; Michigan Adopts Renewable Goals

Posted on October 08, 2008
Michigan and California have won praise recently from energy efficiency advocates for their efforts to save electricity. Michigan gained its notoriety by enacting SB 213 a bill that not only pushes utilities to improve efficiency but also mandates that they supply some of their electricity from renewable sources by 2015...

In The News (October 8)

Posted on October 08, 2008
Nuclear power is getting a lot of attention from both major presidential candidates in this election year but voters still don't seem to be sold on it, reports the Wall Street Journal's Environmental Capital blog.  And here's an attempt to parse some of the energy-related statements made by Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain in their debate, from Dot Earth at The New York Times...

Biofuels: Feds Release New Plan, U.N. Raises Food Concerns

Posted on October 07, 2008
U.S. government officials Tuesday released a new "action plan" for developing a sustainable biofuels industry, including a heavy emphasis on coming up with non-food sources of the energy supply. The document emerged at the same time that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization released its own cautionary assessment, warning that the increasing global demand for biofuels is putting pressure on food prices and may not do much to reduce greenhouse gas emissions...

In The News (October 7)

Posted on October 07, 2008
Solyndra, a California startup, emerges from "stealth mode" with $600 million in venture capital, $1.2 billion in customer contracts and a radically different approach to solar that involves skinny black tubes -- one that the company says results in much reduced installation costs, reports the San Francisco Chronicle...

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Pacific Northwest Seen as Gaining from Renewable Energy Industry

Posted on October 06, 2008
With the world's financial system seemingly in full retreat, it's  difficult to find economic good news but a new report outlining the potential opportunities in the Pacific Northwest offers one place to start. The study, a product of Clean Edge, a West Coast research and publishing firm, and Climate Solutions, a Washington state nonprofit, concluded that Oregon and Washington together could generate more than 60,000 new jobs by 2025 in renewable energy-related businesses...

In The News (October 6)

Posted on October 06, 2008
Federal officials have agreed to a June 2009 deadline for determining "critical habitat" for polar bears, which were declared "threatened" earlier this year because of melting sea ice; the date is contained in a court agreement with environmentalists who sued seeking the animals' protection...

Congress -- Finally -- Gives Renewable Energy Breathing Room

Posted on October 03, 2008
The renewable energy industry Friday finally got what it wanted from Congress, an extension of federal tax incentives considered vital to the future of wind, solar and other sources of power -- even though some parts of the industry seemed to be a little more equal than others...

In The News (October 3)

Posted on October 03, 2008
Automakers want European authorities to reconsider proposed limits on carbon dioxide  emissions from cars, citing the current financial crisis, which they say is going to make it hard to meet the standards at a time when sales are tanking, according to a Reuters dispatch...

Renewable Tax Credit Extensions in Senate Bailout Await House Vote

Posted on October 02, 2008
There were some signs Thursday that the huge bill that gained approval in the U.S. Senate the day before to fix the nation's financial mess -- and, by the way, to extend those long-stalled renewable energy tax credits -- might be headed for passage in the House...

In The News (October 2)

Posted on October 02, 2008
The nuclear industry is asking for big loan guarantees from the federal government, with 17 companies submitting 19 so-called Part I applications to support the construction of 14 nuclear power plants; the companies are asking for $122 billion in guarantees, far exceeding the  $18...

Scwharzenegger, Enviros, Builders Laud Anti-Sprawl Bill

Posted on October 01, 2008
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger knows something about sequels and the former movie action hero Wednesday touted one he said was bigger than all the others -- a bill that backers believe could curtail urban sprawl in the name of cutting greenhouse gas emissions...

In The News (October 1)

Posted on October 01, 2008
Efforts by Congress to tackle the nation's financial crisis could breathe new life into renewable energy tax credits, as a huge economic bailout plan heading for a Senate vote also included an extension of the energy incentives, according to The New York Times...

Schwarzenegger, Enviros, Builders Laud Anti-Sprawl Bill

Posted on October 01, 2008
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger knows something about sequels and the former movie action hero Wednesday touted one he said was bigger than all the others -- a bill that backers believe could curtail urban sprawl in the name of cutting greenhouse gas emissions...

Business Group Outlines Energy Agenda

Posted on September 30, 2008
One of the nation's most well-known business groups, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has unveiled a new set of recommendations for how the next president and Congress should deal with the country's energy problems. The "Blueprint for Securing America's Energy Future" runs more than 70 pages and includes recommendations that even some in the environmental community might support...

In The News (September 30)

Posted on September 30, 2008
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed what is believed to be the nation's first bill intended to curb greenhouse gas emissions via improved land-use planning to combat urban sprawl, according to a statement from the governor...

RGGI Auction Results Released -- Demand High, Prices Not So Much

Posted on September 29, 2008
The nation's first auction of mandatory carbon dioxide emissions permits brought high demand from buyers but prices were less than spectacular, coming in at $3.07 per ton -- somewhat lower than they reportedly had been bringing on futures markets. In a statement Monday, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Inc...

In The News (September 29)

Posted on September 29, 2008
Federal wildlife officials have launched an extensive environmental analysis of wind energy in the Great Plains region, an area that has caught the eye of lots of wind developers; the project will take about two years and center on the Dakotas, the Omaha World-Herald reports...

Congress Bats Renewable Tax Breaks Back and Forth -- No End in Sight

Posted on September 26, 2008
Congress continued its high-stakes game of tax policy ping-pong Friday and despite the passage of another bill appeared little closer to actually extending federal incentives for renewable energy. The House took the latest swing at the issue, approving on a 257-166 vote a $60 billion tax relief bill (see summary) that included $15 billion for renewable energy, carbon capture, energy efficiency and conservation projects...

Schwarzenegger: Next Stop, the World

Posted on September 26, 2008
Love him or not, no one could really accuse California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of thinking small. Schwarzenegger, answering questions before a friendly audience at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on Friday, was asked by moderator Greg Dalton for his thoughts on how the recent development of regional market-based systems to control greenhouse gas emissions might translate into a national program...

In The News (September 26)

Posted on September 26, 2008
Alternative energy technologies will create millions of new jobs in the next two decades, including 11 million alone in biofuels, says a new United Nations report, according to the Boston Globe's The Green Blog. Here's an summary of the report, and the full study...

Nation's First Mandatory Carbon Emissions Auction Happens

Posted on September 25, 2008
The country's first auction of mandatory permits to allow for the emission of carbon dioxide -- the initial step in a hoped-for market-based solution to global warming -- took place Thursday. According to a  statement from the 10-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the auction began with a bell-ringing ceremony at the New York Mercantile Exchange in Manhattan, located, ironically, in a state that is not yet fully participating in the regional market...

In The News (September 25)

Posted on September 25, 2008
The battle to curb heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere just keeps getting tougher, it seems, with the release of a study showing that global carbon emissions rose rapidly in 2007, from a Reuters dispatch. The news agency also produced a fact box displaying information from the study...

Renewable Tax Credit Extensions Still Pending

Posted on September 24, 2008
A day after legislation was overwhelmingly passed by the U.S. Senate to extend federal tax credits for wind, solar and other renewable energy sources the House had yet to act and it appeared the chamber would take yet another new look at the issue...

In The News (September 24)

Posted on September 24, 2008
Congressional Democrats, bowing to political pressure, have agreed to let the ban on offshore oil drilling expire, a decision that could allow exploration just three miles off the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines, reports the Washington Post...

Western Climate Consortium Unveils Cap-and-Trade Design

Posted on September 23, 2008
The Western Climate Initiative, a partnership of American states and Canadian provinces representing a significant chunk of each country's economies, Tuesday unveiled its design for a market-based system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions...

In The News (September 23)

Posted on September 23, 2008
The U.S. Senate Tuesday overwhelmingly passed legislation extending federal tax credits for wind, solar and other renewable energy sources in what could be a major breakthrough  for the incentives. According to Bloomberg, the bill -- extending for eight years an investment-tax credit for solar projects and for one year a tax break for wind, and two years for some other alternative energy sources -- could go to the House for action as early as Wednesday...

American Companies Lag in Planning Emissions Cuts, Report Says

Posted on September 22, 2008
Big companies in the United States lag far behind others around the globe in trying to reduce the amount of heat-trapping gases they're responsible for spewing into the atmosphere, according to data released by a group that tracks corporate performance in the area...

In The News (September 22)

Posted on September 22, 2008
The Amish are tapping into "God's grid," embracing solar power, in this intriguing look at the phenomenon, from the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mountain top removal coal mining, a particularly controversial way of getting at the fossil fuel, has made its way into the presidential campaign, with both major candidates saying they think the practice should be halted, reports The Charleston (W...

Renewable Tax Credits Still Un-Extended; Wait Until After Election?

Posted on September 19, 2008
Another week in Washington has ended without Congress extending tax incentives for wind, solar and other renewable energy sources, amid new reports that the 11th hour may actually occur no earlier than the 11th month. The Hill, a newspaper that closely covers the government, reported late in the week that a new version of a controversial compromise  -- but one that has drawn support from an influential group of lawmakers from both parties -- probably will not be introduced in the Senate until after the November general election...

In The News (September 19)

Posted on September 19, 2008
A California state appeals court has rejected a challenge by environmentalists to the operations of wind farms in that state, but the ruling was more narrow than a lower court's earlier decision also throwing out the case. In contrast to the trial court, the 1st District Court of Appeal held that private groups do have the right to sue to protect wildlife, such as birds, under the "public trust" doctrine but that such cases should be brought against the responsible government agencies, including the county...

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