New York and California Lead the Charge Against Climate Rule Rollbacks

Democratic-leaning states are readying for legal battles over the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle clean power and fuel economy rules.

New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood is preparing for battle against the Trump administration over its attempt to dismantle the Obama-era Clean Power Plan.

The Empire State, along with 26 Democratic state attorneys general, cities and counties, outlined its legal and policy rationale for opposing the Clean Power Plan replacement in public comments submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday — the deadline to weigh in on the Trump’s Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) proposal.

New York and California Lead the Charge Against Climate Rule Rollbacks

New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood is preparing for battle against the Trump administration over its attempt to dismantle the Obama-era Clean Power Plan.

The Empire State, along with 26 Democratic state attorneys general, cities and counties, outlined its legal and policy rationale for opposing the Clean Power Plan replacement in public comments submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday — the deadline to weigh in on the Trump’s Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) proposal.

Post-Fukushima Japan Chooses Coal Over Renewable Energy

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing Japan’s coal industry to expand sales at home and abroad, undermining hopes among environmentalists that he’d use the Fukushima nuclear accident to switch the nation to renewables.

A new energy plan approved by Japan’s cabinet on April 11 designates coal an important long-term electricity source while falling short of setting specific targets for cleaner energy from wind, solar and geothermal. The policy also gives nuclear power the same prominence as coal in Japan’s energy strategy.

Poland's draft renewable bills would give greater support to large solar plants

Stanislaw Pietruszko, the head of the Photovoltaic Association of Poland (PVAP), says the country’s new renewable energy act could increase Poland’s solar capacity from 3MW to 400MW by the end of 2013.

Poland, which gets about 85% of its power from coal-fired plants, is poised to join Ukraine in offering some of Europe’s highest solar subsidies as its economy grows.

“The proposed rates are very good, higher than those in Germany,” Pietruszko says.

Polands heads towards Feed-in-Tariff

Poland, a country that produces 90% of its electricity with coal and once a seemingly impregnable bastion of neoliberalism in the heart of Europe, has announced that it will introduce a new law on renewable energy. The new law will introduce feed-in tariffs for the first time.

The new law, the Renewable Energy Sources Act in English, will likely not take effect until early 2013.

The announcement was made by Poland's deputy minister, Mieczyslaw Kasprzak, at a press conference 27 July 2012.

GOP congressional reps ‘energized’ over legislation

Three Republican members of the Colorado congressional delegation have proposed three bills to streamline and enhance domestic energy production. But critics of the so-called “Three Stooges” of energy bills say the proposed legislation moves away from long-term solutions in the name of a quick political opportunity to attack President Barack Obama’s administration and Democratic proposals in a tightly contested election year.

Poland to amend renewable bill amid wind-farm investor concern

Poland, which boosted wind-power capacity 37 percent last year, will amend a proposed renewable- energy law after investors said a December draft would hamper development of new ventures and erode wind-project finances.

The December plans, aimed at saving the government as much as 1 billion zloty ($313 million), would reduce support for onshore wind farms, boost subsidies for costlier technologies and scrap an obligation for utilities to buy fixed-rate power from renewable sources.

Poland to reverse course over new renewables law

Coal-reliant Poland will reverse course and push through a law providing guaranteed purchase prices for power generated from wind turbines, an economy ministry official said on Wednesday.

The European Union member in December presented an overhaul of its renewable support plan that sought to retract guaranteed purchase prices for renewables, a move that raised investor concern in the rapidly growing wind sector.

Industry members said the lack of a purchase guarantee and a cut in the size of state support for wind by a quarter would shrivel up financing over worries costly projects would not provide a return in the European Union nation.

Kentucky: House hearing scheduled for clean energy legislation

A bill that would require a certain percentage of the state’s energy to come from renewable sources is scheduled for a hearing in the Kentucky House of Representatives. The bill has little chance of passage this late in the session, but its advocates are hoping to set the stage for next year.

House Bill 167—the Clean Energy Opportunity Act—would gradually increase the percentage of Kentucky’s energy that’s from renewable sources. Right now, about 94 percent of the state’s energy comes from coal. If the bill ever becomes law, that will have to change and at least 12.5 percent of the commonwealth’s energy will have to come from renewable sources within ten years.

ESA applauds bipartisan Gibson-Thompson Bill to create energy storage ITC

The Electricity Storage Association (ESA) applauded news this week that U.S. Reps. Chris Gibson (R-NY) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) introduced legislation that would create an investment tax credit (ITC) for energy storage technologies of all types and help jumpstart an industry that has enormous potential to increase the reliability, security, and efficiency of the nation's electric grid.  The Storage Technology for Renewable and Green Energy Act (STORAGE) Act (H.R. 4096) is the House companion legislation to S. 1845, introduced by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), and Susan Collins (R-ME). 

"We are delighted that Rep. Chris Gibson, who has championed energy initiatives and transmission issues in his Congressional district, and Rep. Mike Thompson, a staunch supporter of clean energy technologies, understand the value of energy security and have taken such a strong interest in energy storage," said Brad Roberts, Executive Director of the ESA. "Energy storage technologies help all resources – whether renewable, natural gas, coal, or nuclear – run more smoothly. Our innovations have been tested on the grid and proven to be of enormous benefit; this tax credit will help developers secure private sector equity and debt financing for their projects."

Wind power still gets lower public subsidies than fossil fuel tax breaks

Public subsidies for the development of wind power in the UK are dwarfed by the tax breaks enjoyed by fossil fuels, a new Guardian analysis has revealed. Financial support for fledgling renewable energy industries has increasingly come under attack in recent months, but the new data shows that the older industries benefit to a far greater extent.

Gas, oil and coal prices were subsidised by £3.63bn in 2010, according to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development , whereas offshore and onshore wind received £0.7bn in the year from April 2010. All renewables in the UK benefited from £1.4bn over the same period, according to data from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc).

New bill would classify ethanol derived from coal & natural gas as 'renewable resource'

Six members of the House of Representatives introduced a bill on Wednesday that would include ethanol produced by nontraditional means, such as coal- and gas-derived ethanol, in the federal renewable fuels mandate.

Ethanol derived from petroleum-based sources would be competing in a market currently dominated by corn-derived ethanol. Other biofuels have been slow to reach commercial viability, and some of the most promising next-generation fuels have yet to even leave the laboratory, so demand for new sources of ethanol has climbed higher and higher.

West Virginia: House GOP to fire back at W.Va. “cap-and-trade” bill

One of the major legislative priorities for state Republican delegates this year will be the repeal of former Gov. Joe Manchin's alternative and renewable energy portfolio standard.

GOP representatives have introduced a bill repealing all but the legislative findings of the Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard. The bill was originally introduced by Manchin in his 2009 State of the State Address.

Japanese Energy Policy After Fukushima

On December 16, 2011, the government announced that the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant finally achieved a state of "cold shutdown" following the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. It marked the latest in a series of energy-related developments since the "Great East Japan Earthquake" shook northeastern Japan on March 11, leaving in its wake thousands dead, vast property destruction, and a destabilized nuclear power plant owned and operated by Tokyo Electric Power Corp.

Maryland: Offshore wind debate set to continue

Maryland lawmakers are preparing to resume debate on one of Gov. Martin O'Malley's major green initiatives, an offshore wind energy bill that stalled during the last legislative session amid concerns about the cost to utility companies and their customers.

The bill would have subsidized the construction of between 80 and 200 wind turbines 12 miles off the coast of Ocean City by obligating the state's four investor-owned utilities -- Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., Allegheny Power, Delmarva Power and Pepco -- to buy offshore wind energy for 25 years.

USA: Bipartisan tax credit would open market for energy storage

The Electricity Storage Association (ESA) applauds Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senate Energy Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) for introducing the Storage Technology for Renewable and Green Energy Act of 2011 (STORAGE). This investment tax credit for energy storage technologies of all types is expected to jump start an industry that has enormous potential to increase the reliability, security and efficiency of our nation's electric grid.

Borneo: Legislations for Renewable Energy Act 2011 being worked out

MIRI: Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water is now going full speed in making the necessary preparations and formulation of subsidiary legislations to the Renewable Energy Act 2011.

Its minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin yesterday said the Act was an important piece of legislation that would create an environment conducive for renewable energy to grow in an effective and sustainable manner.

Coal plants to close without pollution controls

Aging coal-fired power plants across the West could be forced to install costly pollution control equipment under an agreement between federal regulators and environmentalists aimed at jump-starting a delayed clean air initiative.

Many utilities already cut air pollution emissions sharply over the last decade to meet federal health standards. Next up are even deeper cuts, to improve visibility in 156 national parks and wilderness areas by clearing the air of pollutants that cause haze.

Bill Gates urges for clean energy investments

Microsoft founder, famous billionaire and clean energy supporter Bill Gates yesterday downplayed the notion that China is overtaking the United States in renewable energy at a breakfast meeting about climate change in Seattle.

"A lot of figures that are thrown about China are sort of these bogeyman, 'We should feel bad'-type things," he said. "But China is very important. China can be a part of the solution here."

Eminent domain mining law posed to change

Nevada's 130-year-old legal provision giving mining companies the right of eminent domain might be about to get buried because of an unlikely coalition of liberal and conservative forces.

Environmental activists and Tea Party Republicans have joined forces in criticizing the provision, which dates back to Nevada's Comstock era when mining companies ruled the state's economy and its politics.