California bill seeks social justice through renewable energy

In recent years, California has been at the forefront of embracing clean tech and implementing legislation focused on sustainability. The state has pursued an aggressive agenda when it comes to going “green”. Most notably the passage of both California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which aims to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and a more recent 2011 state law that sets a 33 percent renewable portfolio standard for utility companies by 2020.

Vermont: Administration produces renewable portfolio standard proposal

Two months into the legislative process, the Vermont Department of Public Service weighed in this week with a proposal for the renewable portfolio standard bill that has ping-ponged back and forth in the House Committee on Natural Resources and Energy.

The department proposes a goal for the state of 75 percent renewable energy by 2032, including 35 percent “new renewable” and 10 percent small-scale generation.

California adopts revolutionary new clean car standards

On January 27, 2012, the California Air Resources Board (“ARB”) notched a potential victory in the battle against greenhouse gas (“GhG”) emissions. In a unanimous vote, ARB adopted the Advanced Clean Cars (“ACC”) regulatory package, which is a program designed to deliver cleaner air, reduce GhG emissions, and help build the market for fuel cell and battery-electric vehicles. At the opening of the ARB hearing on this historic vote, Mary Nichols, ARB Chairman, predicted:

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.

CA: ARB passes final regulations for cap-and-trade program

After months of CEQA litigation and political lobbying, including an appeal to the California Supreme Court (previous article can be found here), California's landmark climate change bill, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 ("AB 32"), has been modified and appears ready to be implemented starting in January 2012.

Maryland climate plan passes key tests in UMD studies

Maryland's plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020 meets a series of benchmark tests set by state lawmakers, concludes a new pair of studies by the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Environmental Research (CIER). The findings should help clear the way for adoption of a full Climate Action Plan next year, the researchers say.

Maryland's 2009 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act ordered independent studies to make sure that its provisions won't hurt the reliability of the state's electricity supply or damage the manufacturing sector of the economy. The CIER studies give State plans a passing grade on these scores and project some upsides: