UK policy will fail to reach carbon targets, says IEA

The U.K.’s energy policies may fail to deliver nuclear power and renewables needed for the nation to meet its goals for reducing greenhouse gases, the International Energy Agency said. 

Britain’s new electricity generation capacity is coming mainly from natural gas fired plants, the Paris-based agency, which advises 28 nations, said today in a report. The government should spur an “efficient mix of new, cleaner generation, more efficient use of existing infrastructure and more flexible demand,” the IEA said.

New Vermont energy plan stresses renewables

Its been more than a decade since Vermont had a comprehensive plan that lays out an energy policy for the coming decades.  Now a draft plan has been written and once its revised, it will be presented to the legislature.

Everyone agrees that our future energy sources should be reliable, affordable and clean - and that conservation and efficiency are important goals.  But the devil is in the details, and a number of concerns were raised at a recently concluded series of public meetings on the plan.  Some feel it doesn't move quickly enough toward renewable sources, others think it relies too much on wind development.  There are also concerns that the plan places too much emphasis on small scale renewable projects.

Renewable energy target: a critical policy for Australia

The Renewable Energy Target is a critical policy that will help Australia develop natural clean energy advantages and reduce approximately 380 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, Australia’s peak body for renewable energy said on Friday.

The comments come after Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said on Thursday the coalition won't change its support for the commonwealth's 20 per cent renewable energy target (RET), which the Howard Government originally introduced the in 2001.

California: Greenhouse gas law aides state's clean tech growth

California voters did the right thing last November when they rejected an effort to kill AB 32, our state's landmark clean energy law. But now there are more legal challenges – from people who agree with the goals of AB 32 but don't like the details. They are still in court demanding that the state halt implementation of the emissions trading component of the law.

As business leaders, we say enough is enough. The reason is simple: prompt and full implementation of AB 32 is key to our state's economic recovery, and to building a more profitable and more sustainable future for California.

California praised for approving climate law plan to cut pollution

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) praised California's Air Resources Board (CARB) for approving a blueprint today for reducing climate change pollution that complements new state and federal actions designed to improve air quality. California's plan will work alongside other public health rules, including more stringent ozone and air toxics standards.

6 Energy policy topics for US presidential candidates

As the US heads into the process of electing its next President, many subjects and issues will be debated. While climate change may not be the defining issue of the moment in the USA, given the long term importance of the subject it would be useful to understand how the various candidates for office might seek to shape the energy and climate policy landscape through this decade. The climate issue will almost certainly come back to confront a President in office through to 2017 and is probably inescapable for a candidate with ambition to serve through to 2021.

Brussels slams Poland for lack of energy law

The European Commission has launched legal action against Poland after the government failed to pass a law on renewable energy.

Under EU regulations, 15 percent of Poland’s energy is to originate from sustainable sources and the law on renewable energy should have been passed by December last year.

“For this reason, the European Commission has initiated proceedings against Warsaw," Katerina Rybarova, press spokesperson for the European Commissioner for Energy has told the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily.

Arizona withdraws support for EPA greenhouse gas endangerment findings

The state of Arizona, which had supported the Obama administration's decision that greenhouse gases are a threat to human health and the environment, has dropped out of the massive court battle over U.S. EPA's new climate regulations, court records show.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne (R) asked to withdraw the state from the litigation in the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia. The court approved the request this morning.

Regulation of climate emissions heads to the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court said Monday it would consider a key global warming case over the right of US states to regulate carbon emissions as a "public nuisance."

In a move that could significantly impact the US approach to fighting climate change, the top court in the coming months will consider a lower ruling that allows states and environmental groups to sue utility companies under federal public nuisance law to make them reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.