Category: Climate

President Barack Obama’s plan to reduce carbon pollution — acclaimed by supporters, reviled by opponents — won’t be enough to save the planet. That’s the view of scientists, including European researchers who study climate policies. It’s a numbers game: Even if the U.S., China, Europe and other nations meet their commitments on cutting carbon, world temperatures will rise by 3.1 degrees Celsius (5.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on average by 2100, too much to avoid calamity, they say. The latest and toughest version of Obama’s Clean Power Plan and measures already announced by other world leaders aren’t sufficient to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius this century. That’s what’s needed to prevent dangerous changes to the environment, including rising seas, deadly heat waves and disruptions to world food supplies, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , a United Nations-organized panel of thousands of scientists. “It’s worth pointing that […]

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« MINI Connected app relaunches with greater focus on driving-related functions | Main | DOT releases Connected Vehicle Reference Implementation Architecture v2.0 » The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the final Clean Power Plan (CPP). The rules establish the first national standards to limit CO 2 emissions from fossil-fuel-fired power plants, with a target of a 32% reduction against a 2005 baseline by 2030. The 32% reduction target is 9% more aggressive than in the draft proposal of the CPP released in 2014. ( Earlier post .) The 2030 target is in alignment with the Administration’s earlier economy-wide emissions targets, including the goal of reducing emissions to 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 and to 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025. Under the Clean Power Plan, by 2030, renewables will account for 28% of national capacity, up from 22% in the proposed rule. Carbon dioxide is the […]

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The Obama administration’s final rule to curb US power plants’ greenhouse gas emissions did not acknowledge natural gas’s potential contributions, officials from two national oil and gas associations initially said in separate statements following the regulation’s Aug. 3 release. “America is leading the world in reducing emissions thanks to a revolution in the production and use of gas,” said Howard J. Feldman, senior director of regulatory and scientific affairs at the American Petroleum Institute. “We can continue that progress without costly new regulations that could hurt consumers and stifle economic growth.” America’s Natural Gas Alliance Pres. Martin J. Durbin said while ANGA intends to examine the administration’s plan more closely, initial indications are that the White House discounted gas’s ability to reduce GHG emissions quickly and reliably while contributing to growth and helping consumers. “With the reported shift in the plan, we believe the White House is perpetuating the […]

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U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the Clean Power Plan at the White House in Washington August 3, 2015. President Barack Obama on Monday formally unveiled his administration’s ramped-up plan to cut carbon emissions from power plants and declared climate change the greatest threat facing the world. Speaking to a friendly crowd at the White House a few months before international climate talks in Paris, Obama said the world may not be able to reverse global warming if aggressive action to stop it is not taken. Obama rejected criticism that his plan would increase energy bills for Americans, hurt the poor, and cost jobs. "This is the right thing to do," he said.

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EPA measure aimed at curbing power plant emissions draws early threats of legal action. Photo by Reinhard Tiburzy/Shutterstock WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (UPI) — The U.S. mining industry said Monday it was considering legal action in response to tighter greenhouse gas rules unveiled by the Obama administration. The final version of the Clean Power Plan, envisioned last year, sets a goal of cutting emissions of carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas, by 32 percent of their 2005 baseline by 2030, 9 percent more than in the original proposal. The Environmental Protection Agency said the measure will enhance public health in a way to stimulates the economy and leads to a 30 percent increase in renewable energy generation by 2030. For consumers, the EPA said the average family will save about $85 annually once the all reforms are in place. The Clean Power Plan would require states to meet specific emission […]

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The proposal under the Clean Air Act to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants is seen before a news conference in Washington June 2, 2014. President Barack Obama will unveil on Monday the final version of his plan to tackle greenhouse gases from coal-fired power plants as he aims to cement his legacy on climate change, a senior administration official said. The revised Clean Power Plan will seek to slash carbon emissions from the power sector 32 percent from 2005 levels in 2030, a 9 percent increase over a previous proposal. The regulation will usher in a sweeping transformation of the U.S. electricity sector, encouraging an aggressive shift toward more renewable energy away from coal-fired electricity. Industry groups and some lawmakers from states that have relied on coal-based energy have said they will challenge it in the courts and through Congressional maneuvers, accusing the administration of a regulatory […]

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The Environmental Protection Agency’s new rules on carbon emissions from power plants will alter the way Americans make and consume electricity, accelerating a dramatic shift to cleaner fuels, renewable energy and consumer choice. Even as the new regulations on greenhouse gases face legal challenges, they will force sweeping changes to the once hidebound electricity business. Utility companies and state regulators will need to rewire the electric grid to accommodate more renewable power, much of it generated by customers. Cutting carbon emissions 32% by 2030 will require billions of dollars in investments to pay for new transmission lines that accommodate more solar and wind power and new pipelines to fuel natural-gas-fired generation, as coal becomes less important as a fuel for power plants. Utilities, which expect to spend more than $100 billion next year on capital projects, will adjust their spending programs to reflect the new rules even as court […]

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WASHINGTON—Final Environmental Protection Agency regulations to cut emissions from U.S. power plants are expected to maintain ambitious emission-reduction targets included in a draft proposal released last year but give companies more time to meet them, according to people familiar with the rule. In another change likely to be welcomed by the electricity industry, the plan is expected to encourage nuclear power generation. The EPA rule, the cornerstone of President Barack Obama ’s climate agenda, will put the first-ever federal limits on carbon emissions from power plants, including those now in operation and those not yet built, forcing operators to move toward cleaner-burning fuels. It is expected to be released as soon as Monday. Republicans and some Democrats on Capitol Hill, along with the coal industry and governors whose states rely on coal for much of their electricity, strongly oppose the rules and are likely to challenge them on Capitol […]

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The Obama administration’s final plan to cut power-plant emissions will be tougher than was proposed last year, a top White House official said, as a document emerged that showed the government will give states two additional years to comply. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said the final rule to fight climate change will be released soon, and will have new provisions to boost solar, wind and other renewable energy. President Barack Obama would veto any bill aimed at stopping the plan that would cut carbon emissions, he said. “There really is no overstating how big this year is for climate change,” McDonough said Wednesday at a Washington forum on the issue hosted by the New Republic. “We will finalize a stronger rule.” McDonough, who didn’t answer questions, spoke a day after the Environmental Protection Agency posted a slide on its website showing milestones to implement the standard. […]

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