In This Issue:

Energy and Climate Debate; Congress; Administration; Department Of Commerce; Department of Energy; Department Of Justice; Department Of Treasury; Environmental Protection Agency; International; States; and Miscellaneous.

Excerpt from Energy and Climate Debate -

Climate change was the Obama Administration’s message of the week. Leading the news was the Environmental Protection Agency’s New Source Performance Standards announcement. In his Climate Action Plan, President Obama called upon the agency to release carbon emissions standards for new power plants by September 20. On Friday, Administrator Gina McCarthy unveiled the new rules. The standard sets a cap of 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per megawatt hour for natural gas power plants; 1,100 pounds per megawatt hour for smaller natural gas power plants; and 1,100 pounds per megawatt hour for coal-fired power plants. Additional flexibility is provided for coal plants if they wish to average emissions over multiple years by meeting smaller limits. In her announcement, Administrator McCarthy said technologies exist for plants to meet this standard. She continued that the agency is not making a statement with this rule about fuel choice; it is not an effective ban on coal.