Good morning! This is Akin’s newsletter on climate change policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major climate policy headlines from the past week and forthcoming climate-related events and hearings...more
In March 2023, a small plane took a 15-minute flight around an airfield in the US state of Washington. Despite the size of the aircraft and its brief time in the air, the flight was momentous: one of the plane's engines was...more
The last several weeks of unexpected and unprecedented political events have thrown even more confusion into the presidential election. While the outcome of a now Harris-versus-Trump race is maybe even more uncertain, we do...more
Good afternoon! This is Akin’s newsletter on climate change policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major climate policy headlines from the past week and forthcoming climate-related events and hearings...more
Our national climate goals of net zero emissions, renewable energy transition, electrified vehicle fleets, clean steel, green hydrogen, and the rest of the package focus on the ramp-up of clean energy sources and end uses. As...more
The ACOEL webpage “About Us” states that we are to be “Advocates for environmental law and process for a better environmental future.” Allow me to throw down this gauntlet to Members: What “better environmental future” is the...more
EPA requires existing coal-fired power plants that plan to operate beyond 2039 and large new gas-fired power plants to achieve 90% reductions in GHG emissions by 2032....more
On September 8, 2023, the United Nations published its first Global Stocktake report on the progress made by nations in addressing climate change. The report, which represents the first comprehensive assessment of nearly 200...more
What is the Hydrogen Hubbub? Hydrogen is seen by many as the fuel of the future, a substance that can provide heat through combustion, or electrical power from fuel cells, emitting only water in the process. Its potential...more
Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency released its long-awaited proposal for New Source Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating...more
After a month of hotly debated budget talks, New York passed its 2024 fiscal year budget late Tuesday night, and with it, took a long-awaited step towards decarbonizing New York’s building sector. The budget deal includes...more
On May 2, 2023, New York passed its 2024 fiscal year budget, including a prohibition on fossil fuel equipment and building systems in new construction. The policy will go into effect in 2026 for new buildings not more than...more
The new clean fuel regulations in Canada aim to lessen carbon intensity of transportation fuel by 2030. This paper discusses how primary fuel suppliers can prepare and comply with the forthcoming regulations. The following...more
In the closing weeks of 2022, the California Air Resources Board (“CARB” or “Board”) approved its final 2022 Scoping Plan, which sets forth a detailed roadmap to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions in...more
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) contained an enormous benefit - valued in the billions of dollars - for the U.S. hydrogen industry in the form of a Production Tax Credit (PTC) for “qualified” green hydrogen produced over...more
Governor Baker signed the climate bill (H.5060), titled An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind, into law on Thursday August 11, 2022. The act combines and modifies provisions from the House’s proposed offshore wind...more
The Supreme Court decided West Virginia v. EPA on Thursday, June 30, 2022, curbing the power of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants across the country. The...more
California AG Rob Bonta has launched an investigation into the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries for their alleged role in creating a worldwide plastics pollution crisis. ...more
Last week, AIG significantly restricted its underwriting of and investment in fossil fuel projects. Specifically, it announced the following actions: With immediate effect, committed to no longer invest in or provide...more
Decarbonising Natural Gas and LNG - Natural gas and liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) have long been hailed as one of the winners of the current energy transition when compared to other fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide (“CO2”)...more
Over the past number of weeks, a variety of legislative proposals, from both sides of the aisle, have been released that, if enacted, could drastically impact the US energy industry and, in many cases, the taxation of energy...more
The Washington Department of Commerce released its 2021 State Energy Strategy this month. The Energy Strategy is, first and foremost, a greenhouse gas reduction strategy. It begins with the declaration that “[a]voiding the...more
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., released a far-reaching climate proposal that would require economywide net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and mandate that utilities generate...more
In a move that will have a significant impact on Pennsylvania's power producers, Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order on October 3rd directing the state's Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) to create...more