Climate 411

EPA’s Good Neighbor Rule will protect millions of people from poorly-controlled smokestack pollution

By Noha Haggag / Published: March 28, 2023

(This post was co-authored by EDF analyst Jolie Villegas)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just finalized its Good Neighbor Plan this month and that means millions of people in downwind states will be protected from unhealthy smokestack pollution that blows across state lines.

The new plan will significantly reduce smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollution from fossil fuel power plants and industrial sources in 23 states.

EPA’s action addresses an urgent problem: NOx pollution from power plants without modern pollution controls. As depicted below, well over half of the NOx pollution from coal units in states covered by the Good Neighbor Plan is from coal units without modern pollution controls.

Graphic: EDF

Posted in Cities and states, Clean Air Act, Health, News, Policy, Smog / Leave a comment

DOE announced its largest-ever investment in decarbonizing industry. Here’s how it addresses key challenges.

By Sonali Deshpande / Published: March 28, 2023

Photo Credit: Marcin Jozwiak for Pexels

This blog was co-authored by Natasha Vidangos, Senior Director, Climate Innovation and Technology.

Decarbonizing industry is a critical step to stabilize our climate. The sector can be tough to get a handle on — it’s on track to become the largest-emitting sector within the next couple of decades, and it involves the production of a wide variety of goods, from cement, steel, and chemicals to food and beverages. Historically, heavy industry is also a significant source of local pollution, often leading to direct harm to nearby communities, which tend to be communities of color. This complex yet critical piece of our economy needs a transformation — one that leverages cleaner and more efficient energy and processes while establishing mechanisms to ensure better outcomes on the ground. Identifying, developing and deploying transformative solutions is not an easy task: It requires innovative ideas, ambitious plans and investments, and coordination across a diverse set of stakeholders. Federal support is crucial for testing and validating these new technologies in a real-world setting, reducing the barriers to safe and effective adoption.

Posted in Innovation, Policy, Science / Leave a comment

New federal policies can supercharge Virginia’s energy and climate goals

By Mandy Warner / Bio / Published: March 8, 2023

Mom helping young son charge electric car

Photo Credit: Getty Images

It’s the beginning of a new year and this year – despite some opposition – can be the year Virginia turns the corner to embrace a clean energy economy future.

Virginia has already taken critical steps in its clean energy transition to make communities more resilient and to address climate change. Steps like joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) – a multistate program under which power companies pay for the pollution they create – passing legislation like the Virginia Clean Economy Act to establish a 100% clean energy standard and commit to a zero-carbon-emissions electricity grid by 2050 and having deployed nearly $100 million in RGGI funds for flood risk reduction from Roanoke to the Eastern Shore in less than two years, with more to come.

Major federal legislation recently passed in the form of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will supercharge those efforts with increased funding for infrastructure projects, clean energy initiatives and tax incentives, climate resilience, and other programs that address the climate crisis and create good jobs. In 2021 there were already 92,315 Virginians employed in clean energy jobs. Clean energy jobs outnumber fossil fuel jobs and young people overwhelmingly want to work in industries that are serious about addressing the climate crisis.

Virginia is only beginning to see the funding opportunities flowing from these unprecedented federal investments. Here are three examples highlighting how the BIL and IRA are having an impact:

Posted in Climate Change Legislation, Energy, News, Policy / Comments are closed

New Inflation Reduction Act Tracker Launched by the Sabin Center and EDF

By EDF Blogs / Bio / Published: March 8, 2023

This piece was co-authored by EDF Clean Air Legal Fellow Richard Yates and Sabin Center for Climate Change Law Fellow Eleonor Dyan Garcia. It is also posted on the Sabin Center’s website.

The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and Environmental Defense Fund have just launched IRAtracker.org. This free online resource includes a searchable database that catalogues all of the climate change-related provisions in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), as well as a tracker that records actions taken by federal agencies to implement those provisions.

Posted in Innovation, News, Partners for Change, Policy / Comments are closed

The auction results are in: Washington state’s cap-and-invest program is off to a strong start

By Caroline Jones / Bio / Published: March 7, 2023

This blog was co-authored by Delia Novak, Western States Climate Policy Intern, U.S. Region

Today, the Washington State Department of Ecology (ECY) released the results from Washington’s first cap-and-invest auction held last Tuesday, February 28. The results of this auction indicate long-term confidence in the program from covered entities and are an encouraging sign of what’s to come from the Evergreen State. Additionally, the ECY summary report shows that the auction operated smoothly, with oversight and regulatory mechanisms in place to ensure the integrity of the auction and ease of interface for bidders.

Posted in Carbon Markets, Cities and states, Economics, Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Policy, Science / Comments are closed

Western Climate Initiative auction underlines upcoming opportunities to strengthen the program

By Caroline Jones / Bio / Published: February 23, 2023

Photo Credit: Canva

This blog was co-authored by Delia Novak, Western States Climate Policy Intern, U.S. Region

Results of the latest Western Climate Initiative auction were released today, and while the solid demand for allowances indicates a stable market, there are hints of uncertainty about next steps for the cap-and-trade program. Now that the California Air Resources Board has a new Climate Change Scoping Plan in place, the state has key opportunities this year to strengthen this marquee climate program and to consider joining forces with other states.

Posted in California, Carbon Markets, Cities and states, Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Policy / Comments are closed