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Today we are looking at a Supreme Court case involving climate change and the record-breaking offshore wind lease sale.
Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk were the Hill’s editors. Send us your tips: [email protected]And [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter: @RachelFrazinAnd @BudrykZack.
Lets jump in.
EPAs climate power could be limited by the SCOTUS decision
Monday’s oral argument in a case that could limit EPA’s ability to regulate climate changes will be heard by the Supreme Court.
The case concerns the agency’s ability to pursue climate regulations that have broad implications on areas like the power sector.
Two coal companies and a group of states, led by West Virginia, North Dakota, and West Virginia, are challenging a lower court decision that overturned a Trump-era rule governing power stations.
Here are some background information: The Trump rule relaxed regulations on climate change in comparison to the Obama-era Clean Power Plan. This plan sought to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by implementing efficiency measures and promoting more natural gas and renewable energies.
In 2016, the Supreme Court stopped that plan from going into effect. The Affordable Clean Energy (ACE), which sought efficiency improvements but did not include the switch to cleaner fuels, was halted by the Supreme Court.
The bottom line: CPP was expected significantly to have a greater impact than ACE and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 415,000,000 short tons by 2030, compared to its predecessors 11 million short tons.
As a result, neither rule is currently in force. A court also invalidated the Trump rule last year.
However, as the Biden administration works on its own regulations regarding power plants, states and coal companies seek to limit its authority.
They can regulate a source. For example, a coal-fired power plant could be used to regulate heat efficiency or other items, Patrick Morrissey, West Virginia Attorney General (R), told The Hill in an interview.
But they can’t go so far as to create a system that could affect consumer demand or force rewrites to the power grid.
The government disagrees and argues that the laws require a best system for emissions reductions that allows it to regulate both within and outside the power plant.
It said in a court briefing that the definition of the word system encompasses inside- and outside-the-fenceline measures alike.
You can read more about the case on our website this weekend.
Offshore wind leases sell for $4.4 billion
The Interior Department announced that a record-breaking $4.37 trillion was made through a lease sale for rights to construct wind farms in an area just off the New York coast.
The department reported that this weeks lease sale set new records for offshore wind, a still growing industry in the U.S., as well as oil and gas leasing.
Six tracts of approximately 488,000 acres were up for sale in the New York Bight area where offshore wind farm can be built.
According to the Interior Department, these areas could be combined to host wind farms that produce enough electricity to power as many as 2 million homes.
Secretary Deb Haaland
Deb HaalandTribal Nations to Receive.7B in Water Rights Settlements Overnight Energy & Environment Southwest suffers the worst drought in a Millenium Interior Department Announces Reforms to Native American Detention Program MOREAccording to a statement, the results indicate a significant interest in clean energy.
One thing is clear from this week’s offshore wind sale: there is a lot of enthusiasm for clean energy and it will be here to stay.
Learn more about this week’s sales here.
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UN: UKRAINE NUCLEAR OPERATING SAFELY AFTER CHERNOBYL ATTACK
According to the United Nations nuclear energy agency, Ukraine’s power plants were safe on Friday after Thursday’s attack on Chernobyl.
Rafael Mariano Grossi (Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency) stated that Ukraine informed the agency that its nuclear power reactors were continuing to operate safely.
Grossi previously stated that the agency was monitoring the situation with great concern and urged maximum restraint in order to avoid any actions that could put the country’s nuclear facilities at danger.
Ukrainian officials claimed on Thursday that Russian forces had taken Chernobyl, the site of the 1986 nuclear catastrophe.
ON TAP NEXT WOEEK
Monday
- The Supreme Court will hear West Virginia v. EPA. This case will have major consequences for the agency’s ability regulate climate change.
Tuesday
- The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will host a HearingEnergy Department bills.
Thursday
- The Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee will questionAll five Federal Energy Regulatory Commission commissioners discussed recent agency guidance about pipelines.
WHAT WAS READING
- Ukraine’s climate scientists pull out of the global meeting after being bombarded (Politico)
- Study shows that U.S. enforcement of environmental laws has declined (Reuters)
- Brazil mudslides – Climate change transforms favelas into disasters awaiting to happen (The Washington Post)
And last but not least, something totally offbeat but ON-beat People react to the offshore wind leasing sale…in GIFs.
That’s all for today. Thank you for reading. Check out The HillsEnergy & Environment PageGet the latest news and coverage. We’ll see you Monday.
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