Complete list of press releases

(Washington, D.C. – August 17, 2016) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit will hear three hours and 38 minutes of argument, all on the same day, in the pending litigation about the Clean Power Plan.

The court had previously announced that the case would be heard en banc on September 27, 2016. 

Today the court issued an order detailing the format for the oral argument, which will begin at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time in Courtroom 20.

“The Clean Power Plan is firmly anchored in the law and in science, and we look forward to presenting a strong argument for these crucial clean air protections,” said EDF Attorney Martha Roberts. “The oral argument will undoubtedly help the judges to resolve the legal challenges to the Clean Power Plan without delay – which is vital considering the urgent threat of climate change to the health and security of all American communities.” 

EDF is a party to the case.

The Clean Power Plan is the single biggest step America has ever taken to address the threat of climate change. It established the first-ever national limits on carbon pollution from fossil-fuel fired power plants – the largest source of such pollution in the U.S. 

EPA estimates that, by 2030, the Clean Power Plan will:

• Reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants 32 percent below 2005 levels

• Save 3,600 lives annually

• Prevent 90,000 childhood asthma attacks annually

• Save American families almost $85 on their annual energy bill

A large and diverse group of Clean Power Plan supporters have filed briefs as parties to the case, including: a coalition of 18 States and seven cities and counties; a large group of power companies; three advanced energy trade associations representing more than 3,000 companies and organizations in the advanced energy sector; and a coalition of public health and environmental groups, including EDF. 

Amicus briefs in support of the Clean Power Plan were filed by hundreds of leaders across America with deep and diverse expertise. These supporters of the Clean Power Plan include:

• Leading businesses: Iconic, businesses that consume large quantities of energy,  strongly support expansive clean energy across the national grid, and employ tens of thousands in all regions of the country including Adobe, Amazon, Apple,  Google, IKEA, Mars, and Microsoft

• The nation’s leading legal, electricity grid, science and policy experts: Leon Billings and Tom Jorling (principal drafters of the 1970 Clean Air Act); former EPA Administrators William Ruckelshaus and William Reilly (who served under Presidents Nixon, Reagan and George H.W. Bush) represented by Harvard Law’s Jody Freeman and Richard Lazarus; the Institute for Policy Integrity represented by NYU Law Dean Emeritus Richard Revesz; former state energy and environmental officials including Larry Soward (Commissioner at the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality under Texas Governor Rick Perry); top climate scientists; and premier electric grid experts

• Business associations: 25 national and state business associations including American Sustainable Business Council, U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., and business associations in states such as West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio that are litigating against the Clean Power Plan

• Members of Congress: Current and former members of Congress, including 36 sitting Senators and 157 members of the House

• Consumers Union: The Consumers Union and other organizations addressing the economic benefits for consumers and low income ratepayers from expansive, low cost clean energy solutions

• Public health associations, national security experts, and faith communities: Public health experts such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics; foreign policy and national security experts including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta; and 41 faith communities such as the National Council of Churches and the Catholic Climate Covenant

You can find more information about the Clean Power Plan, including all legal briefs in the case, on EDF’s website. 

(SAN FRANCISCO – August 17, 2016) Environmental Defense Fund’s Investor Confidence Project (ICP) recently announced Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), the largest utility in the United States, has received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to accelerate energy efficiency retrofits in existing buildings by providing interest-free loans to projects that follow ICP’s rigorous protocols. ICP Protocols define industry best practices for energy efficiency project development and a credentialing system that includes third-party validation.

 “Together, ICP and PG&E are welcoming a new era of market-driven energy efficiency performance,” said Matt Golden, Project Director for EDF’s Investor Confidence Project. “By establishing a series of benchmarks and best practices for the retrofitting of existing buildings, ICP slashes transaction costs, accelerates project timelines, and shows a clear path to profitability for the finance and performance contracting sectors.”

 Customers participating in PG&E’s On-Bill Financing program, which provides interest-free loans for energy efficiency projects, can now make upgrades based on measured energy savings via SmartMeter™ technology. For this new pilot, customers will work with energy performance contractors who use ICP’s Investor Ready Energy Efficiency™ (IREE) certification. This certification brings rigorous measurement and verification metrics to energy efficiency retrofit projects, standardizing the way such projects are developed and brought to market — and making them more attractive to investors and building owners alike.

 PG&E’s On-Bill Financing program offers qualifying businesses interest-free loans ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, or up to $250,000 for government agencies. Supporting the energy efficiency provisions of recent California state legislation Assembly Bill 802, this new On-Bill Financing pilot could increase investment in energy efficiency retrofits across California, and provide a model for similar efforts in other states.

 “Standardization is key to attracting the capital necessary to meet energy efficiency’s true potential, achieve climate targets, and generate financial returns,” said Andy Darrell, chief of strategy for global energy and finance at EDF. “PG&E’s new pilot with EDF’s Investor Confidence Project is a step toward making the vision of bringing energy efficiency to market a reality.”

 EDF’s Investor Confidence Project, which came to fruition in 2014, is also running a pilot through the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), and is the standard for property-assessed clean energy loans (PACE) in the state of Texas. Additional ICP programs for building owners, investors, and performance contractors exist in a half-dozen other states in the U.S. and across the European Union.

 For more information on the Investor Confidence Project, visit www.EEperformance.org.

(Washington, D.C. – August 16, 2016) The U.S. is getting a fleet of delivery trucks and buses that will use two billion fewer barrels of oil and emit 1.1 billion fewer tons of climate pollution than the ones we have now, and save truckers billions of dollars in fuel costs. By 2027, the cost of modernizing the nation’s fleet of new long-haul freight trucks with advanced low-emitting technologies could be recouped in under two years through fuel cost savings. 

“Today’s Clean Truck standards are a big win for America’s efforts to address climate change, reduce oil use, and strengthen our economy,” said Fred Krupp, president of EDF. “EPA and DOT have created rigorous and common sense standards that will reduce climate pollution, protect public health, make us more energy independent, and save money for both truckers and consumers. With today’s announcement, we will cover a lot of ground in our journey toward a safer, healthier clean energy future.” 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the final second-phase climate pollution and fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks today. The standards will apply to the freight trucks that transport the products we buy every day, as well as to buses and school buses, tractor-trailers, heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, and garbage trucks. (They are separate from standards for cars and passenger trucks.)

Freight trucks use almost 120 million gallons of fuel every day, and emit hundreds of millions of metric tons of climate pollution each year. EPA and DOT say that today’s new Clean Trucks standards will:

• Reduce climate pollution by 1.1 billion tons

• Reduce American fuel use by two billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the trucks

• Save truck owners $170 billion in fuel costs over the lifetime of their vehicles

• Result in $230 billion in societal benefits over the life of the program

The program will also benefit con­sumers by reducing the costs for shipping goods. The Consumer Federation of America found that rigorous fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards could save American households $250 annually in the near term and $400 annually by 2035. 

These second-phase Clean Truck standards will build on the first ever heavy-duty fuel economy and GHG program, which was finalized in 2011 with broad support from truck manufacturers, national security and veterans groups, labor, consumer, and health groups, and clean air advocates (including EDF). Today’s second-phase standards will apply to vehicles beginning in model year 2021.

More than 300 companies called for strong final standards during the rulemaking process, including PepsiCo and Walmart (two of the largest trucking fleets in the U.S.), mid-size trucking companies RFX Global and Dillon Transport, and large customers of trucking services General Mills, Campbell’s Soup, and IKEA. That’s largely because fuel is the largest single cost for trucking fleets. The average semi truck today burns 20,000 gallons of diesel a year – the same volume of fuel used by 50 new passenger cars. 

Innovative manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, and freight shippers have also called for strong standards. There are many technology solutions on the shelf and in production today that can be cost-effectively scaled to make trucks significantly more efficient and cleaner. Truckers and fleets across the nation have already begun adopting many of these fuel saving technologies and strategies. U.S. companies are also leading the way in developing and deploying new clean innovative technologies that will protect our environment, strengthen our economy, and help America lead the race to clean energy technologies in the global marketplace. 

You can read more about the Clean Truck program on EDF’s website.

NEWS RELEASE

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), together with other leading public health and environmental groups, has taken formal steps to go to court in defense of vital climate change and public health protections that will reduce methane and smog-forming pollution from the oil and gas industry.

EDF and the other groups filed a motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit last night asking to intervene in lawsuits challenging those clean air protections. The lawsuits were filed earlier this month by a group of oil and gas industry interests along with 15 states.

“The standards are firmly grounded in science and the law. They will reduce methane pollution, a significant contributor to climate change, and will also reduce other harmful pollutants that are dangerous to public health,” said Peter Zalzal, Lead Attorney at Environmental Defense Fund. “We look forward to presenting a robust defense in court.”

Along with EDF, the motion to intervene was filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, the Clean Air Council, Earthworks, and the Environmental Integrity Project. A group of nine states (California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont) and the city of Chicago also filed a separate motion to intervene in defense of the standards today.

Methane is the main ingredient in natural gas and a common byproduct of oil production. It has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20 year time frame.

The oil and gas industry is the largest source of methane pollution in the nation. The industry currently pumps almost 10 million metric tons of methane into the air each year from leaks and other releases. That wasted gas is worth almost $2 billion, and is enough to supply seven million American homes for a year.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized new standards for methane emissions from the oil and gas industry in June, after a rigorous scientific and technical review and an extensive public comment period. The standards will have the same 20-year climate benefit as closing 11 coal-fired power plants or taking 8.5 million cars off the road

The standards are based on leading programs in states like Colorado and Wyoming. They constitute one of the most cost-effective and important opportunities we have today to slow the pace of climate change. The standards have won wide support among Americans. More than 800,000 people, including business, religious, environmental, health, and community leaders have weighed in supporting these vital protections.

You can read more about the methane standards, and find all the legal documents in the case, on EDF’s website.

(Washington, D.C. – August 15, 2016) America is approaching the finish line for new standards that will deliver cleaner, more fuel-efficient freight trucks and buses.

According to news reports, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) will issue final climate pollution and fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks as soon as tomorrow.

“Strong, protective Clean Truck standards will be a gold-medal win against climate change,” said Fred Krupp, president of EDF. “Freight trucks use almost 120 million gallons of fuel every day, and emit hundreds of millions of metric tons of climate pollution each year. Rigorous Clean Trucks standards will help us make progress in the fight against climate change, reduce our reliance on imported oil, and save money for both truckers and consumers.”

EDF has been advocating for strong, protective Clean Trucks standards. More than 300 companies also called for strong final standards during the rulemaking process, including PepsiCo and Walmart (two of the largest trucking fleets in the U.S.), mid-size trucking companies RFX Global and Dillon Transport, and large customers of trucking services General Mills, Campbell’s Soup, and IKEA. 

You can read more in this Op Ed by Fred Krupp and PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi. You can also get more information on EDF’s website.

The following is a statement from Shems Jud, Pacific Regional Director of Environmental Defense Fund’s Oceans Program on Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Fishing Ruling

 “I’m very pleased with the ruling. It is a major win for the sustainable management of fish on the West Coast. A negative ruling could have threatened the West Coast groundfish catch share program and the strong conservation improvements it has brought about. By calling the validity of ‘control dates’ into question, a negative ruling also could have had ripple effects around the country making it much more difficult for fishery managers to effectively manage our nation’s fisheries.”

(Chicago – August 2, 2016) People from across America gathered in Chicago today for a public hearing about the proposed Clean Energy Incentive Program — a voluntary component of the historic Clean Power Plan.

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) was among those testifying in support of the Clean Energy Incentive Program, saying:  

“The [Clean Energy Incentive Program] will further the Clean Power Plan’s goals by incentivizing early action to reduce carbon pollution from the power sector—strengthening the progress America is already making in this realm—and by helping to ensure that all Americans, including the most disadvantaged, can benefit from clean energy.” (EDF testimony, page 1)

The Clean Energy Incentive Program enables states and tribes to reward early investments in wind and solar power projects or demand-side energy efficiency measures that will help reduce climate pollution. The voluntary program is one of the provisions of the Clean Power Plan – the historic plan to put the first-ever national limits on carbon pollution from fossil-fuel fired power plants. States and tribes that choose to take part in the Clean Energy Incentive Program can get matching credits for investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in low-income communities. 

The Clean Energy Incentive Program will create clean energy jobs and lower energy costs for low-income communities—at the same time that it helps keep American communities safe from the dangers of climate change. 

“States are already moving forward with the Clean Power Plan to protect public health, strengthen our economy, and keep communities safe from the dangers of climate change. California just released its blueprint for meeting goals yesterday, and other states – red, blue and purple, are also making progress,” said Pam Kiely, EDF’s senior director for regulatory strategy. “The Clean Energy Incentive Program will help those states meet the goals they’re already striving for.” 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled the Clean Energy Incentive Program proposal in June after extensive discussions with states and local governments, tribes, utilities, community groups and others. The proposal came in response to requests from more than a dozen states to provide further guidance and information about the program. In a letter to EPA’s Janet McCabe, fourteen states highlighted their need for additional information and assistance related to the final Clean Power Plan, and asked that EPA provide this information as it “will be important to our state efforts to prudently plan for and implement a variety of state and federal obligations.” EPA’s work to provide Clean Energy Incentive Program program details is fully consistent with the Clean Power Plan stay. Under the last three administrations, EPA has undertaken similar implementation-related actions while stays of Clean Air Act rules have been pending.

Along with today’s hearing in Chicago, EPA is also holding a 60-day public comment period for the Clean Energy Incentive Program.

Statement of Elgie Holstein, EDF Senior Director for Strategic Planning – August 2, 2016

“The Obama Administration has taken another practical step forward in addressing climate change. The new NEPA guidance will ensure disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions and consideration of climate change’s impacts in siting and designing projects. Including analysis of climate change in the NEPA process will result in better decision making on the part of the federal government. NEPA is the single best tool available for the federal government to explore the implications of a decision before it is made, and to find ways to offset the adverse environmental impacts.”

               -  Elgie Holstein, Senior Director for Strategic Planning for Environmental Defense Fund  

(Sacramento – August 2, 2016) The state of California has unveiled its blueprint for meeting the goals of the Clean Power Plan to reduce climate pollution, grow a stronger clean energy economy, and protect California communities.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) unveiled a draft plan today that outlines how the state would demonstrate compliance with carbon pollution limits under the Clean Power Plan. The plan would leverage California’s existing, economy-wide emissions trading program to achieve the Clean Power Plan targets for emission reductions from the power sector, and includes a supplemental “backstop” policy that would apply specifically to the power sector in the unlikely event those existing mechanisms are not enough to meet pollution reduction requirements.

“California has been leading the country in reducing dangerous climate pollution, protecting families from unhealthy air, and growing a stronger clean energy economy,” said Erica Morehouse, senior attorney for Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). “Today’s proposed Clean Power Plan blueprint is another step toward a safer and healthier future – one we reached through bipartisan solutions and Golden State innovation — and we look forward to reviewing the proposal.”

The Clean Power Plan is the single biggest step America has ever taken to address the threat of climate change. It established the first-ever national limits on carbon pollution from fossil-fuel fired power plants – the largest source of such pollution in the U.S. Today’s proposal demonstrates that states, including our largest states that serve the electricity needs of tens of millions of people and boast vibrant economies, can develop regulatory frameworks to comply with the Clean Power Plan swiftly and in a way that is consistent with existing state policies. CARB’s action comes less than 10 months after the Clean Power Plan was published in the Federal Register.

California’s progress on state plan development will not only help the state ensure compliance with the Clean Power Plan, but will provide important information for stakeholders across the West who are working to develop compatible, durable solutions for securing cost-effective emissions reductions.

“Red, blue and purple states across America are moving forward with the Clean Power Plan to protect public health, strengthen our economy, and keep communities safe from the dangers of climate change,” said Pam Kiely, EDF’s senior director for regulatory strategy. “As states work through their priorities – such as optimizing multi-pollutant emission reductions and expanding opportunities for deployment of clean energy – it makes sense to develop approaches to complying with the Clean Power Plan that provide certainty for those making ongoing investments in the power sector and create opportunities for synergy with other state-level goals.”

The California Air Resources Board will accept public comments on today’s proposed blueprint until September 19, and will hold a public hearing on September 22.

NEWS RELEASE

A group of states — including West Virginia, Alabama and the Attorney General of Michigan — and a group of oil and gas industry associations — including the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) — are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to block vital climate change and public health protections that will reduce methane and smog-forming pollution from the oil and gas industry.

The group of 14 states and state agencies, the IPAA and other groups, and the Western Energy Alliance filed petitions challenging the standards with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. They join the states of Texas and North Dakota which also petitioned to block the recently finalized emissions safeguards.

“The standards will reduce methane pollution that is driving major changes in our climate, and likewise will minimize other pollutants that harm public health. It’s unfortunate that these states and industry groups are using resources to challenge these commonsense protections, when instead America should be cooperating to address threats to our climate and air,” said Peter Zalzal, Lead Attorney at Environmental Defense Fund. “The standards are firmly grounded in the law and science and we look forward to vigorously defending them in court.”

Methane is the main ingredient in natural gas, and a common byproduct of oil production. It has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20 year time frame.

The oil and gas industry is the largest source of methane pollution in the nation. The industry currently pumps almost 10 million metric tons of methane into the air each year from leaks and other releases. That wasted gas is worth almost $2 billion, and is enough to supply seven million American homes.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized new standards for methane emissions from the oil and gas industry in June, after detailed scientific and legal review and an extensive public comment period. The standards are based on leading programs in states like Colorado and Wyoming. They constitute one of the most cost-effective and important opportunities we have today to slow the pace of climate change.

The standards will have the same 20-year climate benefit as closing 11 coal-fired power plants or taking 8.5 million cars off the road. EPA estimates they will eliminate 210,000 tons of volatile organic compounds and 3,900 tons of air toxics a year by 2025, and will deliver annual climate benefits of $690 million.

The standards have won wide support among Americans. More than 800,000 people, including business, religious, environmental, health, and community leaders have weighed in supporting these vital protections.

You can read more about the methane standards, and find all the legal documents in the case, on EDF’s website. 

(NEW YORK – August 2, 2016) New York strengthened its commitment to a clean energy future yesterday with the introduction of the state’s new Clean Energy Standard. Created by the New York Public Service Commission under Governor Cuomo’s directive, the new standard reinforces clean energy reforms underway throughout the state and outlines concrete steps to ensure New York will get 50 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

The state will achieve its renewable energy goals using Renewable Energy Credits, and require all six New York investor-owned utilities and other energy suppliers to financially support struggling upstate nuclear power plants by compensating them for the value of the carbon emissions the plants avoid, using Zero-Emission Credits.

The Clean Energy Standard is supported by Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), New York’s unprecedented effort to create a more efficient, resilient, and reliable electric grid, align utility business models with policy objectives, and reduce pollution.

“With its commitment to reducing harmful pollution, boosting renewables, and slashing energy waste, New York continues to be ahead of the pack in the fight against climate change. By providing a much-needed roadmap for adding more renewables to the state’s energy mix, Governor Cuomo is transforming New York into a clean energy powerhouse.

“We are optimistic the proposed standard will achieve New York’s ambitious climate and energy goals, and are confident the state is open to expanding its approach to boosting renewables if the desired results don’t occur.

“EDF has long advocated for polluters to pay for the public health and other societal costs arising from burning fossil fuels. Zero-Emission Credits for nuclear power, though a subsidy for pollution avoidance rather than the preferred approach of internalizing externalities, constitute a first step toward taking the harm of carbon pollution seriously while meeting New York’s future energy needs with significantly more renewable energy resources like wind and solar.”

• Rory Christian, Director, New York Clean Energy, Environmental Defense Fund

(MESA, AZ – August 2, 2016) Environmental Defense Fund and Google Earth Outreach are using specially equipped Google Street View mapping cars equipped to locate and measure methane released from thousands of leaks in the natural gas lines beneath cities across America. But in Mesa, Arizona, they found just a few small emitters. That’s because the city-owned utility and others around the state have been proactive in replacing and maintaining older, leak-prone pipes.
 
“We are proud of Mesa’s high standards when it comes to keeping our natural gas lines above safety and environmental requirements,” said Frank McRae, Energy Resources Director for the City of Mesa. “The results illustrate our dedication to safety and reliability for our customers and the city.”
 
The City of Mesa has a history of high standards regarding leak detection and safety. For example, Mesa Energy Resources played an active role in the development of the federal Gas Distribution Integrity Management Program, which the city adopted in 2010, a year before the required deadline.

Maps showing the low number of leaks in Mesa compared to the widespread problem in other cities are at www.edf.org/climate/methanemaps. A video on the project is at http://tinyurl.com/MethaneMaps.

All utilities are required to monitor their lines and quickly fix leaks that pose a safety threat. But smaller or more remote leaks can – and often do – go undetected or unrepaired for long periods. This doesn’t usually pose a safety risk, but the escaping gas – which is mostly methane – has a powerful effect on the climate, packing 84 times the warming effect of carbon dioxide over a 20-year timeframe. Over time, those emissions can do a lot of damage; reducing them can have an immediate benefit to the climate.

“Methane leaks are a serious environmental challenge for utilities everywhere, and a waste of customer resources. Fixing them is a quick way to dramatically reduce greenhouse emissions,” said Mary Gade, a former state and federal environmental official now working with EDF on the mapping project. “Mesa has done a good job keeping up with the investments needed to protect their system. The city is setting a good example for others around the country.”

But even cities like Mesa have room to make further progress. To further reduce pipeline leaks, for example, EDF says that Arizona utilities should be required to use state-of-the-art measurement and detection technology, conduct more frequent leak surveys, and make the results publicly available.

The Mesa City Council recently committed to improving their data practices and openness as one of the first cities selected for the Bloomberg Philanthropies “What Works Cities” initiative, making this an opportune time to consider using better data acquisition and analysis tools to advance utilities’ leak management efforts in Mesa, and throughout Arizona.

“Arizona has a strong regulatory framework for leak repair and management. But better data can help ensure that utilities are investing their resources more cost effectively, and getting the biggest bang for their customer dollars,” Gade said. “Leaks that are a safety threat should always be fixed immediately, but after that, utilities should be tackling those with the greatest emissions, which pose the most serious threat to the environment.”

Early detection of natural gas leaks benefits both customers and the environment, and has the potential to reduce the need for costly and disruptive emergency repairs. Utilities in New York and California are already publishing dynamic maps of their natural gas leaks. Publically sharing geographically-attributed leak data can help regulators and ratepayers track utility performance, and ensure cost-efficient emission reductions.

The researchers in Mesa collected 600,000 data points driving 200 miles of roadway in and around the city, and found just three leaks. Google cars took readings in March and April 2016. The maps therefore represent a snapshot, and may not reflect current leaks due to repairs or other changes.

New Technology Means Better Opportunity

The mapping project was developed in collaboration with scientists at Colorado State University and Google Earth Outreach. EDF has been working with utilities in cities around the U.S., including Boston, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles to demonstrate technology to detect leaks and assess leak sizes quickly and more efficiently. Data from the project is being used by New Jersey’s largest utility, Public Service Electric and Gas, as part of an ongoing $905 million pipeline replacement program that was approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

The technology in this pilot project is newer and more sensitive than devices typically used by utilities to detect leaks on their systems. It has the capability to find and measure leaks that wouldn’t necessarily turn up or warrant repair based on safety concerns alone, but which do add up to a major environmental issue and costs to ratepayers. EDF and researchers at Colorado State University spent four years testing and fine-tuning the technology.
 

(WASHINGTON – July 25, 2016) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today formally issued its finding that six greenhouse gases from aviation are dangerous to human health and welfare; that these gases cause and contribute to climate change; and that EPA will set standards for the emissions of these by commercial aircraft. Aircraft are the largest unregulated source of transportation emissions, and emissions from aviation could triple by 2050. Today’s finding opens the door for EPA to issue more stringent regulations than the international standards provisionally recommended by the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Today’s rule means that the EPA is now required to undertake a separate notice and comment rulemaking to propose and issue emission standards applicable to the particular greenhouse gases from the classes of aircraft engines subject to the findings. Given that the Clean Air Act authorizes and directs EPA to regulate “any pollutant” from aircraft engines, today’s rule also leaves open the possibility that EPA will make similar findings with regard to other gases emitted by airplanes. Once EPA issues a standard for any greenhouse gas emitted by aircraft, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must prescribe regulations to ensure compliance with that standard.

EPA also found that U.S. aircraft emit almost one-third of aviation’s global total. Separately, the FAA has found that U.S. aircraft are slated for the fastest emissions growth of any form of U.S. transportation.

“We have efficiency standards to reduce climate pollution from cars, trucks, and school buses. It’s time to cut climate pollution from airplanes, too. EPA’s finding today recognizes that climate change is a risk to public health and our economy. The aviation industry must – and can – do much better.

“US aircraft have emitted the lion’s share of global warming pollution world-wide. We should shoulder the lion’s share of the pollution-cutting responsibilities as well. EPA’s endangerment finding today sets the stage for the US to step up to those responsibilities and lead the world on cleaner air travel, with a standard more stringent than the one adopted by ICAO. 

“As important as it is, a greenhouse gas efficiency standard for airplanes is only one piece of the cleaner skies puzzle. Given the enormous growth slated for this industry, we need both more efficient engines and an agreement to cap the total climate pollution from international civil aviation worldwide. In September, ICAO will vote on a proposal to do just that, using an innovative market-based mechanism to ensure that airlines achieve net carbon neutral growth from 2020. Securing a robust agreement in ICAO will be a key part of President Obama’s legacy on climate change.”

•  Annie Petsonk, EDF International Counsel

(OHIO – JULY 22, 2016) Ohio-based utility giant FirstEnergy today announced the closure of four units of its Sammis coal-fired power plant and the remaining oil-fired unit of its Bay Shore facility, representing a reduction of almost 900 megawatts of dirty power generation. Most of the uneconomic units had been part of the utility giant’s $4-billion bailout request, which was blocked by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission earlier this year. An updated version of FirstEnergy’s request to keep its unprofitable power plants online is currently before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

“Closing these outdated, dirty power plants not only shows FirstEnergy finally recognizes the market momentum toward coal’s inevitable demise, the decision is great news for Ohio customers, who avoid paying a massive subsidy to keep the units afloat. These closures are also undoubtedly a huge victory for healthier air, yet FirstEnergy continues to ask customers to pay for its bad business decisions and provide subsidies to other dirty and uneconomic plants. We need to keep working to protect Ohioans, from both pollution and politically powerful utilities like FirstEnergy.”

(TEXAS – July 21, 2016) El Paso Electric Company today filed a unanimous settlement on its rate case pending before the Public Utility Commission of Texas. The electric utility agreed to eliminate its proposed creation of a separate rate class for customers who install solar panels at their homes. The proposed electricity rate structure would have raised costs for most existing residential solar customers, and made it impossible for people considering installing solar panels to determine the economic impact of their investment.   

“Texas has more solar potential than any other state and, by not discriminating against households who install solar panels, El Paso Electric’s agreement will allow our state to continue its clean energy legacy. In addition to protecting local solar jobs, this compromise will empower El Pasoans to produce their own clean energy, without unnecessarily increasing electric bills.”

• Jim Marston, Vice President, Clean Energy