The legal battle over whether Virginia can withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative begins
As promised, the Southern Environmental Law Center this week sued Virginia to stop it from withdrawing from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Virginia joined that 11-state partnership in 2021, during the Northam administration. The initiative’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capping the amount of carbon pollution that electric companies can emit. Basically, power companies have to buy permits for every ton of carbon they emit, and if they exceed their permitted amounts they are fined.
RGGI was around for more than a decade before Virginia joined. And during that decade, a study by the environmental advocacy group Acadia Center showed that power plants in the nine states initially involved cut their emissions nearly in half. And according to the Southern Environmental Law Center’s suit, emissions from Virginia’s power plants dropped 16.8% in the two years we’ve been involved.
To read the full article from Charlottesville Tomorrow, click here.
Businesses charting more active course in combating climate change
Business action to meet climate goals is essential to mitigation and adaptation solutions, whether by investing in their operations, producing clean and sustainable products and services, or supporting climate policies. Yet businesses still face barriers to action because of capacity constraints on financial, human, information, or other resources. Small businesses in particular need specialized attention and support. They don’t have the resources to focus on climate change, even though many potential strategies could save them time and money.
New England plays an impressive role on the world climate stage, with an increasingly engaged business community collaborating with others to resolve conflicts at the intersection of climate and the economy (“Utilities, businesses changing their tune: Shift appears in approach to climate concerns,” Page A1, Aug. 24). An Acadia Center official’s attempt to be “blunt” in saying that “the business community will go where they see an opportunity to make money” is outdated. It returns us to the environment vs. economy adversarial roles prevalent in past environmental and business groups’ relationships.
To read the full article in the Boston Globe, click here.
Gas Car Showdown: The People vs Special Interest Groups
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) held a public hearing on Tuesday (Aug. 22) about Gov. Ned Lamont’s announcement: that Connecticut will join fifteen other states that conform to California’s emission standards rather than federal emission standards set by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA).
Last year, California unveiled plans to discontinue the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035, after which all new vehicle sales will be zero-emission vehicles, with a focus on electric vehicles (EV). According to a Connecticut law passed in 2004, DEEP’s commissioner shall adopt and amend emission regulations implemented by the Golden State.
During the four-hour meeting, DEEP heard from various special interest groups — including those that will profit from the ban — argue that these regulations are needed to save the planet.
Advocates from environmental groups such as Acadia Center, Citizens Climate Lobby and Save the Sound spoke in support promising a cleaner atmosphere, lower asthma rates and job creation.
To read the full article from Yankee Institute, click here.
Once seen as opponents to climate action, utilities and the business community are making changes. Is that a sign the tides are turning?
As state officials and climate advocates have tried to push forward with major climate initiatives, powerful forces, including gas utilities and prominent business organizations, have for years worked to delay or undermine them.
Now, in a boon for climate action, that appears to be changing.
As business opportunities in a burgeoning clean economy grow, two influential lobbying groups now have leaders with strong environmental credentials. Meanwhile, a prominent business group parted ways with an executive who had represented gas interests, and the state’s two largest utilities have made moves that advocates believe could lead them to deemphasize their fossil fuel based operations.
Kyle Murray, Massachusetts program director at the clean energy advocacy group Acadia Center, who has observed the changes happening across the state’s business community, said they are driven less by the escalating urgency of the climate crisis than by a growing sense of economic opportunity.
“To be blunt about it, the business community will go where they see an opportunity to make money,” he said. “The green transition is providing a ton of jobs and a ton of new investments.”
To read the full article from the Boston Globe, click here.
Concerns over pollution, costs for CT’s phase out of gas-powered cars
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) heard public comment from lawmakers, organizations and the general public over Gov. Ned Lamont’s announcement that Connecticut would begin phasing out the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles beginning in 2027.
Connecticut is one of sixteen states that adhere to California’s emission standards as opposed to federal emission standards. California last year announced they would no longer allow the sale of new gasoline powered vehicles by 2035, and, instead, all new vehicle sales would have to be zero emission vehicles, particularly electric vehicles.
Representatives from environmental organizations like Save the Sound, the Sierra Club, the Union of Concerned Scientists and Acadia Center all testified that Connecticut’s adoption of these emission standards will lead to less pollution in the air, fewer asthma deaths, more jobs to build out the infrastructure for EV’s and help combat climate change.
To read the full article, click here.
New Jersey environmentalists launch campaign to raise energy awareness
Organizations from around New Jersey have joined together to form Clean Energy Action Now (CLEAN), a campaign dedicated to increasing awareness of the health, economic, and climate benefits of an equitable clean energy future.
The New Jersey environmental advocates launched the campaign to raise awareness of the health, economic, and climate benefits of an equitable clean energy future for New Jersey and to counter lies propagated by the fossil fuel industry.
Utilities, Generators and Wind Developers Spend Big on Lobbying in Mass.
National Grid and Eversource, Massachusetts’ largest investor-owned gas and electric utility companies, were the highest-spending energy companies on lobbying in the state over the first half of this year, while Shell Oil, NextEra and several offshore wind developers also spent big.
The lobbying data sheds light on the political influence, broad agreements and simmering tensions that underlie Massachusetts’ climate and energy policy.
A wide range of organizations representing industry, environmental and labor interests also lobbied in favor of the bill, including National Grid, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, the Union of Concerned Scientists, Acadia Center and the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.
To read the full article from RTO Insider, click here.
Environmental advocates launch Clean Energy Action Now
In an effort to raise awareness of the health, economic and climate benefits of an equitable clean energy future for the state, a number of top environmental agencies and advocates announced Tuesday they are launching the Clean Energy Action Now campaign.
The campaign, which will be known as CLEAN, aims to support the urgent adoption of policies that encourage and accelerate clean energy solutions, such as establishing a state target in law of 100% clean electricity by 2035. It also will work toward finding an equitable, affordable pathway to upgrade New Jersey’s homes and buildings to clean energy and highly efficient appliances such as heat pumps.
The following organizations are founding members of CLEAN:
- Acadia Center;
- Environmental Defense Fund;
- Natural Resources Defense Council;
- New Jersey Conservation Foundation;
- New Jersey League of Conservation Voters;
- ReThink Energy NJ;
- Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter;
- New Jersey Progressive Equitable Energy Coalition;
- MnM Consulting.
To read the full article from ROI-NJ, click here.
Advocates want to limit how utilities pay for ‘political activities’ in Mass.
When you pay your monthly electric or gas bill, you give your utility money for a lot more than just the energy you use.
You pay for the cost of building and maintaining electrical wires or pipelines.
You pay for operating expenses like employee salaries and renting office space.
You pay for the state’s energy efficiency program.
And, experts say, you might also help pay for some of your utility’s attempts to influence climate policy or advance its other political goals.
Several environmental groups in the state like GreenRoots, Acadia Center and Slingshot also say they also support the effort.
“I think specific statutory rules would be beneficial for Massachusetts,” Kyle Murray of Acadia Center said. “Rules that increase transparency and ease the regulatory burden on ratepayers are always welcome.”
To read the full article from wbur, click here.
Connecticut Joins States Across the Region, Announcing Plans to Adopt Live-Saving Clean Cars and Trucks Standards
PRESS RELEASE – July 26, 2023
Hartford — Today, Governor Lamont and the Connecticut Department of Energy and the Environment announced that they are moving forward with plans to adopt the Advanced Clean Cars (ACCII), Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) and Heavy-Duty Omnibus (HDO) programs this year. This announcement sets the state on a path to lower vehicle emissions and a healthy transition to electric vehicles and cleaner air.
The transportation sector contributes 38% of the state’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, more than any other sector. Tailpipe pollution is also responsible for 67% of the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), a key component of smog that causes increased risk of asthma, lung disease and cancer. In Connecticut specifically, 4 out of 8 counties received F grades from the American Lung Association due to high ozone days.
Heavy-duty trucks and buses make up just 6% of all on-road vehicles across the states, but are responsible for over 50% of all NOx pollution and 45% of the diesel soot, also known as fine particulate matter, which finds its way deep into the lungs resulting in early death attributed to cardiovascular diseases, like heart attacks and strokes, as well as lung cancer, reproductive and developmental harm, and even diabetes and dementia.
“I am heartened by the announcement of these proposed regulations to help curb transportation emissions by the Lamont Administration and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection,” said Jayson Velazquez, Climate and Energy Justice Policy Associate, Acadia Center. “Measures like these will strengthen Connecticut’s position as a leader in climate action. I look forward to continued collaboration between the administration and our coalition partners to achieve equitable and timely emissions reductions.”
To read the full press release from Electric Trucks Now, click here.
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