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In September 2018, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) promulgated amendments that eliminated or replaced most provisions of the Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation final rule the Obama administration issued in 2016. However, several 2016 provisions were retained with modifications, including a provision relating to measuring and […]
In its 2018 Automotive Trends Report, the EPA states that estimated real-world CO2 emissions from model year (MY) 2017 light-duty vehicles were at a record low and fuel economy at a record high. The report covers vehicles manufactured in 2017, the most recent year for which the Agency has complete data. The report is based […]
In the latest of its periodic reports on what the legislative branch is doing about climate change, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) notes that lawmakers in eight Congresses over the last 15 years have introduced bills to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 60 times.
The Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to withdraw a rule issued in the final days of the Obama administration that expanded the definition of general service lamps (GSLs) and general service incandescent lamps (GSILs).
“Beautiful, clean coal,” as President Donald Trump described it in his January 2018 State of the Union address, is still not making the comeback the president promised. In fact, power-plant coal consumption continues to drop in large increments and shows no sign of changing course. And the less coal power plants burn, the harder the […]
Over the last several months, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has taken two actions intended to ensure that coal-fired power plants continue to comprise a substantial portion of the nation’s energy portfolio. In December 2018, the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE) issued a request for proposal (RFP) seeking “conceptual designs for coal-based power […]
An apparent attempt by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to reverse its previous findings about the potentially detrimental impacts of a proposed 600-mile natural pipeline crossing two national forests as well as the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (ANST) was in violation of multiple federal laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), concluded a panel […]
As part of its two-part strategy to revitalize coal-fired power in the United States, the EPA is proposing to amend its 2015 final New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from new, modified, and reconstructed electric utility generating units (EGUs).
The EPA’s use of its Clean Air Act (CAA) authority to grant waivers from Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations to small refineries has for years been a top issue of contention associated with the RFS. The Agency’s use of the waiver has continued to spark negative reactions from renewable fuel advocates following the Agency’s issuance […]
In the waning days of the Obama administration, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) promulgated revisions to regulations at 43 CFR Subpart Section 3179, which are intended to reduce the waste of oil and natural gas (O&G) from venting, flaring, and leaks during O&G production on onshore federal and Indian leases. The main objective of […]