Category: Energy

Diesel fuel, engine, emissions

Reauthorization Likely for Diesel Emissions Reduction Act

There is strong bipartisan support in the Senate to reauthorize the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), which directs federal dollars into grants, rebates, and loans to public and private entities implementing projects that reduce emissions from diesel engines. As noted by sponsors of the reauthorization bill, as well as witnesses at a recent Senate hearing, […]

EPA Proposal Would Approve Use of E15 During the Summer

The prospects for year-round use of vehicle fuel with 15 percent ethanol (E15) are brighter with the EPA’s release of a proposed rule that would extend a Clean Air Act (CAA) waiver to E15 during the summer season.

flared gas

The Measuring and Reporting of Flared Gas on Public Lands

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 […]

exhaust coming out of car tailpipe

EPA Report Highlights an Upward Trend in Auto Performance

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 […]

Lightbulbs

DOE Looks to Void Lightbulb Definition Expansion

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).

Coal Plant

EIA Reports Coal Is Not Rebounding

“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 […]

DOE Issues RFP for Advanced Coal-Fired Power Plants

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 […]

Appalachian Trail marker

Pipeline Crossing Appalachian Trail Halted by 4th Circuit Court

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 […]

Will Power Plant Proposal Reverse Coal’s Fortunes?

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).