Insights

Will You Look at Your Gas Stove Differently After Reading This?

Just this morning, new research was released from Stanford that shows that gas stoves are bigger climate polluters than previously thought, when accounting for methane leaks.

Confronting Environmental Injustice: A Look at State Approaches

One of the principles of environmental justice is that “public policy be based on mutual respect and justice for all peoples, free from any form of discrimination or bias.”

With the ACE Rule Cert Grant, Where Is the Court Headed?

January-February 2022

At the end of October, the Supreme Court decided to take on the Affordable Clean Energy regulation, a case where it will be ruling entirely in hypotheticals.

Climate Stumbling Blocks: Zombie Energy Laws, States, and the Path to Paris

2021

With the dawn of the Biden Administration, there is renewed optimism that the U.S. will take steps to fulfill its responsibilities under the Paris Agreement and curb GHG emissions

#StateImpactAlert Makes Participating in Rulemaking Easy

#StateImpactAlerts will save you from having to comb through the Federal Register to stay up to date. The alerts include a brief description of the action, the agency or agencies behind it, the deadline for comments, the date of public meetings (if applicable), and the link to the proceeding.

The Virtual Coal in Your Stocking

If you are thinking about holiday gifts this month, be careful about cryptocurrency mined with coal. Cryptocurrency is a virtual currency that has been getting increasing levels of negative attention due to environmental harms associated with how it is “mined.”

The Proof is in the Policies: 2021 Wins

After spending four years holding the line to protect our climate, air, environment, and communities, AGs have played an important role in bringing about many legal and regulatory changes on the federal front during 2021.

Watching FERC and Watching the Courts

With the recent confirmation of Willie Phillips to serve as the fifth commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), utilities, advocates, and other stakeholders are waiting to see how FERC proceeds.

Presidential Transitions: The New Rules

December 2021

The Trump administration was unusually aggressive in using an obscure set of tools to undo the Obama administration’s regulatory legacy.

Halloween is Over, Watch Out for the Leftover Zombies

The Supreme Court announced just recently that it would hear a case about a dead rule: the Trump-era EPA guidelines on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants issued under the Clean Air Act’s section 7411(d).

Instead of ‘Hot Summer’ for FERC, Commission Lands in Hot Water

November-December 2021

The courts are paying attention to FERC and its analysis of need, climate impacts, and environmental justice (or lack thereof). A pair of decisions highlights a new era for the panel, even as the commission shifts priorities under President Biden.

Tricks, Treats, and Transmission: Bringing Equity to Grid Planning

The climate emergency is testing the transmission system, and the current transmission system is failing. As FERC explores improving transmission planning, we have an opportunity to address critical equity concerns.