89 FR 35312
DOE amended its regulations for the timely coordination of federal authorizations for proposed interstate electric transmission facilities pursuant to the Federal Power Act.
DOE amended its regulations for the timely coordination of federal authorizations for proposed interstate electric transmission facilities pursuant to the Federal Power Act.
DOE established energy performance standards for the new construction and major renovation of federal buildings per the Energy Conservation and Production Act, as amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
BLM updated procedures governing the Bureau’s renewable energy and right-of-way programs, focusing on two main topics: solar and wind energy generation rents and fees; and agency discretion to process applications for solar and wind energy generation rights-of-way inside designated leasing areas.
EPA announced an opportunity for public input on ENERGY STAR product specification development activities.
Concerned by methane’s potent climate-altering emissions, a growing number of states and municipalities have embraced the phaseout of natural gas as a tool to mitigate climate change. But in April 2023, the California Restaurant Association successfully petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to overturn the city of Berkeley’s ban on natural gas infrastructure in new buildings. The three-judge panel found the ban preempted by the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act, and in January 2024, the Ninth Circuit denied Berkeley’s petition for rehearing.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management proposed to hold offshore wind lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico for multiple lease areas using a multiple-factor bidding auction format.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finalized minor technical amendments to the test procedures for heavy-duty engines and vehicles regarding the certification procedures for fuel efficiency standards and related requirements.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) both have long-standing risk regulation regimes. To promote deployment of advanced nuclear reactors, Congress directed the NRC to reform its licensing regulations to increase the use of risk-informed, performance-based, and technology-neutral approaches. However, the NRC has doubled down on its traditional risk-management strategies, which require eliminating even the most remote and improbable risks, and which fail to account for the benefits of advanced reactors.
This Article analyzes domestic hurdles to renewable energy development, and explores effective regulatory strategies at both the national and state levels to overcome barriers to clean energy transition. Projections indicate that the United States will need to triple its transmission grid capacity by 2050 to achieve decarbonization at the scale promised under the Paris Agreement. The transition faces major obstacles in permitting and siting, with limited transmission access and complex processes effectively obstructing the transition.