News

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency officially released its proposed standards for cutting carbon emissions for power plants by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. This Politico article provides an exposition on the new regulations and highlights what it means for the energy industry.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the backing of the Obama Administration has proposed new regulations to help power plants cut down carbon emissions. The goal is to cut down emissions by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. The 30 percent figure is just an average, and individual states would have different requirements for how much they would have to slash their pollution levels. Read more here.

“Today’s proposal from EPA represents an opportunity to modernize the electric power system, making it higher performing and more consumer-focused while reducing emissions,” said Malcolm Woolf, senior vice president for policy and government affairs at Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a national business association. “By allowing a range of ‘outside the fence line’ options for compliance, EPA is giving states leeway to make full use of the dozens of advanced energy technologies that make it possible to cut emissions while improving reliability, reducing costs, increasing competition, and creating new services for consumers. While we are still reviewing EPA’s detailed proposal, AEE and its member companies stand ready to help states find the best approach for their specific resources and circumstances.”

66% Believe Power System Modernization is a Good Idea, with 74% in Support of Cutting Back Old Power Plants Through Greater Energy Efficiency and 58% Favoring the Use of Lower Emission Power Sources Even If It Costs More Money   

As Bloomberg reports, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released an economic impact study showing that the Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants could result in a loss of jobs in the coal industry. The article also presents a contrasting view from AEE.

As Utility Dive reports, a few weeks the New York utilities market set in motion major structural adjustments in its recent regulation reforms. Audrey Zibelman, chair of the New York Department of Public Service (DPS), describes these changes as being born out of the needs of energy consumers. PSEG CEO Ralph Izzo, recently sat on a panel with Zibelman and expressed his concerns about the utility industry moving away from centralized grids to  customer-sited technologies. He said regulatory systems may have to rethink if they  “are violating one of the fundamental premises that electric utilities have been under for a century – universal access.”

Indianapolis has welcomed its latest car sharing service - an electric car sharing service founded by French billionaire Vincent Bolloré’s Bolloré Group. The venture will start with 500 cars and 1,000 charging stations at 200 locations. On a call with Forbes, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard said “the program will function “kind of like a bike-share,” with a subscription service plus rental costs of about $10 an hour.” Read more here.

Since May 15, 2014, New York and Pennsylvania residents have had the option to get a 100 percent solar electricity plan through a Green Mountain Energy Company program. The program dubbed “The SolarSPARC™ 100,” will allow customers to not only meet all of their electricity needs with solar, but also support the local development of new solar and receiving credit facilities that will be funded by monthly per-customer contributions from the company. Read more here.

The U.S. Army has announced its plans to develop three 30 MW PV solar installations in collaboration with utility company Georgia Power. Dubbed “Georgia 3x30,” the initiative will build installations in Fort Stewart, Fort Gordon and Fort Benning and plans to start commercial operation before the end of 2016. The U.S. Army Energy Initiatives Task Force is also currently working on solar projects in Alabama, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland and New York. Read more here.

Energy intelligence software company Energy Points has created a map that compares the efficiency of the local grid to the average efficiency of solar. According to the map, on-site solar is more efficient than the grid in the Southwest while the Northwest has incredibly efficient hydropower. Read more here.