Climate 411

Last year, California took a major step forward in its climate leadership when the Legislature reauthorized the Cap-and-Invest program and directed the California Air Resources Board to ensure it delivers the emissions reductions needed to meet the state’s 2030 and 2045 climate targets. CARB’s most recent proposal for implementing the program, however, does the opposite: ... The post The new Cali…

As New Yorkers face rising utility bills and unmanageable prices at the pump driven by volatile fossil fuel markets, now is the moment for New York to hit the accelerator on the clean energy transition promised by the state’s landmark climate law. Despite this, Governor Hochul has proposed changes to the climate law that would ... The post As fossil fuels drive up energy costs, New York can’t aff…

Results were released today for the February 18 auction for the joint California–Quebec Cap-and-Invest market, the first of the year and the first since the California Air Resources Board (CARB) published its initial plans for updating this cornerstone climate program. Today’s allowance prices, detailed below, signal lackluster demand and suggest there is ample room in ... The post California Cap…

This blog is part of a series by EDF on the development of a regional electricity market in the West. Other blogs in the series explore the overall importance and benefit of a regional market, the impacts of market participation in Colorado and California, and opportunities unlocked via passage of California AB 825.  After decades of effort, a regional electricity market in the Western U.S. is ta…

It takes time and extensive planning to build a new clean power plant in California. Figuring out how, where and when to generate clean electrons is a balance between ensuring that the energy transition is affordable, and that the state keeps the lights on.  California regulators recently issued a proposal that will do just that. There are a lot of things to like, but as with everything, getting …

One of the most harmful actions the Trump EPA took during its first term was undermining long-standing Clean Air Act safeguards that require industrial facilities like refineries and power plants to modernize their pollution controls when they are newly built or expanding in a way that increases overall pollution volumes. These protections are intended to ensure newly constructed facilities or re…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed eliminating its Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) — a critical source of public data that shows the sources and scale of pollution that causes climate change, including from oil and gas facilities, landfills, large industrial and manufacturing facilities, and power plants. This data is widely used by policymakers, scientists,…

“If you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go together.” This perfectly captures the journey to standing up a West-wide electricity market. After years of collaboration, Western states are now closer than ever to a true regional electricity market that can deliver cleaner, cheaper and more reliable power.  ... The post Western Electricity Markets: Going Further, Together appeare…

Even as recent federal actions have attempted to weaken or eliminate clean vehicle standards, states across the country are taking actions to support clean, affordable transportation – actions that cut pollution and save people money. EDF’s new U.S. Electric Vehicle State Policy Landscape Report provides a comprehensive assessment of how all 50 states and the District of Columbia are shaping the …

Research from Environmental Defense Fund shows that when it comes to evaluating the climate efficacy of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategies, timescale matters.   CDR strategies like wetland restoration and direct air capture are critical for reaching net-zero targets. We typically assess their potential climate benefit by calculating the amount of net carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emission…