Share

Your weekly intelligence on Decarbonization Policy and Impacts
 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

NetZero Insider reporters hit the ground running as the new year began with the opening of state legislatures, and  the introduction of new bills and budget proposals.


New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) included a proposal for speeding up transmission permitting in her State of the State message, NetZero Insider’s John Cropley reports. The RAPID Act — Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment — would create a one-stop process for environmental review and permitting of major renewable energy and transmission facilities.


Cropley and colleague John Norris also delivered a rundown of the policy challenges ahead as New York struggles to maintain momentum for a clean energy transition that hits some significant bumps in 2023.


Budget woes are affecting ambitious decarbonization plans in both California and Maryland. Correspondent Elaine Goodman reports on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to address California’s budget deficits by cutting climate spending to $48.3 billion from $54 billion for 2024/25  and stretching that spending from five to seven years.  


Budget shortfalls could also hobble Maryland’s ability to take action on its Climate Pollution Reduction Plan, which calls for an additional $1 billion per year in public spending to reach a 2031 goal of slashing GHG emissions by 60%, writes K Kaufmann.


How state energy policies affect consumers’ household budgets is another key theme for 2024. Switching from gas to electric heating can cut home energy bills, but not if the move to electric heat means increased winter demand and higher electric bills for low- and moderate-income households, writes New England correspondent Jon Lamson. That looming possibility has prompted the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities to open a docket to look at options for lowering those customers’ bills.


The pitched battles over Washington state’s cap-and-invest program continue with the Washington Policy Group, a conservative think tank, arguing that Gov. Jay Inslee (D) knew a decade ago that the program would spike gasoline prices, correspondent John Stang reports. Stang also reports that cap-and-invest will be a hot issue for the Washington State Legislature this year as Democrats seek to fine tune the program to get a better grip on gas prices, while Republicans seek to overturn it.


The urgency of finding climate solutions was underlined by reports that 2023 was the hottest year on record, with temperatures rising perilously close to the 1.5-degress Celsius cap set by the 2015 Paris Climate Accords.


Other articles in our curated content look at new solutions ― and potential obstacles ― now emerging to accelerate action on clean energy.


Profits from green investments added $3 billion to the ledgers of some the world’s largest banks last year, edging out the $2.7 billion the banks received from fossil fuel investments, according to Clean Technica.


Another piece on the cleantech website looks at the potential for small and medium-sized businesses to aggregate their demand and sign aggregated power purchase agreements for clean power.


With the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses opening the 2024 presidential election, the shadow of a Trump victory already is looming in California as an EPA backlog has delayed the waivers the state needs to execute on environmental regulations, such as its Advanced Clean Fleets rule, that are more stringent than national standards, Politico reports.


Want more? Read on for NetZero Insider’s policy Intelligence Report!


Jump To

Finance & Investing
Impact & Adaptation
Policy & Politics

 
 

Finance & Investing

International

Green Investments Begin To Pay Off For Big Banks

The world's biggest lenders generated a total of about $3 billion in fees last year from lining up debt for deals marketed as environmentally friendly, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. By comparison, the fossil fuel sector brought in less than $2.7 billion in aggregate earnings from fossil fuel transactions. Clean Technica


U.S.

How Aggregated PPAs Create Clean Energy Options for SMEs

SMEs have big hoops to jump through if they want to procure renewable energy. Clean Technica


U.S.

First Solar $700M sale of advanced manufacturing tax credits likely first of many such deals: CPA

First Solar has agreed to sell up to $700 million in 2023 advanced manufacturing production tax credits to fintech firm Fiserv, according to a Dec. 27 announcement. Utility Dive


Washington

Washington's cap on carbon is raising billions for climate action. Can it survive the backlash?

One year after it went into effect, Washington's "cap-and-invest" system has already brought in an eyebrow-raising $2.2 billion for action on climate change. Hedge fund manager Brian Heywood has funded a petition drive to repeal the Climate Commitment Act over its effects on gas prices, and whatever happens next is bound to influence how other states choose to tackle global warming. Grist


Return to Top
 

Impact & Adaptation

International

2023 Was Hottest Year on Record by a Lot

The numbers are in, and scientists can now confirm what month after month of extraordinary heat worldwide began signaling long ago: Last year was Earth's warmest by far in a century and a half. The New York Times


Alabama

In an era of climate change, Alaska's predators fall prey to politics

With Alaska's wildlife numbers declining, agencies are blaming -- and culling -- predators. The true threat is much more complex. Grist


International

Can $500 Million Save This Glacier?

The Jakobshavn glacier in Greenland is one of the fastest-deteriorating glaciers in the world. Glaciologist John Moore wants to raise its sill, using gravel and sand, to reduce the warm water in the fiord and allow Jakobshavn to thicken naturally and stabilize. Moore believes a sea wall might not only decrease Greenland's contribution to sea-level rise, but also serve as a trial run for far grander ambitions. For $500 million. The New York Times


U.S.

Climate changing: Research shows times for 'prescribed burns' in the West shifting

Deciding when and where to conduct prescribed burns is becoming increasingly important as the climate warms, and, according to a study published in October 2023 in Communications Earth & Environment, the timing and frequency of appropriate weather will also play a larger role. Prescribed burns are an essential tool land managers use in reducing fuel availability for extreme wildfires, and parts of the northern Rocky Mountains will have more days to use prescribed burns, especially during the early and late winter months, the study found. Daily Montanan


Flooding & Drought

U.S.

As climate risks increase, Mississippi River towns look to each other for solutions

The past few years have brought wild fluctuations between flooding and drought, bringing more stress to the communities nestled along the Mississippi's 2,350 miles. One potential solution is to work with, rather than against, the river, and one community built Bee Branch Creek, a 20-year-long project that became much more than just an engineering solution for excess rain water. Grist


Return to Top
 

Policy & Politics

California

Trump's shadow already looms over California climate rules

A backlog of California policies is piling up at President Joe Biden's EPA, raising fears that they won't get approved before the election. Politico


Hawaii

It's Time For Hawaii To Make Climate Polluters Pay

Litigation takes time, so the sooner we start, the sooner compensation from oil companies can help Hawaii with the immense financial burdens of climate change. A successful climate accountability lawsuit could also help us prepare to confront the impacts of the climate crisis head on, instead of only acting reactively after disasters devastate our communities, writes Hawaii state Rep. Lisa Marten, chair of the Human Services Committee. Civil Beat


International

Activists Call for Process 'Overhaul' After Oil Industry Veteran Confirmed to Lead COP29

Azerbaijan has selected its ecology minister--and a former executive at the country's state-run oil company--to lead the United Nations' flagship climate conference later this year. The decision has reignited fierce debate over the role the fossil fuel industry should play in global climate talks. Inside Climate News


Maryland

OPINION: State's climate plan is comprehensive but lacks short-term legislative strategy

The Maryland Department of the Environment's outline of policy actions required to dramatically reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions is innovative and ambitious, but it lacks a cohesive short-term legislative strategy for how Maryland can meet its climate and clean energy goals and a concrete funding mechanism, leaving lawmakers and environmental advocates scrambling to develop a battle plan less than a week before the 90-day General Assembly session, writes veteran Maryland politics reporter Josh Kurtz. Maryland Matters


New Hampshire

2024 means renewed energy, environment debates for NH lawmakers

New Hampshire lawmakers will spend the next several months vetting and voting on more than 1,000 bills, many of which could impact the state's course on climate change, the environment and energy policy. The Granite State remains the only one in the region without a statutory requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lags behind in terms of renewable energy production, and it has experienced historically high energy prices during the last two years. New Hampshire Bulletin


New Jersey

OPINION: In New Jersey, we need to partner with business to fix climate change

As Capt. Bill Sheehan sees it, since each one of us emits carbon through our daily activities, we are all responsible for working together to move the needle on climate change. Ineffective and frivolous lawsuits are simply not realistic solutions for addressing one of the greatest challenges of our time. New Jersey's environmental future depends on turning away from quixotic efforts and recommitting to pragmatism. We must move forward together to tackle climate change, writes Sheehan, the Hackensack Riverkeeper. New Jersey Monitor


Ohio

How a Koch-linked group stalled a bipartisan Ohio energy efficiency bill at the last minute

As a floor vote neared in the Ohio House, the state chapter of Americans for Prosperity issued a "key vote alert" that misrepresented key facts about the legislation. Energy News Network


Ohio

How a Koch-linked group stalled a bipartisan Ohio energy efficiency bill at the last minute

A bipartisan energy efficiency bill was indefinitely delayed last fall amid a clash between a major conservative lobbying group and one of the state's most prominent Republican lawmakers, according to previously unreported emails obtained by the Energy News Network. Energy News Network


Pennsylvania

Why Pittsburgh has 'the most extreme embrace' of fossil fuel lobbyists, per report

The five firms identified are retained by oil and gas companies, environmentally minded groups as well as city government -- a dual-loyalty situation that threatens to undermine local climate goals and the state's progress on its greenhouse gas reduction goals, according to the report. Pennsylvania Capital-Star


Pennsylvania

Why Pittsburgh has 'the most extreme embrace' of fossil fuel lobbyists, per report

A recent report by environmental research and advocacy organization F Minus found Pittsburgh -- more than any other big U.S. city -- is entangled in "the most 'extreme embrace'" of fossil fuel lobbyists. The five firms identified are retained by oil and gas companies, environmentally minded groups as well as city government -- a dual-loyalty situation that threatens to undermine local climate goals and the state's progress on its greenhouse gas reduction goals, according to the report. Capital & Main


U.S.

Biden allies turn against key part of his climate agenda

Guidance 'will slow down and ultimately undermine our country's ability to produce the clean hydrogen needed,' Democratic Sen. Brown said. Fox News


U.S.

Biden's aides weigh climate test for natural gas exports

The outcome of the review could have big implications for the fossil fuel industry, U.S. clout as an energy superpower and the credibility of President Joe Biden's climate pledges -- and his reelection hopes in November. Politico


U.S.

Big Green? The clean energy leader enraging environmentalists

In the year since he took the helm of the nation's main renewable energy trade association, Jason Grumet has repeatedly accused environmentalists of standing in the way of carbon-free energy development. E&E News


U.S.

IRS launches free IRA and CHIPS pre-filing registration tool

It allows qualifying businesses, tax-exempt organizations, or governing entities to take advantage of the elective payment or transfer of credits, even if they don't have taxable income. Renewable Energy World


U.S.

Utilities Paid Southern Civil Rights Leaders Who Became Industry Advocates

The multibillion-dollar power companies use Black support to divert attention from the environmental harms that spew from their fossil fuel plants, the investigation found, harms which disproportionately fall on Black communities. The Guardian


Virginia

Virginia lawmaker proposes data center efficiency bill, possibly affecting Dominion Energy

A new data center efficiency bill has been proposed in the Virginia House of Delegates, which would amend the state's existing tax rules to require operators to meet certain energy efficiency requirements, according to state legislation records. Facilities Dive


Return to Top
 
iconShare
iconTweet
iconShare
iconForward

Copyright © 2024 RTO Insider LLC, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
RTO Insider LLC, 2415 Boston Street, Baltimore, MD 21224-4733, United States

You are receiving this message, the NetZero Insider Weekly Intelligence Report on Policy and Impacts, as part of your paid subscription. You can set your email delivery preferences here - and change them any time you want. Note: if you're not logged in, do so and then click "My Account" in the top-right corner and scroll down to the "Requested Emails" section.

Unsubscribe




Email Marketing by ActiveCampaign