The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 recently issued the first draft Class VI permits in Texas under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Underground Injection Control (UIC) program. These draft permits would...more
Update: In August 2024, the California Legislature passed SB 219. This bill makes minor but important amendments to SB 253 and SB 261. Notably, SB 219 provides CARB with additional flexibility on the timing of Scope 3...more
Two developments toward the end of 2023 have clouded the future of climate policy in the Pacific Northwest. First, on November 21, 2023, opponents of Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA) submitted more than 400,000...more
In addition to signing two significant new laws requiring large companies doing business in California to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), Governor Newsom on October 7 signed AB 1305, which creates new...more
On September 12, 2023, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) launched a new rulemaking addressing the use of carbon offsets to comply with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions limits under Washington’s Climate Commitment...more
On May 23, 2023, after months of anticipation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its proposal for sweeping greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards (GHG Rules) in the Federal Register that will, if...more
Under the Biden Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to aggressively combat climate change. According to major media outlets, EPA will soon release a rule requiring power plants to...more
The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has proposed new rules to implement an economy-wide “cap-and-invest” program in Washington State. With comments due on June 30, 2022, these rules have the potential to impact...more
On June 26, 2021, in the waning hours of Oregon’s legislative session, the legislature passed House Bill 2021 (H.B. 2021 or the Act) - Oregon’s take on sweeping climate legislation for retail electricity generation. Notably,...more
On May 17, 2021, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed the Washington Climate Commitment Act (CCA), which will create an economy-wide cap on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and create a system in which GHG credits are auctioned...more
On January 19, 2021, the D.C. Circuit vacated the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, the Trump Administration’s action to address CO2 emissions from existing coal-fired power plants. The ACE rule repealed an Obama-era rule...more
As we previously reported, in June 2020, the Treasury Department issued proposed regulations to implement Section 45Q of the Tax Code, which provides tax credits for capturing and sequestering carbon oxides that would...more
On October 15, 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a proposed policy statement clarifying that it has jurisdiction over rules incorporating state-determined carbon pricing in wholesale electric...more
Capping a dramatic but ineffective legislative session, Oregon Governor Kate Brown on March 10, 2020, issued Executive Order No. 20-04, “Directing State Agencies to Take Actions to Reduce and Regulate Greenhouse Gas...more