Energy
Ocean-based renewable power starts to get real
As drilling for oil in the Arctic begins to pick up, and while each of the U.S. presidential candidates tries to convince voters that he is the one who could approve more offshore oil permits, what has become of the dream of mining our vast offshore renewable energy resources — wind, waves, and tides? According …
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CONTINUE READINGGolden Rules for Fracking
Well, this is embarrassing. Kevin Drum, one of the best bloggers out there, posted a few days ago on the issue of whether hydraulic fracturing is good or bad for the environment. Kevin covers the ground that we have here before, namely: Yes, natural gas is better than coal or other fossil fuels in terms …
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CONTINUE READINGComments on FHFA’s Proposed Rule on Enterprise Writing Standards for PACE Programs
As we have chronicled earlier on this blog, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)’s court-ordered rulemaking on Enterprise Writing Standards for Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs resulted in thousands of public comments in response to the Agency’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR)—the overwhelming majority in support of PACE. Today is the deadline for submitting …
CONTINUE READINGWhat Is the Future Role of Fossil Fuels in the Electricity System?
If you put aside their environmental impacts, fossil fuels are wonderful for generating electricity. They are cheap, reliable, and currently in abundant supply. But the environmental drawbacks are considerable, and the most serious one is their contribution to climate change. To deal with climate change, do we need to adopt an attitude of unremitting hostility …
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CONTINUE READINGNew Report on Electric Vehicle Policies & Capitol Hill Briefing Today at Noon ET (webcast available)
The environmental law centers at UCLA and UC Berkeley Schools of Law today released a new report on industry actions and federal, state, and local policies needed to stimulate long-term, mass adoption of electric vehicles. “Electric Drive by ’25” (available from either UCLA Law or Berkeley Law) is the tenth report in our Climate Change …
CONTINUE READINGAre PACE Financed Residential Energy Improvements Capitalized into Home Prices?
The FHFA believes that an unintended consequence of obtaining a PACE loan is to increase the risk of mortgage default. The FHFA’s logic is that if the green investments are not capitalized into home prices then the home owner’s equity decreases as equity = sales price – debt owed. Under these assumptions, the green …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Top Ten Problems with Romney’s Energy Proposal
It’s a great plan in terms of increasing oil and coal profits while helping to cook the planet. Not so great otherwise.
CONTINUE READINGParty Differences on Energy and Environment: A Side-by-Side Comparison
After I posted a description of the Republican platform, a reader suggested that a side-by-side comparison would be helpful when the Democratic Platform came out. Here it is, presented as objectively as I could. Subject Democratic Platform Republican Platform Regulatory reform Give president power to reorganize agencies. Congressional approval required for all major rules. …
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CONTINUE READINGA Capitol Hill Briefing on Electric Vehicle Policies, Monday, September 10th (Webcast Available)
Legal Planeteers in the Washington DC area are invited to join the environmental law centers at Berkeley and UCLA Schools of Law as we present a lunchtime, Capitol Hill discussion on policies necessary for long-term, mass adoption of electric vehicle technologies. This free event is sponsored by Congressman Henry Waxman’s office and will also be …
CONTINUE READINGRomney Endorses Keynesian Stimulus Spending — But Calls It an Energy Plan
I posted last week about the Romney energy plan and the super-optimistic projections of energy production it borrows from a Citigroup report. (here and here). The Romney plan touts enormous economic benefits in terms of job creation, also derived from the same Citigroup report. Of course, Romney doesn’t mention the report’s warning that its analysis …
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