Kyle W. Danish
VNF Policy Updates
Weekly Climate Change Policy Update - August 30, 2010
Kyle Danish, Shelley Fidler, Kevin Gallagher, Megan Ceronsky, Tomás CarbonellAugust 30, 2010
Environmental NGOs expressed dismay when the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sided with industry in a brief to the Supreme Court on the Second Circuit’s decision in the Connecticut v. AEP case. In its brief, DOJ defended the primacy of the Executive Branch over the Judicial Branch on the issue of climate change, arguing that the regulatory regime under construction by the Environmental Protection Agency is adequate to “occupy the field,” thereby precluding a lawsuit-based pathway for activists and states . . . The World Resources Institute, working with 60 companies, just finished road-testing new standards for calculating life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions from products and supply chains. . .
Weekly Climate Change Policy Update - August 23, 2010
Kyle Danish, Shelley Fidler, Kevin Gallagher, Megan Ceronsky, Tomás CarbonellAugust 23, 2010
EPA and NHTSA are close to proposing GHG standards for heavy duty vehicles . . . Legislation to implement the Western Climate Initiative failed in Oregon and Washington, leaving only California and New Mexico as likely participants for the scheduled 2012 launch of the WCI cap-and-trade program . . . The Chamber of Commerce doubled down on its legal challenges to EPA’s endangerment finding.
Weekly Climate Change Policy Update - August 16, 2010
Kyle Danish, Shelley Fidler, Kevin Gallagher, Megan Ceronsky, Tomás CarbonellAugust 16, 2010
EPA is taking further steps to roll out the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permitting program for greenhouse gases (GHGs). EPA issued a proposed rule in which it could at least temporarily take over permitting for 13 states that cannot quickly modify their programs to implement PSD for GHGs in accordance with the timetable and thresholds set forth in the Tailoring Rule . . . Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) predicted no action on energy or climate legislation before the November elections . . . But White House energy and climate change advisor Carol Browner said clean energy legislation could “potentially” be enacted in a lame duck session of Congress . . .
Weekly Climate Change Policy Update - August 9, 2010
Kyle Danish, Shelley Fidler, Megan Ceronsky, Tomás CarbonellAugust 9, 2010
Majority Leader Reid delayed Senate floor votes on his scaled-back oil spill/energy legislation . . . post-recess consideration of energy/climate legislation is still possible . . . Jousting accelerates in the courts and states about obligations to reduce GHG emissions in the absence of Congressional action . . . US Climate Envoy Todd Stern affirms US GHG reduction commitments, and international climate negotiators discuss extending the Kyoto Protocol for two years.
Weekly Climate Change Policy Update - August 2, 2010
Kyle Danish, Shelley Fidler, Kevin Gallagher, Megan Ceronsky, Tomás Carbonell, Harold Bulger, Van Smith, Doug RhorerAugust 2, 2010
Sen. Majority Leader Reid introduced his svelte energy bill, the Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Spill Accountability Act, which would remove the liability cap on offshore drilling companies. Greeted with little enthusiasm by both Democrats and Republicans, the bill is currently scheduled for a cloture vote on Wednesday . . . 27 Senators sent Reid a letter urging inclusion of a renewable electricity standard . . . Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) has pledged to introduce an amendment to include a 15% RES . . .