While the election results are not yet final, this article will proceed from the assumption that former Vice President Biden will become President in January and that Republicans will win at least one of the two U.S. Senate seats in Georgia to be decided by runoff, and thus will have a majority in the U.S. Senate.
Continue Reading Energy and Environmental Legislation in the 117th Congress
Massachusetts has now doubled the size of its Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (“SMART”) incentive program, along with new performance standards for the siting of these renewable generating resources. While these changes to the SMART program were adopted as emergency regulations—making them effective immediately—the Commonwealth will go through the notice and comment rulemaking process over the next few months to provide for continued input from stakeholders on the new regulations and associated guidance.
Continue Reading Massachusetts Doubles Size of “SMART” Solar Program
On Sunday, April 12, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed into law the Virginia Clean Economy Act and the Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act. These two new laws will require Virginia to transition to 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2050 and join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
Continue Reading Virginia Enacts Aggressive Clean Energy Laws
Building on a host of renewable and alternative energy portfolio programs that have incrementally worked to decarbonize the electric sector, Massachusetts is poised to launch a Clean Energy Peak Standard (CPS) in the summer of 2020. The pivotal distinction between the CPS and other Massachusetts programs is that programs to date have incentivized renewable and alternative energy sources to simply “show-up,” while the CPS takes aim at incentivizing new and existing generation resources to “show-up at the right time” in order to further reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Continue Reading Massachusetts Races to Decarbonize the Peak