RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.How clean energy aggregation empowers neighborhoods in NY
By Lea Lupkin, GreenBiz.
By January, New York’s Westchester County will procure clean energy for around 75,000 of its residents, according to Glenn Weinberg, manager of special projects at Joule Assets.
Over 15 municipalities are banding together to aggregate their demand for cleaner power sources and lower their energy bills through competitive bidding.
This demonstration project is the first implementation of community choice aggregation (CCA) in the state and will serve as a model for local energy control in New York’s Reforming the Energy Vision initiative.
Probe into EPA's biofuel standard begins as debate heats up
By Kyle Feldscher, Washington Examiner.
The battle over the Renewable Fuel Standard is heating up a little more than a month before the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to reduce the amount of biofuel required in gasoline and as an investigation begins into the agency's handling of the law.
On Nov. 30, the EPA is expected to lower the Renewable Fuel Standard, the annual requirement for refiners to blend corn-based ethanol and other biofuels into gasoline and diesel, for 2014, 2015 and 2016 from what Congress initially required.
The final rule is being challenged. On Wednesday, California's congressional contingent called for the EPA to reject its proposed rule and instead increase the amount of biofuels required to be put into gasoline.
BP, Shell Lead Push For 'Effective' Climate Change Agreement
By Carolyn Davis, Natural Gas Intelligence Daily Gas Price Index.
The CEOs of BP plc, Royal Dutch Shell plc and Mexico's Petroleos Mexicanos, along with seven other global exploration chiefs, on Friday declared their collective support for the United Nations (UN) to adopt an "effective" climate change agreement.
The companies, which together provide almost 20% of global production and supply almost 10% of the world's energy, voiced support for next month's 21st UN Conference of Parties to the UN Framework on Climate Change, also known as COP21.
The CEOs, all members of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), signed the declaration with their peers at UK's BG Group plc, Italy's Eni SpA, India's Reliance Industries Ltd., Spain's Repsol SA, Saudi Aramco, Norway's Statoil ASA and France's Total SA. The OGCI is a CEO-led, voluntary initiative that aims to catalyze practical action on climate change through best practice sharing and collaboration.
California’s Investment in Global Warming Reduction Programs Score Well
By Viji Sundaram, New America Media.
The revenue generated from California’s 2006 global warming law (AB 32) is making the air cleaner, saving families money and bringing green jobs to some of the state’s most disadvantaged communities.
The Greenlining Institute evaluated 10 of the projects that were funded in fiscal year 2015 through polluter fees generated by the cap-and-trade law. It requires California to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020.
To achieve this target, the California Air Resources Board put a cap on the amount of air pollution that an industrial plant can produce, and requires it to pay a penalty when it exceeds its limits by purchasing “credits.”
Congress To Contemplate Renewable Energy Tax Credits
By The National Law Review.
As Congress comes back into session (this) week, tax provisions are at the top of the agenda from now through the end of the year. While Republicans are looking to make some tax extenders permanent and eliminate others, Democrats are negotiating hard to make renewable energy credits permanent or at least secure long sunsets. Renewable credits, which include the Production Tax Credit (PTC), could also see forward movement in crude oil export ban negotiations.
APEC Member States Plan To Double Share Of Renewable Energy By 2030
By Smiti Mittal, Clean Technica.
Regional forums of cooperation among countries are actively taking up matters of sustainable energy as the world looks to turn its attention to the COP21 climate change summit in Paris.
The 21-member states of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have announced that they would take measures to double the share of renewable energy in the overall energy mix by 2030. The announcement was made at the APEC Energy Ministers’ meeting held in Philippines on 13 October 2015.
The ministers stated that their governments would accelerate and encourage the development of renewable energy technologies. However, they also recognized that several members countries still have developing economies and need to use all technologies to fuel their economic growth. Thus, the joint statement by the ministers also mentions the use of nuclear power, advanced coal-based power, and natural gas-based power technologies.
New Study Shows Urban Waste Could Supply Needed Electricity to Millions of Africans
By Samantha Mathewson, Nature World News.
Piles of urban solid waste in Africa could be put to good use, a new study revealed. Researchers from the European Commission Joint Research Centre have postulated that waste could be a valuable source of electricity that could power many Africans who do not have access to energy, according to a news release.
Recycling the urban waste also reduces environmental impact and increases sanitation across the country, since trash is often dumped into water bodies and nearby dump sites are routinely out of control.
For their waste-energy study, researchers analyzed average electricity consumed by residential houses in Africa in 2010 and projected that electricity production could reach 122.2 TWh (Terawatt-hours) by 2025 – a than 20 percent increase. That's enough energy to power 40 million households. Terawatt-hours are used to measure energy production and consumption. One TWh is equal to the sustained power of approximately 114 megawatts for a period of one year.
BMW to use biogas to power plant
By Liezel Hill, Bloomberg Business.
BMW AG’s car-assembly plant in South Africa is doing its bit to help the German carmaker edge toward a global target to supply all its production with renewable energy: It’s getting some of its power from cow manure.
The company has agreed to a 10-year deal to buy as much as 4.4 megawatts of electricity from a biogas plant about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from its factory north-west of Pretoria, the South African capital. Surrounded by land where about 30,000 cattle graze, the operation runs off gas emitted by a fetid mixture of dung and organic waste ranging from sour yogurt to discarded dog food.
Labor and the Clean Power Plan: More Jobs, More Justice
By Dean Hubbard and Alejandra Nunez, National Law Review.
It goes without saying that the release of the Clean Power Plan was celebrated by the environmental community and media coverage nearly bursted at the seams. It’s a major win in the fight against climate disruption, has strong legal underpinnings, and provides clear pathways for states to address their carbon pollution. What wasn’t covered as heavily, however, are the compelling aspects of the policy that will help workers, especially those in vulnerable communities.
While crafting the final version of the Clean Power Plan, the Obama Administration took the time to meet with unions, economic justice advocates, and their environmental allies to hear their concerns and suggestions, and based on what was released in August, the administration listened.
The final Clean Power Plan is structured to create thousands of new jobs in clean energy and energy efficiency, and includes incentives to create good jobs in vulnerable communities as well. It recommends robust standards to ensure that the new jobs lead to quality careers and contains vital protections for coal workers and other communities affected by the shift away from fossil fuels.
Toyota Aims to Phase Out Gas-Powered Vehicles
By Paul A. Eisenstein, NBC News.
Toyota Motor Co. wants to virtually eliminate gasoline-powered vehicles from its fleet by 2050, and is betting that hydrogen cars, rather than electric vehicles, will be the long-term answer.
The Japanese maker recently introduced the Mirai, its first retail fuel-cell vehicle, and though sales have so far been measured in the hundreds, the target is to reach 30,000 annually by 2020, and even higher in the years beyond.
A number of other automakers are experimenting with hydrogen power; Hyundai already offers a fuel-cell version of its Tucson SUV, and Honda will launch a retail model next year.
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