Latest State News
Quick updates on the latest state 2008 and 2009 climate action developments are chronicled here.
2009 State Climate Action News
September 15, 2009
Renewable Portfolio Standards: California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an Executive Order directing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to adopt regulations increasing California's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 33 percent by 2020. The Governor's EO builds on AB 32 goals by ensuring California will have the flexibility needed to use renewable energy sources for 33 percent of the state's energy consumption by 2020. The Governor's order places the highest priority on renewable resources that will provide the greatest environmental benefits that can be developed quickly and support reliable, efficient and cost-effective electricity system operations including resources and facilities located throughout the Western Interconnection. Working with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the Independent System Operator (ISO) and the California Energy Commission (CEC), CARB must adopt these regulations by July 31, 2010.
August 31, 2009
Green Jobs: California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the creation of the Clean Energy Workforce Training Program (CEWTP). CEWTP is a $75 million investment to train more than 20,000 new and transitioning clean energy workers to drive the state’s new green economy. The program is funded through a combination of money from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, public-private partnerships, and state and local programs.
August 6, 2009
GHG Reduction Targets: New York's Governor David A. Paterson signed Executive Order No. 24 setting a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New York State by 80 percent below the levels emitted in 1990 by the year 2050. The Executive Order also creates a Climate Action Council with a directive to prepare a draft Climate Action Plan by September 30, 2010. The Climate Action Plan will assess how all economic sectors can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change, as well as identify the extent to which such actions support New York's goals for a clean energy economy.
July 29, 2009
GHG Reduction Targets: Michigan's Governor Granholm signed Executive Directive 2009-4 that implements a number of the recommendations included in the final report of the Michigan Climate Action Council. Amongst those, the Governor's order sets new targets for Michigan in reducing greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent below 2005 baseline levels by 2020, and 80 percent below those levels by 2050.
July 22, 2009
Transportation: Oregon's Governor Ted Kulongowski signed into law H.B. 2186, which allows the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) to adopt rules for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation fuels. The EQC may adopt a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS), which would require a reduction in fuel carbon intensity of 10 percent from 2010 levels by 2020. The Oregon LCFS is similar to a LCFS passed in California in May 2009, which also requires a reduction of 10 percent below 2010 levels by 2020.
July 22, 2009
Multiple bills: Oregon's Governor Ted Kulongoski signed seven bills to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. SB 101 establishes new greenhouse gas emission performance standards for electric generation facilities. HB 3039 addresses renewable energy, directing the state’s Public Utility Commission (PUC) to develop a pilot feed-in tariff to obtain up to 25 megawatts of new solar photovoltaic electricity. Governor Kulongoski signed several other pieces climate legislation as well. SB 38 directs the state Environmental Quality Commission to create greenhouse gas emission reporting rules for electricity or fossil fuels that are imported, sold, or distributed in the state. SB 79 creates a Task Force on Energy Performance Scores, which will develop recommendations for a voluntary system to measure energy performance. This bill also directs the Department of Consumer and Business Services to develop a “reach” building code and update the state building code to increase energy efficiency 15-25 percent by 2012 in nonresidential buildings and 10-15 percent by 2012 in residential buildings. HB 2626 targets energy efficiency as well, requiring the Oregon Department of Energy to administer various loan programs to support investments in energy efficiency.
June 30, 2009
Transportation: California was granted a waiver by the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vehicles within the state. The waiver request, which was submitted by California in 2005, had originally been denied by the EPA in March of 2008. The 2008 denial—the only full denial of a California waiver request to date –was based on the premise that the request does not satisfy the requirements for a waiver under the Clean Air Act. The EPA began reconsideration of the denial earlier this year. Under the federal Clean Air Act, California is the only state with the ability to set standards for motor vehicles, as long as these standards are as stringent as the federal standards and the state receives a waiver from the EPA. Once California receives a waiver from the federal government , other states can either adopt California standards but cannot set their own standards. Earlier this year, President Obama announced a plan for a coordinated federal GHG standard for new motor vehicles with the same fuel economy target for 2016 (35.5 mpg) as the California standard would have achieved. California and the other states which have adopted the California standard have agreed to conform to the federal standard from 2012 to 2106. With the waiver decision, they will be able to regulate vehicle emissions from now until the federal standard takes effect in 2012, and after 2016.
June 25, 2009
Renewable Portfolio Standard/Transportation: Hawaii's Governor Linda Lingle signed into law three energy bills designed to promote the development of in-state renewable energy technology and energy efficiency. One of the laws, HB 1464, extends and increases Hawaii’s current renewable electricity portfolio standard (RPS) to 40% by 2030; the law also increases the interim target for the year 2020 to 25% from a previous target of 20%. In addition, HB 1464 establishes a separate energy efficiency standard for electric utilities designed to achieve energy savings of 4,300 gigawatt hours (GWh) by the year 2030, creates a benchmarking and retrofit system for efficiency improvements in large public buildings, and requires property owners to provide energy efficiency information to consumers prior to the sale or lease of residential properties.
Another law, SB 1202, promotes the use of clean energy vehicles by mandating the creation of reserved parking spaces for them that include electric vehicle charging apparatus. SB 1202 also establishes a vehicle purchasing hierarchy for state and county agencies that prioritizes the purchase of clean energy vehicles and a transportation energy transformation grant fund designed to catalyze the development of electric vehicle infrastructure and the purchase of new electric vehicles. A third law, SB 464, offers incentives for renewable energy, in the form of income tax credits, for private entities.
June 17, 2009
Renewable Portfolio Standard: West Virginia's Governor Manchin signed HB 103, the Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Act. The bill mandates that electric utilities (excluding municipal utilities, rural electric cooperatives, and utilities serving fewer than 30,000 residential customers) obtain 25 percent of their electricity from alternative or renewable energy sources by 2025. The bill sets interim targets of 10 percent by 2015 and 15 percent by 2020. Eligible alternative resources are advanced coal technology (e.g., carbon capture and storage, supercritical technology, ultrasupercritical technology and pressurized fluidized bed technology), coal bed methane, natural gas, fuel produced by a coal gasification or liquefaction facility, synthetic gas, integrated gasification combined cycle technologies, waste coal, tire-derived fuel, pumped storage hydroelectric projects, and recycled energy. Eligible renewable resources are solar PV, solar thermal, wind, run-of-river hydropower, geothermal, biomass, biologically-derived fuel, and fuel cell technology.
June 8, 2009
Renewable Portfolio Standard/Transportation: Nevada's Governor Jim Gibbons signed into law SB 395, a comprehensive energy bill that contains a variety of climate-related provisions, including the extension and increase of Nevada's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), a new permitting system for renewable facilities, energy efficiency measures for public facilities, and measures designed to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vehicles.The new RPS requires 25 percent of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2025. The RPS calls for 6 percent to come from solar resources by 2016, an increase from 5 percent by 2015 required by the previous RPS. The legislation creates appliance efficiency standards that state agencies must adhere to when purchasing new appliances or equipment that use electricity or fossil fuels. It also calls for the adoption of green building standards aimed at improving energy and water efficiency in new and renovated state buildings. The legislation also attempts to curb GHG emissions from the transportation sector by requiring all vehicle dealers to disclose the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new vehicles offered for sale beginning with model year 2012 onward. Vehicle dealers will be required to prominently display emissions data on their vehicles.
June 8, 2009
Regional Initiatives: Members of the Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord released their Advisory Group’s draft final recommendations for a regional cap-and-trade program. The Accord includes six U.S. states—Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin—and the Canadian province of Manitoba. For the regional program, the Advisory Group recommends emission reduction targets of 18-20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 (or 16-18 percent if certain cost containment mechanisms come into full effect) and 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. The program would cover six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (excluding emissions from the combustion of biomass or fuels), methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. Capped sectors include electricity generation and imports, industrial combustion and process sources, transportation fuels, and residential, commercial, and industrial fuels not otherwise covered.
May 27, 2009
Renewable Energy/Feed-In Tarrif: Vermont's Governor Douglas allowed The Vermont Energy Act of 2009 (H. 446) to become law, establishing a statewide feed-in tariff to incentivize in-state renewable energy facilities. Feed-in tariffs require utilities to purchase electricity generated by renewable sources at a premium. The Vermont law establishes long-term contracts--25 years for solar and 20 years for all other included renewables--for generating facilities that use wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, or methane derived from agricultural or landfill processes to sell electricity into the grid at a premium. Incentives will be offered to every participating renewable generator with a nameplate capacity of 2.2 MW or less. The law sets a program cap of 50 MW, after which new generators will no longer be offered the incentives.
May 22, 2009
Renewable Energy Standard/Net Metering: Kansas' Governor Parkinson signed legislation that codifies the state's renewable energy standard and allows Kansans to generate their own power through net metering. Senate Sub. for HB 2369 enacts the Renewable Energy Standards Act, which codifies the goal of major Kansas utilities generating 10 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2011, 15 percent by 2016 and 20 percent by 2020. This legislation also enacts the Net Metering and Easy Connection Act, which enables customers to use their own generation and sell back the extra electricity they produce to their utility. Additionally, this legislation enacts new law regarding fuel efficiency for state-owned motor vehicles and energy efficiency of state-owned and leased space and equipment.
May 21, 2009
Cap and Trade/Emissions Reductions: Washington's Governor Gregoire issued an executive order directing state agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to increase transportation and fuel-conservation options for the state. The Executive Order entitled "Washington's Leadership on Climate Change," directs state agencies to develop emission reduction staregies and industry emissions benchmarks to make sure the 2020 reduction targets are met. The Order also directs the state to reduce emissions from a coal-fired power plant; creates incentives for the forest industry to capture carbon; work on low carbon fuel standards, increase transit options and continue to work with six other Western states and four Canadian provinces in the Western Climate Initiative to develop a regional emissions reduction program design.
May 19, 2009
Auto Emissions Rules: Following California's lead in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Obama administration announced an agreement between the federal government, automakers, and the 14 states led by California in their fight to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The agreement will lead to a new national standard that by 2016 will match California's in reducing the CO2 emissions from new vehicles by 30 percent. In this partnership, California is agreeing to recognize a less-stringent federal standard from 2012 up to 2016 in exchange for a program that will achieve far greater emissions and oil saving benefits than if California went it alone.
May 7, 2009
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Targets: Maryland's Governor signed the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act of 2009 which requires reductions in statewide greenhouse gas emissions of 25% from 2006 levels by 2020 and directs the Maryland Department of the Environment to craft a plan and a timeline to achieve those goals by 2012. Under the plan state regulators must submit a progress report to the General Assembly by 2015. Lawmakers would then be able to continue the effort, or it would expire the next year.
April 23, 2009
Low Carbon Fuel Standard: California's Air Resources Board adopted a regulation that will implement the Governors Low Carbon Fuel Standard calling for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from California's transportation fuels by ten percent by 2020. The new regulation is aimed at diversifying the variety of fuels used for transporation. It will boost the market for alternative fuel vehcles and achieve 16 million metric tons of grenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
March 25, 2009
Climate Action Plan: New Hampshire's Climate Change Policy Task Force released its Climate Action Plan, which recommends reducing emissions 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2025, and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. It also recommends a total of 67 actions for achieving these goals. The plan also calls for setting a goal of 25% renewable energy in the state by 2025. New Hampshire's Task Force also announced the creation of a public/private partnership to oversee and guide the Plan’s implementation. The partnership, called the New Hampshire Energy and Climate Collaborative, includes representatives from New Hampshire’s businesses, public entities, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions.
March, 2009
Climate Action Plan: Michigan Climate Action Council (MCAC) released its Climate Action Plan. The MCAC recommends specific policies and actions to achieve greenhouse gas reductions within the state of Michigan, as well as several recommendations for federal climate policy, including the development of federal greenhouse gas targets. Among the recommended state policies are several initiatives to increase the use of distributed electric generation, facilitate the use of carbon capture and storage technology, and increase the use of nuclear energy. The MCAC also includes several recommendations to increase energy efficiency by, among other things, adopting more stringent building codes and creating a system that encourages utilities to adopt efficiency initiatives. A total of 54 recommendations were included in the Plan, and 33 were able to be quantified for their emissions reductions. The MCAC determined that following the recommendations would decrease Michigan’s emissions about 33 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 with net cumulative savings of about $10 billion.
January 26, 2009
Auto Emission Rules: President Obama signed a memorandum requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider an application by California to set more stringent auto emissions and fuel efficiency standards than required by federal law. If the EPA grants a waiver allowing California to set its own emissions standards, the nation's largest state will be allowed to require automakers to produce trucks and cars that get better mileage than what is required under the current national standard. Thirteen other states could take similar action. "It will be the policy of my administration to reverse our dependence on foreign oil," Obama said.
2008 State Climate Action News
December 23, 2008
Climate Action Plan: Iowa's Climate Change Advisory Commission (ICCAC) released its final report. The ICCAC was established through legislation in 2007-2008 and directed to create a strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the report, the ICCAC offers two scenarios that would reduce emissions 50 percent and 90 percent from a 2005 baseline by 2050, respectively. A range of short- and mid- term emissions targets are also provided for each of the scenarios.
December 15, 2008
Climate Action Plan: Virginia's Governor Commission on Climate Change released its Final Report: A Climate Change Action Plan. Governor Timothy Kaine created the Commission and set a greenhouse gas emissions goal of 30 percent below business-as-usual projections by 2025 when he signed Executive Order 59 in September 2007. In the Final Report, the Commission provides a series of recommendations for the state to achieve its 30 percent reduction goal as well as a several measures for Virginia to prepare for and adapt to the likely consequences of climate change.
The Commission’s recommendations address different sectors, including expanding the states’ voluntary Renewable Portfolio Standard from 12 percent in 2022 to 15 percent in 2025 and reducing vehicle miles traveled through land use planning, improving vehicle alternatives such as public transit and bike- and pedestrian- friendly roads, and pricing mechanisms to discourage vehicle travel. Several recommendations also correspond to priorities identified in the Virginia Energy Master Plan, released in 2007.
December 11, 2008
Scoping Plan for Global Warming Solutions Act: California's Air Resources Board (ARB) approved the Scoping Plan for implementing A.B. 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The plan outlines a combination of existing, strengthened, and new policies and programs to cut California’s greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. These measures include expanded energy efficiency programs and higher efficiency standards, a revised Renewable Portfolio Standard that requires 33 percent of electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2020, and several measures to decrease emissions from transportation. Among the transportation-related measures are the implementation of existing and updated light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas standards, the development of local greenhouse gas targets to be achieved through land use and transportation planning, and the creation of a low-carbon fuel standard. The plan also recommends a statewide cap-and-trade program covering 85 percent of greenhouse gas emissions that would link with the Western Climate Initiative. Rules and policies to implement the Scoping Plan will be developed and implemented by 2012. The plan will be updated by the ARB once every five years.
November 20, 2008
State Energy Plan: Kentucky's Governor Steve Beshear released “Intelligent Energy Choices for Kentucky’s Future,” a comprehensive energy plan for the state including seven strategies for managing energy production and consumption. Among the proposed strategies, a Renewable and Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) would require that 25 percent of Kentucky’s total energy needs by 2025 are met through a combination of energy efficiency and conservation measures, new renewable electricity generation, and an Alternative Transportation Fuel Standard (ATFS) to increase the use of biofuels and other petroleum substitutes. According to the energy plan, full implementation of the strategies would reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2025 and generate 30,000 to 40,000 new jobs in the clean energy sector.
November 17, 2008
Renewable Portfolio Standard: California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order S-14-08, directing several state agencies to expedite the process of creating renewable generation facilities and proposing to expand California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). The Governor’s proposed RPS of 33 percent renewable generation by 2020 would build on the current target of producing 20 percent by 2010. The Executive Order establishes the Renewable Energy Action Team (REAT), a partnership between the California Energy Commission and the state’s Department of Fish and Game. The REAT agencies will concurrently review renewable energy projects for approval at the state level in order to streamline the application process.
November 4, 2008
Renewable Portfolio Standard: Missouri's voters approved the Missouri Clean Energy Initiative, creating the nation’s third state Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to be adopted by ballot initiative. Currently, 29 states and the District of Columbia have established mandatory RPSs. Most state RPSs have been adopted through legislation or executive order. The proposal requires that investor-owned utilities increase renewable electricity generation to two percent of total output by 2011, five percent by 2014, 10 percent by 2018, and 15 percent by 2021. Two percent of generation must come from solar energy; the remainder may come from other renewable sources including landfill gas, wind, biomass, and hydroelectric power. In order to protect rate-payers, utilities are prevented from increasing power prices more than one percent.
October 22, 2008
Energy Plan: New Jersey's Governor Jon Corzine released an updated statewide Energy Master Plan (EMP). The EMP focuses on renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in order to increase energy security, decrease consumer costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Specific goals include maximizing energy efficiency and conservation through utility-driven programs, reducing peak demand through incentives and the use of advanced metering technology, developing and modernizing electricity infrastructure, and increasing investment for research and job training in the energy sector. The EMP would reduce energy consumption 20 percent by 2020, contributing to the state’s overall greenhouse gas emissions target of 1990 levels by 2020. Implementation of the EMP would also involve the generation of renewable electricity beyond what is required by the state RPS of 22.5 percent by 2020.
October 15, 2008
Energy Efficiency: Pennsylvania's Governor Ed Rendell signed H.B. 2200, which requires electric utilities to create plans and implement programs to reduce consumer electricity demand. By May 2011, electrical consumption must have decreased by at least one percent of levels projected by the Commission for the June 2009-May 2010 period. By May 2013, consumption must have decreased by at least three percent from the same forecast period, and peak demand must have decreased by at least 4.5 percent.
October 15, 2008
Scoping Plan: California's Air Resources Board (ARB) released a final Proposed Scoping Plan for implementing A.B. 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The Scoping Plan provides recommendations for reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Key elements of the plan include expanded energy efficiency programs and higher efficiency standards, increased use of renewable energy sources, the creation of a California cap-and-trade program that can be integrated with the Western Climate Initiative cap-and-trade program, and efforts to decrease transportation-related emissions.
October 6, 2008
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency: Michigan's Governor Jennifer Granholm signed into law three bills promoting renewable energy and energy conservation. S.B. 213, the “Clean, Renewable, and Efficient Energy Act,” establishes an Integrated Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) of 10 percent by 2015. Energy providers must comply with this new standard through renewable energy generation, renewable energy credits, and energy optimization schemes. The bill specifies biomass, solar photovoltaics and solar thermal energy, wind energy, hydroelectric power, geothermal energy, and energy generated from landfill gas capture as potential sources of renewable energy, but also allows for 20 percent of the RPS to be met with cleaner energy technology, such as integrated gas combined cycle power plants or other lower-carbon facilities. S.B. 213 establishes an Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS), which mandates energy savings in increments over several years. By 2011, electricity providers must save 0.75 percent of prior-year sales and natural gas utilities must save 0.5 percent of prior-year sales. The standard will continue increasing after 2011 in increments of 1.0 percent and 0.75 percent, respectively.
S.B. 1048 allows consumers that have purchased and installed certain Energy Star products to claim an income tax credit equal to 10 percent of the cost of the product, or $100, whichever is less. H.B. 5524 expands the authorities of the state Public Service Commission to monitor utilities, oversee rate increases, and manage long-term generation plans. It also requires utilities to implement net metering programs to harness consumer-generated electricity.
September 30, 2008
Land Use Planning: California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed S.B. 375, which provides a plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through strategic land use and development. The bill directs the State Air Resources Board (ARB) to set regional caps for automobile and light truck emissions that would help the state achieve its greenhouse emissions cap of 1990 levels by 2020 originally set in A.B. 32. The bill also sets forth a “Sustainable Communities Strategy,” which directs metropolitan planning organizations, in conjunction with the ARB, to examine land-use patterns and create long-term housing and transportation plans that can be used to achieve the regional caps.
Governor Schwarzenegger also signed several other pieces of environmental legislation, including S.B. 732, which implements new programs to manage the water supply and promote water conservation and establishes the Strategic Growth Council to coordinate state agencies to, among other things, meet the goals of A.B. 32; A.B. 3018, which focuses on fostering jobs associated with clean technologies; and several bills promoting renewable energy.
August 27, 2008
Climate Action Plan: Maryland's Commission on Climate Change released the final version of its Climate Action Plan. The Climate Action Report recommends a suite of 42 measures that range from energy efficiency and conservation, investments in clean energy technologies, waste management and advanced recycling, improved building and trade codes, "buy local" programs, and the use of farm by-products such as switch grass for energy production. Several transportation-related options, including smart growth, better land use, and increased mass transit would combine to reduce Maryland's vehicle miles traveled. If fully implemented, the plan would have Maryland reduce 2006 greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 25 to 50 percent by 2020. The Plan also lists a range of near- and long-term GHG reduction goals beginning with a 10 percent reduction below 2006 levels by 2012 extending to a 90 percent reduction by 2050.
August 13, 2008
Targets: Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed the Global Warming Solutions Act. The law will establish a statewide and regional registry of greenhouse gas emissions. The Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) will determine the baseline emissions level of 1990 and calculate the expected 2020 emissions levels if no new controls were imposed after January 1, 2009 (the “business as usual” level). The Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs will set a 2020 emissions limit between 10 percent and 25 percent below 1990 levels and adopt a plan for meeting that limit by January 1, 2011. The Secretary will also set 2030 and 2040 limits, leading up to the required 80 percent reduction by 2050. Patrick also signed the Green Jobs Act, which is intended to provide $68 million over five years to support the growth of a clean energy technology industry in the state.
August 6, 2008
Climate Action Plan: South Carolina's Climate, Energy, and Commerce Advisory Committee released its final report outlining specific recommendations for state-level policies to mitigate climate change. The final report recommends a voluntary, economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target of five percent below 1990 levels by 2020. To achieve this goal, 51 specific policies are recommended to reduce GHG emissions and address other issues pertaining to climate, energy, and commerce. Of these 51 recommendations, 38 were analyzed for their cumulative effect on achieving the GHG emissions target and 33 were analyzed for their costs or cost savings. The report found that the implementation of the 38 policies would nearly achieve the GHG emissions target and that the average cost of the 33 policies would be approximately $5 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent reduced.
July 31, 2008
Targets: Massachusetts' Senate and House gave final approval to the Global Warming Solutions Act. The Act, which now heads to the Governor's desk, sets enforceable limits on the emissions of greenhouse gases and gives the Patrick Administration the authority to regulate emissions across all sectors of the economy. Specifically, the Act sets a cap on emissions of 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 and requires the administration to set interim caps, including a 2020 limit that is between 10% and 25% below 1990 levels.
July 28, 2008
Biofuels: Massachusetts' Governor Devel Patrick signed the Clean Energy Biofuels Act which makes Massachusetts the first state to exempt cellulosic biofuels from state gas taxes, creating economic incentives for companies while requiring that the fuels meet strict greenhouse gas reduction standards. One major concern with biofuels such as corn-based ethanol is that they raise food prices and, in their growing and processing, cause more environmental harm than gasoline does. The law also requires all diesel and home heating fuel to be 2 percent biofuels by 2010 and 5 percent by 2013. The law makes Massachusetts the second state, after California, to require the development of a low-carbon fuel standard for vehicles that would reduce greenhouse gases by 10 percent.
July 24, 2008
Climate Action Plan: Wisconsin's Governor Jim Doyle’s Task Force on Global Warming announced it has finalized its report on addressing global warming in Wisconsin. The 29-member Task Force, comprised of environmental, agricultural, industry, citizen, tribal and utility leaders will now forward the report on to Governor Doyle for consideration. The Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming agreed on a group of interim targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 2005 levels by 2014 and 1990 levels by 2022. The long-term targets include a goal to reach 75 percent reduction from 2005 levels by 2050. The Report makes over 50 viable and actionable policy recommendations in the utility, transportation, agriculture, forestry and industry sectors, as well as a number of recommendations in other areas, including support for a proposed federal or regional greenhouse gas cap and trade program. In accordance with Governor Doyle’s Executive Order 191, which created the Task Force, many of the Task Force’s recommendations identify ways to grow the state’s economy and create new jobs arising from the opportunities created by addressing climate change. Careful attention also has been paid to mitigating the potential costs of the recommended policies on consumers and Wisconsin’s industrial base.
July 21, 2008
Green Building: The California Building Standards Commission has taken a step toward building a greener future for the state with new green building codes for new houses. The commission made California the first state in the nation to incorporate these standards into its building codes. The codes will be phased in over the next three years. The new code requires California homes to be approximately 50% more energy-efficient than homes built to national energy standards by July 2009, a 20% reduction in overall water use within all new homes starting on July 1, 2011, and air quality measures that include adhesives, paints and coatings with low or no levels of "volatile organic compounds," high-efficiency air-conditioning filters to better filter out dust and particulates, and always-on exhaust fans to ensure better fresh air circulation in the home by Jan. 1, 2011.
July 18, 2008
Regional Initiatives: Ontario's Premier Dalton McGuinty announced that Ontario will join three other Canadian provinces and seven U.S. states as a full partner of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI). With the inclusion of Ontario, provinces representing roughly seventy percent of Canadian citizens are now WCI members.
July 10, 2008
Climate Action Plan: Pennsylvania's Governor Ed Rendell signed Senate Bill 266 which creates the Climate Change Act and calls for the creation of an advisory committee, a study and report on climate change in the commonwealth, a greenhouse gas inventory, a voluntary registry, and a state action plan.
July 2, 2008
RPS/Energy Efficiency: Massachusett's Governor Deval Patrick signed The Green Communities Act, SB 2768, which expands alternative and renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts. The legislation includes a variety of strategies for increasing alternative and renewable energy and energy efficiency across multiple sectors, including electricity, buildings, and transportation. A number of provisions in the bill relate to renewable and alternative energy. SB 2768 mandates that the state's renewable portfolio standard will grow one percent each year beyond the current standard of 4 percent in 2009, so that renewable energy will provide 15 percent of electricity generation by 2020 and 25 percent by 2030.
July 1, 2008
Renewable Energy: Hawaii's Governor Linda Lingle signed: HB 2863, which streamlines the permitting process for large renewable facilities; HB 2505, which creates a full-time renewable energy facilitator; and HB 2261, which provides loans of up to $1.5 million for farm-based renewable energy projects.
June 30, 2008
Regional Initiatives: Delware's Governor Ruth Ann Minner signed into law SB 263, authorizing the state to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The legislation authorizes the adoption of regulations by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control for full participation in RGGI when it begins January 1, 2009. In addition, SB 263 outlines how revenue collected from allowance auctions should be distributed, with 65 percent going to the Sustainable Energy Utility, 15 percent to Weatherization Assistance and Low Income Heating Assistance programs, 10 percent to greenhouse gas reduction projects selected through a competitive grant process, and up to 10 percent for administration of climate change programs.
June 26, 2008
Climate Action Plan: California's Air Resources Board (ARB) unveiled the draft Scoping Plan designed to reduce state greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 as mandated by The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, AB 32. The plan outlines a variety of strategies for achieving the required reductions. Key elements of the plan include developing a state cap-and-trade program that will link to the Western Climate Initiative's forthcoming regional cap-and-trade program, increasing California's renewable portfolio standard from 20 by 2010 to 33 percent by 2020, establishing new vehicle efficiency standards, setting higher building and appliance efficiency standards, and implementing a low carbon fuel standard. The ARB is scheduled to vote on the Scoping Plan in November 2008 after a series of public workshops. Once adopted, the mechanisms are scheduled to be in place by 2012.
June 26, 2008
Renewable Energy: Hawaii's Governor Linda Lingle approved SB 644, which requires solar water heaters in all new homes starting in January, 2010.
June 25, 2008
Energy Efficiency/Cap-and-Trade: Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed into law House Bill 7135, enacting several new energy and climate change policies. The policies include the Florida Climate Protection Act, which authorizes the Department of Environmental Protection to develop an electric-utility greenhouse gas (GHG) cap-and-trade program. Pending legislative approval of the final plan, the cap-and-trade program may begin operation as soon as January 1, 2010. Among other goals, the program will develop a timeline to reduce electric sector GHG emissions to 2000 levels by 2017, 1990 levels by 2025, and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2005, in accordance with Governor Crist’s Executive Order 07-127 from July 2007. In addition, the bill directs the Public Service Commission to adopt a Renewable Portfolio Standard for public utilities, requires utilities to develop standardized net metering programs for customer-owned renewable energy generation, and directs the Public Service Commission to investigate utility revenue decoupling. It also establishes the Florida Energy and Climate Commission, which will execute many of the statute’s provisions, and the Florida Energy Systems Consortium, a collaboration of the state universities tasked to develop and implement a strategic energy plan for the state. Furthermore, the bill sets a statewide 10-percent ethanol Renewable Fuel Standard to be achieved by December 31, 2010, increases energy efficiency targets in the Florida Building Code by 50 percent by 2019, and mandates that all state-financed building construction and renovation comply with green building standards.
June 23, 2008
Energy Efficiency: New York's Public Service Commission approved the Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS). The EEPS will reduce electricity consumption 15 percent below projected levels by 2015, equivalent to a 7.5 percent reduction from current levels. In contrast, if existing trends continue unabated, electricity use in 2015 in New York is expected to increase by 11 percent. The EEPS will stimulate investment in energy efficiency by promoting currently available technologies, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs, solar hot water heaters, and insulating wraps for hot water tanks. It also authorizes incentives to encourage the purchase of energy efficient appliances, such as boilers, furnaces, air conditioners, and clothes washers. In addition, the EEPS will provide weatherization services for low-income households, energy retrofits for small businesses.
June 20, 2008
Targets: Utah's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced a GHG reduction goal of reducing statewide GHG emissions to 2005 levels by 2020. The GHG will be achieved using several policy tools, including: increased reliance on renewable energy sources; policies to reduce energy demand and increase efficiency; mass transit policies; and participation in the Western Climate Initiative GHG cap-and-trade program. Utah DEQ estimated that if all the recommended policies are implemented, that state's 2020 CO2 emissions will be 28 percent below business-as-usual projected levels.
June 19, 2008
Performance Standards: Washington's Department of Ecology completed rulemaking for the adoption of a statewide Emissions Performance Standard (EPS) established in 2007 as part of a broader legislative package designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The EPS will go into effect on July 19, 2008. The EPS requires baseload electricity generation facilities to meet a greenhouse gas emission limit of 1,100 pounds of CO2 per megawatt hour. This limit will be reviewed and adjusted every five years to match the average emissions rate of new combined-cycle natural gas power plants. The EPS applies both to new in-state baseload electric generation and to out-of-state generation imported under long-term contracts that begin on July 1, 2008 or later. The EPS does not apply to permanently sequestered emissions.
June 6, 2008
Renewable Energy: Hawaii's Governor Linda Lingle signed bills SB 988 and HB 2550, authorizing net metering and residential photovoltaic rebates, respectively.
June 2, 2008
Targets: Connecticut's Governor Rell signed HB 5600, "An Act Concerning Global Warming Solutions" on June 2, 2008. The law creates mandatory global warming pollution caps and requires the state to cut emissions 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent below 2001 levels by 2050 (The 2050 target is set barring intervention at the federal level or through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)).
May 1, 2008
RPS: Ohio's Governor Ted Strickland signed substitute Senate Bill 221 into law establishing an alternative energy portfolio standard (AEPS) for the state of Ohio. The law mandates that by 2025, at least 25 percent of all electricity sold in the state come from alternative energy resources. At least half of the standard, or 12.5 percent of electricity sold, must be generated by renewable sources such as wind, solar (which must account for at least 0.5 percent of electricity use by 2025), hydropower, geothermal, or biomass. At least half of this renewable energy must be generated in-state. In addition to renewables, the additional 12.5 percent of the overall 25 percent standard can also be met through alternative energy resources like third-generation nuclear power plants, fuel cells, energy-efficiency programs, and clean coal technology that can control or prevent carbon dioxide emissions.
April 24, 2008
Energy Efficiency: Maryland's Governor Martin O'Malley signed into law several pieces of energy and climate change legislation. Senate Bill 208, the High Performance Buildings Act, sets a statewide green building standard for public buildings, requiring that all new construction or major renovation projects that receive state funds must achieve either the LEED Silver standard or two Green Globes. In addition, between 2009 and 2014, the act requires the state to pay for half of the additional cost required for public schools to meet the new green building standard. Senate Bill 205, the EmPOWER Maryland Energy Efficiency Act of 2008, establishes a statewide goal of reducing per capita electricity consumption and peak energy demand by 15 percent by 2015. Senate Bill 209 strengthens Maryland's existing renewable portfolio standard, established in 2007. Whereas the RPS previously required that 9.5 percent of Maryland's energy needs must be met by renewable sources by 2022, SB 209 raises the goal to 20 percent by the same date.
April 22, 2008
Targets: Colorado's Governor Ritter enacted several pieces of his Climate Action Plan on April 22, 2008 (Earth Day), including a statewide standard for the reduction of GHG emissions. The standard, established by Executive Order D 004 08, establishes a goal of a 20% reduction in GHG emissions by 2020 and an 80% reduction by 2050.
March 21, 2008
Climate Action Plan: Kansas' Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed Executive Order 08-03, which establishes the Kansas Energy and Environmental Policy Advisory Group. The new 25-member Advisory Group will recommend steps that the state can take to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, as well as a proposed timetable for implementation of those recommendations.
March 20, 2008
Energy Efficiency: Vermont's Governor Jim Douglas signed into law Senate Bill S.209, the Energy Efficiency and Affordability Act of 2008. The act establishes a statewide goal of producing 25 percent of the energy consumed in the state from renewable sources, particularly Vermont's farms and forests, by 2025. The act increases the use of net metering in the state and expands the use of biodiesel in state buildings and the state's vehicle fleet. It also includes new funding for efficiency programs that will coordinate expertise, technical assistance, and resources, as well as tax incentives designed to help promote investment in renewable energy resources. In addition, the act establishes a fuel efficiency fund, financed by revenues from the sale of the state's emission allowances under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative's (RGGI) cap-and-trade program.
March 13, 2008
Targets: Washington's Governor Christine Gregoire signed into law House 2815, the Climate Change Framework/Green-Collar Jobs Act. The bill calls for reductions from the state’s transportation sector, Washington’s largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, by cutting vehicle miles traveled by 18 percent by 2020, 30 percent by 2035, and 50 percent by 2050. The bill directs state agencies to provide training and incentives in an effort to attract green-collar jobs to Washington. It also requires the state’s largest emitters to inventory and report their emissions beginning in 2010, and directs relevant state agencies to continue working regionally with other Western states and Canadian provinces to design and implement a market-based system to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from major sectors of the economy. Statewide targets adopted in 2007 require a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, 25 below 1990 levels by 2035, and 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. This new bill directs the Department of Ecology to submit a comprehensive plan to the legislature, outlining specific measures to reach these targets, and to provide an update on Washington’s ongoing participation in the Western Climate Initiative multisector cap-and-trade design process.
February 27, 2008
Energy Efficiency: New Mexico's Governor Bill Richardson signed into law House Bill 305 on February 27, 2008, which strengthens the state's existing Efficient Use of Energy Act. The bill provides financial incentives to electric and gas utilities to reduce their customers' energy consumption. HB 305 decouples utility revenues from electricity sales, allowing utilities to earn profits by investing in demand-side efficiency projects rather than simply building new power plants to meet demand. State regulators are now required to approve higher profits for energy-efficiency programs that are more cost-effective than building new electric generation plants. HB 305 also requires electric utilities to achieve energy-efficiency savings of at least five percent of 2005 sales by 2014, and 10 percent by 2020. New Mexico's Public Regulation Commission (PRC) may set alternative requirements if the utility demonstrates it cannot meet those minimum requirements. The bill further strengthens the state's energy efficiency measurement and verification requirement, and requires an assessment of utilities' energy efficiency programs every three years by an independent program evaluator.
January 28, 2008
Renewables/Energy Efficiency: Hawaii's Governor Linda Lingle signed an MOU with the U.S. Department of Energy to establish the Hawaii's Clean Energy Initiative, a long-term partnership designed to accelerate the transformation fo Hawaii into one of the worlds' first economies based primarily on clean energy resources. The goal of the Initiative is to use renwaable sources to supply 70 percent or more of Hawaii's energy needs by 2030.
