American road and transportation builders association

State funding could come from other sources, as the Prop. 6 supporters say. But if it doesn’t, it appears unlikely the city will have the funding to cover these projects, given that its general fund is already fully committed to departments like parks and public safety. … [Read more...] about Prop. 6 promises to save money at the pump, but what does it do to local road projects?

McCarthy at Harvard on Climate, EnergyAddressing Harvard Law School July 30, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy linked climate change mitigation strategies to job creation.  Energy innovation and research will lead to domestic jobs.  Explaining that climate change is an economic issue, she said the impacts of natural disasters have been monetarily devastating.  She commented that the agency plays a small role as a commenter in the Keystone XL pipeline decision.  Administrator McCarthy stressed relationships with other members of the administration, saying that she is working with Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz on regulations to reduce methane emissions and that she and Secretary of State John Kerry view working to address Chinese air pollution as a priority.  She also hinted that former Acting Administrator and current Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe may remain in his role for the duration of President Obama’s term. … [Read more...] about Energy and Environmental Law Update – Week of August 5, 2013

OBM Reviewing Navistar PenaltiesThe White House Office of Management and Budget began reviewing a final rule August 4 that could provide nonconformance penalties for Navistar Inc. The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule in January to allow the company to produce heavy-duty diesel engines that do not meet a NOx emissions standard if it pays penalties. At the same time, the agency issued a parallel interim final rule, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck it down June 12 because the agency did not provide sufficient notice and comment. The final rulemaking is expected to satisfy those requirements. … [Read more...] about Energy and Environment Update – August 12, 2012

Bills IntroducedOn September 10, Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced S. 1491, the United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Enhancement Bill.  The legislation expands joint grant programs between the two countries in an effort to strengthen energy cooperation.On September 12, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced S. 1501, a bill to establish a Financing Energy Efficient Manufacturing Program in the Department of Energy to provide financial assistance to promote energy efficiency and onsite renewable technologies in manufacturing and industrial facilities.The same day, Representatives Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) and Steve Stockman (R-TX) introduced H.R. 3084, the Qualifying Renewable Chemical Production Tax Credit Act of 2013.  The bill would create a tax credit for renewable chemical production.Upcoming HearingsOn September 17, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will consider the nominations of Ron Binz to serve as … [Read more...] about Energy and Environmental Law Update – September 16, 2013

Politics of Climate ChangeA January 2 study published in Nature found that though several factors may play a role, politics is the primary factor in determining the likelihood of limiting global warming to the international goal of 2 degrees Celsius. The study, “Probabilistic Cost Estimates for Climate Change Mitigation,” concluded that without climate mitigation technologies like carbon capture and storage, the probability of staying below the 2 degree Celsius limit decreases to 50 percent. The report indicated that a significant decrease in energy demand through improvements in energy efficiency would make it likely that the goal could be reached with a carbon price of $10 to $15/MT.  … [Read more...] about Energy & Environment Law Update – January 8, 2013