Summary
In today’s edition, coal-reliant Midwestern states are asking the Obama administration to provide rules for an emissions trading platform that would help them meet the federal greenhouse gas standards – even as some of them fight Washington’s new clean air regulations in court (in the Carbon section). And as Europe celebrates WWII Victory Day today, there are some winners in the deal struck to reform the carbon market that will raise billions for EU governments, it is Europe’s poorest nations, like Greece. Finally, climate activist Tom Steyer backs Hillary Clinton despite her wishy-washy attitude towards the Keystone pipeline project.
Quote of the day
“If we’re going to have a planet that’s livable for people and wildlife, we need Hillary Clinton standing with millions of Americans calling for an end to fossil fuel addiction.”
Valerie Love, Center for Biological Diversity, in the Politico’s story Tom Steyer backs Hillary Clinton despite Keystone caution
Lead stories
Alaska Republican gears up energy reform package
By Devin Henry – The Hill
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) took her biggest step to date toward a large-scale overhaul of federal energy policy on Thursday, introducing 17 bills she said could make up parts of an energy reform package this session.
http://jlne.ws/1DVLcmi
Tom Steyer backs Hillary Clinton despite Keystone caution
By Andrew Restuccia and Elana Schor – Politico
Tom Steyer jumped into national politics two years ago by drawing a line in the sand on the Keystone XL pipeline, even suggesting he’d spend part of his vast fortune attacking Democrats who support the project.
http://jlne.ws/1RjkZZj
Australian PM’s adviser says U.N. using climate change for ‘new world order’
By Jane Wardell – Reuters
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s chief business adviser has accused the United Nations of using debunked climate change science to lead a new world order, provocative claims made to coincide with a visit from the top UN climate negotiator.
http://jlne.ws/1KQRglO
Greece, other EU strugglers emerge winners from carbon reforms-data
By Susanna Twidale and Barbara Lewis – Reuters
Europe’s poorest nations, including heavily indebted Greece, emerge the main winners from a deal to reform the world’s biggest carbon market that will raise billions for EU governments, data from Thomson Reuters Point Carbon shows.
http://jlne.ws/1FT7WJI
Events
World Green Economy Summit 2015
22 April 2015 – 23 April 2015
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
http://jlne.ws/1By0E6J
Navigating the American Carbon World (NACW) 2015
North America’s premier conference on climate policy and carbon markets
Presented by the Climate Action Reserve
April 28-30, 2015
Los Angeles, California
http://jlne.ws/1F1ycOT
The National Fuel Cell Symposium 2015
Industry, government, and academia will convene to discuss the current state of the Stationary Fuel Cell development and deployment in the U.S.
May 7, 2015
Sacramento, California
http://jlne.ws/1Pmqo0N
Nearing the Finish Line: Perspectives and Updates on EPA’s Clean Power Plan (webinar)
April 23, 2015; 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT
http://emahq.org/node/86
Northeast RECs Regional Thought Leader Round Table
May 19, 2015; 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. EST
Dentons: 1221 Avenue of the Americas, NY
http://emahq.org/node/85
EMA Annual Meeting
October 28-30, 2015
Omni Parker House Hotel
Boston, MA
Carbon
U.S. Midwest states eye carbon trading to meet EPA targets
By Valerie Volcovici – Reuters
Even as some of them fight Washington’s new clean air regulations in court, coal-reliant Midwestern states are asking the Obama administration to provide rules for an emissions trading platform that would help them meet the federal greenhouse gas standards.
http://jlne.ws/1zIHgtX
Kulera’s First Carbon Credit Sale Supports Value Chains That Protect Forests and Build Livelihoods in Malawi
BusinessWire
The Kulera Landscape Reduced Emissions for Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) Program in Malawi has successfully completed its first sale of carbon credits.
http://jlne.ws/1GSSol9
French Nuclear Dynamo Stalls
By David Jolly and Stanley Reed – The New York Times
For decades, France has been a living laboratory for atomic energy, getting nearly three-quarters of its electricity from nuclear power — a higher proportion by far than in any other country.
http://jlne.ws/1PtZst3
France Went All Out for Nuclear Energy
By David Jolly – The New York Times
Along with jet planes and fast trains, nuclear power has been a showpiece of French technology, carefully nurtured by the government of a country eager to stand among the world’s industrial leaders but lacking in fossil-fuel resources.
http://jlne.ws/1zICX1C
New Zealand mulls carbon markets to meet climate targets
By Megan Darby – RTCC (Responding to Climate Change)
New Zealand is eyeing up international carbon markets to meet any climate commitments, the government revealed in a consultation this week.
http://jlne.ws/1JTfGxr
Whitbread serves up tougher emissions goals
BusinessGreen
Premier Inn and Costa coffee owner Whitbread has strengthened its carbon emission reduction goals, as part of a new set of sustainability targets.
http://jlne.ws/1IUpWEq
Natural gas / coal
Environmental groups sue feds over natural gas export project
By Devin Henry – The Hill
Environmental groups have sued the federal government in an attempt to block a new liquefied natural gas export facility in Maryland.
http://jlne.ws/1GSREMR
***LB: Also in this story “The groups, led by Earthjustice, sued the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) over its decision to authorize Dominion Resources’ $3.8 billion Cove Point natural gas export project, arguing the commission did not consider whether it would hurt the environment or increase air and water pollution by encouraging new hydraulic fracturing.”
Bank Of America Backs Away From Funding Coal Mining
By Kate Sheppard – Huffington Post
Bank of America is cutting off its financing for coal extraction projects, the company announced at its shareholder meeting Wednesday.
http://jlne.ws/1F9d4KH
Power
Power Problems: Puerto Rico’s Electric Utility Faces Crippling Debt
By Greg Allen and Marisa Penaloza – NPR News (Audio)
As a U.S. territory with tropical weather and beautiful beaches, Puerto Rico has a lot going for it. But there are downsides to living on an island. A big one is the cost of energy.
http://jlne.ws/1KQPAcf
Water
Water in the Bank: One Solution For Drought-Stricken California
By Erica Gies – environment360
Saguaros and palo verde trees flourish in the Sonoran Desert northwest of Phoenix along the road to Hieroglyphic Mountains Recharge, one of the Central Arizona Project’s groundwater banking sites.
http://jlne.ws/1KoXjgB
Political answers scarce as water in parched California
By Todd S. Purdum – Politico
For much of the century since William Mulholland, the visionary or villainous engineer who brought water from the Eastern Sierra to Los Angeles, opened the floodgates of his aqueduct and declared, “There it is. Take it!” Californians have done just that — and most of the time their political leaders haven’t had to worry too much about the result.
http://jlne.ws/1AJQ91s
Climate Change And Food Security: Water Scarcity Threatens Major Food Companies, But Few Are Tackling The Challenge
By Maria Gallucci – International Business Times
On California’s carrot farms, sprawling fields of orange and leafy-green vegetables are turning to a shriveled brown.
http://jlne.ws/1EgstTU
Tapping the ocean for drinking water: State lays down the law
By Peter Fimrite – SFGate
California adopted new rules Wednesday to help cities and water agencies figure out the best way to siphon water from the sea and turn it into drinking water without killing fish.
http://jlne.ws/1KoYjS3
Communities use “green infrastructure” to adapt to climate change
By Rebecca Williams – Michigan Radio (audio)
Our climate is changing and people are working out ways to adapt.
http://jlne.ws/1EmJ4EB
Miscellaneous
Tech Entrepreneurs Seek More Ethanol in Gasoline to Lower Prices
By Mark Drajem – Bloomberg News
Do you want a return of $2-a-gallon gasoline?
http://jlne.ws/1FT9GCF
Energy secretary plugs infrastructure plan on ‘Daily Show’
By Timothy Cama – The Hill
Much of the United States’ energy infrastructure is five decades old or more, and the Obama administration wants to make it more resilient, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said. Energy secretary plugs infrastructure plan on ‘Daily Show’.
http://jlne.ws/1QsioL3