Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 19, 2022

Minnesota needs substantial investments now to build toward an equitable clean energy future. The bad news is, they have to find a compromise between two vastly different clean energy bills—by Monday. With such a wide gulf to cross, Minnesota could miss another opportunity to advance many key clean energy programs.

Clean Energy 264

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Electricity 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Michigan legislators recently passed a series of energy-related bills that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to sign into law tomorrow. Senate Bill (SB) 271 requires utilities to achieve, at a minimum, renewable energy-generated electricity sales of 50 percent in 2030 and 60 percent in 2035. What’s In the Bills?

Clean Energy 278

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Nuclear Power 278

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 30, 2023

One notable example is in Michigan, where utilities are phasing out coal plants and momentum is building for legislation that would support an equitable clean energy transition. Consumers Energy will close its remaining coal-fired power plants by 2025 and add 8,000 megawatts of solar by 2040.

Clean Energy 264

Clean Energy Electricity Renewable Energy Climate Change 264

PA Environment Daily

MAY 7, 2025

The State of Renewable Energy 2025 documents the growth of six key clean energy technologies across the United States over the past decade and ranks states accordingly for solar power, wind power, battery storage, energy efficiency, electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging stations.

Renewable Energy 59

Renewable Energy Clean Energy Electricity 2025 59

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 22, 2022

Lithium-ion batteries are essential for decarbonizing transportation through electric vehicles and building a resilient, renewable energy grid through energy storage batteries. Nearly every part of a renewable energy grid can be circular, with all outputs circulating back as inputs in a regenerative cycle.

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Recycling Clean Energy Renewable Energy Electricity 280

PA Environment Daily

MARCH 21, 2025

Another in-person event took place in Western Pennsylvania, where supporters rallied in support of community-centered clean energy at the Homestead Steel Mill Stacks. I applaud Governor Shapiros continued support for Community Solar and look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get it signed into law.

Clean Energy 103

Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 103

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 24, 2023

There’s good news in the recently released official data on electricity generation in the United States in 2022: renewable energy has continued to grow, coal power has continued to drop, and renewables are now firmly ahead of coal for the first time ever. They offer a lot of good news about clean energy progress.

Clean Energy 306

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Solar Power 306

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 16, 2024

Much of our electricity system is 50 to 70 years old, yet current plans for domestic manufacturing, electric vehicle fleets, community solar gardens and more clean energy all depend on a modern grid. In some states, when the legislature created new clean energy goals they also started transmission planning to help meet those goals.

Electricity 298

Electricity Renewable Energy Clean Energy Law 298

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

Energy storage, or the storing of electricity for later use on the power grid, plays an important role in the clean energy transition. Illinois is currently considering policy proposals to establish a statewide energy storage target. Illinois needs policies in place now to jump-start development for our 2030 needs.

Fossil Fuels 162

Fossil Fuels 2030 Electricity Clean Energy 162

Law and Environment

AUGUST 11, 2022

5060 ), titled An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind, into law on Thursday August 11, 2022. The law keeps the required procurement total at 5.6 Renewable Energy. Governor Baker signed the climate bill ( H.5060 The act combines and modifies provisions from the House’s proposed offshore wind bill (H.4524)

Clean Energy 147

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 2027 147

Law and Environment

JUNE 11, 2021

As Anne Reynolds, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy – New York (“ACE-NY”) stated when the law was enacted, “[Section 94-c] improves the process and will hopefully get people to work, building wind and solar projects.” ORES’s determination is the next step in that process.

Renewable Energy 130

Renewable Energy Law Regulations Clean Energy 130

Vermont Law

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Bridging the Gap: Ensuring a Just Transition for Rural Communities in the Clean Energy Revolution by Olivia Moulton As we begin transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy, we must be mindful of the disproportionate effects that the existing energy system has had on certain communities.

Clean Energy 52

Clean Energy Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Greenhouse 52

Legal Planet

DECEMBER 16, 2021

Energy law used to be an obscure niche subject. Energy law is a hot topic. Law students are thronging to the field, seeing an opportunity to combine social relevance with good-paying jobs. Top law schools are responding by competing for faculty. Energy use accounts for the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions.

Law 246

Law Fossil Fuels Regulations Electricity 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 3, 2023

Along with interim goals and priorities for pollution reduction in environmental justice areas, the law provides authorization and resources for state agencies to enable the transition to clean, renewable energy. Illinois legislators and clean energy advocates celebrate CEJA’s signing in September 2021.

Electricity 246

Electricity Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Waste 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Last week, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed into law a standard that will make the North Star State’s electricity 100 percent carbon-free by 2040. Building on the success of the 100 percent standard, there are many other energy- and environment-related bills ready for discussion and approval. What’s next?

Electricity 264

Electricity Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 7, 2022

The administration says that the effort will involve encouraging strong labor standards, and attention to good “environmental justice outcomes” through a focus on the clean energy transition in communities “historically overburdened by legacy pollution.”. It proposes to do that through three pieces: 1. What’s next.

Solar Power 334

Solar Power Clean Energy Renewable Energy Electricity 334

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 18, 2022

In Massachusetts, this near-term opportunity would drive progress on clean energy, clean transportation, and equity. With a legislative session that’s about to wrap up, getting the bill into law will require diplomacy and ambition. In March, the House passed the “Act Advancing Offshore Wind and Clean Energy.”

Clean Energy 264

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Electricity 264

Law and Environment

JULY 2, 2021

On June 29, 2021, a cohort of New York local governments (including many where large-scale solar projects are currently proposed), community organizations, and avian interest groups filed a lawsuit in the New York State Supreme Court (the State’s trial-level court) against the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (“ORES”).

Renewable Energy 130

Renewable Energy Regulations Law 2021 130

Law and Environment

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) announced that proposed amendments to the state’s Clean Energy Standard (CES) were finalized earlier this month without substantive changes from draft language initially proposed by the agencies in April 2022.

Clean Energy 130

Clean Energy Electricity Renewable Energy 2030 130

A Greener Life

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

By Liu Lican On November 8, China issued its first Energy Law , which aims to support the development and utilisation of renewable energy and increase the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption. However, the law also states that there will be “rational development and clean and efficient use” of fossil fuels.

Law 52

Law Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels 2025 52

Legal Planet

JULY 29, 2021

On Wednesday, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed a package of four clean energy bills. These laws ban new fossil fuel plants and set aggressive targets for the state’s two major utilities, requiring emission cuts of 80% by 2030, 90% by 2035 and 100% by 2040. These bills move Oregon to the forefront of climate action.

Fossil Fuels 264

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Renewable Energy 2010 264

Law Columbia

OCTOBER 16, 2023

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is chock-full of tax incentives for climate and clean energy projects. But these kinds of new players in the clean energy space face significant barriers as they pursue credit amounts beyond the base ITC credits, and some of these barriers are written right into the IRA itself.

Clean Energy 137

Clean Energy Renewable Energy Government 2026 137

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 3, 2023

Last year’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) included a clean hydrogen production tax credit (known as “45V”) that is one of a slew of new incentives intended to help catalyze the next and necessary phase of advancing the nation’s clean energy transition as a whole. The costs will be too great otherwise.

Clean Energy 264

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity Renewable Energy 264

Law Columbia

JUNE 11, 2024

Local opposition has proven to be a significant barrier to the rapid expansion of renewable energy facilities across the United States. The report also identifies 395 local restrictions across 41 states, along with 19 state-level restrictions, that are so severe that they could have the effect of blocking a renewable energy project.

Renewable Energy 111

Renewable Energy 2023 Government Natural Resources 111

Legal Planet

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

The headline is accurate, but the law in question contains a lot of other interesting features that deserve attention. Despite the law’s extremely unglamorous name (“Senate File 4”), this is a big step forward for the state, as well as evidence of how much difference it makes to unified party control of state government.

Renewable Energy 246

Renewable Energy Law Clean Energy Electricity 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 19, 2023

Change #1: 100% clean energy goals have spread At the beginning of 2018, the only state in the country with a 100% clean or renewable energy goal was Hawaii. Now, 22 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have 100% clean energy goals on the books. The list goes on, but you get the point.

2018 278

2018 Clean Energy Renewable Energy Electricity 278

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 10, 2023

And, while a historic level of federal funding for climate action is on its way via the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, too many bad actors and opposition forces are working hard to stall and stop the help Californians need. Here’s what we at UCS are doing to make that happen.

Fossil Fuels 305

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity Climate Change 305

Legal Planet

APRIL 29, 2024

Climate policy has been boosted by dramatic changes in the economics of clean energy. Perhaps the most important development of the past decade has been the dramatic decline in the cost of renewables. Cheaper renewable energy attracts private investment and makes limits on fossil fuels more feasible.

Fossil Fuels 279

Fossil Fuels 2008 2010 Clean Energy 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 8, 2024

Massachusetts is laser focused on passing new legislation to streamline the building of new energy infrastructure to clean the electric grid and electrify buildings and transportation. Unfortunately, the Massachusetts Senate has missed the mark in its just-passed climate and energy bill.

Clean Energy 332

Clean Energy Electricity Law Conservation 332

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 16, 2022

It’s widely viewed as the “gold standard” for energy projections, even though there’s much debate in the energy community about the validity of the assumptions behind these projections. Source: US Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2022 (AEO2022). This year’s projections are a bit grim.

Natural Gas 290

Natural Gas Renewable Energy Climate Change Electricity 290

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 16, 2024

The electric utility sector needs to expand both the wires and energy supply to support the growth of data centers. Some of the better-known computer and data companies—understanding the impact of this much higher demand—have been actively buying energy from new renewable energy power plants.

Electricity 285

Electricity Clean Energy Nuclear Power Renewable Energy 285

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 2, 2023

At the global level, however, Germany has its own claim to a leadership role, particularly in its early support for renewable energy. Although its track record has some complexities, this timeline of German actions shows just its early and sustained attention to clean energy policy: 1990. Renewables are 6% of power.

Nuclear Power 203

Nuclear Power Renewable Energy Carbon Emissions 2030 203

Energy and Climate Law

MAY 21, 2021

Our Encyclopedia on Energy Law, Climate Change and the Environment has now been published and may be ordered at Edward Elgar. Featuring 65 entries written by leading international scholars and practitioners in the field, the volume is organised into eight thematic parts, each focusing on a specific area of the energy sector.

Climate Change 130

Climate Change Law Renewable Energy Clean Energy 130

Law and Environment

AUGUST 11, 2022

Based on numerous sources, Governor Baker has now signed an Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind. This bill includes a number of key advancements for increased adoption of zero emission vehicles and clean transportation throughout the Commonwealth. Stay tuned for Foley Hoag’s continuing zero emission transportation series.

Clean Energy 130

Clean Energy Electricity Greenhouse Fossil Fuels 130

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 22, 2022

Batteries are key to enabling the renewable energy transition. When the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing, batteries help store clean energy to continue supplying electricity to the grid and to customers consistently and reliably. A fossil fuel energy grid extracts and expends finite resources.

Renewable Energy 210

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Recycling 210

PA Environment Daily

JULY 10, 2023

The third annual Penn State Solar Law Symposium will be held virtually on August 23, from noon to 4:30 p.m., for attorneys and energy professionals. Click Here to register and for more information.

Law 109

Law Natural Gas Renewable Energy Electricity 109

PA Environment Daily

MAY 22, 2024

The report covers a wide range of topics addressing risks and opportunities that DLC faces as it pursues a clean energy future for all while securing the economic vitality of the Pittsburgh region. DLC received more than $19.8 DLC received more than $19.8 to receive this distinction. “As

Clean Energy 104

Clean Energy 2023 Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 104