Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 13, 2022

I was invited to speak at a panel discussion last Wednesday as part of The Economist ’s annual Sustainability Week, titled “What technologies are needed to avert a climate disaster?” True to the theme, I was asked about which technological innovations would be necessary to save our planet. And yet, we aren’t.

Technology 264

Technology Technology Climate Change Fossil Fuels 264

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 26, 2023

CARB’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) seeks to incentivize the production and sale of alternative, lower emissions transportation fuels in order to displace conventional fossil fuels. To identify which fuels should be promoted, CARB calculates the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels.

Regulations 312

Regulations Greenhouse Clean Air Act Politics 312

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 1, 2024

This decision , reached with a 6-3 majority led by Chief Justice John Roberts, marks a significant shift in administrative law and has profound implications for environmental regulations and climate accountability. Successful court cases could limit the scope of future regulations. Worse, agencies may decide not to even try.

Regulations 359

Regulations Fossil Fuels Environmental Protection Clean Air Act 359

Legal Planet

AUGUST 5, 2021

A big shift to renewables could leave stranded assets — existing fossil fuel plants that the utility will no longer get paid for using. In much of the country, those wholesale transactions are under the control of regional transmission organizations established by federal power regulators, but that’s not true everywhere.

Fossil Fuels 299

Fossil Fuels Regulations Clean Energy Renewable Energy 299

Enviromental Defense

AUGUST 23, 2021

In addition, we already have regulations in place to achieve methane reductions, so we are essentially subsidizing compliance with existing rules. million for other categories of support to fossil fuels. In some cases, these funds even went to paying companies to comply with existing regulations.

Fossil Fuels 141

Fossil Fuels 2020 Government 2025 141

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 1, 2022

That’s because the case, which was about the nature and scope of EPA authority in regulating carbon emissions from existing power plants, turned on a rule that does not exist. Because while this decision does still recognize EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, it simultaneously sharply curtails the agency’s ability to do so.

Fossil Fuels 279

Fossil Fuels Clean Air Act Clean Energy Greenhouse 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 13, 2024

Paul Arbaje is an energy analyst in the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists and an expert on electricity policies and reforms that reduce fossil fuel use and reliance. The energy enthusiast who owns their own homes can take further steps toward making their homes completely free of direct fossil fuel use.

Fossil Fuels 277

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity Climate Change 277

Legal Planet

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

You don’t have to look beyond the front pages of newspapers , or beyond rooftops in your neighborhood to know that we are in the midst of a clean energy revolution, with renewable energy technologies dramatically decreasing in price and increasing in availability.

Law 325

Law Renewable Energy Clean Energy Fossil Fuels 325

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

California’s transportation fuel policy is knee deep in cow poop, and it’s not a good look. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is considering amendments to its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) regulation, but indicated they have no plans to address the problems caused by counter-productive subsidies for manure biomethane.

Fossil Fuels 326

Fossil Fuels Regulations Carbon Dioxide Renewable Energy 326

Legal Planet

APRIL 3, 2023

EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act (CAA) A. Investment and incentives for clean technologies under the Inflation Reduction Act. Nuclear power regulation D. FERC pipeline regulation (natural gas and hydrogen). California authority to regulate new vehicles D. Social Cost of Carbon D.

Law 246

Law Endangered Species Act Clean Air Act Biofuels 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 22, 2022

Minnesotans are facing concurrent crises of climate change, high energy prices and inflation, and the inequitable public health impacts of fossil fuel air pollution. Renewable energy will help with all of that—but we need a grid that is designed for wind and solar instead of having to rely on expensive coal and gas plants.

Renewable Energy 363

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Solar Power Electricity 363

Legal Planet

DECEMBER 16, 2021

Utilities were famously set in their ways, using nineteenth century technologies to produce and deliver their products. The key to getting climate change under control is to rapidly decrease the user of fossil fuels. Technological changes. Only specialists really paid much attention. All that has changed dramatically.

Law 246

Law Fossil Fuels Regulations Electricity 246

Legal Planet

MAY 19, 2023

In 2016 Monterey County voters passed Measure Z, a citizen initiative intended to bar the drilling of new oil and gas wells in the county and ban the use of fracking technology for existing wells in Monterey County. The oil and gas industry, led by Chevron U.S.A.,

Law 264

Law Fossil Fuels Climate Change Regulations 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 30, 2023

The key word here is “ intensity :” Fossil fuel companies often focus on emissions intensity, meaning emissions per barrel of oil, rather than absolute emissions, which is a set number measured in metric tons. That means Exxon still plans to spend the vast majority of its funds on fossil fuel exploration and production.

Fossil Fuels 291

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement 2030 Greenhouse 291

PA Environment Daily

MARCH 19, 2025

By Matthew Carroll, Penn State News Moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like wind and solar will require better ways to store energy for use when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing. over the existing technology. million in the United States and found it can improve efficiency by 9.5%

Technology 70

Technology Technology Renewable Energy Clean Energy 70

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

In December, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service proposed regulations governing implementation of the 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit , passed as part of 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act. In particular, emissions loopholes related to biomethane and fugitive methane (i.e.,

Fossil Fuels 317

Fossil Fuels Waste Regulations Electricity 317

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 3, 2022

The majority 6–3 decision sharply curtails the EPA’s authority to set standards based on a broad range of flexible options to cut carbon emissions from the power sector—options such as replacing polluting fossil fuels with cheap and widely available wind and solar power coupled with battery storage.

Climate Change 300

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Nitrogen Oxides 300

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 23, 2023

For example, researchers at the Union of Concerned Scientists have directly linked fossil fuel producers’ Scope 1 and Scope 3 emissions to increases in ocean acidification , global temperature, sea level rise and North American wildfires. So how does the fossil fuel industry think it should measure emissions?

Carbon Emissions 343

Carbon Emissions Fossil Fuels Greenhouse Sea Level 343

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 13, 2022

The article quotes a range of economists and other climate policy experts to the effect that subsidies and regulations are superior to carbon pricing because they can address equity issues, and that they can move investment in decarbonization technology more quickly than carbon pricing.

Politics 246

Politics Climate Change Technology Technology 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

Some estimates suggest they could disappear by 2030 due to the climate change triggered by human fossil fuel use, which began less than 200 years ago. In Montana and around the world, glaciers support ecosystems, serve as year-round water sources, and regulate the climate, among other important ecological functions.

Climate Change 245

Climate Change 2030 Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions 245

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 16, 2022

Renewable energy generation increases faster than any other technology. Generation from renewable technologies more than covers the increase in electricity demand, also making up for coal and nuclear plant retirements. Source: US Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2022 (AEO2022).

Natural Gas 290

Natural Gas Renewable Energy Climate Change Electricity 290

Enviromental Defense

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

Canada needs to take more action to transition away from fossil fuels Statement from Aly Hyder Ali, Oil and Gas Program Manager Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – We applaud today’s report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), which sends a clear signal: the era of fossil fuels is ending.

Fossil Fuels 86

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 2030 Government 86

Enviromental Defense

JUNE 13, 2023

March was a tight competition between fossil fuel pipeline, extraction, and oil and gas production companies for who could get the most face time with the federal government. Fossil fuel transportation firm Pembina Pipeline Company had the most lobby meetings in March. and Enbridge Inc. with 10 meetings each.

Fossil Fuels 98

Fossil Fuels Government Climate Change Natural Resources 98

Enviromental Defense

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

The Pathways Alliance spent millions of dollars misleading the public with ads about “greening” its fossil fuel production. We called them out to the Competition Bureau , the agency responsible for regulating false advertising, and the Bureau is now investigating Pathways Alliance for misleading claims. and ConocoPhillips.

Fossil Fuels 52

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Regulations Government 52

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Permitting them to violate these critical regulations means taxpayers have to shoulder the cost of monitoring, remediation, and cleanup, if they happen at all. There’s a wide range of solutions, including integrating solar, wind and other renewable technologies; investing in new transmission; and reducing demand with efficiency measures.

Clean Energy 357

Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Fossil Fuels Electricity 357

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 21, 2023

Upcoming research from my colleague Dave Cooke shows that electric delivery trucks can reduce climate-warming emissions from driving by up to 92 percent and reduce lifecycle public health impacts by up to 85 percent compared to today’s average fossil-fueled delivery trucks.

Nitrogen Oxides 308

Nitrogen Oxides Electricity Fossil Fuels Air Pollution 308

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 25, 2023

With an outsized credit for the lowest-carbon tier, the incentive’s aim is clear: Drive deployment of hydrogen production technologies that will be needed by, and aligned with , the nation’s overall clean energy transition. But instead of meeting that straightforward aim, a series of implementation loopholes threaten to fully undermine it.

Fossil Fuels 244

Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Clean Energy Carbon Emissions 244

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 1, 2022

California’s leadership on reducing truck pollution has been on full display the past few years, passing critical regulations requiring 90 percent reduction in smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NO X ) emissions from diesel trucks and requiring manufacturers sell an increasing share of electric trucks to move away from fossil fuels altogether.

Nitrogen Oxides 246

Nitrogen Oxides Clean Air Act Ozone Fossil Fuels 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 20, 2023

The IRA gave us effective tools for cleaning up the power sector through dedicated support for the rapid and widescale deployment of renewable resources and the technologies that support them. Which means the consequences of these polluters unabashedly continuing to pollute aren’t just severe—they’re compounding.

Clean Air Act 239

Clean Air Act Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Clean Energy 239

Enviromental Defense

JUNE 6, 2024

Statement by Emilia Belliveau, Energy Transition Program Manager Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – At today’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development (ENVI), Members of Parliament grilled the fossil fuel industry about their climate pollution. Jun 6, 2024.

Fossil Fuels 142

Fossil Fuels Greenhouse Climate Change Sustainable Development 142

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 20, 2022

Another actor with immense political power and influence played a role in this shift: the fossil fuel industry. Fossil fuel companies wanted to make sure that regulation of their products, and as a result the heat-trapping emissions that come from producing and using fossil fuels, were kept out of international agreements.

Sea Level 288

Sea Level Paris Agreement Climate Change Fossil Fuels 288

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

An equitable and people-centered transition of this nature will require changes that go beyond the necessary technological shifts and must focus on overcoming significant social, institutional, and behavioral barriers. In other words, technological solutions are necessary but not sufficient. How do we make this transformation happen?

Electricity 290

Electricity Biofuels Technology Technology 290

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Even so, it is concerning that legislators included fossil gas in the definition of clean energy given the risk of continuing our reliance on fossil fuels and the impact of emissions from gas production, transportation, and combustion. What Still Needs to be Done?

Clean Energy 273

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Nuclear Power 273

Enviromental Defense

AUGUST 12, 2024

It highlights the most active fossil fuel companies and industry associations, as well as the Members of Parliament, ministries and ministers targeted for lobbying. The outcome for climate policy in Canada is that regulations have been diluted with loopholes or have been moving at a snail’s pace to the finish line.

Fossil Fuels 145

Fossil Fuels Natural Resources Climate Change Government 145

A Greener Life

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

Weifang Port’s “zero-carbon” certification was primarily achieved by transitioning away from fossil fuel use, according to China Electric Power News (CEPN). It has built a wind power system to provide green energy for its operations and deployed hydrogen-powered vehicles to replace fossil-fuel-powered trucks.

Fossil Fuels 52

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Wind Power Solar Power 52

Legal Planet

AUGUST 6, 2023

However, it’s a disappointment to the initiative’s proponents and to a larger group of environmental advocates who seek to promote California’s quick transition from reliance on heavily-polluting and climate-damaging fossil fuels to renewable energy resources. Measure Z never took effect.

Law 130

Law Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Regulations 130

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 23, 2022

But the distribution system will be even more important when making a rapid clean energy transition, particularly considering the role distributed energy resources, such as rooftop solar, battery storage and electric vehicles, can play in helping Illinoisans dump fossil fuels.

Clean Energy 263

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels 2012 Law 263