US Judge rejects Trump Administration's decision to stop wind energy permits
Federal judge ruled on Monday that U.S. president Donald Trump's administration failed to justify their decision to suspend the issuing of leases and permits to new "wind" projects in accordance with Republican President's wishes. U.S. District judge Patti Saris, in Boston, sided with 17 Democratic-led States and the District of Columbia when she found that agencies failed to adequately explain why they had halted federal approvals of all wind-energy project indefinitely. The U.S. The U.S.
Environmentalists sue Gulf of Mexico Oil Auction to Stop it
On Tuesday, environmental groups sued the Trump Administration for its decision to proceed with the planned December 10, offshore oil and natural gas lease sale that covered 80 million acres (32 millions hectares) of the Gulf of Mexico. Why it's Important The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenges a large sale that is aligned with President Donald Trump’s policy of maximising domestic oil and natural gas development.
Judge rules that Trump administration may reconsider SouthCoast wind approval
The U.S. District Court ruled Tuesday that the Interior Department of President Donald Trump may review the Biden Administration's approval for the SouthCoast project off the coasts of Massachusetts. The order returns the matter to Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for a re-examination of its decision, as part of Trump’s review of U.S. Offshore Wind Leasing and Permitting. Interior said that it had identified…
Developer says US stoppage of Rhode Island offshore wind is unjustified
According to court documents filed Thursday, the owners of Revolution Wind claimed that the reasons given by the Trump administration for stopping the work on their Rhode Island offshore windfarm were "factually inaccurate" and revealed only after the government had ordered the project to be halted. The filing at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia was part of a suit filed earlier this month against a stop-work notice issued by the Department of the Interior to Revolution Wind in August. U.S.
Trump administration will reconsider SouthCoast Wind Permit, a legal filing states
According to a court filing on Tuesday, the Trump administration will review the permit for SouthCoast Wind. This is an offshore wind farm in Massachusetts that was approved last year by the former U.S. president Joe Biden's government. Attorneys for the Department of Justice stated in a motion filed on Friday at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that the Interior Department intends to reconsider the approval of SouthCoast Wind’s construction and operation plan.
Divided US appellate court upholds Biden's biofuel rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023-2025 renewable fuel standards were not thrown out by a federal appeals court on Friday. However, the court concluded that regulators had failed to assess the impact the rule could have on climate changes and endangered species. The U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, ruled 2-1 in favor of environmental groups and refiners. It also ruled that a renewable…
US Supreme Court tests which courts can hear EPA Cases
Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court set rules for determining when cases challenging the actions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency relating to air pollution or greenhouse gas emissions are heard by regional appellate courts or a Washington appeals court that hears many regulatory cases. The ruling of 7-2 held that the U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit and not the 5th U.S. based in New Orleans, should hear the lawsuits challenging actions by the U.S.
US regulators approve construction of Venture Global CP2 liquefied natural gas plant in Louisiana
A document published by the FERC on Friday showed that US regulators had given Venture Global permission for construction to begin at its CP2 Liquefied Natural Gas plant in Louisiana. If built, CP2 would be the largest LNG export facility to the U.S. It will also help the U.S. remain the largest exporter in the world of supercooled gas. Venture Global could become the largest U.S. company for LNG. A final environmental report concluded that the plant…
US Regulators Recommend That Venture Global's CP2 LNG Project Gets Greenlight
U.S. federal regulators recommended in a final environmental report that Venture Global's proposed CP2 liquefied natural gas export project in Louisiana get the go-ahead, according to a government document filed on Friday.If constructed, CP2 will be the single largest LNG export facility in the U.S. and help the country remain the world's largest exporter of the superchilled gas.Venture Global already obtained approval to construct the 28 million tonnes per annum plant…
Democratic-led states file suit to stop Trump's cancellation of wind project
On Monday, a coalition of Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit to stop President Donald Trump from suspending leasing and permitting new wind projects. They claim that this move threatens to cripple both the wind industry and clean energy. In a federal court lawsuit filed in Boston, 17 states and the District of Columbia argued that President Donald Trump's decision to indefinitely suspend all federal wind energy approvals was unlawful and should be blocked.
FERC wants more guidance on colocated data centers
The U.S. Energy regulators directed the largest grid operator in the country to clarify how it deals with co-location. This arrangement is becoming increasingly popular for AI data centers, allowing them to be connected directly to power plants. Co-location is a faster way to get large amounts of energy, rather than spending years waiting in line to connect to the grid. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission stated in an…
Constellation wins $1 billion contract to supply nuclear energy to the US government
Constellation Energy announced on Thursday that it had been awarded contracts worth a record-breaking $1 billion to supply nuclear energy to the U.S. Government. As part of an agreement with the U.S. General Services Administration, Constellation, America's largest nuclear power plant operator, will provide electricity to over 13 federal agencies. The GSA estimated the contracts will begin on April 25 and include over 10 million Megawatt-hours of electricity over a period of 10 years…
US Energy Department: Two LNG reviews must be waited for by regulator
The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Tuesday that it will not be able to finish its reviews of two proposed liquefied gas export terminals planned for Louisiana until an independent regulatory agency completes their environmental assessments of these projects. The Department of Energy said that it must wait until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has completed its work to review applications for exports…
US Governors push back against PJM following record-high prices for power plants
Five governors urged PJM Interconnection on Tuesday to change its process for determining the price of power plants, after the auction that saw record prices. Prices in the most recent PJM auction were almost 10 times higher than last year. This was largely due to a shrinking supply of electricity and an increasing demand for electricity. Prices were set at levels that raised concern about the cost of electricity for homes and businesses on PJM territory.
US Supreme Court will not halt EPA power plant emission rule
The U.S. Supreme Court refused on Wednesday to suspend a new federal regulation targeting carbon pollution from coal and gas-fired plants, despite the requests of many states and industry groups. This is another major setback to President Joe Biden’s efforts to fight climate change. The Justices refused emergency requests from West Virginia, Indiana, and 25 other states, most of which are Republican-led, as well as by…
Maguire: Slow rollout of charge points could stall US EV sales momentum
The United States has seen a 140% increase in electric vehicle sales since 2023. However, further growth could be hindered if public charging stations are not rolled out more evenly and at a slower pace. According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. electric vehicle registrations will reach just over 3.5 millions by September 2024. This is up from 1.4m registrations in 2023 and represents the steepest growth rate ever in EV adoption in the country.
Maguire: Slow rollout of charge points could stall US EV sales momentum
The United States has seen a 140% increase in electric vehicle sales since 2023. However, further growth could be hindered if public charging stations are not rolled out more evenly and at a slower pace. According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. electric vehicle registrations will reach just over 3.5 millions by September 2024. This is up from 1.4m registrations in 2023 and represents the steepest growth rate ever in EV adoption in the country.
EXIM Bank Amends Mozambique LNG Loan. Earmarks $1.8B for Offshore Work
The U.S. EXIM Bank has amended its previously approved September 2019 direct loan supporting U.S. exports for the development and construction of the Total-operated LNG project located on the Afungi Peninsula in northern Mozambique.The original scope of the $4.7 billion loan for the project has been amended from exclusively the onshore portion of the LNG plant and related facilities to also allocate an estimated $1.8 billion to support the project’s offshore production.
EPA Announces Funding to Reduce Diesel Emissions
Preference given to fleets in areas facing air quality challenges. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of grant funding to modernize the nation’s diesel fleet by retrofitting or replacing vehicles with cleaner, more efficient diesel engines. EPA anticipates awarding approximately $40 million in Diesel Emission Reduction Program (DERA) grant funding to eligible applicants, subject to the availability of funds.
U.S. Court Says Regulator Incorrectly Set Renewable Fuel Standard
A U.S. court on Friday said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency erred when setting standards for how much renewable fuel must be included in fuel sold in the United States and ordered the agency to try again, according to a court filing. The EPA had sought to lower the amount of biofuels that needed to be mixed into U.S. fuel. But the U.S. Appeals Court, District of Columbia Circuit said the agency had incorrectly…