In so many ways it seems like there has been a lot going on since my last post. Copenhagen. States invoking the U.S. Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction to try to take on foreign invaders in the Great Lakes. The EPA working to combat smog. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources merged with the Department of Environmental Quality to form the new Department of Natural Resources and the Environment. The argument over coal’s place in America's energy mix rages on while we continue to install near-record numbers of renewables. Some were faced with the not-so-shocking realization that the Engangered Species Act can affect a wind development just like any other activity. The recurring NIMBY-versus-government-and-developer issues regarding Cape Wind are still with us eight years in. Europe and China committed to audacious renewable goals that could leave the United States way behind (or ahead, depending on your point of view I guess). The same old NIMBY arguments were repackaged and deployed against offshore wind development in the Great Lakes. There was yet more in the push for SEC disclosures regarding climate-change-related risk. The constant back and forth over domestic climate legislation did anything but die down. Senator Murkowski is trying to take away EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases. Again. Industry is suing EPA over its endangerment finding. States are trying to intervene. Politicians are still occasionally tossing out the pros and cons of “comprehensive” legislation verses energy-only legislation. And there has been the same kind of "will-they-won’t-they" metanews chatter over the always-anticipated-but-never-quite-ready-for-release coal ash rules.
Read more of this entry on Scott's blog: http://e3.wnj.com/.