U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order affecting domestic energy policy. His March 28, 2017 Presidential Executive Order on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth includes a variety of directives, generally aimed at reducing federal regulations affecting domestic energy production. Here's a look at his Executive Order targeting Obama-administration climate regulations and other agency actions that potentially burden the development or use of domestically produced energy resources.
The Executive Order includes 8 operative sections. One provides policy statements; six call for regulatory reviews that could lead to rule changes or revocations, or directly revoke and rescind Obama-era actions. The final section includes general provisions.
Section 1 includes five policy statements, such as that "is in the national interest to promote clean and safe development of our
Nation's vast energy resources, while at the same time avoiding
regulatory burdens that unnecessarily encumber energy production,
constrain economic growth, and prevent job creation." It also sets a federal policy "that executive departments and
agencies (agencies) immediately review existing regulations that
potentially burden the development or use of domestically produced
energy resources and appropriately suspend, revise, or rescind those
that unduly burden the development of domestic energy resources beyond
the degree necessary to protect the public interest or otherwise comply
with the law."
Section 2 calls for an immediate review of all agency actions that potentially burden the safe, efficient development of domestic energy resources, "with particular attention to oil, natural gas, coal,
and nuclear energy resources." It directs agency heads to submit a memorandum to the Office of Management and Budget detailing such potentially burdensome actions, and including "specific recommendations that, to the extent permitted by law, could
alleviate or eliminate aspects of agency actions that burden domestic
energy production." With respect to actions targeted with specific recommendations in a final report, agency heads are directed to "as soon as practicable, suspend,
revise, or rescind, or publish for notice and comment proposed rules
suspending, revising, or rescinding, those actions, as appropriate and
consistent with law."
Section 3 rescinds or revokes a variety of Presidential actions and reports, including several of President Obama's executive orders regarding climate change, the President's 2013 Climate Action Plan, and the Council on Environmental Quality's 2016 final guidance for federal agencies on consideration of greenhouse gas and climate issues in performing reviews of agency actions under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Section 4 calls for the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to "immediately take all steps necessary to review" the Clean Power Plan governing electricity-sector emissions and related rules "for consistency with the policy set forth in section 1 of this order
and, if appropriate, shall, as soon as practicable, suspend, revise, or
rescind the guidance, or publish for notice and comment proposed rules
suspending, revising, or rescinding those rules."
Section 5 disbands a working group on the social cost of greenhouse gas emissions, and restricts the ways agencies may account for the monetary value of changes in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from regulations.
Section 6 calls for the Secretary of Interior to lift moratoria on federal land coal leasing activities imposed under a 2015 order, and to commence federal coal leasing activities.
Section 7 calls for review of federal regulations affecting emissions from the oil and gas sector, including 2016 emissions standards for new, reconstructed and modified sources, and a 2015 rule governing hydraulic fracturing on federal and Indian lands, among others.
Section 8 includes general provisions, generally similar to those found in other executive orders.
Energy powers society; society's choices shape energy policy. A blog about our energy resources and the choices they present for society.
Showing posts with label Climate Action Plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Climate Action Plan. Show all posts
US auctions NJ offshore wind sites
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
The U.S. Department of the Interior has auctioned the rights to lease nearly 344,000 acres offshore New Jersey for potential offshore wind energy development.
Under federal law, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is responsible for leasing marine sites on the Outer Continental Shelf for energy development. In addition to BOEM's oil and gas site leasing programs, the agency also operates renewable energy programs focused primarily on offshore wind and hydrokinetic resources (waves and currents). Prior to yesterday's lease sale, BOEM had awarded nine commercial offshore wind leases offshore Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
In September, BOEM announced that it would auction off the rights to two designated Wind Energy Areas offshore New Jersey. That auction was held yesterday. According to BOEM, the provisional winner of lease area OCS-A 0498 (160,480 acres) was RES America Developments Inc., with a bid of $880,715. US Wind Inc. provisionally won site OCS-A 0499 (183,353 acres), with a bid of $1,006,240. Fishermen’s Energy LLC also reportedly participated in the lease sale but did not win either parcel.
Generally centered offshore of Atlantic City, the New Jersey Wind Energy Area starts about 7 nautical miles offshore and runs about 21 nautical miles seaward. The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory reports that full development of the area could support about 3,400 megawatts of wind generation.
Since the Obama administration's early "Smart from the Start" program, BOEM has engaged in efforts to spur offshore wind development. President Obama's June 2013 Climate Change Action Plan features offshore wind as a tool to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from domestic industry.
This emphasis on the linkage between offshore wind and action on climate change is increasingly clear in the administration's messaging. Early press releases on BOEM's offshore wind programs emphasized "the Obama Administration's all-of-the-above energy strategy to continue to expand domestic energy production." By July 31, 2013, in announcing the first ever competitive lease sale for renewable energy in federal waters, BOEM described "President Obama's comprehensive plan to move our economy toward domestic clean energy sources and cut carbon pollution." Just two months later in September 2013, after the release of the Climate Action Plan, BOEM began using the phrase "President Obama's Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, develop domestic clean energy sources and cut carbon pollution." BOEM continues to use this phrase in touting its offshore wind program's consistency with the Climate Action Plan, as recently as yesterday's press release about the New Jersey lease sale.
Perhaps more tellingly, the Department of Interior press release announcing yesterday's New Jersey sale references "COP21", the upcoming 2015 Paris Climate Conference, in its brief summary. This reference to the Paris climate convention is not otherwise explained in the text of the press release. Nevertheless its inclusion here highlights the interplay between domestic and international energy policy, as well as the potential role U.S. offshore wind might play in addressing climate change.
Under federal law, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is responsible for leasing marine sites on the Outer Continental Shelf for energy development. In addition to BOEM's oil and gas site leasing programs, the agency also operates renewable energy programs focused primarily on offshore wind and hydrokinetic resources (waves and currents). Prior to yesterday's lease sale, BOEM had awarded nine commercial offshore wind leases offshore Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
In September, BOEM announced that it would auction off the rights to two designated Wind Energy Areas offshore New Jersey. That auction was held yesterday. According to BOEM, the provisional winner of lease area OCS-A 0498 (160,480 acres) was RES America Developments Inc., with a bid of $880,715. US Wind Inc. provisionally won site OCS-A 0499 (183,353 acres), with a bid of $1,006,240. Fishermen’s Energy LLC also reportedly participated in the lease sale but did not win either parcel.
Generally centered offshore of Atlantic City, the New Jersey Wind Energy Area starts about 7 nautical miles offshore and runs about 21 nautical miles seaward. The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory reports that full development of the area could support about 3,400 megawatts of wind generation.
Since the Obama administration's early "Smart from the Start" program, BOEM has engaged in efforts to spur offshore wind development. President Obama's June 2013 Climate Change Action Plan features offshore wind as a tool to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from domestic industry.
This emphasis on the linkage between offshore wind and action on climate change is increasingly clear in the administration's messaging. Early press releases on BOEM's offshore wind programs emphasized "the Obama Administration's all-of-the-above energy strategy to continue to expand domestic energy production." By July 31, 2013, in announcing the first ever competitive lease sale for renewable energy in federal waters, BOEM described "President Obama's comprehensive plan to move our economy toward domestic clean energy sources and cut carbon pollution." Just two months later in September 2013, after the release of the Climate Action Plan, BOEM began using the phrase "President Obama's Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, develop domestic clean energy sources and cut carbon pollution." BOEM continues to use this phrase in touting its offshore wind program's consistency with the Climate Action Plan, as recently as yesterday's press release about the New Jersey lease sale.
Perhaps more tellingly, the Department of Interior press release announcing yesterday's New Jersey sale references "COP21", the upcoming 2015 Paris Climate Conference, in its brief summary. This reference to the Paris climate convention is not otherwise explained in the text of the press release. Nevertheless its inclusion here highlights the interplay between domestic and international energy policy, as well as the potential role U.S. offshore wind might play in addressing climate change.
EPA proposes methane rules for oil and gas
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a suite of new and modified rules affecting the oil and natural gas industry. Collectively, the proposed rules released on August 18 are designed to reduce methane emissions from oil and natural-gas drilling activities.
As the world tackles climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, methane plays a dual role. As the key constituent of natural gas, methane offers society an abundant and efficient fuel that can displace reliance on costlier and more carbon-polluting fuels like coal and oil. At the same time, methane in the atmosphere can act as a greenhouse gas itself, with a global warming potential more than 25 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. According to EPA, methane is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted in the United States from human activities, and nearly 30 percent of those emissions come from oil production and the production, transmission and distribution of natural gas. At the same time, U.S. production of oil and natural gas has increased, giving the sector important economic and domestic security impacts.
To address this dynamic, yesterday EPA proposed a series of rules affecting the oil and natural gas sector. EPA has described the new rules as a "key component" of the Obama administration's Climate Action Plan. They follow a January announcement of a new goal to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 to 45 percent of 2012 levels by 2025. Under the administration's view, a key tool supporting that goal is the implementation of standards for methane and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from new and modified oil and gas production sources, and natural gas processing and transmission sources.
The rules EPA proposed yesterday include such standards, along with supporting materials. EPA has described its collective proposal as "a suite of commonsense requirements that together will help combat climate change, reduce air pollution that harms public health, and provide greater certainty about Clean Air Act permitting requirements for the oil and natural gas industry."
EPA's proposed package of rules includes:
According to EPA, the proposed rule will reduce methane emissions by between 340,000 and 400,000 short tons in 2025, on top of reductions of 170,000 to 180,000 tons of other VOCs and 1,900 to 2,500 tons of hazardous air pollutants. But industry trade group American Petroleum Institute has called additional regulation "unnecessary for reducing emissions." Debate over EPA's proposal is likely to be vigorous, before EPA as it considers its proposed rulemaking, as well as before Congress and possibly even federal courts, before the dust settles.
EPA will take public comment on the proposals for 60 days after they are published in the Federal Register. According to the January announcement, the administration expects the final rule will follow in 2016. This action on oil and natural gas production follows closely on the heels of EPA's adoption of the Clean Power Plan rules, regulating carbon emissions associated with the electric power industry.
As the world tackles climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, methane plays a dual role. As the key constituent of natural gas, methane offers society an abundant and efficient fuel that can displace reliance on costlier and more carbon-polluting fuels like coal and oil. At the same time, methane in the atmosphere can act as a greenhouse gas itself, with a global warming potential more than 25 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. According to EPA, methane is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted in the United States from human activities, and nearly 30 percent of those emissions come from oil production and the production, transmission and distribution of natural gas. At the same time, U.S. production of oil and natural gas has increased, giving the sector important economic and domestic security impacts.
To address this dynamic, yesterday EPA proposed a series of rules affecting the oil and natural gas sector. EPA has described the new rules as a "key component" of the Obama administration's Climate Action Plan. They follow a January announcement of a new goal to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 to 45 percent of 2012 levels by 2025. Under the administration's view, a key tool supporting that goal is the implementation of standards for methane and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from new and modified oil and gas production sources, and natural gas processing and transmission sources.
The rules EPA proposed yesterday include such standards, along with supporting materials. EPA has described its collective proposal as "a suite of commonsense requirements that together will help combat climate change, reduce air pollution that harms public health, and provide greater certainty about Clean Air Act permitting requirements for the oil and natural gas industry."
EPA's proposed package of rules includes:
- Updates to New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) (PDF, 591 pages) setting methane and VOC requirements for additional new and modified sources in the oil and gas industry.
- Draft Control Techniques Guidelines (PDF, 310 pages) for reducing VOC emissions from existing oil and gas sources in certain ozone nonattainment areas and states in the Ozone Transport Region.
- A Source Determination Rule (PDF, 54 pages) to clarify EPA’s air permitting rules as they apply to the oil and natural gas industry.
According to EPA, the proposed rule will reduce methane emissions by between 340,000 and 400,000 short tons in 2025, on top of reductions of 170,000 to 180,000 tons of other VOCs and 1,900 to 2,500 tons of hazardous air pollutants. But industry trade group American Petroleum Institute has called additional regulation "unnecessary for reducing emissions." Debate over EPA's proposal is likely to be vigorous, before EPA as it considers its proposed rulemaking, as well as before Congress and possibly even federal courts, before the dust settles.
EPA will take public comment on the proposals for 60 days after they are published in the Federal Register. According to the January announcement, the administration expects the final rule will follow in 2016. This action on oil and natural gas production follows closely on the heels of EPA's adoption of the Clean Power Plan rules, regulating carbon emissions associated with the electric power industry.
Obama links climate and health
Thursday, April 9, 2015
President Obama has issued a Presidential Proclamation declaring this week, April 6-12, 2015, as National Public Health Week. Climate change, and its impacts on human and environmental health, figure prominently in his proclamation.
The Obama administration has focused on climate change since taking office in 2009. In 2013, President Obama released his administration's Climate Action Plan, calling for reductions in U.S. emissions of carbon and greenhouse gases, adoption of mitigation and adaptation measures, and global action. He has also addressed climate change in his State of the Union speeches to Congress, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued its proposed Clean Power Plan to reduce the carbon intensity of the nation's electric power sector.
While interest in addressing climate change arises from a broad range of factors, health plays an important role in the Obama administration's action on climate issues. In this week's Presidential Proclamation on health, President Obama noted the interdependence of climate, environment, and human health:
The Obama administration also announced an expansion of its Climate Data Initiative to include more than 150 health-relevant datasets on climate.data.gov. President Obama unveiled the Climate Data Initiative in 2014 to host data related to climate change that can help inform and prepare businesses and citizens for the impacts of extreme weather. The newly released datasets are designed to help the public answer questions, including:
The Obama administration has focused on climate change since taking office in 2009. In 2013, President Obama released his administration's Climate Action Plan, calling for reductions in U.S. emissions of carbon and greenhouse gases, adoption of mitigation and adaptation measures, and global action. He has also addressed climate change in his State of the Union speeches to Congress, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued its proposed Clean Power Plan to reduce the carbon intensity of the nation's electric power sector.
While interest in addressing climate change arises from a broad range of factors, health plays an important role in the Obama administration's action on climate issues. In this week's Presidential Proclamation on health, President Obama noted the interdependence of climate, environment, and human health:
America's public health is deeply tied to the health of our environment. As our planet becomes more interconnected and our climate continues to warm, we face new threats to our safety and well-being. In the past three decades, the percentage of Americans with asthma has more than doubled, and climate change is putting these individuals and many other vulnerable populations at greater risk of landing in the hospital. Rising temperatures can lead to more smog, longer allergy seasons, and an increased incidence of extreme-weather-related injuries and illnesses.This week the Obama administration announced further actions to protect communities against the impacts of climate change. These actions include convening stakeholders to prepare for a White House Climate Change and Health Summit later this spring that will feature the Surgeon General, and an Adaptation in Action Report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
My Administration is dedicated to combating the health impacts of climate change. As part of my Climate Action Plan, we have proposed the first-ever carbon pollution limits for existing power plants -- standards that would help Americans live longer, healthier lives. And as we continue to ensure the resilience of our health care system, we are working to prepare our health care facilities to handle the effects of a changing planet. Climate change is no longer a distant threat. Its effects are felt today, and its costs can be measured in human lives. Every person, every community, and every nation has a duty to protect the health of all our children and grandchildren, and my Administration is committed to leading this effort.
The Obama administration also announced an expansion of its Climate Data Initiative to include more than 150 health-relevant datasets on climate.data.gov. President Obama unveiled the Climate Data Initiative in 2014 to host data related to climate change that can help inform and prepare businesses and citizens for the impacts of extreme weather. The newly released datasets are designed to help the public answer questions, including:
- In what ways does the changing climate affect public health where I live?
- What risk factors make individuals or communities more vulnerable to climate-related health effects?
- How can public health agencies, communities, and individuals plan for uncertain future conditions?
Federal offshore wind auction held for sites off Massachusetts
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Federal ocean energy managers have concluded an auction to lease over 350,000 acres off the Massachusetts coast to prepare for offshore wind development. Of the four parcels up for bid in today's auction, one was provisionally awarded to RES America Developments, Inc. and another to Offshore MW LLC. Two other parcels failed to attract any bids.
In today's auction conducted by the Interior Department’s Bureau
of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), RES America Developments, Inc. provisionally won the rights to Lease OCS-A 0500 (187,523 acres) after two rounds of bidding, with a winning bid of $281,285. Offshore MW LLC provisionally won the rights to Lease OCS-A 0501 (166,886 acres) after two rounds of bidding, with a winning bid of $166,886. These winning bids are significantly below those that were required to win previous federal competitive lease sales for offshore wind sites.
While today's lease awards are a step forward for U.S. offshore wind, neither lease awarded today grants the right to construct or operate an offshore wind project. Rather, these leases have a preliminary term of one year, to allow the lessee time to prepare a Site Assessment Plan describing the installation of meteorological towers and buoys and other activities the lessee plans to perform to assess local wind resources and ocean conditions. Site Assessment Plans must be submitted to BOEM for review and approval.
Once BOEM approves a Site Assessment Plan, the lessee will then have up to five years in which to prepare and submit to BOEM a Construction and Operations Plan (COP) providing detailed information for the construction and operation of a wind energy project on the lease. After BOEM receives a Construction and Operations Plan from a lessee, BOEM will conduct an environmental review of and public comment period for the proposed project. If BOEM approves a Construction and Operations Plan, the lessee will have an operations term of 25 years.
Lease OCS-A 0502 (248,015 acres) and Lease OCS-A 0503 (140,554 acres) did not receive bids in today's auction. As shown on a BOEM nautical chart of the Massachusetts Wind Energy Area, these lease areas are generally farther from the Massachusetts coast than the areas awarded through today's auction.
BOEM touts its offshore wind leasing program as part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan. The auction held today by BOEM represents the nation’s fourth competitive lease sale for renewable energy sites in federal waters. Including this auction, competitive lease sales have generated more than $14.5 million in high bids for more than 700,000 acres in federal waters. Previous auctions covered sites off Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Virginia, and Maryland. BOEM expects to hold another competitive lease sale offshore the New Jersey coast in 2015.
 |
| Onshore wind turbines near the Massachusetts coast. |
While today's lease awards are a step forward for U.S. offshore wind, neither lease awarded today grants the right to construct or operate an offshore wind project. Rather, these leases have a preliminary term of one year, to allow the lessee time to prepare a Site Assessment Plan describing the installation of meteorological towers and buoys and other activities the lessee plans to perform to assess local wind resources and ocean conditions. Site Assessment Plans must be submitted to BOEM for review and approval.
Once BOEM approves a Site Assessment Plan, the lessee will then have up to five years in which to prepare and submit to BOEM a Construction and Operations Plan (COP) providing detailed information for the construction and operation of a wind energy project on the lease. After BOEM receives a Construction and Operations Plan from a lessee, BOEM will conduct an environmental review of and public comment period for the proposed project. If BOEM approves a Construction and Operations Plan, the lessee will have an operations term of 25 years.
Lease OCS-A 0502 (248,015 acres) and Lease OCS-A 0503 (140,554 acres) did not receive bids in today's auction. As shown on a BOEM nautical chart of the Massachusetts Wind Energy Area, these lease areas are generally farther from the Massachusetts coast than the areas awarded through today's auction.
BOEM touts its offshore wind leasing program as part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan. The auction held today by BOEM represents the nation’s fourth competitive lease sale for renewable energy sites in federal waters. Including this auction, competitive lease sales have generated more than $14.5 million in high bids for more than 700,000 acres in federal waters. Previous auctions covered sites off Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Virginia, and Maryland. BOEM expects to hold another competitive lease sale offshore the New Jersey coast in 2015.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
