Cooperatives Seek Congressional Action on Coal Ash
Posted on Jun 22, 2015 in Environmental, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Cooperatives Seek Congressional Action on Coal Ash
Electric cooperatives are asking Congress to legislate on the issue of coal ash. The call for Congressional action comes in light of an EPA rule, taking effect October 14, which coops believe will lead to duplicative and conflicting oversight at the federal and state levels. Coops say they would rather Congress simply set minimum requirements and then allow the states to administer...
Arkansas Electric and Others Seek Intervention in Suit over Haze Abatement Plan
Posted on Jun 12, 2015 in Environmental, Litigation, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Arkansas Electric and Others Seek Intervention in Suit over Haze Abatement Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in March settled a suit with environmental group Sierra Club over an Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality haze plan required by federal law. A coalition of companies, including Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. and Entergy Arkansas, has filed a motion to intervene in the suit that has already settled. Click here for more.
EPA Deemed “Ultimate Authority” For Ozone NAAQS
Posted on Jun 10, 2015 in Climate Change, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on EPA Deemed “Ultimate Authority” For Ozone NAAQS
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the “ultimate authority” to determine whether an area is in attainment with national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone. Many industry and environmental groups, along with states and counties, were challenging nonattainment designations finalized by...
EPA Finalizes Definition of Waters to be Covered under the Clean Water Act
Posted on May 28, 2015 in Environmental, Land Use, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on EPA Finalizes Definition of Waters to be Covered under the Clean Water Act
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers finalized a redefinition of the “Waters of the U.S.” under the Clean Water Act. The EPA did so without consulting stakeholders, including rural electric cooperatives. The EPA maintains that it is not required to consult stakeholders, or to conduct small business analysis under the Regulatory Flexibility Act before...
NERC Study Finds EPA’s Clean Power Plan Unworkable
Posted on Apr 30, 2015 in Climate Change, Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Project Development, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on NERC Study Finds EPA’s Clean Power Plan Unworkable
A recent North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) study finds that the Clean Power Plan of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would require that electric cooperatives shut down approximately 21 percent of their coal generation by 2025. The study also found that the generation and transmission projects necessary to fill the void left by coal generation would not be...
D.C. Cir. Approves EPA Greenhouse Gas Regulation at Some Power Plants
Posted on Apr 14, 2015 in Climate Change, Environmental, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on D.C. Cir. Approves EPA Greenhouse Gas Regulation at Some Power Plants
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) won a case before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Cir.) that will allow it to continue to regulate existing power plants for greenhouse gases if they are being regulated for other pollutants as well. The Court also vacated portions of the EPA’s Tailoring Rule which attempted to address emissions of...
EPA Proposes Costly New Water Regulations
Posted on Mar 25, 2015 in Climate Change, Environmental, Land Use, Legislative & Politics, Permitting, Project Development, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on EPA Proposes Costly New Water Regulations
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new water regulations which would increase costs and require extensive permitting for power line construction and maintenance. At a hearing on the proposed rules, Russ Biggica of the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association warned Congress that the rules would drive up costs for cooperatives, including the cost of renewable energy...
Arizona Electric Power Cooperative Regional Haze Plan Approved by EPA
Posted on Mar 4, 2015 in Climate Change, Environmental, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Arizona Electric Power Cooperative Regional Haze Plan Approved by EPA
Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO) has become the first Arizona utility to settle out of court with the US Environmental Protection agency (EPA) regarding EPA’s regional haze rules. AEPCO presented an alternative plan than the one initially required by EPA’s original rule, and the approved plan will come at less cost to AEPCO’s members. To read more please click...
NRECA Urges FERC to Limit EPA’s Clean Power Plan
Posted on Feb 20, 2015 in Environmental, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on NRECA Urges FERC to Limit EPA’s Clean Power Plan
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), a group representing over 900 private, not-for-profit electric cooperatives in the U.S., has urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to limit the impact of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Clean Power Plan. The proposal calls for cuts in carbon dioxide emissions from existing...
TCEQ Reassumes Texas Permitting Duties from EPA.
Posted on Feb 20, 2015 in Permitting | Comments Off on TCEQ Reassumes Texas Permitting Duties from EPA.
For the past two years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has handled permitting duties in Texas while the state has worked on implementing its own program. On Thursday the EPA issued its last federal greenhouse gas permit in Texas and transferred the remaining applications to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to handle the permitting going forward. ...
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