September 30, 2009

It's a first step. But it's a big one. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has signed a final rule to establish a mandatory greenhouse gas reporting system that it says would cover about 85 percent of all such emissions.

The thinking is that the formation of such a registry requires industrial concerns to not just tabulate their heat-trapping emissions but to also consider ways to reduce them. In effect, what gets measured gets managed. That, in turn, would make it more feasible to enact national policy that would require cuts in those releases and could like facilitate the implementation of a cap-and-trade system.

August 31, 2009

The Enron saga still lives. Elements of the so-called "Enron loophole" remain intact -- provisions that that some say distort markets and drive up commodity prices.

The uncertainty in oil and natural gas markets, along with the country's financial morass, has prompted legislative changes. But the Obama administration wants those commodities that are bought and sold through trading platforms to be subject to even stricter oversight. The administration's Commodity Futures Trading Commission is considering regulations that would diminish the power of those exchanges and set limits on the number of energy positions that traders take.

Michigan Democrats propose renewable energy requirements

Lansing - Michigan's goals for shifting to green energy could be expanded under bills unveiled Monday by House Democrats, business leaders and clean energy advocates.

The plan would require that 30 percent of the state's electricity come from renewable sources by 2025; 10 percent is already required to come from solar, wind or other green sources by 2015. The package also would require utilities to work with their customers to decrease energy use by 2 percent per year, and mandate revisions in building codes to cut down on energy use.

August 28, 2009

With stimulus monies flowing, how will the government keep track of it all? While it's a sophisticated system bound to be fraught with problems, the Obama administration is nonetheless committed to ensuring that the process is transparent and above board.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is, in fact, the largest ever government infusion into the economy. With several dozen avenues from which the money is released to thousands of recipients that range from private companies to local jurisdictions, the task before those who will monitor the situation is enormous.

August 17, 2009

As the country wends its way out of the dark recession, more pressure will be put on utilities and other businesses to invest anew in environmentally friendly technologies. While such a cause is admirable, it will still be slow in coming.

Credit markets, of course, have been tight since the downturn officially began in December 2007. During such times, the natural inclination is to hunker down, preserve cash and wait. That survival technique, though, comes at a cost. And in this case, it's taken not just a toll on jobs but also on environmental spending. Companies, in effect, feel less immediate pressure to invest in carbon-free technologies.