New U.S. steering on environmental evaluations simple on renewables, powerful on fossil fuels
kodda/iStock through Getty Photographs New tips launched this week by the Biden administration direct federal…
kodda/iStock through Getty Photographs
New tips launched this week by the Biden administration direct federal companies to prioritize greenhouse gas emissions and different local weather results related to evaluations of power and different infrastructure tasks, however in addition they dispense with evaluations of renewable power tasks from together with complete evaluation of their emissions impacts.
The brand new steering from the Council on Environmental High quality mentioned companies reviewing renewable power tasks underneath the Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act “ought to usually quantify projected GHG emission reductions” however they could apply “the rule of motive when figuring out the suitable depth of research.”
Renewable power tasks successfully deserve a cross of their evaluations as a result of they might be anticipated to end in internet GHG emission reductions or no internet GHG improve, the steering mentioned.
Nonetheless, undertaking evaluations for conventional fossil gas tasks can be held to a better customary, requiring evaluation of “fairly foreseeable direct and oblique GHG emissions.”
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Additionally this week, the U.S. Environmental Safety Company unveiled a proposal to tighten air quality standards regulating soot pollution, a transfer that might add to regulatory necessities for coal-fired energy vegetation.
The proposal would scale back allowable ranges of high-quality particle air pollution to a variety of 9-10 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter; present requirements at 12 micrograms per cubic meter “doesn’t shield public well being with an ample margin of security,” the EPA mentioned.
