Patrick Hanley

If you work in or follow the #powersector in the U.S., I highly recommend this upcoming webcast where my partners Stacey VanBelleghem and Karl Karg will discuss EPA's recent power plant rules.

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On Oct. 16, 2024, the Supreme Court denied requests to stay the EPA's carbon emission rule for coal-fired power plants, marking the Court's third refusal this month to block regulations relating to fossil fuel emissions. Read all about it in this excellent article by my colleagues Sarah Main, Basil Seggos, and Seth Jaffe.

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This is a great overview of some practical technical problems (and solutions!) involved in current battery tech by the excellent Callum McGuinn of Mewburn Ellis

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New York's solar surge 🌞 is powered by the Inflation Reduction Act, state incentives, and a relentless push for renewable energy. 💪 The state has already installed almost 5.7 GW of solar - just shy of its 2025 goal. And with 3.4 GW more in the pipeline, it's poised to exceed that target. 📈 What's fueling this solar boom? Generous incentives that can cover 70-90% of project costs, plus solar systems that pay for themselves in about 10 years. 💰 The benefits are clear - greener energy, lower utility bills, and a healthier planet. 🌳🌍 But the real power lies in individual action. As one expert says, "Does it really make a difference if I put panels on my roof? And the answer is, unequivocally, yes." Ready to go solar and do your part? Share your thoughts below! 👇 #SolarPower #CleanEnergy #NewYork

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Those in the renewable energy sector should note the latest proposed regulations from the IRS and Treasury, which address the new tech-neutral clean energy production and investment tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act: • Starting Jan 1, 2025, the new tech-neutral credits will replace the existing tax credits. • These regulations detail the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions and set specific standards for different types of facilities. They also include details on lifecycle analysis emissions assessments. • The IRS is incentivizing electricity projects with zero greenhouse gas emissions. The IRS is currently collecting comments from market participants as the industry awaits more detailed guidance. Read the latest below from the Akin team: Shariff Barakat, Scott Heimberg, Sam B. Guthrie, Matt Kapinos, Susan Lent, Dan Lynch, Jeffrey D. McMillen, Nathan Oleson, Zachary Rudisill, Jerome Garciano, Amy Elliott Read more: https://bit.ly/3Kr70Tj #Tax #RenewableEnergy #IRS #InflationReductionAct #TaxCredits #Energy #Legal

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As NERC's 2023 Long-Term Reliability Assessment highlights, the U.S. electric grid is nearing capacity due to rising demand, aging infrastructure, and the integration of renewable energy. At the same time, the global drive toward AI and its rapid adoption are adding further strain on power systems, as AI models require significant computational power, leading to increased energy consumption. However, emerging trends in low-energy, high-speed AI solutions could be a game changer. Innovations like energy-efficient hardware, neuromorphic computing, and edge AI are being developed globally to reduce the power footprint of AI systems. These advancements can help alleviate grid stress by making AI more sustainable, while still maintaining high-performance capabilities. Who are the top players in this space? Sustainability must be an overarching goal for business and policy. #AI #EnergyEfficiency #GridReliability #Sustainability #Innovation https://lnkd.in/eqZx6wMJ

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Here are the important details of the latest suite of EPA rules regulating power plants ...

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Ballard Power Systems announces that it will supply approximately 6.4 megawatts (MW) of total rated power to 2 manufacturers for the European and UK city bus market.

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Congress directed FERC to protect consumers against unreasonable rates and ensure a reliable grid...there's no major questions wand that can turn Order 1920 into something other than what it is: A remedy for current piecemeal planning practices that threaten grid reliability and affordability.

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What investment tax credits are available to biogas developers starting in 2025? As discussed in my recent Biomass Magazine article available at https://lnkd.in/g89z46Hy, Section 48 investment tax credits for "qualified biogas property" are set to expire at the end of the year. Starting in 2025, the technology-neutral Section 48E ITCs will take effect. See my article on the Climate Solutions Law blog for more information on this new credit regime.

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With billions of Inflation Reduction Act dollars hanging in the balance, Hive Fund grantee partners are harnessing local and state support for clean energy projects to create a line of defense against efforts to claw back funding. In Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, and North Carolina, nearly $1.5 billion in EPA Solar for All, Community Change, and Thriving Community grants have been awarded to coalitions that Hive grantee partners are part of, with broad support and partnerships from state and local governments. Sustained philanthropic support will be critical to ensure these projects build on momentum for a transition from dirty to clean energy that delivers tangible benefits for low-income communities and communities of color. Hive Fund's senior program officer Vanessa Toro Barragán, MCP, AICP was quoted this week in Inside Climate News about threats to the program: https://lnkd.in/eRj2p6tv

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On 11 June 2024, the Pennsylvania House Consumer Protection, Technology, and Utilities Committee approved four significant bills aimed at enhancing consumer protections, boosting energy production, and promoting sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). These bills now move to the full House for consideration. Key Highlights: Consumer Protections: 1. H.B. 1977: Mandates businesses to clearly post surcharges or fees on credit or debit transactions in a visible place. 2. S.B. 824: Provides free credit monitoring for data breach victims. Energy Production: 1. H.B. 2338: Modernizes the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority to expand the state's energy production. 2. H.B. 2402: Introduced by Committee Chair Rob Matzie, this bill offers a tax credit to producers of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to promote its development, leveraging the unique resources at Pittsburgh International Airport. Stay updated on legislative developments with Global Regulatory Insights. #Pennsylvania #ConsumerProtection #EnergyProduction #SustainableAviationFuel #Legislation #GRI

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I’m excited to see a real solution to the mounting generation retirement dilema in PJM move forward. PJM has acknowledged that new entry of resources has not kept pace with the amount of MWs lost due to rapid retirements. What the Stakeholder Coalition is trying to accomplish is at least “maintain the same level of resource adequacy” and MWs in critical locations historically relied on to undergird the system so that we continue to have a reliable and operable system and market. And beyond the technical and system need, there is the human need and element here. Elevate and other Coalition members are trying to keep generating facilities operating so that jobs aren’t lost and the economic tax base remain in these cities and locales where retiring power plants sit. Transferring Capacity Interconnection Rights (CIRs) from an existing generator to a replacement resource in an expedited interconnection review process of 9 months or less is more efficient and timely and allows for a deactivating unit to deenergize and its replacement resource (any technology type) to energize at around the same time frame to avoid mass closures and impacts to energy communities that have already paid for the network upgrades and existing infrastructure. We have a true reliability need in PJM and this Stakeholder Coalition proposal is one tool in the tool kit that can address the need and was closely designed based on 9 previous generator replacement processes already approved by the FERC. We look for continued member support at the MRC.

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Great article about work against Self-scheduling, the practice by which utilities self-commit a generation unit (typically coal units) to operate in the energy market even when the cost of operating that unit (fuel + operations and maintenance) is higher than the current energy market price, meaning the unit actually loses money at a given hour. Utilities typically pass along the losses to captive rate-payers, making energy hundreds of millions of dollars more expensive for customers than it should be, and allowing utilities to continue operating inefficient coal plants even when they are uneconomic. We need more rate payer protections!

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Where are the California tribes on this? If Solar for All and all the other funding for tribes is going to work, this legislation is necessary to ensure legal and policy support in the Golden State.

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"Solar and Storage Industry Pushes Policy Agenda for Trump Administration, New Congress to Strengthen American Energy Leadership" "Today the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is unveiling a comprehensive policy agenda for President Trump and the 119th Congress to ensure the United States is the world’s dominant solar and storage market. This policy agenda calls for strengthening the solar and storage industry as part of a broad strategy to achieve American energy independence and security." https://lnkd.in/gXbXBQTS

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Almost one year after proposing sweeping GHG emissions standards for fossil-fired electric generators, EPA finalized these regulations on April 26. The Final Rule is EPA’s latest and most ambitious regulatory initiative to reduce GHG emissions from the nation’s electric power industry. #TheEnvironmentalLawFirm #EPA #GHGEmissions

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