Elizabeth Sheargold

25 posts

Completion of the Clean Energy Investment U.S. – India Project

The Center for Climate Change Law has completed the Clean Energy Investment US-India Project. The project aimed to ease the path for U.S. investors and solar and other renewable energy equipment manufacturers to access the Indian market. So far, investment in this expanding market has been limited by high transaction […]

WTO Appellate Body finds Ontario’s renewable energy program violates international trade rules

On May 6, 2013, the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO)’s dispute settlement system held that Ontario’s feed-in tariff (FIT) program to support renewable energy development was inconsistent with Canada’s international trade obligations.  The decision confirmed the conclusion reached by the dispute settlement panel which first ruled on […]

EPA Water Pollutant Discharge Rules Rely on Antiquated Rainfall Maps

By Shawna Ganley. While the Clean Water Act prohibits discharge of pollutants into waterways, EPA regulations make exceptions for certain discharges in the event of extreme weather events, such as 10-year and 25-year storms.  These exceptions run the gamut from toxic pollutants such as DDT, to waste from factory farm […]

Pennsylvania sells thousands of home energy efficiency loans on secondary market

In early March 2013 the Pennsylvania Treasury announced that it had sold approximately 4,700 loans made through its Keystone Home Energy Loan Program.  In exchange for the loans, the Treasury received $23 million in cash and $8.3 million in deferred payments, for a total sale value of $31.3 million.  The […]

President Obama’s proposed Energy Security Trust and reducing the dependence of US cars on gasoline

On March 15, 2013, President Obama formally announced his plan to create an “Energy Security Trust” to promote research and development of clean energy technologies.  The Trust was first mentioned by President Obama in his State of the Union address earlier this year, but he had not elaborated on the […]

European Commission awards a Spanish innovative renewable energy project under the NER300 funding program

by Teresa Parejo Navajas, Professor of Law, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Spain). In December 2012 the European Commission awarded over €1.2 billion funding to 23 highly innovative renewable energy demonstration projects under the first call for proposals for the so-called NER300 funding program. Projects will be co-financed with revenues […]