Clean Energy

270 posts

Developments in Opposition to Renewable Energy Facilities Through December 2023

Local opposition has proven to be a significant barrier to the rapid expansion of renewable energy facilities across the United States. A new edition of the Sabin Center’s Opposition to Renewable Energy Facilities in the United States report identifies 378 renewable energy projects across 47 states that have encountered significant opposition. […]

Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles

Achieving the United States’ ambitious emissions reduction goals depends in large part on the rapid adoption of wind and solar energy and the electrification of consumer vehicles. However, misinformation and coordinated disinformation about renewable energy is widespread and threatens to undermine public support for the transition. In a new report, […]

Ohio Approves Nation’s Largest Agrivoltaics Project, Finding It Will Serve the Public Interest

On March 21, 2024, state regulators in Ohio approved the Oak Run Solar Project, an 800-megawatt (MW) solar generation project that will include 300 MW of battery storage, as well as 4,000 acres of crops and 1,000 sheep on site. This blog post will highlight key features of the project, […]

Federal Court Limits State Authority to Deny Interstate Transmission Projects

The Fifth National Climate Assessment recently concluded that, to meet national and international climate targets, United States net greenhouse gas emissions will need to decline by over 6% per year and reach net zero by roughly 2050. In order to achieve this target, the United States will need to greatly […]

DOE Proposes to Expand the Fast-Track Lane for Certain Clean Energy Projects–But Excludes Wind

On November 16, 2023, the Department of Energy (DOE) published a proposed rule to expedite the environmental review process for certain renewable energy infrastructure projects through the use of categorical exclusions. DOE’s proposal would apply to: (1) installing, operating, modifying, or decommissioning solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on buildings or other […]

Pipeline crossing wetlands. Photo by Steve Hillebrand, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Permitting CO2 Pipelines: Overcoming State and Federal Barriers to CO2 Pipeline Networks

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 directed the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support the development of four regional “direct air capture hubs” (DAC Hubs)—networks that connect direct air capture projects with sequestration facilities and commercial users of captured carbon dioxide (CO2). To support these DAC Hubs, […]

Experts Identify Best Practices for Negotiating and Drafting Community Benefits Agreements

Today, the Sabin Center has published a best practices guide for negotiating and drafting Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs), as well as a database of 50 example CBAs from climate-related projects and other types of infrastructure. For background, CBAs are legally binding contracts between developers and host municipalities or community groups […]

Image of lake and mountain in New York with text reading "CLCPA Scoping Plan Tracker"

New Tool to Monitor Implementation of NY’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act Launched by Sabin Center

The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School has launched a new tool tracking the implementation of the New York Climate Action Council (CAC)’s recommendations in the Scoping Plan for the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The CLCPA—New York’s ambitious climate law signed in 2019—called […]