By Adam Riedel U.S. Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu has consistently touted the benefits of white or reflective roofs and “cool pavements” (white or lightly colored pavements) in combating climate change, and has even mandated that all new roofs on Energy Department buildings be either white or reflective. Studies have […]
Clean Energy
270 posts
By Shelley Welton Deputy Director & Fellow Yesterday (Tuesday, October 11), the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) held one of a series of stakeholder learning sessions devoted to possible program reforms. Tuesday’s session focused on electricity markets and electricity imports, tackling the important questions of whether RGGI should enact an […]
Columbia Law School’s Center for Climate Change Law (CCCL) has prepared a first draft of a model small-scale solar-siting ordinance. The model ordinance offers a framework that can enable municipalities to implement and enforce the effective and efficient use of solar energy resources. The ordinance would govern all new solar […]
by Daniel Firger Associate Director NOTE: This blog post is excerpted from a new report published on July 28, 2011 by the Columbia Center for Climate Change Law. The full report can be downloaded here (PDF). Coal is the most polluting fossil fuel, releasing far higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) […]
by Ken Zhong JD Candidate, Columbia Law School On July 14th, 2011, Texas-based renewable energy developer Mesa Power Group, owned by billionaire T. Boone Pickens, initiated a complaint against Canada under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The complaint alleges that Ontario arbitrarily instituted a rule change in June […]
By Danielle Sugarman Fellow In a major setback in the effort to limit carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming, on July 14th, American Electric Power Company (AEP)[1] announced that it would be putting on hold its plans to build a full scale carbon capture plant at Mountaineer, a […]
by Daniel M. Firger Associate Director Note: a longer version of this article first appeared in BNA’s Daily Environment Report (No. 133, 12 July 2011). Climate change is poised to become the next big thing in international trade law, but not for the reason most experts have long predicted. The […]
On June 22, 2011, the New York State Legislature passed The Power NY Act of 2011 (A. 8510/S. 5844) (PNY Act).[1] Governor Cuomo is expected to sign it. The new law, once enacted, would do two very important things: (1) provide a mechanism to allow owners of residential and non-residential […]