by Bahrad Sokhansanj J.D. Candidate, Columbia Law School On February 1, 2011, a three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a landmark Department of Energy (DOE) electricity transmission Congestion Study, together with the agency’s designation of the Mid-Atlantic and Southwest National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs). […]
By Julia Ciardullo Fellow With the 112th Congress now in session, Senators from both parties have already introduced legislation that would block EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gases (GHGs). This post addresses two of the most notable examples: First, on January 31, 2011, Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) introduced the “Defending […]
Qiuyan Zhao & Gregory E. Wannier In the face of increased focus on Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas emissions across the developing world, CCCL former visiting scholar Qiuyan Zhao has released a report highlighting some of the ways that China might measure its own contributions to climate […]
by Cullen Howe & Danielle Sugarman Columbia Law School’s Center for Climate Change Law (CCCL) has prepared a first draft of a model municipal wind siting ordinance (PDF). The model ordinance presents a framework for the adoption, implementation and enforcement of standards to promote effective and efficient use of wind […]
Gregory E. Wannier Deputy Director One result of the 2010 midterm elections was the replacement of several climate-receptive state governors with more skeptical administrations in governor mansions around the country. As a result, the continuation of many state and regional climate activities has been thrown into question. Nowhere is that […]
Daniel Firger Associate Director This article first appeared in The Huffington Post It’s not yet February and the biggest climate change story of the year may already be written. The story is simple enough–as the U.S. drags its heels on clean energy, China marches ahead. China’s leaders may be concerned […]
By Julia Ciardullo Fellow On December 29, 2010, Massachusetts released its Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2020, which sets out an ambitious state-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target and lays out a framework for how the state will achieve that target. The Plan was released in compliance with […]
Daniel Firger Associate Director The Supreme Court on January 10 issued an order denying plaintiffs’ petition for mandamus in Comer v. Murphy Oil, a closely-watched case arising out of damage to Gulf Coast properties as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The order, issued with no comment by the Court, marks […]