In the news today….
EPA:
- Inside EPA reports EPA appears poised to miss a Jan. 28 consent decree deadline for signing a final rule on whether to revise the “primary” health-based sulfur dioxide national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) due to the government shutdown, potentially signaling delays for looming decisions on revising other criteria pollutant NAAQS.
- E&E Greenwire reports a notice posted on EPA’s website states the hearing on the New Source Performance Standards rulemaking, previously rescheduled due to the partial government shutdown for Jan. 30, was temporarily postponed. EPA did not offer a new date for the hearing.
- POLITICO Pro reports a federal court Thursday said EPA doesn’t need to provide any update on its ongoing work to roll back the Clean Power Plan until the shutdown is over.
White House:
- E&E Greenwire reports the Trump administration is considering executive actions to boost the proliferation of pipelines across the United States and limit state interference on water permitting, according to multiple industry sources familiar with the discussions.
Carbon Tax:
- Washington Examiner reports Reps. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., and Francis Rooney, R-Fla. reintroduced legislation, first unveiled in November, that was the first bipartisan carbon tax bill in nearly a decade. The reintroduction is necessary since it’s a new session of Congress.
Energy:
- Washington Examiner reports the U.S. will become a net energy exporter across multiple energy commodities as the presidential election gears up, the Energy Information Administration said Thursday, thanks to slow growth in U.S. domestic energy consumption, coupled with large expansions of oil, natural gas and other fossil energy products.
Climate:
- POLITICO Pro reports U.S. carbon emissions are forecast to remain essentially flat through 2050 without major policy changes, the EIA said in a report Thursday.