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The Clean Power Plan is expected to be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, marking the first time in history existing power plants across the United States will be legally responsible to limit harmful carbon pollution.
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by Kristin Igusky and Rebecca Gasper - October 06, 2015The new U.S. Clean Power Plan requires Virginia to reduce its power sector emissions by 23 percent below 2012 levels by 2030. New analysis shows the state could go even further and harness economic opportunity at the same time.
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by Bharath Jairaj and Colin McCormick - September 13, 2015India has set ambitious renewable energy targets for this year of 175 gigawatts by 2022, an increase of 400 percent over 2014. But even as India looks to add new wind and solar plants, it is working to absorb the renewable power it already generates.
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by Johannes Friedrich, Mengpin Ge and Max Frankel - August 03, 2015A new data visualization reveals that only 10 states are responsible for nearly 50 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
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by Rebecca Gasper and Kristin Igusky - July 27, 2015The EPA will soon release emissions standards for existing power plants, the single-largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
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by Deepak Sriram Krishnan - June 17, 2015Certain large electricity consumers in Rajasthan state will need to get about 10 percent of their power from renewable sources—or risk getting fined.
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by Karl Hausker, Kristin Igusky, Rebecca Gasper, Nate Aden and Michael Obeiter - May 27, 2015The Obama administration committed to reduce U.S. emissions 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. A new WRI study reveals how to achieve that target—and go even further—through existing federal policies and state action.
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by Susan Tierney - May 14, 2015WRI Board member and former Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy Sue Tierney explains why April 16th was a remarkable (and remarkably dull) milestone in electric-industry history.
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by Kevin Kennedy - January 21, 2015President Obama reiterated his commitment to combating climate change during this week's State of the Union address.
Mitigating these impacts means turning the many climate commitments of 2014 into tangible action in 2015.
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by Michael Obeiter, Kristin Igusky and Rebecca Gasper - December 10, 2014As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moves forward with standards to reduce emissions from existing power plants—which are due to be finalized in June 2015—many states are thinking through how they will comply.
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by Michael Obeiter and Kevin Kennedy - December 03, 2014The U.S. EPA has proposed standards to limit power sector emissions, which, once adopted, are expected to reduce carbon pollution from power plants by 25 percent by 2020. But as we recently noted in our public comment on the proposal, increasingly cost-effective efficiency and renewable energy opportunities mean that the EPA can and should require even greater emissions reductions.
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Study by World Resources Institute identifies low-carbon strategies that can capture economic benefits in five key areas
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by Johannes Friedrich, Thomas Damassa and Michael Obeiter - July 23, 2014Where do U.S. power sector emissions come from? And how have they changed over time?
Today, WRI released an update of its U.S. state GHG emissions data via CAIT 2.0, our climate data explorer. These and other data provide valuable context in light of the EPA's newly proposed emissions standards for U.S. power plants.
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by Christina DeConcini - June 19, 2014U.S. climate action received support yesterday from four former EPA administrators who served Republican presidents. William D. Ruckelshaus, Lee M. Thomas, William K. Reilly, and Christine Todd Whitman testified before the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee at a hearing entitled “Climate Change: The Need to Act Now.”
They delivered a clear message for Congress: Climate change is one of the greatest threats to America’s economy, environment, and communities—and it need not be a partisan issue.
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by Michael Obeiter and Kevin Kennedy - June 04, 2014The EPA's proposed rule to cut carbon pollution from power plants is a critical step in avoiding the worst consequences of global warming. Without significant reductions from the power sector—America’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions—the country cannot meet its goal of reducing its emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. EPA’s proposal provides a flexible framework that puts those reductions within reach.
Here’s a look at how the proposed rule would impact states and the future of U.S. climate action.
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by Manish Bapna - June 02, 2014To this day, carbon pollution—the main driver of climate change—has not been controlled from power plants.
That’s why the U.S. EPA’s new rules are so momentous, putting federal limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants for the first time. With the power sector representing a third of America’s carbon footprint, these rules are the biggest single action the administration can take to drive down greenhouse gases.
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by Michael Obeiter, Kristin Igusky and Rebecca Gasper - May 28, 2014As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prepares to release greenhouse gas standards for existing power plants on June 2, state officials are weighing options on the best ways to cut carbon dioxide emissions.
We have shown how some states may be able to comply with these standards.
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WRI analysis finds that Arkansas can reduce its CO2 emissions 39 percent below 2011 levels by 2020. These reductions could meet moderately ambitious standards for existing power plants in the near- to medium-term.
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Using existing infrastructure and new clean energy strategies, Natural State poised to meet forthcoming EPA emissions standards
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by Michael Obeiter, Kristin Igusky and Rebecca Gasper - May 2014WRI analysis finds that Arkansas can reduce its CO2 emissions 39 percent below 2011 levels by 2020. These reductions could meet moderately ambitious standards for existing power plants in the near- to medium-term.