Proposed legislation in the U.S. Senate seeking to speed federal permitting processes for energy projects and strengthen the electric grid is likely positive on balance, said Jackson Ewing, director of energy and climate policy at the Nicholas Institute.

Energy Pathways USA hosted a briefing about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s newly released power sector regulations on May 7. Nicholas Institute expert Tim Profeta, former EPA special counsel for the power sector and senior advisor, explained the new standards for existing coal and new gas-fired power plants, outlined the key implications and questions for U.S. decarbonization and answered attendee questions.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released four pollution rules that could largely remove coal from the U.S. power grid by the early 2030s, reports E&E News. “These are very significant and important rules for the general transition of [the power] sector,” said Tim Profeta, senior fellow at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability.

Three Nicholas Institute experts discussed the key findings of a report offering new insights into US energy transition investments during a webinar held Jan. 25. The report from Energy Pathways USA models the intersecting effects of the Inflation Reduction Act, clean electricity development cost increases and the impacts of proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency greenhouse gas regulations for fossil fuels.

A new report released Wednesday by the Rhodium Group estimated that U.S. greenhouse gas emissions fell 1.9 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year—even as the economy grew. Nicholas Institute experts Jackson Ewing and Brian Murray are available to speak on the policy implications of the report.

World leaders—along with government officials, nongovernmental organizations, researchers and activists—gathered in Dubai for the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference to discuss ways to advance climate action. Experts from the Nicholas Institute attended the conference, released publications or announced initiatives tied to it and/or followed the proceedings closely.

Modeling from Energy Pathways USA finds the two policies can combine to move the country closer to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, but complementary action is needed to reach the goal by 2050.

A proposal from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to limit greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector could potentially cut 50 percent of emissions remaining after the Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives for renewable power generation conclude, according to a new report from Energy Pathways USA. Co-authors Martin Ross and Jackson Ewing are available to speak with the media about the report's findings.

China recently unearthed a rare ore that could further boost its electric vehicle sector, reports Newsweek. Jackson Ewing, director of energy and climate policy at the Nicholas Institute, told the magazine that China dominates the supply and refinement of raw materials necessary for EV batteries.

In the coming years, the shift to a clean energy economy in the United States will require major public and private investments in new infrastructure. The batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and electrical grid upgrades that will power the energy transition all require access to massive amounts of raw materials.