Earlier this year in a surprise move, the Supreme Court issued a stay on the Clean Power Plan (CPP) while legal challenges play out. Opponents of the CPP and its goals had hoped this would dampen efforts to advance related policies. Yet the Administration is continuing to move forward with regulation and policy to further its climate change goals.
The EPA recently proposed the Clean Energy Incentive Program (CEIP), a voluntary initiative that would provide incentives to states for early investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
The Administration is also targeting methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Last month EPA finalized rules governing methane emissions from new sources in the oil and gas industry and is taking the first steps toward regulating existing sources. In addition, the Department of the Interior has proposed regulations to limit venting and flaring on public lands by oil and gas companies.
The stay on the CPP has certainly slowed - but not stopped - the Obama Administration's efforts to tackle climate change. And while these regulations will not all be finalized before President Obama leaves office, they will lay the groundwork for ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gases if Hillary Clinton takes his place.