EPA: States can’t ‘preempt’ climate rule
The Hill
The Obama administration told an appeals court that 12 states cannot preemptively challenge its landmark proposed climate rule for power plants. Justice Department attorneys, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), told the court Friday that the rule cannot be challenged in court until it is made final later this year. The states also cannot sue against a 2010 court settlement because it did not obligate the agency to write the regulation, it said.
“The premise of petitioners’ suit is wrong; the proposed rule is not the result of that settlement agreement, but rather part of an administration initiative to address the most critical environmental problem of our time,” the EPA wrote in its brief responding to the lawsuit from West Virginia and 11 other states.
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Energy Department creates Jobs Strategy Council to Focus on Job Growth in Energy Economy
U.S. Department of Energy
Secretary Moniz announced the creation of the Jobs Strategy Council (JSC), an initiative focused on accelerating job growth in American-made clean energy sources while implementing the President’s Climate Action Plan, during a roundtable with the business leaders of Energy Intensive, Trade Exposed industries and their unions, the United Steelworkers, the United Autoworkers, the Machinists, the IUE-CWA, and the AFL-CIO. Building on the President’s effort laid out in the State of the Union to empower working Americans with the education and training they need to earn higher wages and to encourage businesses to decide to innovate and create good, high-paying jobs, the Council will integrate the research, technical and economic resources of the Energy Department to respond to the workforce and economic development needs of the energy industry.
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Capstone to Provide Heat and Power to Syracuse VA Medical Center with Eight C65 Microturbines
CNN Money
Capstone Turbine Corporation, the world’s leading clean technology manufacturer of microturbine energy systems, announced today that it recently received an order for eight C65 microturbines to upgrade the Syracuse VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Syracuse, New York. GEM Energy, Capstone’s distributor in New York, secured the order. The Albany office of CHA Companies is managing the design of the power plant, which has been commissioned by the Department of Veteran Affairs. Additionally, this is the second order from a major New York health treatment facility within the past two months.
The Syracuse VAMC chose clean-and-green Capstone microturbines to improve their energy efficiency and grid reliability, as well as reduce utility energy consumption. The eight natural gas powered microturbines will be used in an integrated combined heat and power (ICHP) application to produce 520kW of electricity and hot water for the medical center. With project constraints around available space for the CHP plant, Capstone’s microturbines were a perfect fit with the least amount of noise and vibration.
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How Maine hospitals prepare for a snowstorm
Bangor Daily News
As a potentially record-breaking blizzard bore down Monday on Maine, the state’s medical centers stocked up on life-saving supplies, arranged hotel rooms for staff facing long hours and touched base with their plow truck drivers.
Joel Farley, head of emergency preparedness for Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, spoke for many Mainers in summing up the hospital’s response.
“It’s Maine,” he said. “We don’t take this thing lightly, obviously, but we’re prepared.”
To keep the lights on, EMMC will rely on its combined heat and power cogeneration plant, which the hospital installed after temporarily losing power during the ice storm of 1998. The natural gas-powered system, which generates steam and up to 5 megawatts of electricity, shouldn’t face any fuel interruptions, but the hospital can tap into 33,000 gallons of diesel fuel to burn just in case, Farley said.
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The do-something Congress? Ranking the most likely legislation
The Hill
With the State of the Union in the rearview mirror, and Republicans settling into power in the House and Senate, the pomp and circumstance of a new congressional session is rapidly giving way to the grind of legislating. While President Obama and Republican leaders have expressed a desire to work together, there appears to be little overlap between their agendas, with the White House already issuing vetoes for several Republican proposals.
For anything to be accomplished, lawmakers will have to act fast, as they have perhaps six to nine months before the presidential race becomes an all-consuming pursuit. Here’s a look at the major legislative areas where an Obama signature is most likely, ranked from most likely to least.
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