Can the Yellow School Bus Go Green?
The Promise and Regulatory Challenges of Vehicle-to-Grid Technology
The classic yellow school bus is turning green. Electric buses may continue to grow in popularity, and the so-called “vehicle-to-grid” technology enables the new buses to both store and draw power. Listen to our latest episode of The Sidley Podcast for more on the subject, including:
- How the innovative vehicle-to-grid technology is implemented
- Who benefits from a business or an operational perspective
- The regulatory obstacles to setting it in motion around the country
Join host and Sidley partner, Sam Gandhi, as he speaks with one of Sidley’s thought leaders on the subject, Ken Irvin, co-leader of Sidley’s global Energy practice, who represents clients on matters involving the wholesale electricity and gas markets. Ken has extensive experience representing businesses in investigations and regulatory proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
District Court Imposes Deadline on EPA to Issue “Good Neighbor” Plans for Ozone Compliance
On July 28, Judge John Koeltl of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue Federal Implementation Plans for the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) that fully address the “good neighbor” obligations under the Clean Air Act by March 2021. The plans will force upwind Northeastern states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia) to curb air emissions that otherwise impede the ability of neighboring downwind states (New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Massachusetts) from meeting the statutory July 20, 2021 attainment deadline set forth in the 2008 ozone NAAQS.
EPA Issues Proposed Rule Addressing Greenhouse Gas Emissions From U.S. Aircraft
On July 22, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to promulgate regulations governing carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide (collectively, GHGs) emissions from American aircraft under the Agency’s Clean Air Act (CAA) section 231 authority. This is the first such rule from the Agency covering aircraft GHG emissions. The ANPR proposes GHG standards for U.S. aircraft that are consistent with those adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2017, which EPA and the Federal Aviation Administration helped to develop. EPA does not anticipate that the proposed standards will reduce fuel burn or GHG emissions beyond the current baseline because existing or expected aircraft fuel efficiency technologies that formed the basis of the 2017 ICAO standards already demonstrate technological feasibility.
Tenth Circuit Rejects EPA’s Position on Renewal of Clean Air Act Permits
On July 2, 2020, in Sierra Club v. United States Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit rejected the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) interpretation of the scope of its obligations to review permits under Title V of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The court found that the plain language of EPA’s regulations requires EPA to review whether a state-issued Title V permit complies with all applicable CAA requirements, not only the requirements the state included in the permit. The issue may end up in the U.S. Supreme Court, as it diverges from a recent ruling by the Fifth Circuit.
District Court: Risk Assessment Not Required Every Time EPA Revises Clean Air Act Technology-Based Standard
On June 26, 2020, a federal district court ruled that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is not required to perform a risk assessment every time it revises its technology-based standards for a hazardous pollution source. Rather, the EPA is required to conduct a risk assessment only in connection with its initial adoption.