Energy Procurement, Regulation, Regulation  -  November 12, 2016

Weekend reads, election edition: Trump's DOE, EPA, projected policy overhauls & more

Every Saturday, we'll bring you five most interesting — or quirky; it is the weekend after all — energy stories from the prior week that you may have missed from around the web.

As this is a special week in American history, we're following suit with a special election edition of this feature. Here are our picks for the five most insightful reads of the week addressing what may lie ahead for the energy industry under President-elect Donald Trump:

Who's in line for Trump EPA boss, energy czar? (Greenwire): Trump has appointed well-known climate skeptic Myron Ebell to lead his EPA transition team and has promised to overturn the Obama administration's climate policies. Trump has even floated abolishing EPA entirely, although that would likely be an uphill climb politically. At the very least, he's expected to pursue dramatic reforms at the agency.

Trump has easy path to gutting Clean Power Plan; carbon mandate a larger hurdle (SNL Energy): The U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan, much maligned by Republicans, coal industry stakeholders and others, may have a short life following the election of Republican Donald Trump. Baker Botts partner Megan Berge, who represents clients that are parties to the ongoing Clean Power Plan litigation, explained that Trump has several avenues for withdrawing the U.S. EPA's signature carbon-cutting rule other than the litigation itself.

 Where Will a President Trump Take FERC and Federal Grid Policy? (Greentech Media): President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to decimate the United States' funding for clean energy and combating climate change. But how his choices will impact the country's main grid czar, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, is far less clear.  Two of five seats on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will be filled next year, with key implications for distributed green energy.

U.S. Electricity Efficiency Wins Under President Trump (Forbes): The election of Donald Trump will surely favor fossil fuels in the U.S. economy over renewables but energy efficiency is one area that has proven to win out no matter who is in charge. Energy efficiency is repeatedly called the “low hanging fruit” way to reduce usage, save money, increase our security, and reduce emissions.

Could Trump Simply Withdraw U.S. from Paris Climate Agreement? (Scientific American): President-elect Donald Trump now has free rein to make good on his pledge to “cancel” last year’s landmark climate deal. Trump has said throughout this year’s presidential campaign that if elected, he would withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, or at least “renegotiate” it. Now he can try.

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