Supreme Court temporarily blocks Clean Power Plan

By Anthony Lucivero, Advocacy Fellow

The Supreme Court has decided to temporarily block the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan.  The case was brought against the EPA by North Dakota and 28 other states, as well as energy companies.  They contend that that the EPA overstepped its boundaries by regulating both carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants and concurrently making states phase-out coal-fired energy from their energy portfolios.  The plaintiffs contend that this double-regulation would put a massive financial burden on consumers. There is an official court order by the Supreme Court for the Clean Power Plan to be stayed until the D.C. Circuit of Appeals hold oral arguments in June. Fortunately, states are free to move ahead with plans to reduce their carbon footprints that will (hopefully) align with the Clean Power Plan if it ever makes it through. 

This decision, while troubling on many fronts, is a reminder that one of the most effective solutions we have is to create energy efficient green buildings. Until we can fully transition to a clean energy infrastructure, our buildings should use the least amount of energy as possible. Green buildings would drastically cut the amount of emissions used in the short-term while we move away from fossil fuels, and would also be ready for the paradigm shift in clean energy generation. 

Here is additional press coverage about the suit against the EPA, with intriguing political commentary. 

Don't despair! We are still powering forward with our Chapter priorities and are lining up some amazing events to support them! You can read more about our Chapter priorities here, and advocacy efforts for clean energy and green building on our Advocacy Blog. We are focusing our support on PACE financing, net metering, net zero energy buildings policy, and energy efficiency education.  

If you would like to get involved with our advocacy efforts, please email Grey Lee, our Executive Director, at greylee@usgbcma.org, or Anthony Lucivero, Advocacy Fellow, at advocacy@usgbcma.org.