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(07/11/22 6:25pm)
The Supreme Court of the United States recently issued its 6-3 opinion on West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency, a case that considered the statutory limitations imposed on the EPA by the Clean Air Act. The issue in question was whether, in 42 U.S.C. § 7411(d), a provision of the Clean Air Act, Congress prohibits the EPA from issuing rules and standards of performance that could reshape the country's electricity grids. According to SCOTUS, it is “not plausible” that Congress gave the EPA the authority to adopt on its own a nationwide regulatory scheme to cap carbon dioxide emissions at power plants. Such a decision now rests with Congress itself or an agency pursuant to its delegations.
(02/25/22 4:10pm)
According to Penn Sustainability, the main sources of energy used in Penn’s campus buildings account for over 90% of total energy, a portion of which includes electricity consumption. Sustainable lighting technologies have the potential to greatly reduce this consumption as well as Penn’s contribution to climate change. Most of Penn’s buildings contain lighting sources such as incandescent bulbs or compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which are known to be less efficient than light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Penn’s Facilities and Real Estate Services department acknowledges LED options under the current design criteria, but only allows for their installation under a set of conditions that impede large-scale implementation. Penn should consider launching a campus-wide effort to replace traditional lighting sources with LEDs. Doing so would not only reduce Penn’s energy bills, carbon footprint, and maintenance needs. It would also impact its students’ learning experience and improve the health and safety of its community by preventing light pollution.
(12/08/21 4:17am)
As the federal government continues to declare new goals for offshore wind energy, an emissions-free energy resource that relies on the deployment of wind turbine farms in coastal bodies of water, Penn’s leadership issued an update to the community in early November describing its own efforts to combat the effects of climate change. The announcement expounds on the growth of Penn’s venture capital portfolio of investments in solar power projects. Yet, estimates report that around $922 million of Penn’s endowment still finances fossil fuel production. In terms of operational advancements, Penn's leadership highlighted Penn’s Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Community Energy for the creation of two new solar facilities with a capacity of 220 megawatts to supply about 75% of the total electricity demand of the academic campus and the University of Pennsylvania Health System. This is a significant step in meeting Penn’s 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal. However, it does not eliminate the fact that Penn continues its association to unsustainable energy production. Given Penn’s successful history of renewable energy purchases and the accelerating motion of offshore wind energy in the US, Penn must invest in an offshore wind power purchase agreement that will contribute to its long-term electricity goal.
