Oh, very much not incidentally, the EPA Administrator announced yesterday that they are proposing to require “…large industrial facilities that emit at least 25,000 tons of GHGs a year to obtain construction and operating permits covering these emissions. These permits must demonstrate the use of best available control technologies and energy efficiency measures to minimize GHG emissions when facilities are constructed or significantly modified.” Not bad. A coincidence that the announcement came the same day as the Kerry-Boxer bill was introduced? What do you think?
President Obama and his top administration climate change and energy officials are dead serious. They prefer, as has been stated numerous times, for Congress to legislate the matter. Failing that, they are going to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA, led by the stunningly smart and tough Lisa Jackson, has been moving forward all along with critical steps such as instituting a GHG Registry.
Think this wasn’t big news? It was the lead article in today’s “NY Times.” Jackson said: “We are not going to continue with business as usual. We have the tools and the technology to move forward today, and we are using them.”
Does this send a signal to the international community as well as Congress? You bet. Copenhagen is looking all that more do-able today than it did earlier in the week. Party on.