The climate-change action plan laid out by President Obama on June 25 provided a broad outline of how the administration plans to address greenhouse-gas emissions for the remainder of his term. While the plan lacked many specifics, Obama and administration officials already have started filling in the details.
As a first step, the president on the same day signed a memorandum directing the Environmental Protection Agency to quickly move forward with developing revised carbon dioxide (CO2) standards for new powerplants and to develop guidance, standards or regulations for existing plants. On July 2, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz released the Energy Dept.'s draft solicitation for innovative and advanced fossil-energy projects and facilities that substantially reduce greenhouse-gas and other air pollution. The solicitation will be offered through the department's loan-guarantee program and will provide up to $8 billion in loan-guarantee authority. "This reflects the president's all-of-the-above approach," Moniz told reporters.