OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Judge tosses climate rule lawsuit

BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME: A federal judge in Nebraska dismissed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency for its proposal to set carbon limits on new power plants.

The district judge ruled that because the rule was proposed in January and had yet to be finalized it could not be considered by a court.

{mosads}”As the EPA points out, the State of Nebraska’s attempt to short-circuit the administrative rulemaking process runs contrary to basic, well-understood administrative law,” Judge John Gerrard wrote in his ruling.

Read more here. 

ON TAP WEDNESDAY I: Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will deliver the keynote at the South by Southwest ECO Conference in Texas. 

ON TAP WEDNESDAY II: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Pakistan Business Council and the Agency for International Development will host a discussion on private sector investments in Pakistan’s energy industry. 

Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s finance, revenue, economic affairs minister, will participate in the talk along with the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Richard Olson. 

Also on Wednesday… Robert Guerrero, deputy assistant Air Force secretary for energy, will give remarks at the Air Force Association breakfast. 

NEWS BITE: Over 80 groups are pressuring eBay to join other tech companies that have cut ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The green groups that signed onto a coalition letter Tuesday say eBay should pull its support of the conservative group due to its stance on climate change and fossil-fuel ties. 

ALEC has said it supports legislation that solidifies the science behind climate change, despite companies like Google severing connections with the group over its alleged denial of climate change. 

“Associating with climate deniers is bad for any 21st century business. Now, eBay can make the same smart decision as Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, or they can continue backing a front group that is auctioning off our air, water, and health to the highest bidder,” said Michael Brune, director of the Sierra Club.

To be clear, Facebook wouldn’t pinpoint climate change as the main reason for it leaving ALEC.

You can read more about other companies pulling funding from ALEC here and here. 

AROUND THE WEB: 

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s administration is not doing enough to cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change according to a series of audits conducted by a federal watchdog, the Globe and Mail reports. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is looking to collect a civil penalty of $4.5 million from EQT Corp for leaks from a pit that contaminated waterways and groundwater, the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette reports. The pit held wastewater from hydraulic fracturing operations. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 

– Greens launch operation to mobilize volunteers in key Senate races
– Feds cite West Virginia mine for 2 deaths
– Crude export studies coming soon, EIA says
– EPA increases public access to chemical data
– Judge dismisses suit against EPA climate rule
– Rock the Vote — ‘Turn Out For What‘
– Europe abandons ‘dirty’ label for Canadian oil sands
– Heating bills expected to drop due to warmer winter, feds say
– 1 American, 2 Japanese awarded Nobel for LED lights
– Industry says Keystone delay won’t hurt Canada’s pipeline construction

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