Federal Policy

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently updated guidelines relating to effluent limitations from coal-fired power plants. The new guidelines were approved on August 31, 2020.
• The Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) at the US Department of Energy recently created the Hurricane Hub, which provides support to the energy industry, as well as states, localities, and tribes, in the event of a natural disaster.

State Policies

• Lawmakers in California passed a law that will allow electric utilities to recover revenue shortfalls caused due to the pandemic.
• A law passed in New Jersey now requires the Department of Environmental Protection to take into consideration overburdened communities when making decisions for certain facilities.

Policies under Review

• Several bills relating to the energy industry, combined into a single legislation known as the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, are expected to be passed by the Congress. The act includes "provisions on building codes, energy efficiency, workforce training, research and development, environmental justice, critical minerals and fighting climate change."