The controversial topic of regulating carbon dioxide from existing power plants elicited strident opinions in the media even before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rule came out June 2. Those who wanted to go beyond the political hyperbole and gain a better understanding of what the regulations required sought out Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions researchers, who were prepared to discuss the topic in depth. In addition to providing commentary in multiple media outlets, including USA Today, Politico, Marketplace and Bloomberg BNA, researchers penned an analysis that highlights the important details of the more than 600-page rule, such as state requirements.

The broad economic, environmental and societal implications of the EPA's proposed regulation for existing power plants will be discussed 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., July 14, in Washington, D.C. The event, co-sponsored by the Nicholas Institute and the Environmental Law Institute, will explore the practical and legal implications of this significant regulatory undertaking in an interactive format. Registration is required, but the event is open to the public.

The Nicholas Institute's Brian Murray is part of an international team of experts developing options assessment reports on critical land use and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) issues related to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change discussions. The second series report, Land Use in a Future Climate Agreement, will be released June 10 at the climate talks in Bonn, Germany.

Job openings at the Nicholas Institute provide opportunities for selected candidates to play a role in the leading environmental debates of our time. Current openings include Ocean and Coastal Policy Program Director, Ecosystem Services Policy Assistant and Summer Research Assistant.

Federal agencies responsible for natural areas are increasingly considering ecosystem services in their planning and management decisions. The National Ecosystem Services Partnership is developing an online guidebook that provides a framework and methodology to enhance the consistency of ecosystem services approaches. Two new reports lay the groundwork for the guidebook, launching in December. They explain how the National Environmental Policy Act and the Federal Land Management and Policy Act of 1976 enable or limit agencies' incorporation of these ecosystem services approaches in planning and management processes.

The Nicholas Institute co-hosted an invitation-only water forum with the Aspen Institute in Colorado May 28-31. The forum focused on the convergence of innovations in water policy, technology, finance and partnerships. Fifty thought leaders from across water sectors participated in the roundtable discussion.

A new study by Nicholas Institute researchers finds that section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act allows states the flexibility to reduce carbon emissions in a way that hedges risk of future air regulations, potentially lowers long-term compliance costs and limits emissions of other pollutants. 

Nicholas Institute researchers participated in the second annual Duke University Energy Research Collaboration Workshop, which was sponsored by the Duke University Energy Initiative. Watch video of their presentations on "Regulating Existing Power Plants under the Clean Air Act: Present and Future Consequences of Key Design Choices," and "U.S. Climate Policy Options: Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Petroleum Refineries and Steel."