Announced Monday, the proposal does not require approval by the fiercely partisan US Congress, as it would be overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), part of Obama’s executive branch of government.
Among other hoped-for changes, the move could jolt states into creating Renewable Portfolio Standards (or bolstering existing ones), joining or creating regional cap-and-trade schemes, or embracing energy-efficiency initiatives.
The EPA will spend the next year refining its proposal, and formally issue the regulations in June 2015 -- though changes to the headline numbers are not expected.
