A Georgia judge ruled Wednesday that the State Election Board had no authority to implement seven new rules impacting certification, absentee ballots, and vote counting.

Three of the seven rules received considerable attention—one requiring that the number of ballots be hand-counted after the close of polls and two regarding the certification of election results. Another judge had temporarily halted the hand-count rule the day before. The State Election Board, which has a Republican majority, had passed several rules in recent months, mostly related to processes that occur after ballots are cast.

Judge Thomas Cox ruled Wednesday that the Georgia General Assembly did not provide sufficient guidelines for the State Election Board’s rulemaking process and that the board was not authorized to regulate federal elections.Read the full story here›

The Supreme Court denied an emergency request late Oct. 16 to block a new federal regulation restricting emissions by coal-fired power plants, but two justices suggested it may revisit the case.

The new decision was made after a series of emergency applications were filed by Republican-led states including West Virginia and energy interests that sought to halt the Biden administration’s rule. The rule, announced in April, would force coal plants and new natural gas plants to capture 90 percent of emissions the federal government says contribute to global warming.

Those opposed to the rule say it is unneeded and could force up energy prices. If former President Donald Trump, a Republican, wins the election next month, his new administration may rescind the regulation. The case is currently being considered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The Supreme Court is usually reluctant to block regulations when litigation over them is still pending in lower courts. Read the full story here›

Soaring electricity demand is placing significant pressure on energy systems, and despite the rapid buildout of renewable and alternative energy sources, fossil fuels are expected to remain a dominant part of the energy mix through mid-century, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The report, released on Oct. 16, highlights that while clean-energy deployment is accelerating, particularly in wind and solar, the pace of change is not fast enough to sharply reduce fossil fuel reliance.

Even though the use of coal, oil, and gas peaks before 2030 under this scenario, fossil fuels are still projected to make up 58 percent of the energy mix in 2050. While that’s a reduction from 80 percent in 2023, it falls significantly short of the more ambitious goals set out in alternative climate-focused scenarios. The IEA report also projects that oil and liquefied natural gas supplies could experience a surplus in the second half of the 2020s, keeping prices low and potentially slowing the green transition. Read the full story here›

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