EPA repeals most power-plant carbon standards; EU Commission weighs one-year methane delay

The EPA struck most of its 2024 federal greenhouse gas standards for coal and gas power plants on 16 September, ESG News reports in its fortnightly review. The agency proposed removing what remained, moved to rescind its 2015 greenhouse gas findings for fossil fuel generation, and claimed $310 billion in savings for the power sector.

The European Commission is weighing a one-year delay to methane import rules, shifting the start from January 2027 to January 2028, ESG News reports. Non-compliance fines reach 20% of annual turnover and intensity limits begin in 2030; industry-backed research cited in the review says nearly half of EU gas imports could struggle to comply. Emmanuel Macron and more than a dozen governments pressed for the delay.

Italy's 12-year sovereign green bond raised roughly $9.4 billion against an order book above $129 billion, more than 13 times covered, with ESG investors taking around 80% of the allocation.

Google committed at least $15.1 billion to Finnish AI infrastructure behind a 22-year power purchase agreement for up to half the output of Fortum's Loviisa nuclear plant; ESG News calls it the company's largest European investment. The US Department of Energy closed a $1.9 billion loan to restart the 615 MW Duane Arnold reactor in Iowa, where Google is the primary customer and 2029 is the target.

Rules and capital moved in opposite directions across the fortnight. Washington and Brussels loosened obligations while an Italian sovereign deal drew an order book roughly 13 times the size of the issue. On ESG News's account, retreat on the rules has not yet meant retreat on the capital.