Supreme Court Environmental Rulings Boost Confidence in Alternative Energy Investments

Two recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on environmental issues give support to agencies and companies investing in renewable energy. On April 2, 2007, the Supreme Court ruled in Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency that the EPA must consider regulating carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles, a ruling that could prompt the first national regulations addressing global warming. The same day, in Environmental Defense Fund v. Duke Energy Corp., the Court unanimously ruled against Duke Energy in a Clean Air Act appeal, backing federal efforts to force the installation of pollution control equipment on aging coal-fired power plants. As a result, energy companies can feel confident investing resources in alternative energy, since both rulings almost assuredly will boost the market for energy alternatives such as solar, wind, biomass and clean coal technology.