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This Record of Recommendation (RoR), dated 25 January 2017, provides the assessment by the South African Department of Water and Sanitation regarding an Integrated Water Use Licence Application (IWULA) for a 600 MW coal-fired power plant proposed by KiPower (Pty) Ltd near Delmas, Mpumalanga.

The document outlines the environmental regularization process for rural properties in Brazil under the 2012 Forest Code, focusing on the Cadastro Ambiental Rural (CAR) and the Programa de Regularização Ambiental (PRA). It distinguishes between medium/large properties and small properties (up to four fiscal modules), highlighting the special regime for 'Consolidated Rural Areas' deforested before July 22, 2008. Key challenges identified include a lack of state-level regulation for PRAs, legal insecurity due to constitutional challenges (ADIs), and the high cost of technical assistance for landowners.

The document details the lack of state regulation for coal ash disposal in Arizona, noting that the state does not require liners, groundwater monitoring, or dam inspections despite having 58 ponds. It identifies documented groundwater contamination at the Cholla and Coronado plants and argues that coal ash dumps disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, with 20 percent of nearby residents living below the poverty line.

Colorado generates over 1.7 million tons of coal ash annually from 14 coal-fired power plants. The state's regulatory framework is criticized for exempting on-site landfills and ponds from groundwater monitoring and not requiring composite liners or leachate collection systems. This lack of oversight, combined with the age of 40 existing ponds—31 of which are over 30 years old—increases the risk of groundwater contamination, particularly from arsenic, affecting residents relying on private wells. Additionally, the document notes that non-white individuals and people living below the poverty line are over-represented in zip codes hosting these plants.

The document details the widespread groundwater and surface water contamination caused by 42 coal ash ponds and 13 landfills across 20 Florida power plants. It highlights specific instances of toxic leakage—including arsenic and lead—at sites such as the C.D. McIntosh, Jr. Power Plant and the Scholz Power Plant. The report further criticizes Florida's regulatory framework for lacking requirements for liners, monitoring, and oversight, particularly regarding the reuse of coal ash in construction materials like "EZBase."

The document details the prevalence of coal ash ponds and landfills in Kentucky, highlighting significant safety hazards and documented groundwater contamination. It argues that Kentucky's regulatory program is inadequate due to a lack of reporting requirements, inspection frequencies, and emergency planning for high-hazard dams.

The document details the prevalence of coal ash ponds in Minnesota, highlighting that nine are rated as 'significant hazard' and many lack modern liners due to their age. It argues that Minnesota's regulations are insufficient, failing to require comprehensive groundwater monitoring, composite liners for new sites, or financial assurances for cleanup. Evidence of environmental damage is cited, including groundwater contamination at the Sherburne County Generating Plant and Boswell Energy Center, and a note that low-income individuals are over-represented by 43% in zip codes hosting coal-fired power plants.

Missouri generates 2.68 million tons of coal ash annually, ranking 16th in the U.S. The state manages approximately 32 coal ash ponds at 14 plants, many of which lack liners and leachate collection systems. Regulatory gaps are significant: Missouri allows ponds containing over 170 million gallons of coal ash to bypass safety regulations, and state officials have inspected only one pond in five years despite many being over 25 feet high. Specific failures include the Labadie plant, where a 154-acre unlined pond has leaked approximately 50,000 gallons per day since 1992 without required cleanup or groundwater monitoring by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The document details the prevalence of coal ash disposal sites in North Dakota, noting that the state ranks 14th in the US for coal ash generation with over 3 million tons produced annually. It identifies six specific power stations with documented groundwater contamination involving toxins such as arsenic, lead, and selenium. The text argues that North Dakota's regulatory program is deficient because it lacks requirements for universal groundwater monitoring, composite liners, and financial assurances for cleanup.

Texas ranks second in the US for coal ash generation, producing 12.2 million tons annually. The state's disposal infrastructure is characterized by a lack of groundwater monitoring and inadequate lining in most ponds and landfills. This has led to documented contamination of groundwater and reservoirs with selenium, arsenic, and molybdenum, as well as structural failures in dams. Texas regulations are described as among the worst in the nation due to broad exemptions for on-site disposal and beneficial reuse, such as mine-filling.

The report documents widespread groundwater and surface water contamination in Virginia caused by coal ash ponds and landfills, highlighting critical failures in state regulatory oversight. It identifies specific high-risk 'significant hazard' dams and contaminated sites across the Commonwealth, noting that 76% of these facilities are located in low-income communities or communities of color. The authors argue that current Virginia regulations are inadequate—failing to mandate liners or consistent groundwater monitoring—and urge the state to adopt the more stringent 2014 EPA coal ash rule while opposing H.R. 1734, a federal bill that would weaken those protections.

West Virginia ranks 4th in the U.S. for coal ash generation, producing over 7.2 million tons annually. The state's disposal infrastructure is characterized by aging, often unlined ponds with significant safety hazards and documented water contamination. The document argues that West Virginia's regulatory framework is deficient, failing to require basic safeguards, regular state inspections, groundwater monitoring, or financial assurances for cleanup.

Wisconsin generates 1.4 million tons of coal ash annually and has the highest number of documented coal ash contamination sites in the U.S. While the state maintains a high recycling rate of at least 85% due to stringent disposal costs, many existing ponds are over 30 years old and lack liners or leachate collection systems. The document identifies 13 specific contaminated sites and highlights a 2011 bluff collapse at the Oak Creek Plant that released coal ash into Lake Michigan.

The document evaluates the FDEP's proposed revisions to water quality criteria for 81 harmful chemical substances. It argues that the FDEP's reliance on Monte Carlo simulations is premature and flawed, leading to criteria that are substantially less protective than U.S. EPA recommendations. The author highlights failures to protect sensitive populations, including children and subsistence fishers, and criticizes the proposed compliance monitoring plan as inadequate.

The document examines the transition of the U.S. electric power sector toward a high-renewable energy future, specifically referencing NREL's goal of 80 percent renewable generation by 2050. It identifies pressures such as aging infrastructure, environmental regulations, and flat load growth that necessitate a new 'social compact' between utilities and regulators. The authors propose a spectrum of utility roles—ranging from a minimal 'wires company' to a maximum 'energy services utility'—and suggest shifting from traditional cost-of-service regulation to performance-based models like the UK's RIIO, the Iowa settlement model, or a comprehensive 'Grand Bargain' to incentivize efficiency and decarbonization.

The document identifies Cape Town as a potential medicinal cannabis hub, leveraging its existing pharmaceutical infrastructure and medical tourism status. It outlines opportunities across the value chain, from cultivation to agro-technology services, while noting significant barriers such as electricity instability (load shedding), financing difficulties due to licensing requirements, and a reliance on volatile international export markets.

The paper argues that while PHEVs can reduce system-wide GHG emissions by shifting energy demand from transportation to the electric sector, California's current regulations penalize utilities for the resulting load growth and increased sector-specific emissions. It suggests three primary strategies to overcome these barriers: replacing decoupling (though not recommended by the authors), implementing independent metering to create a separate PHEV rate class, and allocating a portion of transportation-sector GHG reductions to the utility sector.

The document argues that while SADC has significant potential for sugarcane-based ethanol production to reduce petroleum import dependency, regulatory uncertainty—specifically the lack of blending mandates and pricing formulas—is the primary barrier to investment. It suggests that a regional market could leverage South Africa's demand and the production capacity of other member states, potentially creating millions of jobs and providing significant electricity co-generation.

The document provides a detailed analysis of Law 2099 of 2021, which aims to modernize Colombia's energy transition. It examines the expansion of public utility declarations for renewable energy projects, the modification of tax incentives to include hydrogen and geothermal energy, and the consolidation of energy funds into FONENERGÍA. The report highlights significant risks, including the promotion of 'blue hydrogen' from fossil fuels, the potential for environmental degradation due to streamlined licensing, and the risk of displacing populations lacking formal land titles. It also discusses the specific challenges of geothermal development in páramo ecosystems and the government's continued reliance on combustible gas as a transition bridge.

The report examines how electricity transmission acts as either a roadblock or an enabler for renewable energy (RE) deployment in the EU, China, and the US. It identifies common challenges across these regions, including the tension between national and local interests and the difficulty of allocating costs for new infrastructure. In the EU, fragmented planning and member-state resistance hinder grid integration. China faces technical barriers and a lack of connection standards despite aggressive central government spending on ultra high voltage (UHV) transmission. The US is characterized by highly fragmented local management and significant regulatory uncertainty regarding siting and cost allocation. The report concludes that while the EU may have easier approval processes, the US and China possess greater untapped RE potential if transmission constraints are resolved.