Draft assessments of current and future climate change impacts on the United States are expected to be turned in by 30 teams of expert authors by June 1 to the National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee.

The assessments will make up the next National Climate Assessment, which is due to Congress every four years under the Global Change Research Act of 1990. However, only two reports have been completed since the law passed--in 2000 and 2009.

As detailed in an April 10 World Climate Change Report  article, the third assessment is on track to come out by late 2013.

The 2013 assessment is expected to focus on how adaptation and mitigation strategies can be implemented.

Science Advisory Board to Meet

The EPA Science Advisory Board's Biogenic Carbon Emissions Panel will hold a public teleconference May 29.

A March 20 article covers a report the panel is drafting that recommends EPA consider a certification process to ensure that biomass burned as fuel is carbon-neutral, rather than relying on complex calculations.

EPA is developing its Accounting Framework for Biogenic CO2 Emissions From Stationary Sources to account for greenhouse gas emissions from biomass burned as fuel. Sources that burn biomass have argued it is carbon-neutral and should not be regulated.

U.N. Technology Executive Committee to Meet

The U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change's Technology Executive Committee will meet May 28-29 to discuss outcomes of two weeks of international climate talks that wrapped up May 25 in Bonn, Germany.

The agenda includes discussion of progress made during the UNFCCC Bonn meetings on the selection of a group to host the U.N. Climate Technology Center to help deploy clean energy technologies.

As detailed in a March 19 article, nine groups, including the Global Environment Facility and a consortium led by the United Nations Environment Program, are vying to host the new international center to promote the transfer of clean energy technologies to developing nations.

A final decision is expected to be made at the UNFCCC climate summit Nov. 26-Dec. 7 in Doha, Qatar. 

Electric Power Research Institute to Hold Briefing

On May 31, the Electric Power Research Institute will hold a media briefing on "The Economic Costs Associated With Meeting EPA's Current and Pending Environmental Control Regulations."

EPRI will discuss the release of its "Prism 2.0" computer model called the US-REGEN (U.S. Regional Economy, Greenhouse Gas, and Energy) that details costs of regulations and technologies that can be used for compliance.

Recent coverage of an EPA hearing on proposed Clean Air Act new source performance standards that would apply to greenhouse gas emissions from power plants is provided in a May 24 article.