Legislative Activity
Flood Repairs in Colorado
The short-term continuing resolution (CR) passed by Congress will allow “the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to use up to $450 million of funds previously appropriated to the Highway Emergency Relief program to pay for repairs after recent flooding in the State of Colorado.” The provision does not, however, provide additional funding for emergency relief projects.
National Forests
The short-term CR passed by Congress will also enable the U.S. Forest Service to improve forest conditions using proceeds from timber harvested on federal lands instead of congressionally-appropriated funds to finance projects. In addition, the CR allows the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Corps of Engineers to collect recreation fees, including the sale of annual passes, through January 15, 2014.
Regulatory Activity
Wind Energy Annual Report
Created by the International Energy Agency (IEA), IEA-Wind is an international research cooperative composed of 20 member countries, including the United States, the European Commission, the European Wind Energy Association and the Chinese Wind Energy Association. IEA-Wind has recently released its latest annual report (2012), which discusses how much wind energy is addressing the world’s demand for electricity. In addition, chapters are available from each member country addressing “how much wind energy they have deployed, how they benefit from wind energy, and how their policies and research programs will increase wind’s contribution to the world energy supply.”