Legislative Activity Tuesday, July 29: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing titled “Breaking the Logjam at BLM: Examining Ways to More Efficiently Process Permits for Energy Production on Federal Lands.” Tuesday, July 29: The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing titled “FERC Perspectives: Questions Concerning EPA’s Proposed … Continue Reading
Regulatory Activity Greenhouse Gas The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Clean Power Plan” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from existing power plants will fundamentally shift the nation’s energy economy for generations to come. Broadly speaking, the proposal would require state governments to implement plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) from existing power plants by … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Shaheen/Portman Energy Cloture Vote Fails On Monday, May 12 the Senate voted against a motion to invoke cloture and end debate on S. 2262, the “Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2014,” after Senate leaders were unable to reach a deal to consider a group of energy-related amendments. While Senate Majority Leader … Continue Reading
Regulatory Activity Ozone A court order issued last week instructs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue its proposed rule concerning ozone by December 1, 2014, and a final rule by October 1, 2015. This action would finalize the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) that are expected to significantly impact cities, counties, transportation systems … Continue Reading
Regulatory Activity Greenhouse Gas Emissions The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a panel to consider proposed rule changes to amend and extend the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards beyond the model year 2018. According to the EPA, the proposed changes are likely to include “more stringent engine and vehicle GHG … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Schedules “Energy Week” for Legislative Debate This week, the House Republican leadership has planned a thematic “energy week” to organize legislative debate on the floor. The House will consider three rules bills and several non-controversial bills under suspension of the rules. The three rules bills include: (1) H.R.3826, the “Electricity Security and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers Request EPA to Revise Corn Ethanol Volume Targets On Thursday, January 16, a bipartisan group of 30 House members sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting the agency to reverse course on its latest proposal to revise the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume obligations for corn ethanol. In the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Energy and Commerce to Consider Bill to Limit EPA’s Regulatory Authority On Monday, January 13, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Power will hold a markup vote on H.R. 3826, the “Electricity Security and Affordability Act.” The legislation seeks to curtail the Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) ability to control … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Nominations for U.S. Department of the Interior and EPA On Tuesday, December 17, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will meet to consider the nomination of Neil Kornze to become the Director of the Bureau of Land Management at the Department of the Interior. The Committee will also consider at that time … Continue Reading
Executive Activity President’s Task Force To Meet on Climate Change The President’s Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience will meet for the first time on Tuesday, December 10. The Task Force is composed of 26 state, local and tribal officials and is charged with identifying ways to prepare communities for the impact of climate … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Natural Resources Committee Approves Mountaintop Mining Lesiglation On Thursday, November 14, the House Natural Resources Committee voted to favorably report H.R. 2824, the “Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America” Act, introduced by Rep. Bill Johnson, by a margin of 24-14. The legislation would prevent the Department of Interior … Continue Reading
Legal Activity Supreme Court Sets Up Limited EPA Greenhouse Gas Challenge On Tuesday, October 15, the Supreme Court granted and consolidated six petitions for certiori to hear a limited appeal of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulation of greenhouse gases from new motor vehicles. The Court’s decision is limited to a single question: “Whether EPA … Continue Reading
Legislative and Regulatory Activity Senate Energy Committee Clears Two Nominees The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a business meeting in executive session on Tuesday, October 8 to consider the nominations of Mr. Michael Connor and Ms. Elizabeth Robinson to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Interior and Under Secretary of Energy, respectively. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Energy Efficiency Legislation Delayed The Senate failed last week to fully consider S. 1392, energy efficiency legislation introduced by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-OH). While the legislation enjoys bipartisan support, consideration of the legislation has been delayed by negotiations regarding non-germane amendments related to the Keystone XL Pipeline and implementation … Continue Reading
