Senate Committee Approves Lieberman-Warner Climate Bill

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a full committee business meeting yesterday to mark up America’s Safe Climate Act of 2007 (S. 2191), sponsored by Senators Joe Lieberman (I/D-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.) 

The 10-hour hearing resulted in passage of the bill through the committee by a vote of 11 to 8.  Senator Warner was the only Republican on the committee to vote for the measure. More than 180 amendments were filed the evening before the markup, although not all of them were offered yesterday. 

The legislation now moves to the Senate floor for consideration.  Senate Democratic leaders recently indicated that the measure will likely be scheduled for floor debate by late February or early March 2008.  This interlude will enable the House Energy and Commerce Committee to produce its climate change bill early next year.

The House committee leadership has been preoccupied with finalizing energy legislation during the past few months.  The full House of Representatives is expected to consider climate change legislation following Energy and Commerce Committee action, possibly as early as the springtime. 

Contact David Hubbard or Jessica Hogle.

House Passes Historic Energy Bill

After a year long battle and now facing a veto threat from the White House, the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed a comprehensive energy bill, the Energy Independence and Security Act; by a vote of 235 to 181.

The final bill represents concessions by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.), both of whom have been in disagreement in the past.

The bill covers a wide range of issues. It mandates that at least 15% of all power generated from the electric utility industry must be from renewable energy sources. Furthermore, nearly $22 billion in tax subsidies for gas and oil companies would be repealed, and an increase in the use of ethanol would be required, more specifically, 36 billions gallons per year by 2022. 

A large portion of the bill is anchored around increased Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. The Energy Independence and Security Act marks the first time in 32 years that fuel-efficiency standards have been raised All new cars and light-trucks would be required to have a CAFE standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

Additionally, the bill requires higher-efficiency home appliances and light-bulbs, and increased building standards for commercial, residential, and federal buildings, as well as a research and development program to study carbon capture and sequestration.

Senate Republicans and the Administration oppose plans to raise taxes on oil companies by more than $13 billion, with the five biggest companies absorbing most of the costs. They also oppose a requirement that large investor-owned utilities provide 15 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is planning a cloture vote and is urging Senate Democrats running for President to be in town for the vote. He said today he supports the bill, but is not sure the measure can reach the 60 votes needed to beat a near-certain filibuster.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) issued a statement condemning the bill immediately after it passed this afternoon. "I simply can't understand why the majority would take a simple, bipartisan energy bill, and slow it down by hanging the twin millstones of tax hikes and utility bill increases around its neck," he said.

The White House issued a Statement of Administration policy outlining specific concerns with the bill and stating the staff would recommend a presidential veto.

Contact Deidra Ciriello or Kevin Walgenbach.

Coalition Unveils Climate Action Plan as Blueprint for Next President

A group of policymakers, academicians, and energy experts on Tuesday called for reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2020 and 90 percent by 2050, compared with 2010 levels.

The group, led by the University of Colorado, released a comprehensive national climate action plan it bills as a blueprint for the next U.S. president to follow in combating climate change.  The plan will be updated during the next several months as new science and policy ideas emerge;  a final version will be provided to the Presidential candidates and the public next September.

The project is designed to provide a climate action agenda for the first 100 days of a new presidential administration. The group has contacted each of the presidential candidates with an offer to brief them on the blueprint in its current form.

The blueprint consists of more than 300 specific recommendations for changes in federal laws, policies, and programs across more than 13 areas, including energy policy, national security, economic development, natural resource stewardship, public health, and transportation. Click here to view the full Presidential Climate Action Plan.

Contact Andy O'Hare.

White House Advocates Sectoral Targets for Developing Countries

Jim Connaughton, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the President's main climate policy advisor, said the United States could consider emission-reduction goals for individual sectors - such as steel, cement or aluminum manufacturing - a "commitment" by developing countries.

Connaughton said emission-reduction goals targeting specific sectors are the most feasible type of international climate commitment for developing countries.

Many Federal legislators have said they would only support mandatory domestic emissions caps if developing countries take on binding commitments, as well.

“What will spur countries like China and India to act on climate change is a reasonable portfolio of emissions-reduction strategies,” Connaughton said at a briefing with reporters about the UN climate negotiations. “A focus on individual sectors can achieve more advances in greenhouse gas reduction because one sector is less threatening for a developing country to address,” he said.

Harlan Watson, the United States' chief climate policy negotiator, added that sector-specific reduction goals are part of the agreement on future emissions cuts U.S. negotiators are trying to reach at the United Nation’s Climate Change Council in Bali this week and next.

Connaughton added that the Bush administration wants to “move away” from internationally-agreed mandatory targets for entire economies, like those adopted by countries under the Kyoto protocol. He emphasized the Administration wants to see a negotiating framework for “after the Kyoto protocol expires in 2012 that includes binding market-based and incentive-based policies.”

Contact Andy O'Hare.

Agency Releases Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Lead

On December 5, 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) as part of its review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for lead.

The purpose of the ANPR is to invite comment from the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and all interested parties on a wide variety of issues—including policy options—related to the agency’s ongoing review of the lead NAAQS before the agency issues its proposal.

The ANPR is part of the new NAAQS review process. The ANPR is inviting comment on:

(1) Scientific evidence concerning the health and welfare effects of current and past air emissions of lead that may be found in ambient air, indoor dust, and outdoor soil;

(2) Current lead exposures and health risks associated with such exposures; and

(3) Policy options for addressing lead air-related exposures and associated risks. Specifically, EPA is seeking comment on the adequacy of the current lead NAAQS, on potential revisions to the standard, and on questions raised with regard to maintaining a NAAQS for lead.

In addition, the ANPR invites comment on issues regarding ambient air quality monitoring for lead including sampling and analysis methods, network design, sampling schedule, and data handling methods. EPA will consider CASAC recommendations and comments received from the public on the ANPR in developing the agency’s proposed decision on the adequacy of the current standards and on any revisions to the lead NAAQS that may be appropriate.

The agency will propose whether to revise or retain the current lead standards no later than May 1, with a target time frame of March. The agency will then take final action by September 1, pursuant to a court order.

EPA will accept comment on the ANPR for 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. Click here to view the ANPR. (Source: EPA Fact Sheet, Dec. 6, 2007)

Contact Tyrone P. Wilson.

Blue Dogs Take Stand on Tax Fix

Members of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition sent a letter to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), saying they will not accept legislation to stave off the expansion of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) unless its cost to the Treasury is offset by tax increases or spending cuts.

Congress passed the AMT in 1969 to collect from 155 tax-avoiding millionaires.   However, because the scheme was not indexed for inflation, it has since hit more and more middle-income taxpayers.  This tax year, an AMT “patch” is needed to provide relief from the tax for as many as 23 million middle-class American families.

The Blue Dogs publicly reinforced their longstanding commitment to pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) budget rules that require any tax cuts to be paid for by revenue raisers.  So far, every bill passed by the House this year has complied with PAYGO rules.

“We made a commitment to the American people to reinstitute PAYGO budget rules and restore fiscal responsibility to government, and we will stand by that commitment,” said Congressman Mike Ross (D-Ark.), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications.  “We will not pass the burden of unmanageable debt on to our children and grandchildren just so we can avoid the difficult decisions that Americans expect their government to make.”

Republican Senators have made it clear that they will not allow an AMT bill to pass if tax increases are included but without these increases Pelosi and Hoyer may face a revolt in the House.   In late breaking news, the Senate last night agreed to pass the AMT patch without PAYGO.  (Source: Washington Post.)

Contact Robert Sullivan.

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