Hill Heat

Witnesses:

• Monica de Bolle, PhD, Director, Latin American Studies Program, School of Advanced, International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics
• Daniel Nepstad, PhD, President and Executive Director, Earth Innovation Institute
• Bill Millan, Chief Conservation Officer and Director of Policy, International Conservation Caucus Foundation

From installing solar panels, to building wind farms and revolutionizing the auto industry, the clean energy economy is a driving force for small business innovation and job growth. Energy efficiency jobs make up most of the green economy, supporting at least 2.2 million jobs ranging across various industries. Small businesses are directly involved in this economy in a wide variety of ways. This hearing will bring together some small business innovators in the clean energy and green economy to discuss the importance of their businesses, the challenges they face, and what Congress can do to support small business innovation for the 21st century.

Witnesses

• Dr. Lynn Abramson, President, Clean Energy Business Network
• Thomas R. Brooks, General Manager, Western Dubuque Biodiesel
• Michael G. Williams, Deputy Director, BlueGreen Alliance
• David J. Spigelmyer, President, Marcellus Shale Coalition

• H.R. 205 — Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act of 2019
• H.R. 1146 — Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act
• H.R. 1941 — Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an executive session on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. in Hart Senate Office Building 216 to consider the following legislative measures.

Agenda

• S. 2297, Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2019, Sponsor: Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
• S. 2299, Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2019, Sponsors: Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)

Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.) are scheduled to move July 30 a bipartisan bill, entitled the America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act (ATIA), out of their committee. ATIA would authorize $287 billion in state highway spending authority from Fiscal Years 2021 through 2025.

ARTBA staff has attended multiple briefings with EPW committee staff, who shared some details of the legislation. It includes:

Of the $287 billion in budget authority, 90 percent will be provided to the states via formula;

• A new $6 billion bridge program would be funded by a mix of Highway Trust Fund and General Fund revenues;
• New climate change and safety incentivization programs;
• Additional streamlining provisions, including the codification of “One Federal Decision”, the Trump administration executive order requiring all agencies to work together on a single decision for environmental project reviews;
• Resources to build alternative fuel fueling stations along identified corridors;

The EPW committee, which has jurisdiction over most highway programs, is the first in either the House or Senate to move forward on reauthorizing the 2015 FAST Act surface transportation law, which expires Sept. 30, 2020.

The committee will also consider S. 1992, A bill to amend the FAST Act to repeal a rescission of funds and 6 General Services Administration resolutions.

• H.R. 3794 (Rep. Gosar for himself and Rep. Levin), To promote the development of renewable energy on public lands, and for other purposes. “Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2019”

On Thursday, July 25, 2019 at 10:00 A.M. in room 1334 Longworth House Office Building, the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife (WOW) will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 335 (Rep. Mast), To require the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia to develop a plan for reducing, mitigating, and controlling harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in South Florida, and for other purposes, “South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2019.”
• H.R. 729 (Rep. Kilmer), To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to authorize grants to Indian Tribes to further achievement of Tribal coastal zone objectives, and for other purposes. “Tribal Coastal Resiliency Act.”
• H.R. 2185 (Rep. Holmes Norton), To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to allow the District of Columbia to receive Federal funding under such Act, and for other purposes. “District of Columbia Flood Prevention Act of 2019.”
• H.R. 3115 (Rep. Pallone), To direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to make grants to State and local governments and nongovernmental organizations for purposes of carrying out climate-resilient living shoreline projects that protect coastal communities by supporting ecosystem functions and habitats with the use of natural materials and systems, and for other purposes. “Living Shorelines Act of 2019.”
• H.R. 3237 (Rep. Neguse), To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the implementation of the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program First Increment Extension for threatened and endangered species in the Central and Lower Platte River Basin, and for other purposes. “Platte River Recovery Implementation Program Extension Act.”
• H.R. 3510 (Rep. Harder), To amend the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 to reauthorize grants for and require applied water supply research regarding the water resources research and technology institutes established under that Act. “Water Resources Research Amendments Act”
• H.R. 3541 (Rep. Salud Carbajal), To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a coastal climate change adaptation preparedness and response program, and for other purposes. “Coastal State Climate Preparedness Act.”
• H.R. 3596 (Rep. Chellie Pingree), To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to establish a Working Waterfront Task Force and a working waterfronts grant program, and for other purposes. “Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act.”
• H.R. 3723 (Rep. Levin), To promote desalination project development and drought resilience, and for other purposes. “Desalination Development Act.”

Witness

• Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy