Hill Heat

During the 110th Congress, the Committee on Ways and Means began a series of hearings on climate change. In the first hearing, the Committee heard testimony that human greenhouse gas emissions are having an adverse impact on our planet’s climate. In the second hearing, the Committee heard testimony from numerous witnesses recommending that Congress implement revenue measures (e.g., auction-based cap-and-trade proposals or carbon taxes) that would reduce human greenhouse gas emissions. In connection with the development of these revenue measures, witnesses at this hearing also encouraged the Committee to (1) promote a comprehensive global effort to address climate change and to ensure a level regulatory playing field for U.S. manufacturers, (2) mitigate higher energy costs borne by consumers, (3) maximize the impact that climate change legislation will have on growing the U.S. economy, and (4) maintain the competitiveness of U.S. businesses, farmers and workers.

During the 111th Congress, the Committee continued this series of hearings, by holding a hearing on the scientific objectives of climate change legislation. This hearing provided a scientific discussion of the goals that climate change legislation should seek to achieve over both the short term and the long term. In connection with the goals of climate change legislation, the witnesses suggested different approaches to meeting those goals (e.g., cap-and-trade, cap-and-invest, carbon tax) and discussed the need for international cooperation in order to achieve these goals. In addition, the Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support also held a hearing on March 12, 2009, on protecting low- and moderate-income families while curbing global warming.

In announcing this hearing, Chairman Levin said, “Climate change legislation will be a priority for consideration by the Ways and Means Committee during the 111th Congress. As the Committee works on legislation to achieve our environmental goal of reducing carbon emissions, such legislation must contain provisions to ensure that U.S. businesses, farmers, and workers remain competitive until a global climate change agreement comes into effect. Moreover, we need to ensure that any actions undertaken by the United States are consistent with our international obligations.”

FOCUS OF THE HEARING:

The hearing will focus on a discussion of the trade aspects of climate change legislation including how to minimize carbon leakage and maintain U.S. competitiveness.

03/24/2009 at 02:00PM

Witnesses

• Dr. Jon Strauss, Chairman, Task Force on International Science, National Science Board
• Dr. Norman Neureiter, Director, Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Anthony “Bud” Rock, Vice President for Global Engagement, Arizona State University
• Dr. Gerald Hane, Managing Director, Q-Paradigm

03/24/2009 at 02:00PM

Renewable natural gas is an important part of the portfolio of clean energy solutions needed to answer the climate and energy challenges that are before us today.

This congressional briefing will bring together a panel of policy and industry experts, and answer the following questions:

• What is renewable natural gas?
• What are its energy and environmental benefits?
• What are its economic benefits—how does it help communities and create jobs?
• What are the legislative proposals that would support its expansion?

Presented by:

• American Gas Association
• Business Council for Sustainable Energy
• Gas Technology Institute

Opening and Objectives

• Jeff Petrash, Senior Managing Counsel, American Gas Association
• Lisa Jacobson, Executive Director, Business Council for Sustainable Energy

Program

Panel 1: What is Renewable Natural Gas & How Does it Benefit the Environment

• Dan Lefevers, Executive Director, Gas Technology Institute
• Chris Voell, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (invited)

Panel II: Renewable Biogas – Helping Communities and Creating Jobs

• Rich Kessel, President & CEO, Environmental Power Corporation
• Marisa Uchin, Manager, Federal Government Affairs, PG&E Corporation

Question & Answer and Closing Remarks

Please RSVP to Shirleen Timbers at [email protected] or (202) 824-7209.

03/24/2009 at 02:00PM

The ethanol mandate taught us that energy subsidies for commercial energy projects can lead to unintended consequences and ultimately be counterproductive. Yet Washington’s attempts to address America’s energy questions continue to rely heavily on preferences, mandates, and subsidies for energy commercialization. This is causing energy experts from across the political spectrum to begin questioning the role of subsidies in energy policy. Is this an area where liberals and conservatives might agree?

Join us for a panel with four politically diverse energy experts who will discuss these questions and others as they investigate where agreement exists on the role of energy subsidies, mandates, and preferences in commercializing energy in the United States.

Speakers

• Peter Bradford, Vermont Law School, former NRC Commissioner and Union of Concerned Scientists Board Member
• Marlo Lewis, Senior Fellow, Competitive Enterprise Institute
• Doug Koplow, Founder, Earth Track
• Ben Lieberman, Senior Policy Analyst, Energy and Environment, The Heritage Foundation

Hosts

• Jack Spencer, Research Fellow in Nuclear Energy Policy, The Heritage Foundation
• Henry Sokolski, Executive Director, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center (NPEC)

214 Massachusetts Ave NE

03/24/2009 at 12:00PM

The nuclear science and engineering education and research community cordially invites you to attend a luncheon briefing: “Everything You Wanted To Know About Nuclear Energy—But Were Afraid to Ask.”

Sponsored by:

• The Nuclear Engineering Department Heads Organization
• National Organization of Test, Research, and Training Reactors
• Nuclear Energy Institute
• American Nuclear Society

This lunch will feature prominent scholars and experts from universities in 25 different states. The event complies with rules for a widely attended event.

RSVP: Please RSVP with Sherazhad Hakky via e-mail: [email protected]. Please note that space is extremely limited. RSVPs must be received by Monday, March 23.

03/24/2009 at 12:00PM

Witnesses

Panel 1

• Dale E. Klein, Chairman, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Gregory B. Jaczko, Commissioner, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Peter B. Lyons, Commissioner, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Kristine L. Svinicki, Commissioner, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Panel 2

• Peter A. Bradford, Adjunct Professor, Institute for Energy and the Environment, Vermont Law School, Former NRC Commissioner
• Harold Denton, Former NRC Employee
• Dick Thornburgh, Of Counsel, K&L Gates LLP, Former Governor of Pennsylvania
• Marvin Fertel, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Nuclear Officer, Nuclear Energy Institute

03/24/2009 at 10:30AM

E&E News:

Lawmakers are expected to hear testimony on how and where to best place infrastructure to maximize energy development at minimal environmental costs. Witnesses also will testify regarding the ongoing effects of the Exxon Valdez spill, as well as potential environmental hazards associated with offshore oil and gas production.

03/24/2009 at 10:00AM

Witnesses

• Thomas C. Baloga, Vice President of Engineering, BMW of North America
• Steven Chalk, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy
• Dr. Kathryn Clay, Director of Research, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
• Anthony Greszler, Vice President of Government and Industry Relations, Volvo Powertrain North America, Member, 21st Century Truck Partnership Executive Committee
• Dr. John H. Johnson, Presidential Professor, Michigan Technological University Chair, National Academies Committee to Review the 21st Century Truck Partnership

03/24/2009 at 10:00AM

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, will deliver remarks on the path forward for addressing global warming, including legislation and other actions.

03/19/2009 at 10:00AM

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing to examine the energy, environmental, economic, and national security issues associated with liquid transportation fuels derived from coal. Coal-based fuels were first developed almost 100 years ago. Germany used liquid coal fuels from the 1920’s until World War II and South Africa has had an active liquid coal industry since 1955. Desire to reduce dependence on foreign oil has driven interest in developing alternative transportation fuels including liquid coal in the United States, which has the largest known recoverable coal reserves of any country in the world. Liquid coal, however, raises significant questions about costs, benefits, and impacts in terms of energy security, climate change, land and water resources, and public health. Speakers for this event include:

• James Katzer, PhD, Independent Consultant; Former Vice-President, Technology, Mobil Oil Corporation
• Sasha Mackler, Research Director, National Commission on Energy Policy
• Sarah Ladislaw, Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
• Matthew Wasson, PhD, Director of Programs, Appalachian Voices

The potential impacts of these fuels on U.S. and global greenhouse gas emissions have been a dominant concern. Unless the carbon dioxide emissions generated by the processing of these fuels can be permanently sequestered and stored, the greenhouse gas footprint of these fuels is estimated to be approximately twice that of conventional gasoline. Options to reduce life-cycle carbon emissions are being explored but are presently uncertain. How national security, climate change, and local environmental impacts should be weighed and integrated into public policy decisions regarding these fuels remains controversial and unclear.

This briefing will review these multiple issues to help guide a full and informed comparison of different policy options regarding alternative transportation fuels. Key questions to be addressed include:

• How are liquid coal fuels produced? What are the factors driving and limiting their development?
• What is the range and scale of impacts associated with the production and consumption of these fuels?
• What are the energy, environmental, and national security consequences of developing these fuels?
• How should different costs, benefits, and impacts be factored into federal policy decisions?

This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, contact Jan Mueller at (202) 662-1883 or [email protected].

This briefing is the first in a series on alternative transportation fuels. Subsequent topics will include oil shale and tar sands, biofuels, and electricity. Details will be posted at www.eesi.org/briefings as they become available.

03/18/2009 at 03:00PM