From the Wonk Room.
This week, hearings begin in the Senate Committee on Environment and
Public Works on the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733).
This comprehensive climate and clean energy
legislation,
co-sponsored by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and committee chair Barbara Boxer
(D-CA), will establish a mandatory global warming pollution reduction
market that will fund clean energy and climate adaptation, as well as
establish new renewable energy and energy efficiency standards. The 19
members
of the committee – 12 Democrats and 7 Republicans – are overseeing a
three-day marathon of legislative hearings this week, starting with
Administration witnesses
today.
The committee members can be sorted by their degree of support for clean
energy, progressive reform, and strong climate action:
- STRONGEST ACTION: Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT),
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
- STRONG ACTION: Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Kirsten
Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Tom
Udall (D-CO)
- CENTRIST: Max Baucus (D-MT), Tom Carper (D-DE), Arlen Specter
(D-PA)
- ANTI: Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), George Voinovich
(R-OH)
- EXTREME ANTI: John Barrasso (R-WY), Kit Bond (R-MO), Jim Inhofe
(R-OK), David Vitter (R-LA)
Below is the Hill Heat’s summary of some key issues that will be debated
at the hearings.
CLEAN FUTURE
CLEAN AIR: “We must act to reduce black
carbon,”
Carper says, “a dangerous pollutant emitted by old, dirty diesel
engines like those in some school buses and thought to be the second
largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide.” “Among my
top priorities was to be sure that we not only address
challenges
that carbon dioxide poses to our planet, but sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
oxide and mercury.”
COAL PLANT GREENHOUSE GAS REGULATION: Kerry-Boxer follows
Gillibrand’s call that “the EPA has to
have authority to regulate coal plants under the Clean Air Act.”
Baucus opposes the retention of this authority.
EMISSIONS LIMITS: As Sens. Cardin, Lautenberg, Merkley,
Sanders, Whitehouse
requested,
the 2020 target for greenhouse pollution reductions has been
strengthened to 20 percent below 2005
levels,
instead of Waxman-Markey’s 17 percent target. Baucus has
criticized the
stronger targets.
GREEN TRANSPORTATION: Kerry-Boxer includes Sen. Carper’s push
for green transportation, devoting “a guaranteed share of revenues from
carbon regulation to transit, bike paths, and other green modes of
transport.”
The SmartWay Transportation Efficiency Program is modeled on the Clean,
Low-Emission, Affordable, New Transportation Efficiency Act (S.
575 / H.R.
1329), co-sponsored by Sens. Specter, Merkley, Lautenberg,
and Cardin.
NATURAL RESOURCE ADAPTATION: Whitehouse and Baucus have
submitted language to support efforts for natural resource
adaptation.
INDUSTRY
ALLOWANCE ALLOCATION: As chair of the Finance Committee, Baucus
can assert authority over emission allowance distribution. Baucus has
raised the possibility of “auctioning
allowances
to cut taxes by cutting marginal rates, by cutting capital gains rates,
by cutting payroll taxes or by doing all of the above,” although he
doubts there will be “major” changes to the House allocation formula,
which is supported by the Edison Electric Institute, the main utility
trade group. Baucus has supported additional allocations to rural
electric cooperatives and “solid
relief
to low-income Americans.” Carper supports the existing allocation
formula, saying, “I thought the utility industry did a great
service by coming up
with a compromise that all of them could live with.”
COAL SUPPORT: Carper led what he calls the “clean coal
group,” an “ad-hoc
group that helped craft the coal provisions,” including a change that
“allows for advanced distribution of the bill’s bonus allowances” for
carbon capture and sequestration projects with at least 50% efficiency.
The National Mining Association still says the legislation “doesn’t work
for coal.”
NUCLEAR SUPPORT: Carper wants “an expanded role for
nuclear”
and is “working with Joe Lieberman and others to create a more robust
nuclear title when the bill comes to the floor.” However, he recognizes
that “there’ll be a lot of incentives, just from the way the allowance
system will be set up,” and has called for expanding the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, rather than increasing subsidies for the nuclear
industry. Alexander believes “we should build 100 new nuclear
plants”
but has offered no proposal on how to achieve that, while dismissing
estimates that the legislation under consideration would accomplish his
goals.
TRADE: Baucus supports “ways to make
sure
U.S. companies are not taken advantage of, or discriminated against.”
Specter supports “strong
provisions
to ensure the strength and viability of domestic manufacturing,”
including a “border adjustment mechanism” if “other major carbon
emitting countries fail to commit to an international agreement
requiring commensurate action on climate change.”
OPPOSITION
CLIMATE DENIAL: Barrasso, Bond, Crapo, Inhofe, and
Vitter question the consensus that manmade climate change is a
significant threat. Barrasso has said: “I don’t
believe
it is a problem at this point.” “None of the
farmers
I have talked to in Missouri,” said Bond, “have expressed concerns about
human-caused global climate change.” Crapo argues “the underlying cause
of these climactic shifts is ultimately not
well-understood
and is a matter of vigorous debate.” “God’s still up
there,” said
Inhofe. “We’re going through these cycles.” “I don’t think it is
clear and
settled,” Vitter has said, “the extent of the human impact on
temperature trends.”
EPA AND CAROL BROWNER: Barrasso, Crapo, Inhofe,
Vitter, and Voinovich have repeatedly criticized the
EPA
and their analyses of the legislation. Voinovich has a
hold
on EPA deputy administrator nominee Robert
Perciasepe. Inhofe, Barrasso, and Vitter have attacked Browner as an
unaccountable “czar” and are requesting White House documents about her
actions.
FILIBUSTER THREAT: The Republicans on the committee were all
co-signatories of a letter in March that called for the preservation of
a GOP filibuster
threat
against climate legislation. None of the seven Democratic signatories
are members of the environment committee.
FUEL COSTS: Bond co-authored a report that argues clean energy
legislation is the equivalent of a $3.6 trillion gas
tax,
totalling over 40 years extremely pessimistic estimates of fuel prices
based on a National Black Chamber of Commerce report, without taking
into account fuel economy. Other studies predict that gas prices will
fall, as demand lessens and oil company profit margins are lessened.
JOB ASSISTANCE: Inhofe and Voinovich argue that provisions
for unemployment benefits and job relocation provide evidence that the
legislation will destroy jobs. “There’s no credible
analysis
that suggests this bill will be a net job creator,” claimed Voinovich.
“Less energy production,” says Barrasso, “will mean fewer
jobs
for Americans.”