NBCNews.com
Hurricane Sandy last year pushed the issue of climate change higher on the nation’s agenda. President Barack Obama indicated in his inaugural address and his State of the Union address that climate policy would be a priority for his second term. Some members of Congress said Sandy might cause Congress to redesign infrastructure spending to limit damage from future catastrophic storms. A series of Senate votes Friday indicated what the political balance now is on energy policy and on measures to avert climate change. Read More ...
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The Hill
The Senate on Friday voted 62-37 to approve the proposed Keystone XL oil sands pipeline in an amendment to Senate budget. Sen. John Hoeven’s (R-N.D.) amendment was largely symbolic, but served as a clear statement that the Senate backs the pipeline. Read More ...
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E&E News
The Supreme Court today upheld U.S. EPA's policy for regulating stormwater runoff on logging roads in the Pacific Northwest. The 7-1 ruling in Decker v. Northwest Environmental Defense Center backed EPA's policy that logging roads are not industrial point-source pollution and consequently don't require Clean Water Act permits. Read More ...
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Washington Post
The Obama administration is leaning toward revising its landmark proposal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants, according to several individuals briefed on the matter, a move that would delay tougher restrictions and could anger many environmentalists. Read More ...
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Bloomberg
President Barack Obama is preparing to tell all federal agencies for the first time that they should consider the impact on global warming before approving major projects, from pipelines to highways. The result could be significant delays for natural gas- export facilities, ports for coal sales to Asia, and even new forest roads, industry lobbyists warn. Read More ...
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
he U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced this week that it is extending the public comment period for its two pending rulemakings regarding the Gunnison sage-grouse. Comments on both the Endangered Species Act listing decision and a rule to designate critical habitat for the species will now be accepted through April 2, 2013. Read More ...
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Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) this week introduced the "Hydropower Improvement Act of 2013" in the Senate Joining her on the bill as cosponsors were: Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), James Risch (R-ID), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Mark Begich (D-AK).
The bill seeks to substantially increase the United States’ hydropower capacity in an effort to expand clean-power generation and spur domestic job creation. According to the Department of Energy, the U.S. has the potential for 300 gigawatts of additional hydropower. Read More ...
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New York Times
President Obama hosted a casual off-the-record meeting with a diverse group of energy and climate change experts at the White House on Thursday evening, officials and participants said Friday. The session appeared to mark an early stage of the “national conversation” on how to deal with climate change that Mr. Obama promised to lead shortly after he was re-elected in November. Read More ...
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The Obama administration is preparing to roll out a controversial new regulation for gasoline that could raise costs at the pump—only slightly, but at a time when prices are soaring again near $4 a gallon—and ignite immediate pushback from Republicans and the oil industry.
The regulation will require oil refineries to install new equipment to strip gasoline blends of sulfur, which when burned forms a smog-producing chemical that is linked to respiratory diseases. It’s also expected to raise the cost of gasoline by 1 to 6 cents per gallon, according to early estimates. The Environmental Protection Agency, already a primary target for Republican political attacks, is preparing to release the proposed rule sometime in March, sources familiar with the agency’s plans say. Read More ...
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E&E News
A federal appeals court panel has ruled for the Fish and Wildlife Service in a challenge to its 2008 decision to list polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a June 2011 lower court ruling that supported the George W. Bush administration's decision to list the bear. Read More ...
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