WELCOME
BACK CONGRESS: Congress returns to the Hill this week after a long August
recess, but don’t look for too much action on energy issues in the coming
weeks. Lawmakers’ dance cards are already filling up with issues like Syria, a continuing
resolution and the debt ceiling. Here’s what to watch for in the near future:
Shaheen-Portman: The
Senate’s long-awaited energy efficiency bill will have to wait a little longer.
The chamber had been scheduled to take up S. 1392 tomorrow morning, one of the
first items on its agenda after the August recess. However, with a Syria
resolution set to get consideration starting Wednesday and Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid’s office making it clear Shaheen-Portman comes after Syria,
the odds of the chamber getting around to energy efficiency this week are slim
to none. After that, the Senate’s legislative calendar begins to fill up with
the need to pass a CR by the end of the month and address the debt ceiling soon
after — threatening to punt floor time for Shaheen-Portman to mid-October or
potentially even later.
Ron
Binz: His confirmation hearing to chair the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 17 (a date that could change, so
stay tuned). The August recess gave opponents of Binz more time to dig up dirt
and make their case in the media and to lawmakers. Binz is also getting a boost
from a Washington PR firm. (If you need a refresher on preparations for the
Binz nomination battle, check out Darius Dixon’s story from last month
House
GOP’s climate change hearing: House Democrats have been asking Republicans
to hold a hearing on climate change for years, and now they’re getting their
wish. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy are
scheduled to show up at the Energy and Power subcommittee hearing next week,
which is focused on what various federal agencies are doing on climate change
issues. The committee is still hoping to snag top officials from nearly a dozen
other agencies.
Tax
extenders: It’s that time of year — when industries with sunsetting tax
breaks start ramping up their lobbying efforts. Of particular interest is the
production tax credit, which runs out for wind and other renewable energy
sources on Dec. 31. Although the language was changed to allow any project that
has made a minimal investment by the deadline — no matter when it begins
generating electricity — to qualify, manufacturers are still hoping to secure a
long-term extension of the credit. Also gaining steam is a proposal for a
phase-out of the PTC. Whether Congress will get to tax extenders, or what
vehicle it will use, is unclear.
OFF
THE HILL: Because, while it may not always seem like it, not everything is
about Congress.
Keystone
XL: The State Department continues to work on its environmental
review of the pipeline, posting public comments and dodging questions about a
timeline for making a decision. Meanwhile, supporters of the project are eager
to point out that Sept. 19 marks five years since TransCanada first submitted
an application to the State Department.
Emissions
rule: The White House’s Office of Management and Budget is currently
going over EPA’s new rule for emissions from new power plants. Industry and
environmental groups have been making their case to OMB and to EPA chief Gina
McCarthy, but exact details of the regulation remain confidential for now. The
president set a Sept. 20 deadline to release the proposed rule, although the
administration could move sooner than that.
Other
regs: The administration also continues to plug away on some
high-profile regulations, including one for fracking on public lands, EPA’s
“Tier 3” rule cutting sulfur in gasoline and the so-called 316(b) cooling tower
rule for power plants and other facilities.
SPEAKING
OF SYRIA: Deputy Energy Editor Matt Daily has a smart energy story on the
issue: For once, almost nobody is accusing the United States of going to war
for Mideast oil. “No blood for oil” was a familiar anti-war cry during the two
U.S. military actions against Saddam Hussein, and access to the region’s
abundant petroleum resources is a major reason that the U.S. has placed such
strategic importance on the Middle East for decades. But so far, at least, the
Syria debate has been different. Matt explains why
BP
BITES BACK: Three years after the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history,
BP’s post-disaster demeanor has gone from contrite to combative. The oil giant
is increasingly sparring with the federal government, Louisiana leaders like
Gov. Bobby Jindal and the throngs of businesses that still want compensation
for the April 2010 spill. BP continues to tend its public image, blanketing the
airwaves with upbeat ads about its “commitment to America,” and it agreed last
year to pay a record $4.5 billion in fines stemming from the spill. But it’s
also mounting an aggressive legal, advertising and public relations attack on
the court-administered process for weighing spill victims’ damage claims,
alleging that it’s become rife with fraud. Talia Buford has more for Pros.
PROBE
CLEARS HEAD OF BP SETTLEMENT CENTER BUT FLAGS OTHER STAFFERS FOR DOJ: Via the
AP: “A former FBI director recommended Friday that the Justice Department
investigate whether several lawyers plotted to corrupt the settlement program
designed to compensate victims of BP's 2010 Gulf oil spill. But the independent
probe led by Louis Freeh didn't find any evidence of wrongdoing by the
multibillion-dollar settlement's court-appointed administrator, who has been a
target of BP's increasingly aggressive campaign to challenge payouts to Gulf
Coast businesses. …
“The
report also found nothing that warranted shutting down payments to victims of
the oil spill, which spewed millions of gallons of oil into the water, fouling
marshes, fisheries and beaches from Louisiana to Florida. However, Freeh
concluded that then-top members of Juneau's staff engaged in conduct that was
improper, unethical and possibly criminal. He recommended that his report be
forwarded to the Justice Department.”
ICYMI: BP
America last week announced several changes to its PR shop, including promoting
Geoff Morrell to senior vice president and consolidating various comms teams.
BP’s press release.
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