Senate Votes Down Murkowski’s EPA Disapproval Resolution
On June 10, the Senate voted against Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s disapproval resolution which would have prevented the Environmental Protection Agency’s stewardship over regulation of climate issues. The resolution lost 47-53, with all Republicans and six Democrats voting in favor of it. The effort would have overturned U.S. EPA's scientific findings that carbon emissions endanger human health. In his remarks to the Senate on June 7, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, “the result of this resolution would be to waste at least 450 million more barrels of oil than we need to.”
“I had hopes, for the security of our economy, that we would prevail today,” Murkowski said in a statement. “But regardless of the outcome, I believe it’s important that every member of the Senate is on the record on whether they think the EPA regulation is the appropriate way to address climate issues.” Murkowski said EPA regulation of greenhouse gases would cause an “economic train wreck.”
Here is how the Senators voted on the “motion to proceed” to Senator Murkowski’s resolution:
Akaka (D-HI), Nay Alexander (R-TN), Yea Barrasso (R-WY), Yea Baucus (D-MT), Nay Bayh (D-IN), Yea Begich (D-AK), Nay Bennet (D-CO), Nay Bennett (R-UT), Yea Bingaman (D-NM), Nay Bond (R-MO), Yea Boxer (D-CA), Nay Brown (D-OH), Nay Brown (R-MA), Yea Brownback (R-KS), Yea Bunning (R-KY), Yea Burr (R-NC), Yea Burris (D-IL), Nay Byrd (D-WV), Nay Cantwell (D-WA), Nay Cardin (D-MD), Nay Carper (D-DE), Nay Casey (D-PA), Nay Chambliss (R-GA), Yea Coburn (R-OK), Yea Cochran (R-MS), Yea Collins (R-ME), Yea Conrad (D-ND), Nay Corker (R-TN), Yea Cornyn (R-TX), Yea Crapo (R-ID), Yea DeMint (R-SC), Yea Dodd (D-CT), Nay Dorgan (D-ND), Nay Durbin (D-IL), Nay
Ensign (R-NV), Yea Enzi (R-WY), Yea Feingold (D-WI), Nay Feinstein (D-CA), Nay Franken (D-MN), Nay Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay Graham (R-SC), Yea Grassley (R-IA), Yea Gregg (R-NH), Yea Hagan (D-NC), Nay Harkin (D-IA), Nay Hatch (R-UT), Yea Hutchison (R-TX), Yea Inhofe (R-OK), Yea Inouye (D-HI), Nay Isakson (R-GA), Yea Johanns (R-NE), Yea Johnson (D-SD), Nay Kaufman (D-DE), Nay Kerry (D-MA), Nay Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay Kohl (D-WI), Nay Kyl (R-AZ), Yea Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay Leahy (D-VT), Nay LeMieux (R-FL), Yea Levin (D-MI), Nay Lieberman (ID-CT), Nay Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Yea McCaskill (D-MO), Nay McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Menendez (D-NJ), Nay Merkley (D-OR), Nay Mikulski (D-MD), Nay Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Murray (D-WA), Nay Nelson (D-FL), Nay Nelson (D-NE), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea Reed (D-RI), Nay Reid (D-NV), Nay Risch (R-ID), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Sanders (I-VT), Nay Schumer (D-NY), Nay Sessions (R-AL), Yea Shaheen (D-NH), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea Specter (D-PA), Nay Stabenow (D-MI), Nay Tester (D-MT), Nay Thune (R-SD), Yea Udall (D-CO), Nay Udall (D-NM), Nay Vitter (R-LA), Yea Voinovich (R-OH), Yea Warner (D-VA), Nay Webb (D-VA), Nay Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay Wicker (R-MS), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Nay
See http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/11/11climatewire-effort-to-block-epa-fails-revealing-murky-pa-31482.html and http://murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=00a8c969-13ab-405f-8430-e4b627cf61f3&ContentType_id=b94acc28-404a-4fc6-b143-a9e15bf92da4&Group_id=c01df158-d935-4d7a-895d-f694ddf41624&MonthDisplay=6&YearDisplay=2010.
Reid Opens Senate Work Period with Plans for Jobs, Security, Energy
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid addressed his Senate this week on his agenda for action for the summertime work period – July 12 through the August recess.
Reid spoke on passing an emergency extension on expired unemployment benefits which also cuts taxes for middle class families and small businesses. “It’s something Republicans and Democrats should come together to finish because it’s something we can all be proud to support. More than that, it’s something each of our states desperately needs,” he said.
Small businesses have a bill on the table for more tax incentives and a new lending facility, the supplemental war appropriations bill would supply the “largest operation since the war [in Afghanistan] began,” and Reid hopes to send the Wall Street reform bill to the White House this month.
Regarding energy policy, Reid said: “[It] must strongly encourage companies to invest rapidly in technologies that make us safer, more competitive and more energy independent. That means immediately refocusing our efforts on clean and renewable energy – like the sun, the wind and geothermal energy – improving energy efficiency and using more biofuels.”
Under Reid’s order, eight Democratic committee leaders will produce their ideas on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill so they can be folded into the comprehensive energy legislation. “This spill underscores our need for a new energy policy,” Reid said.
For Reid’s full statement, visit http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2529767/posts. See also http://www.eenews.net/EEDaily/2010/06/07/4/.
Associations’ Letter Urges Quick Senate Action on Energy Legislation
As Congress and the White House debate whether and when to take action on energy/climate legislation, the major efficiency and renewable energy trade associations joined together to issue a joint letter to the Senate Leadership urging quick action on energy legislation. The letter said:
Dear Senators Reid and McConnell:
We are writing to urge that the Senate move quickly to consider legislation promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, and biofuels, along with associated manufacturing opportunities. Such a policy would add millions of American jobs and utilize our own domestic, clean, inexhaustible, and rapidly deployable resources. Acting now will stimulate construction and operations jobs as well as manufacturing and supply chains, rather than passively losing these jobs to other countries.
A series of inconsistent and unstable policies have cost America its leadership in renewable energy and energy efficiency manufacturing and production. Attracting manufacturing will take a concerted effort, as evidenced by the actions being taken by our competitors, but America’s workforce, skills, and market are well suited for global leadership if stable policies are put in place. Important programs affecting renewable energy industries, energy efficiency initiatives and biofuels programs are all due to expire this year. Many of the jobs these industries support could be lost permanently to other countries. Many renewable manufacturers have almost ceased receiving orders because of the uncertainty of a long term policy.
Enacting policy now is urgent. Ensuring steady growth of the industries that will solve our climate, water, and waste challenges will be a critical way to address not only near term employment challenges but our long term environmental and energy security goals. Renewable energy, energy efficiency, and biofuels can make a significant down payment on carbon pollution targets. These sources are rapidly deployable today, immediately producing jobs, energy security, and environmental benefits.
The time has come for Congress to enact legislation providing long-term support for energy efficiency, renewable energy and biofuels. It is essential for American jobs, our national security, and the environment.
Sincerely,
Kateri Callahan, President Denise Bode, CEO
Alliance to Save Energy American Wind Energy Association
Bob Cleaves, President & CEO Ted Michaels, President
Biomass Power Association Energy Recovery Council
Karl Gawell, Executive Director Tom Buis, CEO
Geothermal Energy Association Growth Energy
Linda Church Ciocci, Executive Director Rhone Resch, President & CEO
National Hydropower Association Solar Energy Industries Association
Cantwell Amendment Vote Expected in Senate Next Week; GEA Signs Letter of Support
As the House and Senate continue to work on a “tax extenders bill,” Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) is proposing an amendment that would extend the Section 1603 Treasury Grant Program included in the stimulus bill for another two years. Under the provision, companies qualifying for the renewable tax credit can obtain a cash grant in lieu of the credit, which was intended to spur renewable project development despite the economic recession. However, that provision requires projects to be under construction by the end of this year to quality for the special cash grant.
Senator Cantwell’s amendment would expand the provision to include public power entities, and extend the deadline for the program by two additional years. The Senate is expected to return to the tax extenders bill next week.
The amendment is expected to be acted on by the Senate as it completes consideration of the tax extenders bill. GEA signed a joint letter of support along with other renewable energy trade associations, as follows:
Dear Senators Reid, McConnell, Baucus and Grassley:
The nation remains focused on the need to address urgent economic challenges, including the immediate need to maintain and generate jobs. America’s renewable energy industries have been a source of growth amidst the economic recession and can continue to create well-paying American jobs with your support of a crucial policy: the extension of the Section 1603 Treasury Grant Program (TGP). As leaders of America’s renewable energy trade associations, we urge you to support Senator Maria Cantwell’s proposed amendment to extend the Section 1603 Treasury Grant Program as part of the tax extenders bill that is expected to be considered by the Senate this week.
Section 1603 of the ARRA authorizes the Department of Treasury to issue grants to renewable energy facilities that would otherwise qualify for the investment tax credit that start construction in 2009 or 2010. This program has been extremely successful in both deploying renewable energy projects and creating jobs quickly. Two independent studies released in recent months confirm the number of jobs created from the TGP, and project further growth of well-paying American jobs with a 2 year extension of the program.
• The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report from April 2010 found the TGP created over 55,000 jobs in the wind and geothermal industries alone;
• EuPD Research released a study finding that the TGP supported 17,000 US solar jobs in 2009; • The same report forecasts the creation of 65,000 additional new jobs by 2015 in the solar and supporting industries across the US should the TGP be extended by two years.
These studies show the TGP has been successful and put tens of thousands of Americans to work. The Cantwell amendment would extend the start construction date to December 31, 2012, similar to provisions in Senator Diane Feinstein’s bill, S. 2899, the “Renewable Energy Incentives Act.” The enactment of Senator Cantwell’s amendment would continue the growth in America’s renewable energy industries, creating jobs and clean energy nationwide.
Large utility-scale renewable energy projects can take more than six months to arrange financing. Projects that cannot be certain about meeting the December 31st commence construction date are losing financing now. The certainty of an extension is necessary if we are going to realize all of the renewable energy projects currently in the pipeline.
We thank you for your consideration and ask for your support of the Cantwell amendment to extend and expand the TGP as part of the tax extenders bill.
Sincerely,
Denise A. Bode, Chief Executive Officer, American Wind Energy Association
Karl Gawell, Executive Director, Geothermal Energy Association
Linda Church Ciocci, Executive Director, National Hydropower Association
Rhone Resch, President and CEO, Solar Energy Industries Association
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