Climate Change Update

Despite the urging of the White House, the U.S. Congress is still struggling to pass a comprehensive climate and energy bill.  The House of Representatives passed a bill by a narrow vote in the summer of 2009; however, the Senate, unable to find backing for specific draft bills, has moved full debate on climate and energy to early spring 2010.  Work continues on a Senate bill, and Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) are said to be close to unveiling another draft bill. As Congress works, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pushing forward with its own regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from mobile and stationary sources under the Clean Air Act.  This is prompting sharp criticism from legislators in search of more time to debate the most appropriate course of action.  In both houses of Congress, movements that seek to stop or delay EPA action are gaining support.  Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Ala.) intends to introduce for vote in mid-March a resolution to overturn EPA's December 2009 endangerment finding that opened the door for regulation under the Clean Air Act.  Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) is writing a bill that would delay EPA action for a few years and Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) has introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to remove EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases.  Three more representatives (Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Ike Skelton (D-Missouri) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-Missouri)) also introduced a bill to block EPA.  In addition, states and interest groups are choosing sides in support of or to challenge the EPA endangerment finding in the courts. AGC supports recent congressional initiatives to halt regulation under the Clean Air Act.  Congress requires time and data to ensure that any efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions also work to strengthen the economy through: 1) increasing the energy efficiency of our infrastructure; and 2) increasing the nation's energy security by building diversified and lower-emitting sources.